Video SEO - A Secret Marketing Weapon for Your Insurance Agency

Just suppose for a moment that you know all the ins and outs of video SEO (if you don't, not to worry, we'll cover that below). Why would you add video SEO to your insurance agency's marketing arsenal? The short answer is because it would give you a competitive advantage.

The big marketers, like GEICO, State Farm and Nationwide are leveraging video SEO. Your insurance agency, with your modest marketing budget, can compete with them. You just need to do it on your terms, not theirs.

As to your local competition... they haven't figured video SEO out. Fewer than 15% of independent insurance agencies have a YouTube channel. The majority of those that do have subscribers in the single digits and haven't produced a new video, on average, in over three years.

It's as if someone just threw a few videos together, tossed them out there on YouTube, and then lost interest. It's not as if that's what happened, that's exactly what happened.

The marketing advantage of video SEO is there for the taking, you just need to be intentional about it.

First, let's put video SEO in some context. There are different types of search engine optimization, or SEO, as we explored in this blog post.

Each type of SEO involves different techniques; technical SEO has to do with making sure your website structure stays Google friendly, local SEO is heavily dependent on factors not on your website such as your Google Business Profile and online reviews, and the more traditional SEO is all about website content, backlinks and domain authority.

The one powerful type of SEO that is often overlooked is video SEO. Consider:

• YouTube has the 2nd highest volume search engine after Google.
• Youtube thumbnails show up in 28% of Google searches
• How-to and explainer videos are very popular search items.
• Web pages with video are stickier - people stay on them 2.6 times longer (dwell time).

The average user spends eighty-eight percent more time on a website with video and seventy-two percent of consumers would rather learn about a product by way of video.

There are also collateral benefits to video SEO. Videos that are produced by your insurance agency and added to YouTube can be used in e-newsletters, emails and texts to clients and prospects to explain coverage nuances. Video posts to Facebook and other social media to engage and capture more followers. And that's just the beginning.

You don't need much to get started, videos should be of decent quality but you don't need Hollywood production values. Videos that are good but not overtly professional are actually perceived as being more authentic.

What you need to get started (not much):

• Your smart phone.
• Your computer camera and microphone, though spending $50 - $60 to upgrade to USB camera and microphone will result in better videos.
• Good lighting.
• A quiet area to record in.
• A YouTube channel (free).

Types of videos to include in your 'productions':

• An introductory video explaining your agency's value proposition, a little about your history and involvement in the community.
• Explainer videos - what different types of insurance actually cover, how claims are settled, how to choose a deductible, etc.
• Testimonial videos - these are best done in a problem/solution/benefit format and can be helpful in the sales process when pitching to a specific type of prospect (commercial niche).
• Employee introduction - these can take the place of a static image in your insurance agency's website directory.
• Client highlights featuring and promoting the business of one of your commercial clients.

Essential elements to a video SEO plan:

• A schedule of video topics and dates for release.
• A distribution schedule; that is, where each video will show up: YouTube, Facebook, agency website, email, etc.
• Goals for views, percent of videos watched, etc.
• A schedule for reviewing video performance (percent watched and actions after a video viewing - like visits to your website - are more important than sheer number of views).

If you need a little help getting started, just talk to us, we can help!