February 2007
Your Prospects Are On Google. Are You?
By Jeremiah Desmarais
When I tell agents that 85% of people do online research before they
actually buy insurance (according to the Independent Insurance Agents and Brokers of America) their eyes light up. Their first question is: “How do I get a piece of that pie?”
It Starts With A Search
So we know people are doing “online research”… but what exactly does that mean? Some people are doing research by visiting agents’ websites — maybe they found the web address (or URL) in an ad, in a mailer, on a business card or from a friend.
But believe me, TONS more people are using search engines to look up insurance information.
Anyone who’s ever been online has used a search engine. How else would you figure out where to buy socks in Alaska or what Tom and Katie are up to now?
Web surfers aren’t just interested in researching why their ear’s aching or what to make for dinner. They’re using search engines to look up everything under the sun — and that includes insurance. The term “health insurance” was searched 236,904 times in November ’06 ALONE (Source: Overture November 2006).
