3 ways to use Google to find clients

Advisors looking for wealthy clients are missing out on potential clients if they’re not tracking their own presence online, says Lisa Boulanger, a Google account executive specializing in financial services

She spoke this week at the HNW Client Engagement Conference. Advisor.ca live-tweeted the event and we’ve put the best tweets below:

Ultra-affluent people, who make over $250,000 a year, are the most active demographic online, says Boulanger. And 46% use social media to help decide whether to make a purchase.

Far from being the domain of teenagers, 50% of affluent people watch a YouTube video every week, she says, disproving those high-net-worth advisors who don’t think there’s a point in trying to reach out to potential clients over that medium.

Read: What clients find on Google: What’s a financial advisor?

But while it’s tempting to be on every single social media and digital platform invented, if not used well it won’t be a good use of your time, she says. Match your business goals with digital platforms, and use them to tailor your brand to different types of clients.

She presented three Google tools, free and paid, you can use to expand your business:

Use Google’s a search-related ad space to have an ad for your website pop up when someone searches for financial advice. Contrary to popular belief, web users do click on these ads, she says.

Try the free Google Trends feature, which can show you how many times your firm is searched for online compared to your competitor.

Examine Google’s user data to track how your customers find you online. Google analyzes searchers’ internet history, and can break down exactly what kind of person is looking at your website, and what they’re doing. For instance, it may reveal many 35-year-old women with high levels of disposable income are looking at your work experience and contact page, but few are actually emailing. Google can then help you convert those hesitant visitors into clients.

Read: How to run a LinkedIn group