SEO tactics to grow, adapt, or retire
Financial brands operate in a digital landscape where trust, authority, and visibility are critical. SEO remains a cornerstone of online discoverability, yet the tactics that worked yesterday may no longer be effective today.
To maintain a competitive edge in search, financial marketers must refine their strategies—doubling down on what works, adjusting to evolving best practices, and letting go of outdated methods.
Here’s how financial brands should approach SEO in 2025, categorized into three essential paths:
> Strengthen – High-impact strategies that remain effective and should be reinforced
> Adapt – Tactics that need refinement to stay relevant
> Retire – Approaches that are no longer delivering results
Grow: SEO strategies that deliver
Technical Audits: The Foundation of Strong SEO
Without a structurally sound website, even the best content will struggle to rank. Regular technical SEO audits are crucial for financial brands, ensuring that issues like slow page speed, broken links, and poor mobile performance don’t hinder visibility.
Since financial services often handle sensitive user data, site security is another critical factor. Google rewards secure, fast, and mobile-friendly websites, making regular technical audits a non-negotiable priority for brands in this space.
E-E-A-T: Building Trust and Authority in Finance
Google continues to emphasize Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T)—and for financial brands, where credibility is paramount, this is more important than ever.
A strong E-E-A-T audit ensures your content is:
> Authored by financial experts with clear credentials and bios (original or ghostwritten work)
> Well-sourced and fact-checked, linking to reputable industry data
> Updated regularly to reflect the latest financial trends and regulations
> Demonstrating firsthand experience, such as case studies and expert insights
Financial services fall under Your Money, Your Life (YMYL) categories, meaning Google applies stricter scrutiny. Brands that actively reinforce transparency and expertise in their content will maintain a competitive edge.
Refreshing Published Content: A Smarter Growth Strategy
Instead of constantly producing new content, financial brands should prioritize refreshing existing assets that have already performed well. This involves:
> Updating statistics and regulatory details to ensure accuracy
> Improving readability and structure for better engagement
> Enhancing internal linking to connect users with valuable related content
A content refresh not only boosts rankings but also reinforces your brand’s authority by keeping resources current and useful to readers.
Internal Linking & Site Structure: Strengthening Navigation and Authority
Internal linking is a powerful yet often overlooked SEO strategy. By connecting relevant pages, financial brands help users navigate content seamlessly while reinforcing topical authority to search engines.
A well-planned internal linking strategy:
> Guides users toward conversion paths (e.g., linking educational content to product pages)
> Signals expertise in key financial topics by clustering related articles
> Prevents content from becoming orphaned (isolated and hard to find)
For financial websites with extensive content libraries, reviewing and improving internal links is an easy win that improves both user experience and rankings.
Structured Data & Schema Markup: Enhancing Visibility in Search
Financial brands can increase their presence in search results by implementing structured data (schema markup). This helps Google understand context, allowing for:
> Rich snippets (e.g., FAQ sections appearing directly in search results)
> Knowledge panels showcasing brand authority
> Better categorization of financial products, such as loan rates or investment plans
Structured data is particularly valuable for financial brands aiming to stand out in competitive search results.
Adapt: SEO tactics that need a fresh approach
Keyword Strategy: Intent Matters More Than Volume
While keyword research is still essential, high search volume no longer guarantees success. Google now prioritizes search intent—meaning content should align with what users actually need, rather than just targeting popular terms.
A stronger approach for financial brands includes:
> Prioritizing long-tail, high-intent keywords (e.g., “how to choose a retirement plan” vs. just “retirement plans”)
> Understanding searcher behavior—are they looking for education, comparison, or direct services?
> Focusing on search difficulty vs. ranking feasibility—competing for hyper-competitive keywords might not be the best play.
Brands that refine their keyword targeting to match real user needs will see higher engagement and conversion rates.
Metadata Optimization: Clarity Over Exact Keywords
Optimizing metadata is still important, but Google now rewrites title tags and meta descriptions frequently. Instead of stuffing in exact-match keywords, financial brands should focus on clarity and click-through appeal by:
> Clearly summarizing the content’s value
> Using action-oriented language to drive engagement
> Showcasing credibility signals, such as “Regulated by [Authority]”
A well-crafted meta title and description can increase organic click-through rates, even if rankings stay the same.
Backlinks: Focus on Earning, Not Asking
Backlinks remain a ranking factor, but cold outreach for links is becoming less effective. A strong backlink profile is built through credibility, not manual outreach. Instead of manually requesting links, financial brands should focus on attracting organic backlinks by:
> Publishing exclusive research (e.g., industry surveys, financial reports)
> Creating data-driven insights that journalists and analysts want to cite
> Partnering with reputable industry sites for co-branded content
Retire: Outdated SEO practices Chasing Every Algorithm Update
Financial marketers often feel pressured to react to every Google update, but this leads to wasted resources and unnecessary content adjustments. Instead of panic-driven changes, focus on:
> SEO fundamentals—high-quality content, strong site structure, and user trust
> Long-term trends rather than short-term fluctuations
> Maintaining content integrity, rather than constantly tweaking it for minor ranking shifts
Google’s core goal remains the same—prioritizing valuable, authoritative content. Brands that stick to quality over quick fixes will perform better long-term.
Over-Reliance on AI for Content Creation
While AI can assist in research and ideation, publishing AI-generated financial content without expert oversight is a risky move. Google favors human expertise, particularly in YMYL industries like finance.
A better approach is to:
> Use AI for content outlines, summarization, and competitive analysis
> Ensure all final content is reviewed and written by financial professionals
> Maintain a distinct brand voice and editorial integrity
AI should support human expertise, not replace it.
Keyword Stuffing & Over-Optimized SEO Copy
Stuffing content with repetitive keywords no longer boosts rankings—it does the opposite. Instead content should be:
> Natural and conversational, while still aligned with search intent
> Structured for easy readability, using headers and bullet points
> Built around user engagement, rather than trying to game algorithms
Financial brands that prioritize clarity and credibility over excessive optimization will see better engagement and trust from users.
Smarter SEO for financial brands
As SEO evolves, financial brands must be proactive yet strategic in their approach.
> Strengthen high-impact SEO strategies that reinforce visibility and credibility.
> Adapt existing tactics to stay relevant in a changing search landscape.
> Retire outdated practices that no longer contribute to business growth.
By focusing on trust, authority, and user experience, financial brands can future-proof their SEO strategy and maintain a competitive edge in 2025 and beyond.
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