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If you’re curious about Bankrate’s SEO success story, you’re in the right place.
I’ll show you the strategy Bankrate used to become one of the most-trusted sources of financial advice for millions of people in the US, Canada, UK, and other parts of the world. But first, let’s take a trip down memory lane.
Red Ventures acquired Bankrate for $1.24 billion in July 2017.
Before then, Bankrate had spent 41 years establishing a solid reputation for publishing expert personal finance advice, with its first site going live in October 1996.
From 1996 until the acquisition, the website drove 8.4 million organic sessions every month, with a whopping $30.6 million in traffic value. That means lower marketing and customer acquisition costs, more prospects and revenue growth opportunities, and increased visibility, domain authority, and organic search rankings.
Fast forward five years after the sale, the results have been nothing short of impressive. Bankrate is now ranked among the top ten finance websites in the United States, with an organic search traffic value that has more than doubled.
(Did I mention that paid ads only drive 1.3% of Bankrate’s traffic? 🤯)
How did the consumer financial services company move from print publishing to building an SEO moat that generates millions in traffic and paved the way for a billion-dollar acquisition? Let’s find out.
The Strategy Bankrate Used to Build an SEO Moat Worth $76.3M
Bankrate’s SEO strategy is pretty straightforward. The team used Google’s E-E-A-T to dominate the SERPs, build a backlink empire, and gain the trust of millions of people.
Let’s see how Bankrate used each strategy to its advantage and how you can use each oneto build a solid, revenue-generating online presence for your SaaS product.
Using Google’s E-E-A-T
Google’s ultimate goal is to create content its users find helpful.
People who trust the search engine to provide them with accurate, helpful info are more likely to keep using it. So, prioritizing helpful content helps Google to maintain its 20-year dominance and reputation as a reliable and authoritative source of truth.
That’s the same reason Google rolled out the E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) quality-rater guidelines—so companies can self-evaluate before publishing to see if their content will be useful to the reader. Websites with high levels of E-E-A-T are more likely to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs), while those that lack E-E-A-T may struggle to rank at all.
Before we dive into breaking down how Bankrate shows each letter in the acronym, here’s an open secret you should know.
Creating content in topic clusters is one way to demonstrate a high level of E-E-A-T.
SEO Topic clusters organize your site’s content around a specific topic or set of related topics. It lets you show users and search engines that you have a comprehensive understanding of the subject matter. And when you provide high-quality, helpful information, you can increase your website’s authority and trustworthiness.
Bankrate, like NerdWallet, created a cluster of related, optimized content around topics that its audience was searching for. The site covers a wide range of financial topics, including credit, credit cards, real estate, and more.
Let’s take a look at one of its clusters: Mortgages.
Bankrate created a pillar page about Mortgage Resources that covers the basics, such as how to get the best mortgage rate, and interlinks all the related subtopics.
A pillar page is an in-depth overview of the broad topic you want to rank for, which links to related resources and tools to help readers deeply understand the subject matter.
One way to make your pillar pages more valuable and rank higher in the SERPs is to ensure they contain keywords related to the subject matter.
Bankrate’s mortgage page drives 4.4 million organic sessions every month, with a traffic value of more than $20 million.
That’s because it ranks for a combination of high-value short- and long-tail keywords, including “mortgage rates today” which has 274,000 searches every month on Google.
Each keyword links to a more detailed breakdown of various related subtopics in the form of blog posts, free tools, comparison guides, and other types of content that provide valuable information to the reader. All of this content links back to the mortgage pillar page and interlinks with the other info, creating a comprehensive resource for users interested in learning about a mortgage.
Linking related content to your pillar page, as well as interlinking it to other content, improves your site’s UX, as readers can easily find what they need without going down a rabbit hole. It also increases the time spent on your site and shows search engines your site is an authoritative source of truth.
Now that we understand how topic clusters helped Bankrate look good in the eyes of Google and its target audience, let’s see how it approaches creating helpful content using Google’s E-E-A-T.
How Bankrate Demonstrates Experience
Be honest: would you take life-changing advice from someone who is knowledgeable about a subject, but has no experience, or from someone who has a wealth of personal and/or professional experience + knowledge?
I bet you would choose the latter. I would, too. That’s because I believe the expert can truly relate to my problem or help me set a goal. That’s the power of experience—it builds a solid connection between you and your audience.
