As a mortgage broker, standing out locally can be an ongoing struggle, especially if your brokerage is in a crowded urban or suburban area. Local SEO practices are an instrumental tool that can help mortgage professionals rank higher in search results for keywords like “best mortgage broker near me.”
In this guide, we’ll walk you through the tactical ways that mortgage brokers can increase their online visibility, build trust with potential customers, and attract new leads through local SEO practices.
Why Local SEO Matters for Mortgage Brokers
Buying a home can be one of the most intimidating experiences for someone, and just as a person wants a realtor they can trust, they also want a mortgage broker who is local and easily reached for any questions or concerns.
Local SEO, or search engine optimization practices, is the toolset that enables your brokerage to have a higher visibility in search engine results pages and become that trusted broker for your community’s needs. In the next section, we’ll discuss how specific local SEO services can factor into your local visibility.
Homebuyers are searching locally—here’s why that matters
Google search engine data shows that 46% of all searches are with the intent of finding local information. When a person uses wording like “mortgage broker near me,” that indicates a stronger intention of buying, or in your case, an increased urgency in finding a broker.
Through local SEO practices like keyword optimization and increasing your site’s mobile friendliness, your brokerage will appear at a higher rank on SERPs and be more visible to customers who are actively looking for a service. It’s a crucial difference between a lead and a conversion when three-fourths of users never even interact with the second page of Google, where your business could be without local SEO.
That’s especially the case with the Google Map Pack, which is situated at the top of the page on local search engine results pages. This set of three links displays their corresponding address, hours, pricing info, and featured photos along with a corresponding place marker icon on a local map to the right.
Only the most highly ranked businesses will be featured in the Google Map Pack. And the statistics bear that out.
Reviews and Google Business Profile are digital trust signals
When attracting local customers, an optimized Google Business Profile with reviews is another crucial local SEO consideration and a far more successful method for building trust than traditional ads. A Google Business Profile is a verification method for your business that works with Google Maps and the search function.
Maintaining accuracy and consistency on your profile is a digital trust signal for Google and potential customers. Data shows that customers are 70% more likely to visit businesses with a complete Business Profile.
You should also proactively manage your reviews and interactions with customers there. That means responding to customer feedback and adding photos and videos. Other important ranking and trust factors for search engines include the recency of reviews and the response rates from businesses. These reviews also factor into customers trying your business, as nearly 98% of customers in a 2024 survey read reviews before choosing a service.
Localized keyword strategy drives targeted traffic
Another of the most important local SEO practices is leveraging localized keywords to attract customers organically to your site and, in turn, boost sales. Keyword research is an involved process that will require trial and error as well as an understanding of the online behavior of your customers and the industry. But there are websites that can help you find useful local keywords, like Mangools and Ahrefs, if you input the right terms. Or you can turn to the professionals at Ranq, whose services include comprehensive SEO practices that cover you locally and nationally.
You need to stand out from your competition, whether they be local or national. Through a number of practices, you can ensure that those keywords appear frequently throughout your website and content. You can even go a step further and create pages that focus on your local neighborhood if it’s relevant to your business.
Some examples of more niche local keyword combinations could include:
- “Veteran Affairs Loan Specialist in Phoenix”
- “First-time Buyer Broker in Austin”
These are all considered local intent keywords as they indicate a particular location for the search result rather than a broader intent keyword, which is likely to bring up a much larger national group of brokers who have higher visibility than you.
Your keywords don’t only need to cater to a particular type of customer. Long-tail keywords (keywords that are three to five words) can also be coordinated with the different kinds of services that you offer. Examples could include:
- “Jumbo Loan Specialist in San Francisco”
- “Second mortgage specialist in Tampa Bay”
- “Adjustable rate mortgages for Seniors in Tucson”
These search terms are all more likely to capture a niche demographic who may be looking for exactly what you’re offering as a broker.
How to Build a Local SEO Strategy That Works
In this next section, we’ll discuss how to build your own local SEO strategy that works for your business and how you can immediately begin to increase your visibility on SERPs.
Start with accurate directory listings
One of the first steps of implementing your local SEO strategy is to refine all directory entries for your business across all websites to include the same name, address, phone number, and URL for a single location (If you have multiple brokerages, you will want to create individual listings for each address through tools like Yext and Moz). Consistency will demonstrate to Google that you’re a trustworthy source.
Otherwise, it will be unclear to not only search engine web crawlers, but also potential customers, if they’re even able to find your page. As a brokerage, some of the places to check for consistent contact info include:
- Google Business Profile
- Your Website
- All Socials
- Realtor or Other Business Referrals
- Bing Places for Business, Yellow Pages, Foursquare, Superpages
- User Review Sites: Yelp, Trustpilot, LinkedIn
- List your Services on Mortgage and Finance Websites like Zillow, Bankrate, Realtor, Trulia
- Local/State/National Directories: Better Business Bureau, Chamber of Commerce, Organizations, Trusts
Leverage content to localize authority
You need to be engaging and educational in a way that clarifies why your brokerage is the right option for them. Topics for content could include:
- “How to Qualify for a Mortgage in [Your City]?”
- “Benefits of Local Mortgage Brokers over National Lenders”
- “A Guide to Buying Your First Home”
- “Mortgages 101: Understanding the Basics”
- “Current Mortgage Rates in [Your City].”
- “Managing Your Mortgage Rates”
Releasing these guides and FAQs will serve a double purpose – they will strengthen your authority with your audience, and they will serve your larger local SEO goals. Consistency and quality need to be constants within your content, but don’t over-rely on the same formats. Design corresponding multimedia (charts, infographics, client testimonials) to enhance your engagement and SEO visibility.
Earn local backlinks and citations
As a mortgage broker, you need to cultivate partnerships with people in your community, including other businesses, local realtors, newspapers, and chambers of commerce. Similarly, it’s always a good idea to attend any community events or other local happenings that could raise your profile.
By building these bonds, you’ll be able to earn backlinks, or links on other websites that go back to a page on your website. Maybe you mutually spotlight each other’s business or content partnerships. This should be coordinated with your content marketing strategy, and you should publish press releases about any new branch openings, seminars, partnerships, or appearances within your area.
You should also engage in a SEO process called link building, which strategically combines backlinks and citations (online mentions of a business’ name, address, and phone number) to acquire hyperlinks from other websites to your own. Effective link building will prioritize references that are relevant and act as some kind of authority.
Why Partnering with an SEO Agency Accelerates Results
It’s not easy to convert customers in today’s market without constant reinvention and technical fine-tuning. Still, when you partner with an SEO agency like Ranq, you’ll be able to accelerate the number of leads that you see and attract new customers.
Ranq will conduct deep keyword research and local SERP audits to uncover opportunities for increased ranking and visibility. Then we will combine increased rankings with exceptional form, trust-building visuals, and CTAs that convert. And with competitor insights, you’ll avoid wasted SEO efforts and be able to strategically position yourself to cover gaps. Ranq doesn’t just rank pages—we optimize for conversion.
