How to Rank in the Google Map Pack as a Mortgage Broker
This article is by Australia's #1 Mortgage Broker SEO Agency, we've helped brokers generate over $500M in new leads through Google and AI-search. We can help you too, simply book a call here.
When a borrower searches for a mortgage broker in your area, the first thing they see isn't a list of websites. It's the local results shown with the map: three businesses, a star rating and a click-to-call button. If you're not one of those three, the enquiry goes elsewhere before your website even gets a look in.
The good news is that those positions aren't reserved for the biggest brokerage or the one who's been around the longest. They go to brokers whose Google Business Profile and website give Google what it needs to show them as the right match for the search.
At Copyburst, we work with brokers across Australia on local SEO for mortgage brokers, and ranking in the Map Pack is one of the first things we work on with every client. Below, we'll show you how the Map Pack works, what actually moves the needle and what to do first.
Key takeaways
- Your Google Business Profile and your website both matter for Map Pack rankings.
- You can't pay Google for a better position in the local results.
- More reviews and prompt replies to all of them can help your ranking.
How does the Google Map Pack work for mortgage brokers?
The Map Pack is the three local businesses Google shows alongside a map when someone searches for a service near them. For a broker, that's a search like "mortgage broker near me" or "refinance broker" typed from a phone at home. Google's own guidance says local results are based on three things: relevance, distance and prominence. Relevance is how well your profile matches the search. Distance is how far you are from the person searching. Prominence is how well known your business is, based on what Google can find about you across the web, including your website's own position in search results. You can't buy your way into it: Google's guidance states plainly that there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.
What does Google actually use to decide who ranks?
Your Google Business Profile is where relevance starts. A complete, accurate profile, with the right primary category ("Mortgage broker"), your services filled in, correct hours and a clear description, helps Google match you to the right searches. A first home buyer typing "mortgage broker" in your suburb sees results Google thinks are relevant to that query. If your profile doesn't tell Google what you do, it's harder for Google to show you.
Prominence is the part most brokers underestimate. Google says it draws on what it knows about your business from across the web, and that your position in web results is also a factor. So your website matters for the Map Pack, not just for Google Search. The two are connected.
- Relevance: your profile category, services and description tell Google what you do and who for.
- Distance: Google estimates how far you are from the person searching; you can set a service area but it doesn't change how distance is calculated.
- Prominence: your reviews, your website's authority, and what Google finds about you elsewhere all feed into this.
Google also says that more reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking. Replying to reviews shows you value feedback and can help your business stand out. That makes reviews one of the few things you can actively grow.
| Expert tip Search "mortgage broker" plus your suburb the way a first home buyer would, on your phone rather than your work computer. Look at which three brokers appear in the Map Pack and read their profiles as a borrower would. That comparison tells you exactly where your profile is falling short. Copyburst does this as part of every local SEO review we run for brokers. |
Do your Google reviews really affect your Map Pack ranking?
Google's own guidance says they can. More reviews and positive ratings can help your local ranking, and replying to reviews can help you stand out. The practical implication is clear: ask every client for a review after settlement and reply to every one you receive.
“When I look at broker profiles that aren't appearing in the Map Pack, a thin review count is one of the most consistent gaps. Not no reviews, but not nearly enough to reflect the volume of clients they're actually helping.”
Adam Maynard · Founder, Copyburst · Chat to Adam →
You're allowed to ask clients for a review. What you can't do is offer an incentive (payment, a gift, a discount), or only ask the clients you know are happy. Google calls that review gating and it's against the rules. Google gives you a review link and a QR code to make leaving a review as easy as one tap for a client who has a Google Account. Use it after every settlement.
| Mortgage broker SEO Need help with your Google Business Profile? We help mortgage brokers get found first in Google, Google Maps and AI search.
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How does your website fit into Map Pack rankings?
Google says a business's position in web search results is a factor in local prominence. That means if your website doesn't rank well for mortgage broker searches, it's likely holding your Map Pack position back too. A broker who ranks on page three of Google Search is starting with a disadvantage in the local results.
Say you're a broker who works from home in a regional town. Your profile is filled in and you have a handful of reviews. But your website is an aggregator page you don't control, with no content about your area, no pages for the types of loans you specialise in and no mention of the suburbs you cover. Here's what that means in practice.
- Set up your own website: a page for each loan type you handle (refinance, first home buyer, investment, self-employed) gives Google relevant content to read about your brokerage.
