Insurance Internet Marketing: Maximizing Your Online Presence and Earnings

Insurance Internet Marketing has undergone significant changes over the past decade, driven by the growing preference of consumers to go online to obtain quotes and compare prices among different insurance providers. Notable successes in this field include Progressive's innovative "name your own price tool," Allstate and State Farm's impactful television campaigns, the Geico gecko, and Esurance's strategic brand re-invention.

Esurance, in particular, has distinguished itself from its more established competitors by positioning itself as an online-centric company catering to the needs of the online community. With user-friendly websites and mobile applications, Esurance provides a seamless and engaging customer experience. Moving away from their secret agent mascot Erin, Esurance has adopted a direct approach in their advertising campaigns, effectively reaching out to potential customers.

However, Esurance's success has been somewhat limited, especially following its acquisition by Allstate. Together, these companies now control only 4% of the online insurance policy market share, with Geico leading at 38%. While entering such a competitive arena may seem daunting, local insurance companies can level the playing field by implementing the right internet marketing strategies. By generating solid leads and maintaining a strong online presence, it is possible to succeed with an internet marketing campaign that specifically targets online users who may be actively seeking insurance solutions.

Success in Insurance Internet Marketing

Connecting with Content

At the heart of any successful Internet Marketing campaign is a well-designed and user-friendly website. After registering a domain name and setting up hosting services, the next crucial step is to create high-quality content. Content encompasses various forms, including service descriptions, articles, blog posts, photos, case studies, videos, and illustrations. When visitors arrive at your website, they don't want to be bombarded with sales pitches. Engaging content should provide valuable information relevant to their needs or concerns, presented in a visually appealing manner. Incorporating visuals such as photos, charts, or videos can enhance the presentation of your articles or posts, effectively highlighting key points. Esurance serves as an excellent example, with their informative blog covering topics ranging from company evolution to money-saving insurance tips. By creating compelling content that resonates with the audience, Esurance has fostered a sense of community and encourages social sharing, thereby increasing their authority in the online space.

Content Management System (CMS)

Utilizing a Content Management System (CMS) allows you to efficiently publish, edit, and control the information shared on your website from a centralized source. WordPress, a highly popular and user-friendly CMS, is favored by Google and users alike (it is the only CMS featured on Google's Webmaster Tools). As an open-source community, WordPress is free to use and provides a range of features that contribute to creating user and search engine-friendly websites. Additionally, WordPress offers RSS feeds, which provide condensed links to your recent content, allowing your readers to stay updated. Whether you need to create easy-to-fill forms, import blog posts, or implement more advanced options like eCommerce functionality or multiple-level user admin access, WordPress offers impressive functionality for optimizing your site for search engines and users.

SEO for Insurance Internet Marketing

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) plays a crucial role in establishing a strong online presence and attracting both users and search engines. Major insurance companies like Geico, State Farm, and Esurance invest considerable time and resources into developing effective SEO campaigns. While you may not have the budget of these industry giants, you can still learn from their successful strategies. Analyzing their websites reveals that high-quality, engaging content remains instrumental in their success, and you can incorporate this practice into your own SEO development. As Pablo Picasso once said, "Good artists copy, great artists steal." Don't hesitate to draw inspiration from their successful campaigns to enhance your own site.

Off-Site SEO

SEO comprises both on-site and off-site efforts. While on-site SEO focuses on optimizing your own website, off-site SEO is equally essential as it helps expand your influence and authority in the online sphere. To achieve a successful SEO campaign, it is crucial to strike a balance between these two aspects. Once again, high-quality content plays a key role. Creating share-worthy content that resonates with your target audience and is relevant to current news and trends will encourage other websites to link to and share your content, thereby increasing your site's authority. Social media platforms also offer a direct means of connecting with users and effectively sharing your valuable content. By leveraging social sharing, you can attract new users to your site and potentially convert them into customers. Ensuring your website is equipped with relevant landing pages and easy navigation will maximize the benefits of your online community efforts.

PPC Campaign

Given the highly competitive nature of keywords related to insurance, it takes time to differentiate yourself from major players in the industry. While waiting for your optimization efforts to yield significant results, Pay Per Click (PPC) campaigns can be employed effectively. With PPC, you pay for ads only when users click through to your site. The Click Through Rate (CTR) determines both your expenditure and the effectiveness of your campaign. To establish a budget for PPC, it is crucial to select relevant keywords that align with user searches. Placing an ad for "insurance providers in [insert your city here]" on a search page unrelated to insurance will yield a low conversion rate and waste your advertising budget. To succeed in PPC, it is essential to follow the "Google Cycle": target relevant keywords, create targeted ads, focus on highlighting the benefits rather than features, employ relevant and dynamic landing pages, and track all interactions (form submissions, phone calls, orders, etc.) to gauge campaign effectiveness.

Long-Term Strategies for SEO

The long-term success of your SEO efforts relies on consistently delivering fresh content and acquiring inbound links. This combination of fresh content and links will make your website irresistible to major search engines and users alike. From development to PPC, on-site and off-site SEO, there are exciting opportunities available for those seeking to effectively market insurance services online. By staying informed about the latest trends and strategies in Insurance Internet Marketing, you can position yourself for success and maximize your online presence.