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Mortgage Rates Overview

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by

Brandon Lazovic
in

Discover how we optimized a mortgage rates page to achieve 200K organic clicks per month, rank #3 for competitive keywords, and generated qualified leads that significantly boosted conversion.

Below is a case study on SEO research and execution performed for a new product page launched by a mortgage industry leader.

Objective

To create a high-converting mortgage rates page that targets high-value transactional terms, increases organic traffic, and boosts conversions.

Background

The mortgage industry is highly competitive, with potential customers frequently searching for up-to-date mortgage rates and information on various loan types before submitting an application. Our client needed an optimized mortgage rates page to capture this traffic and convert it into qualified leads and closed loans.

Every traditional competitor in the landscape had their own dedicated mortgage rates page, signifying the importance of developing one to more strongly capture available share of voice.

Goals

  • Target high-value transactional search terms related to mortgage rates.
  • Increase organic traffic and rankings for competitive keywords.
  • Improve the user experience to drive conversions.
  • Generate organic leads and increase closed loan volume.

Results

  • Page generated 100K organic clicks per month. Also generated 5K organic leads monthly, translating to $1.4 billion in closed loan volume.
  • Ranked in top positions for highly competitive / high search volume keywords like “mortgage rates,” or “today’s mortgage rates”.
  • The mortgage rates page became the 2nd most visited webpage on the entire site, both organically and in total visits.

Methodology / Work Performed

Working With Cross-Functional Teams To Execute

  • Developed a comprehensive mortgage rates page aimed at high-value transactional terms.
  • Collaborated with product, engineering, UX, paid search, and CRO teams to identify key components for the page.
  • Included purchase and refinance rates tables with distinct CTAs targeting separate user funnels.
  • Integrated a daily feed for current mortgage rates from the company’s database.
  • Ensured technical SEO requirements for the React framework were met (page is server-side rendered and all important elements on page are available for search crawlers as HTML).

Testing and Optimization

  • Conducted monthly CRO tests to improve conversion for the web page.
  • Worked with paid search team to dual-target high-converting keywords on-page to occupy more SERP real estate and improve ad quality scores for improved spend.
  • Tested CTAs and how rates were displayed to optimize for conversions. This includes displaying refinance rates as the default vs. purchase rates; testing CTA colors; the call-to-action (Apply Now vs. Get Started).

Developed Dedicated Product Pages

  • Created dedicated home loan product pages for various rate types (FHA, VA, 30-year fixed, 15-year fixed, USDA loan) so users could learn more about requirements / benefits of each offered product before applying for a home loan / refinance.

Improving Link Equity Through Internal & External Link Building

  • Conducted link building campaigns through PR outreach / guest posting efforts to drive link equity to the new mortgage rates page and close existing delta with traditional competitors. More than 200 backlinks were generated in a year with an average DA of 40 to the mortgage rates page.
  • Added internal links with relevant anchor text pointing to the main mortgage rates page for improved crawl rates / passing SEO equity from other internal pages.

Created Additional Content To Address Higher Funnel Users

  • Added copy and content considerations such as FAQs to take up more SERP real estate via FAQ rich results / PAA’s, as well as informational articles from the Learning Center to retain users who weren’t ready to make a transactional decision yet in their journey.

Takeaways

  • Collaboration is Key: Working closely with cross-functional teams ensures that all necessary components are included, leading to a more effective and user-friendly page.
  • Continuous Testing: Regular testing and optimization of CTAs and content display can significantly impact conversion rates.
  • Technical SEO: Proper implementation of technical SEO requirements and schema markup ensure that page elements are understood by search engines for rankings / rich snippets.
  • Link Building: Effective backlink campaigns are crucial for improving page authority and organic rankings, especially as it relates to highly competitive web pages.
  • Content Strategy: Comprehensive and targeted content, including dedicated product pages and internal linking, can drive significant traffic and conversions.

By leveraging these strategies, we were able to create a high-performing mortgage rates page that not only attracted substantial organic traffic but also drove significant business results.