Showing that you have first-hand or life experience on a specific topic is more important than ever if you want to rank on Google and capture the reader’s attention. It allows you to offer more detailed and accurate advice your audience will find useful.
There are several ways to show experience; however, one way Bankrate does this is to include its author’s credentials. For example, Bankrate includes the credentials of the author and reviewer of its mortgage rates piece:
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Sharing your credentials proves to your audience that you have the education, training, and experience necessary to write authoritatively on a particular subject.
The writer, Jeff Ostrowski, for example, has years of experience creating content about mortgages, so listening to his advice sets the reader up for success. The same goes for Greg McBride, the reviewer, who is the Chief Financial Analyst and leads a team of financial researchers, and is certified as a chartered financial analyst.
These credentials differentiate Bankrate’s content creators from others who don’t have the same level of experience.
When you highlight your credentials, such as your degrees, professional certifications, industry awards, current role, years of experience, and links to your professional profiles in your bio, you show your audience you have a unique perspective and experience that can improve their knowledge of the topic.
You can also tap into the knowledge and expertise of your team or industry experts to provide uncommon insights. Identify and interview internal and external subject matter experts who have had first-hand experience. Then add these insights to your blog posts and weave their credentials into your post.
You should also share stories from your personal life or professional experience that illustrate the points you are trying to make. This shows that you understand the subject matter deeply and can provide practical advice based on real-world experience.
Also, use references to other reputable sources, such as academic papers, industry publications, or government reports, to support your arguments. This shows that you have done your research and can back up your claims with evidence.
How Bankrate Demonstrates Expertise
Demonstrating expertise builds trust and credibility with your audience. It shows that you deeply understand the subject matter and are qualified to offer guidance.
One way to do this is by creating high-quality content that provides useful and accurate information about your subject matter.
For example, Bankrate’s mortgage rates piece drives more than 1.3 million monthly organic traffic to its website. Of course, that’s no surprise. Mortgages are a hot topic in the US, especially because mortgage loans are huge, long-term loans; people want to know how to lock in the best possible rate. However, several things make this blog post attract so many people.
The first reason is its relevance.
The piece addresses the reader’s specific questions and pain points about the topic.
Addressing these questions in the content serves two purposes: it answers readers’ questions about the topic and adds long-tail keywords.
Long-tail keywords are longer and more-specific keyword phrases that typically have lower search volumes and competition than shorter, broader keywords. They can help you reach a more targeted audience who is looking for exactly what you offer, rather than a broad audience who may not be interested in your content.
Using long- and short-tail keywords in your content makes the piece more comprehensive and useful for readers.
When you address both broad and specific topics related to your niche, you provide a more complete resource for readers, which improves engagement and keeps them on your site longer. That’s why more people keep coming back to read Bankrate’s piece.
Bankrate also demonstrates expertise by including a corresponding tool in the article, so readers can use the product to get answers before signing up.Then a pop-up widget with a close-ended question helps Bankrate determine the reader’s intent.
When you choose an option to define your intent, Bankrate immediately generates tailored answers to ensure that you get the best value out of the piece. I clicked “refinance” and got this:
Bankrate didn’t just provide some answers, it also included an option for getting a personalized quote or signing up to receive updates. Assuming I needed this service, there’s a high likelihood that I’d click to know where it leads or sign up to get updates. This is definitely an ideal way to satisfy search intent, reduce the time to value, and show readers you’re truly the expert in the room.
How Bankrate Demonstrates Authoritativeness
Readers are more likely to trust and engage with content that comes from an authoritative source. When you demonstrate your authority, you build trust and credibility with your audience, which ultimately leads to more traffic and engagement.
One way Bankrate achieves this is through its strict editorial standards. Bankrate has a robust editorial process in place to ensure the accuracy and reliability of its content, and is pretty transparent about its process.
Bankrate assigns topics to writers who are knowledgeable about the subject matter and can provide accurate information—those who have experience writing finance-related topics. These writers reference reputable sources such as government agencies, academic research, and industry experts.
After, Bankrate’s team of fact-checkers review the content before publishing. These reviewers usually have the knowledge, experience, and academic qualifications to ensure the information provided in the content is accurate and up to date.
After fact-checking is finished, an editor ensures that the content meets Bankrate’s editorial standards and is written in a style and tone that is appropriate for the target audience. After the review and edit phase is complete, the piece is published on Bankrate’s website.
