1000% 'extra' visibility for Halifax

Overview

Halifax (part of HBOS plc) is well known in the UK consumer market as the financial services company that’s ‘Always giving you extra’.  iCrossing has implemented a natural search strategy for the General Insurance (GI) area of the Halifax website, delivering a significant ‘extra’ for this side of the business; increasing the number of top ten rankings by 1175% in just one year and boosting online quote requests by a massive 127% in six months. (www.halifax.co.uk/insurance).

Objectives

As a leading consumer brand, it was important for the Halifax to improve its online visibility for its insurance products and services. In doing so, the ultimate aim was to increase traffic to the site, improve quote generation and enhance online sales.

Solution

iCrossing's research identified a set of search terms that were then agreed with the Halifax GI team. These included a number of highly competitive generic search terms such as ‘home insurance’ which would be the most challenging to optimise for, but would ultimately deliver more qualified, relevant traffic and a stronger brand association.

The campaign included site audits and recommendations, copy approval and amendments, site structure analysis, and the implementation of focused link-building campaigns for specific products. All changes had to be carried out with strict compliance to Financial Services Authority (FSA) guidelines, and within the confines of Halifax’s existing site infrastructure and corporate identity. We also worked with the client internally to spread awareness of search engine optimisation (SEO) beyond GI, via a series of ongoing training days and initiatives.

An essential element in any natural search campaign is the ability to accurately measure and analyse activity. We implemented our own Aperture system, which enables iCrossing and the client to view what is happening on the site. This includes benchmarking of traffic, monitoring of traffic volumes, details of where visitors are coming from and their behaviour on the site. Competitor Track - one of our latest upgrades to Aperture - gives HBOS the ability to monitor competitor performance. Aperture enables us to change the parameters of the campaign as it develops, in order to maximise return on investment.

Results

Since working with iCrossing, Halifax General Insurance has seen its top ten rankings increase by 1175%. It also achieved the number one ranking on Google UK for searches on ‘cheaper travel insurance’, in the face of competition from 40 million other pages.

The campaign has delivered further impressive results:

• GI registered a 109% increase in traffic from the top four search engines in just one year
• GI has seen a 150% increase in natural traffic year-on year
• The number of visitors who subsequently clicked on the ‘Home Insurance’ and ‘Travel Insurance’ quote buttons has increased by 159% and 127% respectively in just six months

As the campaign progresses, GI will continue to assess results and review content and targets. Any change in its business objectives will be followed by a review of the site’s content; iCrossing then submitting recommendations on the required alterations. This will ensure that the site’s search engine optimisation always reflects the direction of the business.

Working Together

Phil Dunseath, Online Marketing Manager for Halifax Home Insurance, says: "Implementing our search engine optimisation programme with iCrossing has been a key driver in increasing relevant traffic to the Halifax Home and Travel Insurance websites. iCrossing's understanding of the natural search engine environment, married with measurable ROI, means we can clearly demonstrate the business benefit of our SEO work."

David St. John-Tradewell, Business Development Manager at iCrossing, says: “HBOS is a strategically important account for us in the consumer finance sector and we are delighted that they are happy with the results. HBOS is a fantastic business to work with because they are not only proactive in implementing our recommendations, but also always support our work by allocating resources across the business and ensuring that marketing and technical teams all work together to help meet search objectives.”

About HBOS plc

Halifax Home Insurance provides Buildings and Contents cover for over 1.3 million UK homeowners. More information can be found at www.halifax.co.uk/insurance, by calling 0800 169 8785 or by visiting any Halifax branch.