Increasing Agents’ Online Visibility Is Goal of New Internet Marketing Service

Aiming to provide its independent agent members with an avenue to enhance their online presence, the National Association of Professional Insurance Agents (PIA) has formed a partnership with an Internet marketing firm on an initiative to position participating agents as the “Local Insurance Hero” in their communities.

Through PIA’s partnership with Agoragate, pronounced “AGRA gate,” participating agents create a profile and purchase one or more niche microsites (personal and/or commercial lines) that are tied to the agents’ geographic location of choice and housed on the consumer centric website, EnhanceInsurance.com.

The microsites are interconnected not only to each other, but to a series of web pages that feature useful insurance articles related to current events, commonly asked questions or city/state geographic areas, according to PIA’s announcement.

The web pages are being developed to match commonly searched phrases and questions, so that they will receive relevant traffic from Google and other search engines.

“It is already well established that while people may start their search for insurance online, they want to buy their insurance from a local insurance professional in their community,” said PIA National Executive Vice President and CEO Leonard C. Brevik. “Until now, bringing web searchers together with local insurance agents has been difficult. Now with PIA and Agoragate, Main Street insurance agents can attract the customers who are already out there looking for them.”

Brevik explained that “when web surfers click on a search result featuring an EnhanceInsurance.com article, the web page will not only provide useful information but it will feature a single, participating agent as the ‘local hero,’ an agent who can assist the web surfer with their insurance needs.”

He added that the “Agoragate system uses IP addresses “to dynamically insert the profile of the local agent who can best meet their insurance needs as determined by the words they type into the search engine.”

Agoragate’s technology platform was created by a search engine optimization firm that has achieved success with a client list that includes Cargill, Nestle USA, Marvin Windows, and other large corporations.

PIA members receive a substantial discount on the cost of the Agoragate microsites. Agoragate is being offered to PIA members as part of the PIA Branding Program.

Through this program, PIA provides its members with marketing materials such as print and radio advertisements.

Funding for the PIA Branding Program is provided in part by PIA’s Pinnacle Partners, insurance companies that demonstrate their commitment to the independent agency distribution system and financially support the development of new marketing tools.

The 2012 Pinnacle Partners are Bankers Insurance Group, Encompass Insurance, Erie Insurance, Harleysville Insurance, Progressive Insurance, QBE the Americas, State Auto Group, The Hartford and The Motorists Insurance Group.