The Intermediary – November 2025 - Flipbook - Page 103
B RO K E R B U S I N E S S
Opinion
Get more leads
from your website
W
e ran a test on
a mortgage
broker’s
website,
comparing
Google
Reviews against text testimonials.
Two identical pages, with the only
difference being in how client
feedback was displayed. Each page
received 250 views.
The Google reviews page generated
48 leads, while the testimonial
page generated 8. That’s six-times
more leads, just because people saw
Google reviews.
Why does it work?
Just as you check reviews before
booking a holiday or buying
something from Amazon, your clients
are doing the same.
‘Social proof’ is where people, when
uncertain what to do, tend to follow
the actions or opinions of others. This
concept has been substantiated by
numerous studies and examples.
Social proof is one of your strongest
assets. It has the power to sell holidays,
products on Amazon and motivate
people to contact a mortgage adviser.
Believable quality
Our data suggests that Google
reviews hold more weight than text
testimonials. People are familiar with
how Google reviews work, having
seen or even le their own before. In
contrast, they could think wrien
testimonials are easy to fake. You
can’t just say “we have loads of happy
clients,” but you can use Google
reviews to prove it.
People who aren’t ready for a
mortgage are desperate for help. From
anyone. However, clients with great
credit, a decent deposit and realistic
expectations are far more picky –
they’ll spend more time choosing
someone they trust. More five-star
reviews will help you aract the
clients you want.
Reviews not only drive more
inquiries when displayed on your
website, but generate more leads
straight from Google, too. When
someone searches ‘mortgage broker
near me’, they’ll see a map featuring
three local businesses.
With more people searching for
brokers than ever before, securing a
spot in the top three costs nothing, it
simply requires consistently collecting
Google reviews from your clients.
Trustpilot reviews work just as well
on your website as Google reviews, but
they don’t help you get the bonus leads
when someone searches ‘mortgage
broker near me’. Vouchedfor and
other industry sites are good, but don’t
hold as much weight. Likely because
they’ve not been seen before by most
people. You can’t transfer reviews
from one platform to another. If
you want to move your Vouchedfor
reviews to Google, you’ll have to ask
your clients to leave another review.
What can you do?
Integrate the Google review request
into your existing process. The
perfect moment is immediately aer
they receive their mortgage offer. By
sending a link to their phone at this
point, this way, you can make the
most of their appreciation before it
drops off by completion.
A direct link on their phone makes
it more likely they’re already logged
into Google, which makes it easier for
them. Try sending a Whatsapp rather
than email, you’ll get more reviews.
People look at your most recent
reviews, if it’s been months since
your last one it could repel rather
than aract clients. Be consistent, ask
everyone at offer. Keep a steady flow,
and you’ll get more leads.
Google doesn’t provide any code or
widget to display the reviews on your
website. So, you’ll need a third-party
tool. Elfsight.com provides a free
option, but Trustindex.com has more
professional looking options.
ALEX CURTIS
is founder of The Lead Engine
Clients with great
credit, a decent deposit
and realistic expectations
are far more picky –
they’ll spend more time
choosing someone
they trust”
If you have more than 100 five-star
Google reviews, that should be the
first thing people see. Placing this
prominently at the top of your website
is crucial, as it holds more significance
to the general public than your logo. If
they have to scroll, they might never
see it. You should also prominently
display some of your latest reviews
within your content and at the boom
of your site.
Not a standalone solution
Remember, while the power of social
proof is undeniable, it’s not a silver
bullet. While reviews significantly
boost your credibility and influence
decisions, relying solely on them can
be a misstep.
The pages in our test incorporated a
variety of elements, like introducing
the advisers, persuasive copywriting,
a clear call to action, content tailored
to the specific mortgage scenario and a
user-friendly layout.
Social proof acts as a powerful
amplifier, but it needs a solid
foundation to generate results. ●
November 2025 | The Intermediary
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