By Mike Burke on April 17, 2025April 17, 2025 In the sixth ALPINE call presented by GVA’s marketing team, Mike Burke shared best practices to consider with website SEO. The GVA Marketing team manages more than 30 sites for advisors, implementing all the best practices shared on the call, which are highlighted again below. All websites are hosted on a Virtual Private Server, built on a fully responsive codebase, and utilize AI-powered SEO tools. Our weekly Economic & Market reports from the GVA Asset Management team create fresh content and backlinking relationships. And our suite of AI-powered SEO tools pushes each site through Google Search Console for indexing, and regular site audits ensure best practices. First, let’s take a step back to briefly introduce SEO. Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is increasing the quality and quantity of traffic to your website through organic search engine results. Organic traffic is any website traffic you do not pay for, while paid traffic is driven to your website via paid advertisements. Google always wants the best user experience; therefore, page speed has become essential for SEO. Keyword density is no longer part of SEO strategy because search algorithms have evolved over the past decade. Also, page quality is much more important than quantity; five high-quality pages are far more effective than hundreds of random pages on your site. Organic Search Data Points 3% of all web traffic originates from organic search, while only 27% comes from paid search. B2B businesses generate double the revenue from organic search compared to all other channels. Approximately 33.6% of U.S. internet users utilize ad blockers, and 14.08% of search ad clicks are considered fraudulent or invalid. SEO Content and Best Practices Google’s primary goal is to provide valuable and relevant results to the user. Content is king, and high-quality content in a high-performing, properly architected web experience will outrank the competition. Best practices include understanding what users search for, providing content that answers specific user questions, and deeply understanding the competitive landscape and what users in financial services are looking for. Avoid walls of text, keep your website updated with fresh content consistently, and use internal and external links. Technical and Strategic SEO Best Practices Ensure your website utilizes H1, H2, and H3 tags in the codebase, and make sure the overall site works well on mobile and loads quickly. Utilize all available tools, ensure you implement Google Search Console, create a sitemap, and use Google Analytics to understand traffic sources and perform competitive analysis. Post content on social media to build links and backlinks and perform regular checks to ensure proper site configuration. In closing, Search Engine Optimization can be daunting, but with a consistent approach that utilizes best practices, quality site content, and a clear overall digital strategy, advisors can use SEO to gain a strategic advantage and stand out to their current and potential clients. Questions about SEO? Or would you like to explore your options for a new website? Please contact Mike Burke. Additionally, if you missed the presentation and would like to watch a recording, we invite you to visit Recorded Demos + Meetings page on the GVA Intranet. Investment Advice offered through Great Valley Advisor Group, a Registered Investment Advisor and separate entity from LPL Financial. Compliance Review # – 725820