Financial advisers are missing out on lucrative business opportunities by failing to properly employ search engine optimisation (SEO), a communications veteran believes. 

Understanding how an adviser ranks online is fundamental to staying on top of the new business pipeline, yet few advisers regularly test their reach, according to financial services communications consultancy i-Impact Group president Claudio Pannunzio.

Pannunzio said planners should regularly type their business or suburb and industry name into search engines to see how far they track down the results list.

They should also regularly check how many potential clients are trying to engage with them on social media. Those who do not yield a result need to adopt an SEO strategy imminently, he added.

Pannunzio suggested setting up Google Analytics and using common search terms in social media interactions.

Advisers would also benefit from setting up regularly maintained blogs and using video to increase the amount of time someone spends on their site and in turn, lift their SEO ranking.

“Creating a video that addresses an adviser’s key audience’s problems and issues and provides tips and actionable ideas will help drive prospects to their website, keep them on it and achieve their SEO goals,” he concluded.