There are many brands circling the online banking and digital finance market, which creates a highly competitive atmosphere in which only the savviest stand a chance of survival.
Generating leads and converting prospects into customers is not easy in this context, which is why search optimization cannot be taken for granted.
That’s where SoFi excels, with its finely tuned site ensuring that its range of products are organically visible on SERPs, and that it isn’t solely reliant on paid campaigns to gain traction.
Here’s a look at what SEO techniques this particular banking brand brings to bear on the market, and what others can learn from its successes.
Analyzing the Impact of Keywords on SoFi’s Private Student Loans Search Rankings
When it comes to SEO, keywords are king. That’s why SoFi puts so much effort into understanding which search terms and phrases are most likely to generate leads and conversions for their private student loans business.
To do this, it analyzes both short-tail (one or two words) and long-tail (three or more words) phrases in order to determine which ones will drive the best results. This allows it to focus its efforts on optimizing content around those specific terms, often resulting in higher rankings.
For instance, targeting customers looking for the best private student loan rate using related keywords means that it not only achieves a higher rank for phrases around this product, but that the leads generated are more likely to convert, because the level of specificity naturally filters out unsuitable prospects.
SoFi also uses a variety of tools for analyzing competitor performance based upon keyword research data. This enables the team to identify opportunities that could give them an edge over other loan providers, while also maximizing the ROI of their organic SEO efforts.
Maximizing CTR with Targeted Title Tags & Meta Descriptions
In addition to optimizing content for keyword performance, SoFi also puts a lot of thought into crafting compelling title tags and meta descriptions that make visitors want to click through.
By taking the time to craft messages tailored specifically for each landing page, letting them stand out from their competitors on SERPs, SoFi is able to maximize the amount of clicks it receives, and of course catalyze conversions as a result.
Furthermore, by using SEO best practices, such as including keywords near the beginning of titles or utilizing action-oriented language like “Discover” or “Apply Now”, it can boost clickthrough rates (CTR) even further.
It’s another example of how the core principles of good SEO remain the same across every industry. If you’re on top of the fundamentals like this, you’re bound to see positive results in the long run.
Structuring Site Content for Maximum Engagement and Conversion Potential
SoFi also understands the importance of proper content structuring, always paying attention to the impact this has for end users, not just for search algorithms. That’s why it strives to create an intuitive user experience, focusing on succinct headings, easy-to-follow bullet points, and clear CTAs that make it simple for visitors to understand what action SoFi wants them to take.
This helps ensure users stay engaged with the website longer, generating more leads and conversions in the process.
Furthermore, by providing helpful resources, such as infographics and relevant blog articles, including those related specifically towards student loan inquiries, it can bring newcomers onboard while still driving home key sales messages at the same time.
Leveraging Social Media to Boost Organic Traffic & Lead Generation
Social media plays a key role in SoFi’s SEO strategy when it comes to driving leads and conversions for their various finance products.
By maintaining an active presence on platforms such as Twitter and Instagram, it is able to promote content related towards student loans, investment opportunities, mortgages and more.
This not only drives more organic traffic, but can also directly generate leads through calls-to-action, like signup forms and contact links that lead visitors back to SoFi’s website.
The idea is consistent across other sectors as well, since traction on social media can be a self-perpetuating route to more site traffic, which of course looks good to search engines.
Measuring ROI from SEO Campaigns: Tracking Success Through User Behavior Analysis
For any business, understanding the ROI of any marketing strategy is key. SoFi takes this even further by measuring the success of their SEO campaigns through user behavior analytics.
By tracking how visitors interact with content and other on-page elements, such as forms or calls-to-action, it is able to gain valuable insights into which strategies are driving leads and conversions. In turn this enables it to refine its efforts over time in order to optimize every penny spent on promotion.
The Bottom Line
The lessons learned from SoFi’s SEO can apply to any website, so check it out and see how it is handled first-hand, then apply what you discover to your own online presence.
