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Organic Traffic and Leads For Loan Officers
A fellow member of GCA FORUMS directed me to ask GCA FORUMS members about generating my own organic traffic for Leads. I have been shit out of luck buying leads.
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7 Replies
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What type of lead sources have you been using? I just joined NEXA Mortgage from retail and I am getting a lot of mix response when it comes to generating my own leads through organic traffic. I know a few top producers who are very successful at like Gustan Cho Associates but his team got the start years ago.
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Just got off the phone with Gustan Cho Associates and he said that he will post your questions on this thread.
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I will respond but I am trying to find a few supporting documents to share
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Generating organic leads from search engines involves implementing effective search engine optimization (SEO) strategies.Ravinder Sharma is an expert on SEO and it is his niche. I will talk about the general concept on a step by step guide which is an overview. I will then analyze the most recent updates on Google algorithm on the major changes they made and what this means in layman terms so people with non-technical backgrounds like myself can comprehend and understand. If you are reading about SEO, website design, and other technical topics, do not assume what it is if you do not understand. Sapna Sharma has created the eLearning center just for this purpose. Anything to do about training a loan officer, whether it is commercial or residential, it will be covered on the eLearning blog or the Loan Officer Training Blog. We will cover about how GOOGLE said that FORUMS will have more weight on SEO than websites and I will tell you why. Google’s number one priority is content. Content is King. Lets discuss briefly about blogs versus websites. Bloggers (writers) write articles, often referred to as blogs, that pertains to an area of expertise they have. Google wants the most up to date content on the search engines. To research, prepare, do a rough drafts, edit, and make the final copy of a blog may take several hours if not several days. At best, a quick on the go article will take one hour or more. Okay, so now the blog completed by a know expert in their field recognized by Google and the search engines is now pubished, posted, and live in a website. It can be owned and managed by the blogger, or the blogger can be a guest writer for a website, or the blogger can be a staff writer for a media or news network. Regardless, per Google, blogs are one-sided publications where the author is the only authority on what is said, how it is stated, and the final post and publication. The public has NO say so or right to talk back. Very important factors in all this is that once the blog is posted, the blog is on the clock. Once the article is live and posted, it becomes old content. As time passes, the older it gets. So if a blogger wrote a nice piece today, by tomorrow, it is aged content. Google will start downgrading older articles down the search engine optimization food chain.
Now let’s compare blog websites to online community message board or often referred to FORUMS. A FORUM is where members of the FORUM communicate back and forth. With a FORUM, members can ask a question and members will answer the member. Not every member of the online FORUM are experts or in the field they are giving advice. However, there are experts or members who know experts to request they join their online community message board. Anytime a member has a question, they can ask on the online community FORUM and within minutes, you will get an answer back not from one member but multiple members of the FORUM. Due to online community members consistently posting a topic, the FORUM is updated by the minute, by the hour, or by the day. Ya see the difference between a blog and a FORUM? A blog goes stale from the minute it get posted and it is only on-sided where the only voice is the author (blogger). The FORUM is two sided where the writer and the members of the FORUM (the public) interchange the topic in question (keyword) and that is what GOOGLE wants. To me it makes all the sense in the world. On the next segment on this topic, I will discuss how to capitalize on a online community message board (FORUM) where you can generate organic leads. I should be an expert on this topic because I knew Online FORUMs were a goldmine to generate organic leads. However, I got banned by most FORUMS I joined even for stating ” My team and have been helping homebuyers and homeowners qualify and approved for a mortgage with credit scores down to 500.” I did not get a warning or suspended for a few days or a few weeks. I got banned for life. WTF, right. I created Great Content Authority FORUM to cover anything and everything a homebuyer, homeowner, or real estate investor would possibly need. We do not shun anyone out especially the competition. What’s best for the community in 50 states and U.S. territories is what our FORUM is all about. If my team and I get into a hurdle due to the competition, so be it. Knowledge is KING and if you are my competitor and you got knowledge and want to share it with members of our community, you are more than welcomed at GCA FORUM with open arms. The content I am posting is considered confidential trade secrets but I am sharing my many years of trying to get to the finish line of perfecting getting organic leads but running into hurdles over and over again. I hope you all can do the same and share your experience both good and bad on our FORUM so we can all grow together. The United States has $300 plus million people. We had 160,000 loan officers and now we are down to 70,000. Plenty of people and not enough loan officers, I say. Below I am sharing an overview of what SEO is about and couple of screenshots that may help you in your journey of never paying a dime for a lead ever again.
