Financial services
SEO for financial advisers: getting found without falling foul of the FCA
SEO for a financial adviser works when the site answers the specific situation a client is in, such as retirement income, inheritance tax or a pension transfer, on its own page, with your fee basis stated and your FCA details easy to check. Every page must stay fair, clear and not misleading, which is the FCA's standard for any financial promotion.
Compliance and SEO pull in the same direction more often than advisers expect. Both reward plain, specific and accurate pages.
What do people search for when they need a financial adviser?
Their situation, more than the profession. "Pension advice near me", "how to take money from my pension", "inheritance tax planning adviser", "financial adviser for business owners", "independent financial adviser Guildford". Some search the job title. Many more search the problem, often years before they are ready to pay for advice.
That matters for the website. A homepage that says "holistic financial planning" answers none of those searches. A page per situation, written for the person in it, answers one each, and that is how an adviser's site starts to bring in enquiries from people who have never heard of the firm.
Which pages should a financial adviser's website have?
| Page | Who it is for | What it must cover |
|---|---|---|
| Retirement and pension income | People within ten years of retiring | The choices in plain words, when advice is needed, how you charge |
| Inheritance tax and estate planning | Older clients and their families | What you can and cannot help with, working with solicitors |
| Business owners | Directors and partners | Extraction, pensions, protection, exit planning |
| Fees | Everyone, before they ring | Your charging basis, initial and ongoing, with examples |
| About and regulation | Careful clients and their children | Named advisers, qualifications, FCA reference number, network if any |
Each situation page should explain the issue honestly, say who it is not right for, and end with a simple way to book a first conversation. Never promise outcomes. Write as if your compliance officer will read every line, because they should.
What do the FCA rules mean for an adviser's website?
The core rule is short. COBS 4.2.1R says a firm must ensure that a communication or financial promotion is "fair, clear and not misleading" (FCA Handbook, COBS 4.2). The same section says that where a product puts capital at risk, the promotion must make that clear. Your website is a communication, so the rule applies to every page.
The Consumer Duty raises the bar on top of that. The FCA's Consumer Duty expects firms to support customers' understanding, which in practice means plain explanations, prominent fees and no burying of risks. If you are an appointed representative, your network will usually need to approve website copy before it goes live, so build that review into the timeline.
None of this stops good SEO. It stops vague claims and buried caveats, which do not rank well anyway.
Why should the FCA Register details be easy to find?
Because careful clients check, and the FCA tells them to. The FCA advises consumers to check a firm on its Register before using it, and warns that clone firms copy the details of real ones, so people should make sure the contact details match those on the Register (FCA, how to check a firm).
Put your firm reference number in the footer of every page, with a link to the Register, and make sure the address, phone number and website on the Register exactly match the site. A mismatch looks like a clone. It also confuses search engines, which compare your details across the web.
Do reviews and adviser directories matter?
Yes, and more than for most professions, because the decision is personal and expensive. Reviews on your Google Business Profile help you appear in local results; Google says more reviews and positive ratings "can help your business's local ranking". Adviser directories and review platforms such as Unbiased and VouchedFor are also places clients and AI assistants look.
Check with your compliance team how you may use testimonials before putting them on the website, and keep the profiles' details identical to the Register.
What does a website and SEO cost for a financial adviser?
With us, a multi-page website starts from £1,495, a redesign of a small existing site from £495, and monthly local SEO from £695 a month. Every price is on the price list. We build for FCA-regulated firms and expect your compliance sign-off before anything is published.
Our page on websites for FCA-regulated firms explains how we work, and the guide to FCA rules for a firm's website goes deeper on what compliance usually changes. Mortgage firms have their own guide to SEO for mortgage brokers.
Questions advisers ask about SEO
How do financial advisers get more clients online?
Build a page for each situation clients search for, such as retirement income, inheritance tax and business owners, publish your fee basis, make your FCA reference number and Register link easy to find, and collect reviews on your Google Business Profile and adviser directories.
Do FCA rules apply to an adviser's website?
Yes. COBS 4.2.1R requires communications and financial promotions to be fair, clear and not misleading, and the Consumer Duty expects firms to support customers' understanding. Appointed representatives usually need their network to approve website copy.
Is SEO worth it for an IFA?
Usually, because one new client can be worth thousands a year in ongoing fees. It works best for advisers with a clear specialism, such as retirement planning or business owners, who write a page for each situation they want more of.
How much does a website for a financial adviser cost?
With Werehouse Media, a multi-page website starts from £1,495 and a redesign of a small existing site from £495. Prices are published on the price list, and copy is built around your compliance sign-off.