Marketing Insights and Guidance

Define your bank’s differences by leveraging relevant community bank category claims:

• 16.3 million people in roughly 1 in 3 counties would have limited or no physical access to mainstream banking services without the presence of community banks. (Source: FDIC)

• 79% of Americans cite the importance of locally based lending decisions in how they determine where to bank. (Source: ICBA and Morning Consult Survey, 2023)

• More than 1,000 community banks in the country have been serving their communities for over 100 years. (Source: ICBA)

• Community banks make 60% of all small business loans (Source: FDIC)

• Community banks make 80% of agricultural loans. (Source: FDIC)

• Loan applicants at community banks were 22% more satisfied with their experience compared with large banks, 29% more satisfied than at finance companies and nearly 50% more satisfied than using online lenders. (Source: ICBA)

About these Guidebooks

Boost your bank’s online presence and drive targeted traffic with our comprehensive SEO Guidebook Series.

Each guidebook is designed to offer community banks actionable strategies and in-depth insights to help you optimize your website effectively, enhance visibility, and achieve sustained growth.

Discover the importance of tracking key SEO metrics. Learn to set up Google Search Console, interpret vital data, and transform insights into strategies that boost your website’s visibility and profitability.

Tips for Utilizing the SEO Guidebook Series:

• Identify Your Needs: Determine which aspects of SEO you want to improve and select the corresponding guidebooks.

• Sequential Learning: Start with foundational guidebooks and progress to advanced topics.

• Implement and Iterate: Apply the strategies from each guidebook and continuously refine your approach based on results.

Available Guidebooks for Download:

Vol. 1: Why Keywords Matters

This guidebook reveals how mastering keyword research and implementation can transform your bank's digital visibility to capture local searches and drive customer acquisition.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the fundamental role of keywords in digital discovery

• Mastering techniques for identifying valuable search terms specific to banking

• Learning how keywords influence various search platforms (Google, maps, voice search)

• Developing strategies to optimize content for local banking searches

• Connecting keyword implementation to tangible business outcomes like deposit growth

Vol. 2: Optimizing Your Website

This guidebook teaches how to transform your bank’s website into an efficient 24/7 digital branch by implementing strategic optimization techniques that enhance both searchability and user experience.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding how to structure website content for optimal customer navigation
• Mastering technical optimization elements like meta tags and headers
• Learning to create a cohesive digital banking experience that mirrors in-branch service
• Implementing user-friendly design principles specific to financial websites
• Connecting website optimization to improved customer service and accessibility

Vol. 3: Creating Search-Friendly Content

This guidebook demonstrates how banks can leverage their financial expertise to create authoritative digital content that both satisfies search engine requirements and establishes them as trusted local banking resources.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the role of quality content in search engine visibility
• Learning to create content that balances authority with accessibility
• Developing strategies for multi-platform content optimization
• Translating banking expertise into engaging digital resources
• Building a content strategy that reinforces local market leadership

Vol. 4: Boosting Your Bank’s Local Search Visibility

This guidebook reveals how banks can maximize their local search visibility by optimizing their digital presence for geographic-specific searches and map listings, ensuring they appear prominently in their target markets.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the mechanics of location-based search results
• Mastering techniques for appearing in local map listings and business profiles
• Learning to optimize for region-specific search intent
• Implementing strategies to outrank competitors in local search results
• Developing a comprehensive local SEO approach tailored to banking services

Vol. 5: Mobile Friendliness and User Experience for Your Community Bank

This guidebook illustrates how community banks can adapt their websites for optimal mobile performance, acknowledging that mobile-first design is no longer optional but essential for meeting both Google's requirements and modern banking customers' expectations.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the shift from desktop-first to mobile-first indexing
• Mastering responsive design principles for banking websites
• Learning to optimize mobile page speed and navigation
• Implementing mobile-friendly transaction and service interfaces
• Differentiating between mobile websites and native banking apps

Vol. 6: Creating Effective Location-Specific Pages

This guidebook demonstrates how community banks can create powerful branch-specific web pages that leverage hyperlocal content to enhance search visibility, showcase community involvement, and connect with customers at a neighborhood level.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the value of hyperlocal content strategy in banking
• Learning to create unique, location-specific branch pages
• Mastering techniques for local search optimization
• Implementing community-focused content strategies
• Developing digital storefronts that reflect each branch's unique market
• Understanding how branch pages can serve as alternative entry points to your website

Vol. 7: Building Your Bank’s Linking Strategy

This guidebook explains how community banks can build authority and improve online visibility through strategic link building, focusing on both internal website navigation and external relationship-based backlinks.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the fundamental role of links in website authority
• Differentiating between internal linking and backlink strategies
• Learning safe and effective link-building techniques for banks
• Implementing internal linking structures that enhance user experience
• Developing relationship-based approaches to acquiring quality backlinks

Vol. 8: Using Social Media to Boost Your Bank’s SEO

This guidebook reveals how banks can leverage social media platforms to enhance their search engine visibility, understanding the crucial intersection between social signals and SEO performance.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding the relationship between social media activity and search rankings
• Learning how search engines integrate social media content
• Mastering cross-platform visibility strategies
• Implementing social media practices that support SEO goals
• Recognizing the value of platform-specific optimization (like LinkedIn for Bing)

Vol. 9: Monitoring Your Bank’s SEO Performance

This guidebook teaches banks how to effectively measure, analyze, and interpret their SEO performance metrics to make data-driven decisions that enhance online visibility and drive business growth.

Summary of key learning outcomes:

• Understanding essential SEO performance metrics
• Learning to track and interpret search visibility data
• Connecting SEO metrics to business profitability
• Implementing effective performance monitoring systems
• Developing strategic responses to performance insights
• Making informed decisions based on quantifiable results