Think you can’t compete with the big banks when it comes to SEO? While it’s true that large financial institutions will generally rank higher than your credit union, the confined geographic reach of most credit unions can work to your advantage. Even if you only have limited time and budget to invest in an SEO strategy, it's low-hanging fruit that's ripe for plucking.

By implementing effective local search engine optimization tactics, you can enhance your visibility and engage more effectively with your immediate community.

1. Research and optimize local keywords

Any sound SEO strategy starts with thorough keyword research to understand what your potential members are searching for. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner or SEMrush to identify relevant keywords and phrases related to credit union services. You’ll have the best chance of ranking for longer local keywords like “credit unions in portland” or “options for first-time homebuyers portland.” Integrate these keywords naturally into your website content, including headings, meta descriptions, and alt texts.

2. Create high-quality, relevant blog content

When it comes to SEO, your credit union blog, in particular, can be a powerful tool. A consistent presence in the financial wellness blogosphere can help you rank higher in search results and drive more external websites to link to yours—increasing the chance that prospective members find your website.

Search engines love websites that are updated frequently, so if you have a blog it’s important to post on a regular basis. Yet can you really compete with Chase or Bank of America when it comes to a blog post about home-buying tips?

Think about local, niche content geared to your specific audience. For instance, rather than a generic post about preparing to buy a home, why not feature tips from your members on the home-buying process in your area? You’ll have a higher chance of ranking when you’re not competing against hundreds of other posts about the same topic.

At PixelSpoke, we find that many of our client blogs get disappointingly little traffic, especially considering the time and effort they require. Here are some other tips for creating a relevant credit union blog that people actually want to read.

3. Add a page for each branch to your website

Creating individual location pages would be an onerous task for a national bank, but your credit union likely has the ability to create a specific page for each of your locations. This helps search engines easily locate your listing and deliver the appropriate location to the searcher.

While you’re at it, go ahead and have some fun! For example, Trailhead Credit Union not only includes the essential information on each branch page, like address, hours, and closures, but also fun facts about each branch.

4. Find and claim your existing branch listings

Do you know where your branches are already listed? You may be surprised to find there are listings out there you didn’t even know about.

From an SEO perspective, it’s important to claim all listings under your business name, remove duplicates, and correct or update any inaccurate information. If you’re not sure where to start, a service like Moz Local can help you find all the listings associated with your business and provide concrete suggestions for improving your local SEO score.

Remember that for search engines to find your branch locations when consumers search, your business name, address and phone number must be consistent everywhere and should match what’s listed on your website.

And by consistent, we mean exactly the same. That means if you say "Avenue" on your website, your listings shouldn’t read "Ave."

5. Update your Google My Business account, and post regularly

If your institution doesn’t yet have a Google My Business account, start one. Then make sure your name, address and phone number are correct (and consistent with what’s on your website). This information appears to the left of search results when people Google your credit union.

After that, it’s time to flesh out your account with other relevant details and assets. These include items such as your logo, description, link to your website, and hours of operation. Attract more interest and add some pizazz with high-quality images of your branches. To keep multiple branch locations up to date, follow these instructions for bulk uploading.

Now that all the boring tasks are out of the way, here’s the fun part — you can post promotions, events, products, and services regularly (and for free!) through Google My Business. Your updated listing appears alongside search results for your business.

This is not a strategy many local businesses actively use, but Wil Reynolds, founder of search firm Seer Interactive, says that for some of his clients, results from Google My Business posts have outperformed paid search, organic search, and nearly every other promotional tactic.

6. Improve your online reviews

Don’t underestimate the power of online reviews. A positive online review can benefit your bottom line more than almost any other local SEO tactic. Not only will it help you rank better, it also helps your result take up more real estate on the results page. 

Start by conducting an audit of the current state of your reviews. Identify branches that have no reviews or largely negative ones. Then build a plan that engages not only your marketing team but also branch managers, member service representatives, and anyone else interacting with your customers to build more positive comments.

The plan should include:

• A "review us" landing page you can send to members who have just achieved a major milestone, like buying a home.
• An email inviting member advocates to participate.
• A phone script for anyone on your team that talks to happy customers, to help them request reviews.
• Business-card-sized print pieces to hand to customers when you meet with them, to help them find where to post reviews.

If you have the budget, it may be worth exploring reputation management tools that can help you reach members when they are most likely to be incentivized to leave a positive review.

7. Get backlinks from local organizations you support

Most marketers know that backlinks are important, but few have the time to embark on a comprehensive link-building strategy. Luckily for credit unions, your community involvement can also benefit your SEO strategy.

Make a list of the businesses and organizations that you partner with or support as part of your community giving efforts. If they already mention you on their site but don’t link to your credit union, ask them to add a link. You can also consider incorporating a link to your site as part of the partnership agreement.

Conclusion

SEO may seem like a mysterious pseudo-science. But in fact most local SEO strategies are fairly straightforward to understand and implement. Would you put a branch location in an obscure part of town that’s difficult to get to? We didn’t think so. Don’t do the same with your digital branch. A small investment of time and ongoing attention to local SEO could potentially reap sizable rewards.