Here’s a step-by-step guide to help you market and generate organic leads:
- Keyword Research: Start by identifying relevant keywords that your target audience is likely to use when searching for products or services similar to yours. Use tools like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush, or Ahrefs to discover high-volume and low-competition keywords.
- Optimize Your Website: Ensure that your website is optimized for search engines. This includes optimizing meta tags (title tags, meta descriptions), using keywords naturally within your content, improving website speed, and making your site mobile-friendly.
- Create High-Quality Content: Develop informative, engaging, and valuable content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience. Content could include blog posts, articles, videos, infographics, case studies, and more. Make sure your content is optimized for your chosen keywords.
- On-Page SEO: Optimize each page of your website for SEO. This includes optimizing URL structures, headings (H1, H2, etc.), image alt text, and internal linking.
- Off-Page SEO: Build backlinks from authoritative and relevant websites in your industry. This can be achieved through guest blogging, influencer outreach, and creating shareable content that naturally attracts links.
- Local SEO: If your business serves a specific geographic area, optimize your website for local search. This involves creating a Google My Business profile, ensuring consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone number) information across all online platforms, and obtaining positive reviews from satisfied customers.
- Optimize for Voice Search: With the increasing popularity of voice search, optimize your content to answer common voice search queries. Focus on natural language and long-tail keywords.
- Regularly Update and Maintain Your Content: Keep your website fresh and up-to-date by regularly publishing new content and updating existing pages. This shows search engines that your website is active and relevant.
- Monitor and Analyze Your Performance: Use tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console to monitor your website’s performance, track keyword rankings, and identify areas for improvement. Analyze user behavior and adjust your strategies accordingly.
- Stay Updated with SEO Trends: SEO is constantly evolving, so stay informed about the latest trends, algorithm updates, and best practices in the industry. Adapt your strategies to remain competitive in the search engine results pages (SERPs).
By following these steps and consistently implementing effective SEO strategies, you can improve your website’s visibility in search engines and generate organic leads over time. Remember that SEO is a long-term process that requires patience and ongoing effort.
See attached screenshots about the latest Google algorithms:
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How much would this cost?
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Many digital media marketing geniuses don’t spend any money in generating organic traffic and getting leads.
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Reviews and testimonials are absolutely critical for mortgage loan officers in today’s digital-first market. Here’s why they’re so important:
- Trust Building: In an industry dealing with significant financial decisions, trust is paramount. Real client stories build that trust.
- Digital First Impressions: Most borrowers start online. Reviews are often their first encounter with a loan officer.
- Social Proof: People follow others’ actions. Seeing positive reviews makes prospects more likely to reach out.
- SEO Benefits: Google favors businesses with many positive reviews, boosting your online visibility.
- Emotional Connection: Testimonials share personal journeys (e.g., “John helped us buy our dream home”), creating empathy.
- Specific Value Highlights:
- “Sarah secured us a lower rate than anyone else”
- “Tom made the VA loan process simple”
- Overcoming Skepticism: In post-2008 America, many distrust lenders. Authentic reviews can change perceptions.
- Differentiator: In a crowded field, stellar reviews set you apart from other loan officers.
- Long-Form Impact: Detailed testimonials on websites provide in-depth endorsements.
- Diverse Client Range: Reviews from first-time buyers, refinancers, and investors show your versatility.
- Response Opportunities: Thanking reviewers or addressing concerns shows engagement.
- Local Relevance: Reviews mentioning neighborhoods or local challenges resonate with nearby prospects.
- Millennial Appeal: This demographic, now the largest homebuying group, heavily trusts peer recommendations.
- Video Power: Video testimonials on YouTube or your site offer compelling, shareable content.
- Referral Engine: Great reviews often end with “I’ve already recommended Jane to friends!”
- Crisis Management: A bank of positive reviews buffers against any negative ones.
- Team Endorsements: Reviews praising your processor or underwriter reflect well on you.
- Cross-Platform Strength: From Google to Zillow to Facebook, being rated highly everywhere matters.
Pro Tips:
- Always ask satisfied clients for reviews
- Guide them to key platforms
- Share reviews across your marketing
- Never incentivize or fake reviews
In 2024’s mortgage landscape, where online research precedes human contact, your digital reputation—built through reviews and testimonials—often determines whether a borrower even picks up the phone. It’s not just important; it’s your 24/7 sales team.
