Credit unions (CUs) face a challenge when it comes to ranking on page one of Google for competitive keywords, especially when trying to outrank national banks in local markets. Search engine optimization (SEO) is crucial to improving visibility and boosting rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). By optimizing website content, structure, and on-page elements like titles, meta tags, and anchor text, credit unions can improve their chances of ranking higher and beating national competitors.
Here are the top three SEO strategies credit unions should implement for improved results:
1. Technical SEO
The foundation of any successful SEO strategy starts with ensuring that your website is technically sound. This includes making sure it’s well-coded, loads quickly, and is free from errors or crawling issues.
Site Speed: Google prioritizes fast-loading websites. If your site takes too long to load, users may abandon it, and Google may not rank it well. To improve speed, optimize image sizes, reduce HTTP requests, and cache static files. Tools like Google PageSpeed Insights and GTMetrix are great for assessing load times and finding areas for improvement.
Website Audits: Regularly audit your website for crawling issues or duplicate content. Screaming Frog is an excellent tool to crawl your site and identify these issues. If you find duplicate content or errors, fixing them will help improve site performance and rankings.
Comprehensive SEO Tools: Tools like Ahrefs and SEMrush provide a more comprehensive suite of features, including site audits, backlink analysis, keyword research, and rank tracking. Although improvements from technical SEO might take a few months to show results, focusing on these basics will set you on the right path for long-term success.
2. Create Helpful, Quality Content
Creating content that is both helpful and keyword-rich is one of the most effective ways to improve your SEO. This content can include blog posts, videos, infographics, or well-crafted descriptions of your services and products.
Keyword Optimization: When creating content, aim to use relevant keywords, but avoid keyword stuffing. A keyword density of 1-2% is ideal. The goal is to make your content readable and informative without over-optimizing.
Readable Content: Keep content clear and easy to digest by using short paragraphs, simple language, and formatting elements like headings and bullet points to break up the text.
Content Calendar: Developing a content calendar ensures regular, organized posting. It helps align both short-term and long-term goals, such as increasing site traffic or improving conversions. Vary your content types, including blog posts, social media posts, videos, and newsletters, to keep your website fresh and engaging. Tools like Buzzsumo or Google News can help identify relevant topics and trending keywords.
3. Build Backlinks
Backlinks, or links from other websites pointing to yours, play a vital role in improving your website's authority and search rankings. High-quality backlinks signal to Google that your content is valuable and worth ranking higher.
Local Backlinks: Focus on acquiring local backlinks from trusted sources like local news outlets, the Chamber of Commerce, the Better Business Bureau, or any well-trafficked local website. Many times, your credit union may be mentioned in articles but not linked to directly—this is an opportunity to reach out and request a backlink.
Outreach to Bloggers: Another way to earn backlinks is by connecting with financial bloggers. Websites like Feedly, Alltop, or ProBlogger can help you find relevant blogs in your niche. When reaching out, offer to share a guest post or collaborate on content to gain a link back to your site.
Create Shareable Resources: Develop helpful resources like infographics, eBooks, or guides. These can be shared by other sites, which will provide backlinks and increase visibility. Make sure to follow any linking guidelines provided by other sites to ensure proper attribution.
Summary
By strategically focusing on technical SEO, creating helpful content, and building backlinks, your credit union can increase its chances of outranking national banks and capturing more local search traffic. Implementing these three core strategies will significantly improve your website's SEO and bring long-term benefits.
