In a Merger, Don’t Forget to Manage the SEO

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Though M&A activity for RIAs was down 5 percent in 2023, many observers don’t view that as a trend likely to go forward. In fact, according to Deloitte’s 2024 survey, 79 percent of C-suite respondents and 86 percent of private equity leaders anticipate an increase in overall M&A deal volume during the next 12 months. In other words, it seems that mergers and acquisitions will likely continue to be a significant factor in our industry.

Any merger – even the most well-planned and executed – comes with a host of decisions to make, strategies to blend, communications to craft, and complex financial arrangements to implement. Those who have recently gone through the process, whether as suitors or as the firm being pursued, understand all too well the stress accompanying the process, as the cadence of “urgent” matters seems to ramp up to a fever pitch until the final consummation is achieved.

Unfortunately, one vital topic that too often gets de-prioritized is website and SEO management, especially when the target firm merges with a much larger partner. While it is true that being purchased by a larger firm can provide many advantages of scale, sometimes the “big guy” fails to properly value and incorporate the significant SEO “capital” that the smaller firm has spent years acquiring.

Ignoring that SEO value is a major – and usually avoidable – mistake.