Bankrate’s strict commitment to its editorial process made it a trusted source of financial information and advice, which has resulted in almost 18 million backlinks from reputable sites such as CNN and Forbes.
That’s what happens when people trust you and what you have to say.
You can replicate Bankrate’s approach by doing these:
- Develop a style guide that sets the tone and voice for your brand and verify that all content adheres to this standard.
- Ensure that all your content is factually accurate and up to date. Use reliable sources and cite your references when necessary.
- Be transparent about your product or service, pricing, and any conflicts of interest. Avoid misleading or overly promotional content.
- Demonstrate expertise in your niche by providing valuable insights, advice, and analysis. Share your own experiences, case studies, or research studies to establish your authority.
- Keep your target audience in mind when creating content. Understand their pain points, goals, and preferences, and tailor your content to meet their needs.
How Bankrate Demonstrates Trustworthiness
According to Google, trust is the most important component of E-E-A-T because untrustworthy pages have low E-E-A-T regardless of how Experienced, Expert, or Authoritative they appear.
One unique way Bankrate demonstrates trust is through its comparison pages.
Like Capterra, Bankrate became the Yelp of Finance, becoming a make-or-break platform for most finance products. The company has comparison pages for various financial products like credit cards, mortgages, personal loans, and more. These pages provide side-by-side comparisons of different products based on factors such as interest rates, fees, and rewards programs.
Take the credit card menu for example.
The menu gives the reader different options for comparing credit cards, depending on their preferences. The pillar page for credit cards drives 1.6 million organic traffic each month, with 518,000 backlinks from reputable sources like Forbes, CNN, Tech Crunch, Yahoo Finance, and Bloomberg.
Bankrate’s comparison pages stand out for several reasons; I’ll cover a few:
Thoroughness
The comparison pages are typically very thorough, covering a wide range of factors and variables that are relevant to consumers looking to make informed decisions.
For example, this comparison page between three credit cards includes important information on interest rates, rewards rate, annual fees, and other details.
The information helps the reader compare and make informed decisions.
Objectivity
Bankrate’s comparison pages try to be as objective as possible. They provide unbiased information to help consumers make their own decisions based on their needs and preferences.
For example, the “compare by credit needed” gives information about the best credit cards available, based on the reader’s needs.
I found that when I selected an option, Bankrate gave me a quick summary of recommended credit cards for my needs. I didn’t have to scroll through to get the value I “urgently” needed. That’s really fast time to value.
I also loved that it’s a hyperlinked drop-down menu, not a static page. That means I can choose to ignore the summary or read it and also click on each linked credit card to learn more about it. Bankrate also groups these cards based on categories, so you can choose which best fits your needs.
Giving users a way to customize their search criteria to fit their specific needs and preferences is a solid strategy that helps to increase engagement and trust.
Bankrate is also transparent about how it generates revenue, which is primarily through referral fees, and strives to ensure that these fees do not influence the information presented on the page.
This kind of transparency helps readers know what to expect.
User Reviews
Nearly nine out of ten consumers worldwide make the effort to read reviews before buying products. That’s because reviews help you decide whether or not the product is worth your time and money.
Bankrate includes user reviews on many of its comparison pages, giving users a chance to read about the experiences of other customers.
This adds a layer of authenticity to the information provided on the pages and helps build trust with the audience.
Online reviews are a critical part of a typical buyer’s journey, and you shouldn’t ignore them. Instead, use them to build trust with your customers.
You can incorporate social proof into your content and landing pages like Shipbob did or create your own comparison pages. This will help you influence how prospects view your product, especially in the decision stage of their journey.
Keep Your Audience at the Center of Your Content Efforts
Even before Google added the Experience “E” to its E-A-T guidelines, Bankrate was already creating experience-driven content for its readers. It’s no wonder that the site didn’t lose its traffic after the Helpful content update rolled out.
The secret sauce is keeping your ideal audience at the center of your strategy, creation, and distribution process.
Create content your readers will find useful at every stage of their journey. Incorporate personal or professional first-hand experience into your content. Show expertise by answering questions they have. Uphold a strong editorial standard, and be transparent while creating comparison pages to ensure readers buy what they truly need. These will set you apart and give you a competitive edge.
