What Boomers Really Search For on Google

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I got people to contact me by doing nothing more than adding some keywords to my blogs – for free! If you’re skeptical about Boomers using the Internet to find you, the data proves that Google can deliver results. The problem is that you are trying to be “found” by the wrong search terms.

Let me qualify that

Skepticism is justified when it comes to using the Internet to search for an advisor. My parents are seniors and they would never use the Internet to search for an estate attorney, accountant or financial advisor.

I wouldn’t do that myself.

The world isn’t typing into Google “financial advisor in Palm Springs, CA” in droves.

For example, when I search “financial advisor New York City,” Google tells me that there are only 480 searches on this per month and that it would cost me between $8.90 and $20.47 if I were to pay Google to link my website to this term by using paid ads.

But, using this same Google tool, here’s what a search found retirement age people are doing.

What seniors search for on Google

Although Google doesn’t tell me who did these searches, based upon the terms I’d assume they are people who are either¹:

• Already senior citizens or retired;
• Going to be seniors soon;
• Going to retire soon; or
• Intimately know and care about a senior in their life.

Check out this research!

Now, don’t hold me to this – I have no way to know if this third-party data is accurate; these trends change over time. But if what Google tells me if true, it tell us a few things about how advisors should be marketing themselves.

What retirees care about, according to Google

This illuminated one simple lesson. Here it is:

Stop fighting Google. There’s no way you’ll know more than Google about the issues facing the people who you want to reach.

Here’s the next implication:

The advisors who use the data available to them (not what they think or assume based on their own ideas) are going to get attention on the Internet.

This analysis shows that most advisors are creating content based on what they think retirees care about. From the data, you can see that there’s very little curiosity about the financial aspects of retirement, other than the basics.

Seniors are searching for information about retired lifestyle. Let me draw a simple comparison to support this notion. There were more searches for the terms “senior living” and “retirement gifts” than “What is a Roth IRA” or “retirement planning.”

Writing a blog about some of the esoteric financial concepts advisors love to talk about may develop an impression of competence to those who find you. But only a few of those people will find you via Google search.