How to Be the Firm People Google Before They’re Ready to Hire

You’re Being Googled… Even If You Don’t Know It

Most prospective clients don’t just wake up one day and book a call with a financial advisor. They research. Quietly. For weeks or months before they ever click “Schedule a Consultation.”

They’re skimming your website. Reading your blog (if you have one). Comparing you to other firms they’ve found online. And if they don’t find anything meaningful? They move on.

This “invisible” buyer stage — the silent lurking phase before outreach — is where most firms lose potential clients without even realizing it. This pipeline leak is not because they lack credentials. But they lack visibility and trust signals early in the process, and that can scare away qualified prospects.

If you want to grow — and especially if you want to attract more aligned, high-value clients — your marketing has to meet them where they’re searching.

In this post, I’ll break down how you can position your firm as the one people discover before they’re ready to hire. Not through flashy ads or SEO gimmicks, but through strategic content that builds trust long before the first meeting.

Let’s dig into how real financial advisor marketing works — and what it means for how financial advisors get clients in 2025 and beyond.

The Buyer Journey Has Changed. So Must Your Marketing

Today’s prospective clients aren’t picking up the phone the moment they realize they need a financial advisor. They’re Googling. They’re lurking on your website. They’re comparing you to three other firms they found in search results.

They’re reading blogs. Checking if you’ve been featured in the press. Maybe even scrolling LinkedIn to see how you show up there.

And all of this is happening before they’re ready to talk.

For most RIAs, that buyer behavior is invisible, but it’s crucial to understand. Because by the time someone actually books a discovery call, they’ve already formed a perception of your credibility, values, and whether you seem like “their kind of advisor.”

That’s why your first impression likely isn’t the meeting; it’s often the search result.

And yet, most advisors still pour their marketing energy solely into direct response content — things designed to trigger action right now: “Schedule a consultation,” “Let’s chat,” “Here’s our list of services.”

But here’s the truth: if someone doesn’t trust you yet, they’re not going to click that CTA.

That’s where discovery content comes in — blog posts, resource pages, FAQs, thought leadership — the kind of material that shows up while someone is in research mode. That content plants seeds. It educates. It positions you as a steady guide before the prospect is even aware they’re ready to act.

In short, if you want to know how to get clients as a financial advisor in today’s world, you have to meet them where their journey starts: online, in the early search phase. That’s where digital marketing for financial advisors delivers real ROI in not just clicks, but client trust.

What It Takes to Show Up Before They’re Ready for You

If you want to be the firm someone finds before they’re ready to hire, your marketing strategy has to do more than just promote — it starts with helping.

This is where so many RIAs miss the mark. They focus on visibility in the wrong places — trying to “go viral,” keep up with trends, or churn out generic content that doesn’t actually speak to the real questions their future clients are Googling.

Hot take from a financial marketer: Relevance matters more than reach.

Visibility doesn’t mean plastering your face across social media five times a week. It means showing up helpfully, consistently, and with intention — in the places your ideal client turns when they need clarity.

So, what does relevant content actually look like?

• Educational blog posts that answer real questions like “Do I need a financial advisor if I’m already investing?” or “What’s the difference between a fiduciary and a broker?”

• Client FAQs turned into short-form content or SEO-optimized articles (hint: if you’re asked it on a sales call, it belongs in your content).

• Values-based messaging that helps prospects understand how you work — not just what you do. Things like your approach to planning, what matters to you in client relationships, and what you don’t believe in.

You’re not just filling up your blog because Google said “fresh content.” With this ever-growing content library, you’re building a digital paper trail of trust — one that shows you understand your client long before you ever speak to them.

And this is where SEO for financial advisors differs from what you may have been told. It isn’t about keyword stuffing or algorithm tricks. It’s about being the most useful, clear, trustworthy voice on the other side of a search bar.

Remember: Clients don’t want more content. They want better content. Content that solves something. Content that helps them feel seen. Content that consistently proves, “This advisor gets it.”

Content That Converts

Let’s be honest: most people who land on your website aren’t ready to book a call… yet.

They’re lurking. Reading. Comparing. Trying to figure out who actually gets them and who just talks a good game.

And that’s exactly where your blog content for financial advisors becomes a conversation starter.

You’re not creating content just to try and hard-sell. The goal here is to build enough trust that, when they are ready, you’re the obvious next step.

So what kind of content actually moves the needle?

Here are a few types that consistently turn passive readers into active leads:

1. Decision-stage content

• Posts like “What to ask a financial advisor before hiring one” or “When is it time to hire an RIA?” often work because they speak directly to someone who’s close to taking action, but not quite there.

• Beyond just keyword opportunities, these offer an opportunity for trust-building moments that show you understand where your prospect is mentally and emotionally.

2. Values-driven and philosophy-based content

Many advisors lead with services, but ultra-discerning clients want to know your approach and perspective.

• Try a post like “Why We Believe Financial Planning Should Start With Listening” or “What We Don’t Believe In as a Firm”.

• These build affinity and make it easier for someone to say, “This feels like a fit.”
  
  

3. Content that gently guides next steps

You don’t need a flashing CTA button. Just something natural like:

•  “If you're exploring what it looks like to work with an advisor who values transparency and long-term thinking, let's talk.”

• Or:  “If this resonated, here’s a guide that goes deeper.”

Great marketing doesn’t push. It pulls with purpose.

When your content sounds like a real human and not a headline factory, it creates space for your future client to picture what it would be like to work with you.

And that’s when a discovery call feels like the next logical step, not a massive leap.

SEO Is a Long-Term Visibility Play

Let’s clear something up: SEO isn’t about tricking Google by spamming it with content. It’s about helping the right people find you when they’re ready (or almost ready) to hire.

This is especially true for service-based businesses like RIAs — where trust, authority, and timing matter more than catchy headlines or viral traffic.

Here’s what smart SEO for financial advisors actually looks like:

🚫 Not This:

• Keyword stuffing blog posts just to “rank”

• Publishing one blog a year and hoping it works

• Writing for search engine algorithms instead of actual people

✅ But This:

• Creating a consistent stream of helpful, relevant content

• Answering the real questions your future clients are Googling

• Optimizing your site structure, meta descriptions, and blog strategy to support discoverability — without sacrificing clarity or connection

Because the person searching “when should I hire a financial advisor?” isn’t looking for a sales pitch. They could get that, quite literally, anywhere. They’re looking for someone they can trust. Someone who sounds like they get it.

That’s where working with a financial copywriter (👋 hi) pays off.

You don’t need to become an SEO expert. You just need content that reflects your expertise — in the words your future clients are already typing into search bars. When that happens consistently, visibility becomes inevitable.

Don’t Wait to Be Found, Make It Easy

The best marketing for financial advisors isn’t about shouting louder or saying more just for the sake of it.

It’s about showing up earlier, adding value consistently, and building trust before the first conversation ever happens.

By the time a prospect fills out your contact form or schedules a discovery call, they’ve already formed an opinion. The question is: have they already read something that made them feel like you’re the one?

Your content should answer that with a confident yes.

That way, you don’t need to chase leads. You just need to make it easier for the right people to find you — and feel like they already know, like, and trust you before they even reach out.

If that’s the kind of visibility you want, let’s talk.

💬 Explore done-for-you content support — so you can stay focused on advising, while your marketing does the groundwork.

For more free and actionable financial marketing insights, check out the rest of the Copy Boutique Blog.