The Complete SEO Setup Checklist Every Mortgage Broker Website Needs Before You Spend a Cent on Marketing

Every mortgage broker website needs a minimum set of pages that Google can crawl, index, and understand. Without these, you don’t have an SEO foundation — you have a brochure.

• 1 Homepage — clearly states who you are, who you help, and where you operate
• At least 5 service pages — one dedicated page per service (e.g. First Home Buyers, Refinancing, Investment Loans, Self-Employed Loans, Construction Loans)
• 1 About Us page — your story, credentials, licence number, and team
• 1 Contact Us page — phone, email, address, hours, embedded Google Map and contact form
• At least 10 blog posts — answering real questions your borrowers ask (signals topical authority)
• 1 Privacy Policy page and 1 Terms / Disclaimer page — required for trust and compliance
• 1 Testimonials / Reviews page — pulling in real client feedback
• Location pages if you serve multiple suburbs or cities (e.g. /mortgage-broker-melbourne/)

Headings tell Google what your page is about and help users scan content. Get this wrong and your page reads like noise — to both humans and search engines.

• Exactly one <H1> per page — containing the primary keyword for that page
• Multiple <H2> tags — breaking the page into logical sections
• <H3> tags nested under H2s — for sub-points, not standalone sections
• Headings in proper order — never skip from H1 to H3, and never use headings just for styling
• Keywords in headings — but only where they read naturally
• Minimum 600+ words on service pages — thin content rarely ranks for competitive terms

These are the first things Google reads — and the first things searchers see in the results. Most mortgage broker sites get them wrong by leaving them on default.

• Unique title tag for every page — under 60 characters, primary keyword near the front
• Unique meta description for every page — under 155 characters, written to earn the click
• Clean, keyword-rich URLs — e.g. /refinance-home-loan-melbourne/ not /page?id=42
• No duplicate titles or descriptions across the site
• Brand name at the end of title tags (e.g. | Smith Mortgages)
• Open Graph tags set for social sharing (title, description, image)

Internal links pass authority between pages and help Google understand which pages matter most. They’re one of the highest-leverage SEO levers — and one of the most ignored.

• Main navigation menu linking to homepage, all service pages, blog, about and contact
• Footer with secondary links — including legal pages, sitemap, key services
• At least 2-3 contextual internal links per page — pointing to related services or blog posts
• Descriptive anchor text — not “click here” or “read more”
• Every page reachable in 3 clicks or fewer from the homepage
• Breadcrumbs enabled on inner pages
• No orphan pages — every page should be linked from somewhere

For mortgage brokers, local search is where the real enquiries come from. Your Google Business Profile is non-negotiable — and it must match your website exactly.

• Google Business Profile claimed and verified
• NAP consistency — Name, Address and Phone identical on website, GBP and every directory
• Correct primary category — “Mortgage Broker” (not “Financial Consultant”)
• Service areas filled in with the suburbs you actually serve
• Business hours, website URL and contact details all accurate
• 10+ recent photos uploaded — office, team, signage, exterior
• Active review collection — aiming for steady reviews, not bursts
• You reply to every review — positive and negative
• Address and phone embedded as text on your website (not just an image)

If Google can’t crawl, render and load your site quickly, none of the above matters. These are the technical basics every site needs in place from day one.

• HTTPS / SSL certificate active — site loads with the padlock icon
• Mobile-responsive design — passes Google’s Mobile-Friendly Test
• Page speed under 3 seconds — test with PageSpeed Insights
• XML sitemap generated and submitted to Google Search Console
• Robots.txt file configured (and not blocking your important pages)
• Google Search Console verified
• Google Analytics 4 installed and firing correctly
• 404 page exists and links back to your homepage
• 301 redirects set up for any old or moved URLs
• No broken links across the site

Schema markup is hidden code that tells Google exactly what your business is, where it’s located, and what you offer. It powers rich results — and AI search engines lean on it heavily.

• LocalBusiness schema on the homepage and contact page
• FinancialService or MortgageBroker schema where applicable
• FAQ schema on service pages and blog posts that include FAQs
• Review / AggregateRating schema where you display real reviews
• BreadcrumbList schema matching your visible breadcrumbs
• Schema validated in Google’s Rich Results Test

Foundation SEO is about making sure each page targets the right keyword and answers it properly. Not stuffed — just clearly aligned.

• One primary keyword per page — no two pages competing for the same term
• Keyword research documented for every service page
• Content written for humans first — Australian English, no jargon, no fluff
• Real borrower scenarios and examples on each service page
• FAQ section on every service page answering 5+ real questions
• Blog content addresses search intent — not just industry news no-one searches for
• Author bio and credentials on blog posts (E-E-A-T signals)

Images are often the heaviest thing on a page and the easiest SEO win. Get the basics right and your site loads faster, ranks better, and becomes more accessible.

• All images compressed — under 200KB where possible
• Modern formats used — WebP instead of JPG / PNG
• Descriptive file names — e.g. refinance-home-loan-melbourne.webp
• Alt text on every image — describing the image, not stuffing keywords
• Width and height attributes set to prevent layout shift
• Lazy loading enabled for images below the fold
• Real photos used where possible — your office, your team, real clients (with permission)

For mortgage brokers, trust signals carry extra SEO weight. Google knows your industry is regulated and rewards sites that prove they’re legitimate operators.

• Australian Credit Licence (ACL) number visible in the footer
• MFAA or FBAA membership badge displayed
• ABN visible in footer and on contact page
• Lender panel logos shown (with permission)
• Real client testimonials with names, photos and locations
• Privacy Policy compliant with the Australian Privacy Principles
• Credit Guide / Disclosure documents available or linked
• Social proof visible above the fold on the homepage (reviews, ratings, awards)