Take out your phone and pull up your favorite maps app. Search “mortgage lending near me.” Now search “car loans in (your city, state).” Do you see your credit union?
If the answer is no, don't sweat it, we'll cover everything you need to know in order to get your credit union found. And if the answer is yes, congratulations -- but there's probably still a thing or two you could learn. Either way, this blog is for you.
As consumers, we often turn to online directories to find and learn more about local businesses that offer the products and services we need. In fact, 86 percent of consumers rely on the internet to find a local business.
Businesses put in work to make sure that they appear when you search for relevant terms in the area. If you want your credit union services to show up, you must put in the work too.
So, what does this mean for your credit union?
According to a study by Harris Poll, only 42 percent of Americans believe credit unions offer mortgages. And nearly 50 percent of Americans believe that banks offer more services than credit unions. These numbers don’t lie.
Misconceptions exist -- a lot more than we think -- so it’s crucial for you to get found by local searchers, level the playing field, and ensure that you appear for everything your credit union offers.
Lucky for you, we’ve laid out how to catch you up to speed in three simple steps.
Compile a list of all of the services and products your credit union offers. We’re talking about everything -- mortgage lending, checking accounts, financial advisor, ATM, you name it.
Try to be as specific as possible and double check that you didn't miss any service or product. By taking the time to review the list and ensuring that it is complete and accurate, you essentially guarantee that you will get listed for every category your credit union provides.
Pro tip: Your credit union website likely has a list of its services. If you want to make your life easy, all you have to do is locate the goods and you’re on to the next step. Check the various dropdown menus on your site.
The first step is to make sure that you have created and claimed your listings on all relevant directories. We're not just talking about Google. Make sure to check out Yelp, Apple Maps, voice search apps, and others.
Then, you should optimize local directories by adding your list of products and services to every directory that your business is listed on. It may take awhile if you decide to do manually, but it will be worth it when you start realizing the volume of business you're getting because of this.
Pro tip: Use a tool to access and optimize all of your branches’ listings from one centralized hub, such as GoSite’s Placement tool. I’ll make it easy for you, you can download our free eGuide to learn more about local search right here, right now.
Businesses evolve. Once you have your listings set up, you have to go back in and update them periodically to ensure that all the information is accurate, up-to-date and consistent across all directories.
Pro tip: Set a bi-monthly or quarterly calendar reminder to remember to update your listings. If you stay on top of it, it shouldn't be too overwhelming.
It may take some time for your information to update, but once it does, you’ll be well on your way to better visibility for your credit union services.
Now that your credit union is optimized for all of your services and products -- don’t stop there. Keep your foot on the pedal and continue to amp up your digital presence to give you a leg up on competitors.