You can improve your mortgage website ranking on Google searches with SEO content. Search engine optimization (SEO) makes your website more visible to search engines. However, it’s not enough to just be found!

Smartly crafted SEO content will also generate mortgage leads.

Ranking In A Nutshell
When a prospect searches for word or phrase in a search engine, such as Google, they receive pages and pages worth of results related to their search query. Being listed as a top result is the strongest position and the goal of SEO.

 

So now the question is:

How can you write SEO-rich content that appeals to your mortgage prospect when you’re not a writer? We’ll show you how!

 

Part One: Keywords

Think about a topic or issue you write about. If you have trouble coming up with one, think about the most common questions that clients ask, and aim to explain one of those issues in detail. After you’ve chosen your topic, research keywords related to it. Here’s how:

 

1. Choose one main keyword or phrase
This main keyword/phrase should be closely related to your topic. Include the keyword in the title as well as in the body of your blog post.

If you choose a key phrase, format it in a way that your prospect would search for it. Example: it is more likely that a prospect will search “home loan in Palm Springs” rather than “ABC Mortgage Company in Palm Springs.”

You can also choose a “long-tail” variation of your key phrase such as”low-down payment in Palm Springs” or “first-time home loans in Palm Springs.”

 

2. Review the competition for your keyword/phrase
Review the competition level for your keywords. The higher the competition, the less likely it is that the content will rank and get the traffic you want. Instead, opt for lower competition keywords that are still related to your topic.

Hint: There are paid tools that you can use for researching keywords. However, if you rather not commit the additional time keyword research, LendingHomePage’s In-House Marketing team is available to do the research and provide you with a customized list of keywords/phrases. Click here to contact us for a consultation.

 

3. Choose 2-3 secondary keywords
Secondary keywords, also called Latent Semantic Indexing keywords (LSI keywords), are terms that are related to your main keyword. Secondary keywords further help search engines to understand your content and accurately rank it for that topic.

Ideas for finding secondary keywords:

Enter your main keyword in the Google search bar
Look at the related search list.
Choose two to three search phrases that relate to your primary keyword.

Now that we have the main keyword and a few secondary keywords, the actual writing your SEO post can start.

Part Two: Writing

Use these writing tips to learn how to write engaging content for readers that is also optimized for search engines.

4. Write for Readers First, Search Engines Second
Imagine you’re talking with your client face-to-face, perhaps in a comfortable setting such as their home or a coffee house. You’re dressed sharply to show you’re a professional, but speaking to them from a place of helpfulness –not business. You take command of the conversation, however, only after you’ve heard their concerns.

Can you picture it?
Do you know how you’d respond to your prospect’s concern?

Great! Now write it down. Address the issue clearly, professionally, and honestly.

5. Write an article between 500-2,500 words
This is not a hard rule. However, metrics show that blog posts with a minimum of 500 words rank better — probably because this length provides enough information for the search engine to understand the content.

There are different opinions about how long content should be, but it’s unlikely that you’ll struggle with writing too much. However, write as much as you feel necessary to cover your topic –but keep it under 2,500 words.

Hint: If your mortgage content is approaching the 2,500-word mark, review that you’re not trying to cover too broad of a spectrum. If 2,500 seems to only scratch the surface of your topic, consider breaking it into 2-3 blogs posts instead of one long piece of content.

6. Use the main keyword throughout, but never force it
Remember that the magic of SEO content is that they’re written for both readers and search engines. So while you want to use your keyword or key phrase throughout your text, you’ll want to do it in such a way that is natural. Never force your keywords where do they do not belong.

 

7. Add secondary keywords
Secondary keywords give more credit to your content — a key element that will accurately index your page with search engines as well as keep prospects on your site.

Use two to four of your secondary keywords two to three times throughout your text. Again, in the most natural way possible.

 

Hint: Italicize your secondary keywords/phrases once in your text.

 

8. Use your main keyword in the first and last paragraph
Include your main keyword in the first paragraph or as close to the beginning of the post as possible. Do the same for the end of the blog post by including it in the closing paragraph or as close to the end as possible while maintaining a natural reading flow.

Hint: Bold your main keyword in the first paragraph.

 

9. Use your main keyword in the top subheading – H1 (Header 1 Tag)
Subheadings break up large blocks of text and are formatted with H1, H2, H3, and so on. Not only does this make it easier for your prospect to read, but search engines also recognize the unique text for ranking purposes.

 

 

10. Check for spelling and grammatical errors
It’s always a good idea to check for correct spelling and grammar, however, it also matters for SEO. Google recently, though subtly, announced that they look at correct spelling and grammar for cues in page ranking.

Hint: Try “Microsoft Word” or the browser extension  “Grammarly” for a quick check of your content.

 

11. Write at a junior high school reading level
This reading level seems to be the sweet spot for ease of reading while maintaining clarity. Keep your sentences under 20 words, break up big blocks of text, and use the simplest term whenever possible.

Use this link to check the readability score of your blog post. If you check different sections of this post, you’ll notice that it varies from 7th grade to 10th grade.

 

12. Add inbound links
Inbound links are hyperlinks that point to an existing page within your website. These links serve two purposes:

• It boosts keyword credit by linking it to a related post
• It encourages your prospect to explore your services further

 

13. Add outbound links (optional)
Outbound links are hyperlinks that point to a page on another website. These links also serve two purposes:

• It’s an additional resource for your prospect and provides authority.
• It helps the search engines understand your content better.

Hint: Have the outbound links to open to a new page. This way your web page remains open and accessible to the reader even if they move to another website. Also, when linking outward always link to sites that are highly trusted such as .gov or .edu sites or recognizable news sites.

 

Step Three: Refining

We’re at the final part of writing an SEO blog post for your mortgage website! Although your post is already strong piece of content, there are a few, last things to add to make it a great SEO post.
14. Use your main keyword in the title of the page (TITLE metatag)
15. Use the main keyword in the permalink
The permalink is the part of the URL that comes after the main domain or subdomain.

E.g. http://www.yourdomain.com/your-keyword-goes-here-in-the-url

 

16. Use your main keyword in the meta description (DESCRIPTION metatag)
The meta description is a summary that describes the blog post and provides more information about the blog post to search engine crawlers. This is also the summary that is visible on search engine results pages, right underneath the title.

Hint: Meta descriptions must not exceed 155 characters. Try making it clickable by forming it as a question. E.g. “Do you know where to find the lowest mortgage rates in Palm Springs?”

 

17. Use the main keyword in image alt tags
Images add to the reliability and usefulness for both search engines and readers. It’s best to include at least one image and be sure to include your keyword in the image “alt tag,”

 

Now that you have all the basic guidelines, you’re set to write great SEO content for your mortgage website that also converts. Use half of these pro tips, and you’ll be ahead of the competition.

Use them all (or take advantage of our Digital Mortgage Marketing team), and you’ll leave the competition in the dust!

Call our sales team to learn more! 888-3771265