SEO for financial advisers and planners
SEO for Financial Advisers and Financial Planners That Compliance Can Sign Off
By Tom Galland · Updated
Most advisers get their new clients through referrals, and SEO isn't going to replace that. What it can do is put you in front of people at the moment something changes: a redundancy, an inheritance, a separation, retirement coming into view.
Those people search for help before they ask anyone they know. We build content that answers them properly and stays within ASIC's advertising rules, so your licensee can approve it without a rewrite.
4.8★ from 22 Google reviews · Based in Bondi Junction · Month to month, no lock-in
What people search for when they need financial advice
People looking for financial advice usually search for their situation, not for an adviser. Life events are often searched nationally, while "near me" searches are local. Both are worth having.
| Search | What they want | Page that should rank |
|---|---|---|
| financial planner for retirement | Someone five to ten years out, starting to worry about it | Retirement planning page |
| redundancy financial advice | Someone with a payout and a deadline | Redundancy page that explains what to do first |
| how much does a financial adviser cost | Checking whether advice is affordable before they reach out | Fee page that explains how you charge |
| financial adviser near me | Ready to meet someone locally | Google Business Profile and a location page |
| SMSF adviser | Trustees or people thinking about setting one up | SMSF advice page |
| fee for service financial adviser | Someone who specifically wants advice without commissions | Fee page and adviser profiles |
Life event pages tend to bring in people who are ready to act. They're also the pages compliance teams look at most closely, so we write them with the rules in mind from the first draft.
Where financial adviser and planner websites usually fall short
Product pages instead of situation pages
"Superannuation", "insurance" and "investments" pages describe what you sell. People search for what's happening to them. A page about retiring at 60 answers a question someone is actually asking.
Content that never gets approved
Agency blog posts often stall with the licensee because they read as personal advice, skip the general advice warning or make claims that can't be backed up. Content that sits in review for months doesn't rank.
No fee information
Cost is one of the first questions people search. If your site won't explain how you charge, a comparison site or another adviser will.
Adviser bios that don't build trust
People want to know who they'll be dealing with. Bios with qualifications, experience and a link to the Financial Advisers Register give them a reason to pick you.
How we do SEO for financial advisers and planners
- 1
Agree on the clients you want
Pre-retirees, business owners, people dealing with redundancy or divorce. We pick the situations you're best at and build around them.
- 2
Write life event pages for your licensee to review
Each page explains the situation, the decisions involved and how advice helps, without giving personal advice. General advice warnings sit where ASIC expects them, near the content they qualify.
- 3
Build a clear fee page
How you charge, what's included and what an engagement looks like. It's one of the most searched topics and one of the least well covered.
- 4
Set up adviser profiles and your Google Business Profile
Bios linked to the Financial Advisers Register, the right Google categories (Financial planner, Financial consultant), and a review process that stays within the rules.
- 5
Check wording against the protected terms
"Financial adviser", "financial planner" and "independent" all have legal conditions. We check the site so nothing on it creates a problem for your licensee.
Local and national searches for financial advice
Advice is one of the few services people will travel for, or take over video. That means you can compete in two ways: locally for "near me" searches, and nationally for life events.
Sydney "near me" searches
Searches like "financial planner near me" and "financial adviser Bondi Junction" are decided by the map results. Your Google Business Profile, office address and reviews matter most here.
National life event searches
Retirement, redundancy and inheritance questions are searched across Australia. A strong page on one of these can bring in clients from other states, especially if you offer meetings by video.
Business owners and professionals
Searches from people selling a business, structuring super or planning around a large income. These are lower volume but usually higher value clients.
Regional NSW
Many regional towns have few advisers, so people search Sydney and national firms. A page that explains how you work with clients remotely can win these.
The rules we write within
Financial advice marketing is closely regulated, and your website counts as advertising. These are the points that come up most in our work. Your licensee's compliance team has the final say.
ASIC's advertising guidance (RG 234)
ASIC reissued RG 234 in June 2026. It covers websites and online content, says qualifications should sit close to the claims they qualify, and expressly covers lead generators. Free offers shouldn't hide their commercial purpose.
ASIC RG 234"Independent" has strict conditions
Under section 923A of the Corporations Act, terms like "independent", "impartial" and "unbiased" can only be used if you meet conditions on commissions, product limits and conflicts.
ASIC media release 17-383MRProtected titles
Section 923C restricts who can call themselves a "financial adviser" or "financial planner". Staff bios and page copy need to get this right.
Financial Advisers RegisterGeneral advice warnings on content
Educational content given to retail clients generally needs a general advice warning. We include them on every page and post, and your licensee can adjust the wording to their standard.
ASIC RG 244: information and general adviceThis is general information about marketing, not legal or compliance advice. Check anything specific with your regulator or professional body.
Directories and listings for financial advisers
Advisers don't need many listings. They need the ones people use to check who they're about to trust.
- Financial Advisers Register (Moneysmart): Link each adviser's bio to their entry. It shows qualifications and authorisations, and it's what cautious clients check.
- FAAA Find a Planner: For FAAA members. Keep your profile complete and linked to the site.
- Google Business Profile: For local searches. Categories include Financial planner and Financial consultant.
Pricing and timing
National SEO starts at $599 a month, month to month, with no lock-in. Life event pages usually start ranking within three to six months. Allow time for compliance review in the plan, because it's often the slowest step. We don't have a financial adviser case study to show you yet, so start with the free plan and judge the work for yourself.
See our SEO packagesSEO for financial advisers: common questions
Is SEO compliant for an AFSL holder?+
SEO itself isn't the issue. The content is. Pages and posts count as advertising under ASIC's RG 234, so they need to be accurate, balanced and approved by your licensee. We write with that in mind and expect your compliance team to review everything before it goes live.
Do our blog posts need a general advice warning?+
Educational content given to retail clients generally does. We include a warning on every page and post, placed near the content it relates to. Your licensee may have standard wording they want used.
Can we describe ourselves as independent?+
Only if you meet the conditions in section 923A of the Corporations Act, which cover commissions, product limits and conflicts. Most advisers can't, and the safer option is to describe how you're paid instead.
Should we publish our fees online?+
We think so. "How much does a financial adviser cost" is one of the most common searches in this area. You can explain how you charge and give a typical range without committing to a price for every situation.
Most of our clients come from referrals. Why bother with SEO?+
Referrals will probably stay your main source. SEO adds people who don't have a referral, and it helps referrals follow through, because nearly everyone looks you up before they book a meeting.
Is your free 7-day plan a sales offer?+
Yes. It's how we show you how we work before you pay anything. You get keyword research, a site audit and a 6-month plan, and you'll see our prices with it. There's no obligation to go ahead.
Written by
Tom Galland
Tom has worked in marketing for 12 years and founded SEO Growth in Bondi Junction. He works mostly with professional services firms, and he's the person who builds your plan and runs your monthly calls.
More about TomWant content your licensee will actually approve?
We'll look at your site, see what your ideal clients are searching for, and give you a 6-month plan. It's free, it's a sales offer, and you'll see our prices before you decide.