- Add a location page for your main area: a page about your brokerage's work in your region, with specific and useful information for borrowers there, helps Google connect your site to local searches.
- Link your profile to your website: your Google Business Profile has one website link; point it to the most relevant page on your own site, not a shared aggregator page.
The website work and the profile work reinforce each other. Neither one is enough on its own.
| Expert tip Open your Google Business Profile and check where the website link points. If it goes to an aggregator page or a group landing page you don't control, that's one of the first things to fix. Link it to your own website's most relevant page instead, and make sure the address, phone number and business name on your site match your profile exactly. |
What's the difference between the three local ranking factors?
The table below breaks down relevance, distance and prominence: what each one is, how it affects your Map Pack position and what you can actually do about it.
| Ranking factor | What it means | What you can control |
|---|---|---|
| Relevance | How well your profile matches what the borrower searched for | Your primary category, services listed, description and website content |
| Distance | How far your business is from where the borrower is searching | Keeping your address or service area accurate; nothing beyond that |
| Prominence | How well known your business is, based on reviews, your website and web mentions | Reviews and replies, a strong website that ranks, genuine mentions elsewhere online |
Distance is the one factor you can't change beyond keeping your location details accurate. That's actually useful to know: it means the competition for relevance and prominence is where your effort pays off.
“The first thing I tell a broker who wants to move up in the Map Pack is to strengthen the website before touching the profile. Google connects the two, and a stronger site lifts both.”
Adam Maynard · Founder, Copyburst · Chat to Adam →
What's the catch with chasing Map Pack positions?
The Map Pack result a borrower sees depends on where they're searching from. A broker who appears in the top three for someone searching from one part of town may not appear at all for someone searching from a suburb further away. The results shift with the searcher's location, so there's no single Map Pack position that applies everywhere in your area.
The other thing worth understanding is that Google says no one can guarantee a number one ranking on Google. Any agency or tool promising you a specific Map Pack position is making a promise they can't keep. What's achievable is a stronger profile and a stronger website that earn your brokerage more appearances, across more searches, in more parts of your area.
| Expert tip Check how your brokerage appears in your Google Business Profile's Performance view: calls, website clicks and direction requests all show you how often borrowers are finding you and acting on it. If those numbers are flat, that's the signal to take the profile and website work seriously. |
| Mortgage broker SEO Need help with your Google Business Profile? We help mortgage brokers get found first in Google, Google Maps and AI search.
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What else do brokers ask about ranking in Google Maps?
Can I show up in suburbs I don't have an office in?
You can set up to 20 service areas on your profile. Google says this helps people find your profile, but it doesn't override how distance works in local results. The stronger your website and your reviews, the better your chances across a wider area.
Should I add my suburb to my Google Business Profile name to rank better?
No. Google's guidelines say your business name must match your real-world name. Adding keywords or locations to it isn't allowed and can get your profile suspended. Use the services and description fields to tell Google what you do and where.
How should I reply to a bad review?
Google's advice is to acknowledge what went wrong, explain what was within your control, apologise where it's warranted and take the detail offline. Never mention loan details or anything about the client's finances in your reply. A calm, professional response often reads better to a prospective borrower than the review itself.
How does Copyburst manage Google Business Profiles for brokers?
We audit and optimise the profile itself: category, services, description, hours and the website link. We also work on the website to strengthen local prominence, and we help brokers set up a review process that's compliant and easy to run after every settlement.
How does Copyburst improve a broker's rankings in Google Maps?
We work on both sides of the Map Pack: the profile and the website. That means getting the profile complete and accurate, building or improving the website so it ranks in Google Search, and strengthening the brokerage's presence across the web. The profile and website work together, and we treat them that way.
Your next steps
Start with a search: type "mortgage broker" plus your suburb on your phone and see whether you appear in the Map Pack. Then check your Google Business Profile, your primary category, your services, and where your website link points. If your website is an aggregator page you don't control, that's the gap worth closing first. A borrower sitting at home after dinner, searching for a refinance broker near them, sees those three Map Pack results and calls one of them. If you want help getting your brokerage into that position, book a call with the Copyburst team.
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Sources and further reading
This article provides general information about SEO, AI search and digital marketing for mortgage and finance brokers. It is not credit assistance, financial, legal or tax advice, and does not take into account your business circumstances. Search, ranking and lead outcomes vary and are not guaranteed. Figures are sourced from the organisations named and were current at the time of writing.