Have You Noticed Your Insurance Office on Google’s Knowledge Panel?
The Knowledge Panel offers more than just basic information. You can see hours of operation, photos from Google My Business, as well as photos from users, and your website. You can even find out how popular your business is at certain times and days of the week.
Reviews from Google, Yelp, and Facebook are also viewable from the Knowledge Panel. Your social profiles are also listed in the Knowledge Panel, giving easy access to your Facebook, LinkedIn, and Twitter pages. Instead of customers or prospects looking at multiple Search Engine Results they can find what they need in your Knowledge Panel.
What Are the 3 Key Factors for Local Search?
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Relevance
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Distance
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Prominence
The good news is that there is no way to request or pay for a better local ranking on Google. One way that Google makes the ranking as fair as possible is by keeping details of the search algorithm confidential.
Providing and Updating your business information in Google My Business can help with your business’s local ranking on Google and enhance your presence in Search and Maps. Adding fresh photos to your Google My Business can also help increase your presence on the results page. Use great images all the time and know that your logo could get skipped as it’s better to use an industry image than logos. You can also include an interior 360 slideshow to your Google My Business page.
When building out your profile, be sure to enter complete data in Google My Business and make sure to keep this information updated as your business changes – from moving to a change in hours, always keep Google in the loop.
What Information Does Google Need to Know About Your Business?
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Where you are located? Be sure to verify all of your locations.
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What is your phone number? Always include your business phone number.
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When are you open? Keep your hours accurate.
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What people are saying about your business? Manage and respond to every review.
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What does your business look like? Add photos and visuals to your listing.
Keeping your Google My Business listing accurate is imperative to your local search results. If your listing is wrong, it won’t work correctly. Try checking your listing in Google, Apple (via Siri), and Bing to verify your address and business name are on the right spot of the map.
I had a frustrating experience while looking for a business. We were walking in a very small town looking for an auto parts store. We searched by Google maps and followed the walking directions. When we got to the listed location, the business wasn’t there. Luckily, it was a very small town and we had decided to go get a coffee down the street. Once we got to the coffee shop we saw the auto parts store at its new location. The lesson is to keep your information updated, otherwise, it could cause frustration with your potential visitor.
How Relevant Is Your Business to Search Results?
You want to make sure that Google and your customers know what you do. It starts with your business name and branding, making sure that users understand what your business does. Your website content & links with Reviews and Social Reinforcement are ways to build your relevance.
How Complete Is Content on Your Insurance Office Website?
Website Content is your way to add relevance to search engine searches. When creating content for your website, it is important to compile the top 10 questions that you or your staff are asked. Does your website answer all of those questions? Remember content saves time because your visitors can find their answer on your website. This content also helps build trust and helps you become the expert to the visitor.
How Do You Find Relevant Content for Your Insurance Website?
It’s easier now to find relevant content topics for your website and blog post.
By checking the Google Search Suggest for additional search topics, you can see what keywords are frequently searched for. Simply start typing your keyword in the search bar and notice the other terms that are listed.
Have you ever searched for a term then noticed the suggested search links at the bottom of your search results page? Google makes it easy to see related searches at the bottom of their Search Engine Results Page. These are popular searches that Google is recommending. By writing a blog post or landing page on these topics your office becomes more relevant to the search.
How Far Is Your Insurance Business From the Searcher?
By claiming all of your locations through your Google My Business account is one of the key factors in determining your distance from the searcher. Keeping your profile updated on your address and having a consistent Name, Address and Phone number throughout the internet allows you to be found by prospects in your area.
How Does Your Insurance Business Gain Prominence?
It is true that no publicity is bad publicity. One positive way for your business to gain prominence is to develop relationships with local press, either newspaper or radio. Becoming active in your community gives you an opportunity to build relationships with other businesses, community members, and local press.
A Few Things That You Can Do:
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Invest in scholarships – get links on High School websites
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Sponsor events
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Training & Education programs – For instance a Teenage Driver program, or Seniors Driving Program
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Internships
You Should Also Get Links From:
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Boards your volunteer on
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Donations to Charities
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Chamber of Commerce
How Many Stars Does Your Insurance Business Have?
Getting reviews is another way to gain prominence. Google searches reviews from the web and posts them on your Knowledge Panel. Listings with reviews see 360% higher click through rates and direction requests see a 144% increase.
Since Google’s Knowledge Panel shows more than Google reviews, be sure to get reviews from any review site (especially Yelp and Facebook). It is important to keep these review sites updated too!
Continue Using Social Media to Gain Prominence
Keeping your Social Media active is one way to gain prominence. If you are posting multiple times a week on a consistent basis, Google (and your followers) will see this.
It’s Not Easy, but It’s Worth It!
Being found on Google’s Local Search is imperative for your insurance business. We know that insurance is one of the most competitive keywords for Google. By taking the time to keep your Google My Business updated, gain prominence, and get reviews your office can compete with the bigger national competitors.