Everyone wants their website to rank at the top of Google.  When you’re at the top, people find your site first when searching for insurance or looking for a local agent. But very few have any idea HOW to make it happen.

First let’s look at how Google displays results. 

Google Ad Example

 

In the example above, you can see that all of the results in the yellow box at the top are paid ads, as well as the results along the right hand column.

The only area that is “free” is the Organic Search.

Websites are ranked in organic search by a complicated algorithm that Google creates.  It depends on many factors.  Things like how long your website has been online, what kind of things you have written, how many other websites have links to your site, and so on.

It takes time and strategy to build your site up on organic search.  It also depends heavily on the amount of competition you are experiencing.  If you live in a small town, it’s easier to boost your ranking.  If you live in a huge metro area with 300 other insurance agents, it’s going to take more work.

So let’s instead get an idea for how the “ads” section works.

Google Ads are called Adwords.  (www.google.com/adwords)  You create an ad that is designed to reach a particular set of keywords.  The keywords are what you believe someone will type into Google in order to search for your product.  For example – “insurance agent fort worth tx”.

Google gives you an estimate of what you will pay when someone clicks on your ad.  This is called the cost per click (CPC).

Unfortunately, it’s not cheap advertising.  Especially for insurance agents.  It really all depends on the keyword and the level of demand for that keyword.  According to this research from Wordstream, insurance related keywords are the most expensive on Google averaging around $50 per click.

But this doesn’t mean it’s a bad idea.  It’s just something that you need to TEST.
A great place to start is by searching the Google Keyword Tool to get an idea of how many people search your keywords.  Here’s an example showing keywords on the left and estimated searches on the right.  (Note you only need to type a few ideas in and Google will give you this long list of related options.)
If you’re ready to try setting up ads, just go to Adwords and setup an account.  They are pretty helpful in getting you setup and offer phone assistance as well.  (Watch your email, they’ll often send out occasional promo codes for free advertising too.)
Google Ads are not a free option, but they can be effective at getting your agency to the top of the results and catching the eye of consumers shopping online.  Let me know your experience in the comments.
Robyn Sharp
Robyn Sharp

Robyn Sharp founded Mega Agency Marketing in 2010 and specializes in insurance agency marketing, including lead generation, social media, reputation management and more. She and her her husband, John, own an independent insurance agency in Arkansas.