IG (FTSE250) is a leading online trading provider for spread betting, CFD, stockbroking and options and futures.
While they had branded search traffic in Hong Kong, Mainland China, and Taiwan, organic traffic coming from non-branded keywords was relatively low. Several competitors, including eToro, Oanda, and Plus500, outranked the business.
+25%
YoY growth in organic traffic
#1
ranking for competitive financial keywords in cryptocurrency, forex trading in Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan.
The Approach
As IG has a dedicated Tech SEO and Off Page SEO team, my work here concentrated on On-Page SEO.
On Page Optimisation
- Localised existing service pages, glossary and learning hubs.
- Metadata improvements to improve ranking and CTR.
- Removing bad keyword cannibalisation on outdated pages, which diluted ranking signals.
- Identify existing pages with high impressions and low CTR to update.
- Spotting seasonal search trends to better capture users.
- Providing financial journalists guidelines to write newsworthy SEO-optimised content to rank in Google News and Google Discover.
Results
At the end of my tenure, IG ranked in the Top 3 positions for highly competitive commercial keywords in Hong Kong, Taiwan and Mainland China, including:
- 加密数字货币 (cryptocurrency)
- cfd 平台 (CFD trading platform)
- 外汇交易 (Forex trading)
- 什么是外汇 (What is forex trading)
- 什么是期权 (what are options)
- 加密货币 (cryptocurrency)
- 杠杆 (leverage)
Reflections
One of the key takeaways from my work at IG was the impact of strategic localisation. By refining the existing service pages to understand the nuances of the local market, I was able to boost organic rankings in this region.
Providing SEO guidelines for financial journalists was a unique aspect of my work at IG. By ensuring news content was optimised for Google News & Discover, we improved visibility in search results and captured more seasonal and trending search traffic. This highlighted the potential of real-time SEO in fast-moving industries like finance.
Competing against major players like eToro, Oanda, and Plus500 meant that every detail mattered—from metadata to page structure and keyword placement. Overall, this experience reinforced the importance of precision, adaptability, and data-driven decision-making in highly competitive niches.