A step-by-step SEO framework you can implement this week — built specifically for note brokers

This checklist is built for note brokers managing a website themselves or briefing an SEO agency. It assumes you have a functioning website and basic access to Google Search Console and analytics tools.

If your website doesn't exist yet, start with domain setup and WordPress or equivalent platform. If you're auditing an existing site for technical debt, jump to the technical audit section.

This checklist focuses on ranking for high-intent keywords: 'sell my mortgage note,' 'note buying companies,' 'how much are my notes worth,' and local variants like 'buy notes near me.' It does not cover brand-building or content marketing beyond what directly impacts search rankings.

Phase 1: Quick Wins (Weeks 1-2)

• Audit existing title tags and meta descriptions across service pages. Rewrite any that don't include 'note buying,' 'mortgage note,' or 'sell your note.'
• Check mobile responsiveness using Google Mobile-Friendly Test. Fix any pages failing the test.
• Verify Google Business Profile is claimed (if you have a physical office) and address is consistent across your website and directories.
• Identify 5-10 high-authority note investor networks and financial directories where you can claim or create listings.

Phase 2: Foundational Work (Weeks 3-6)

• Implement Organization and LocalBusiness schema markup. Use Google's Structured Data Testing Tool to validate.
• Run a site speed audit using PageSpeed Insights. Compress images and enable caching if score is below 50.
• Create internal linking strategy: map which service pages link to which. Ensure 'sell my note' page links to 'how much are my notes worth' and vice versa.
• Build a backlink target list: 50+ note investor forums, financial blogs, and industry directories.

Phase 3: Scaling (Weeks 7-12)

• Develop 2-3 cornerstone content pieces: 'What Is a Mortgage Note?', 'Types of Notes We Buy,' 'Note Valuation Guide.'
• Execute link outreach to directories and note investor communities. Personalized emails to 10-15 high-relevance targets per week.
• Monitor rankings weekly in Search Console. Identify pages stuck at positions 6-10 and prioritize title tag or internal link adjustments.

Title Tags (Most Critical)

• Each service page has a unique title tag including one of: 'note buying,' 'sell my note,' 'mortgage note,' or 'promissory note.'
• Primary keyword appears in the first 60 characters.
• Title includes modifier (e.g., 'We Buy Notes,' 'Fast Note Sales,' 'Professional Note Buyers') to stand out in SERPs.
• Avoid keyword stuffing. Example: 'Sell My Mortgage Note Fast | Professional Note Buyers [City]' (not 'Sell Your Note, Buy Notes, Note Buying, Notes For Sale').

Meta Descriptions

• Each page has a unique meta description 150-155 characters.
• Includes primary keyword at least once.
• Describes what the visitor will find or the value (e.g., 'Get a free note valuation in 48 hours. We buy mortgage notes, performing notes, and estate notes nationwide.').

H1 Tags

• One H1 per page, matching or closely aligned with the title tag.
• H2 and H3 tags follow a logical hierarchy. Never skip from H1 to H3.
• Subheadings include supporting keywords ('Types of Notes We Buy,' 'How the Note Selling Process Works').

Content Depth

• Service pages are 800+ words covering problem, solution, and process.
• High-intent pages ('sell my note,' 'note valuation') include step-by-step walkthroughs and FAQ sections addressing common objections.
• Internal links point to related pages (e.g., 'sell my note' page links to 'note valuation' and 'how our process works').

Site Speed & Performance

• Desktop PageSpeed Insights score is 50+. Mobile score is 50+. (Varies by hosting and image optimization; most note broker sites achieve this with basic optimization.)
• First Contentful Paint under 2.5 seconds.
• Largest Contentful Paint under 4 seconds.
• Images are compressed and lazy-loaded.
• CSS and JavaScript are minified.

Mobile & Responsive Design

• Site passes Google Mobile-Friendly Test.
• Font sizes are readable (16px minimum for body text).
• CTA buttons (e.g., 'Get Your Note Valued') are easy to tap on mobile (44x44 pixels minimum).
• Forms are mobile-optimized: visible labels, auto-complete enabled, progress indicators for multi-step forms.

Core Web Vitals

• Cumulative Layout Shift score is below 0.1.
• Interaction to Next Paint is under 200ms.
• Monitor via Google Search Console's Core Web Vitals report monthly.

Site Architecture & Crawlability

• Robots.txt is present and allows Googlebot to crawl all public pages.
• No important pages are blocked by CSS or JavaScript (test with Fetch as Google).
• XML sitemap is submitted to Google Search Console and includes all service pages and content pages.
• Redirect chains are fewer than 2 hops (e.g., avoid Page A → B → C; use A → C).
• 404 errors for deleted pages are redirected 301 to relevant replacement pages.

HTTPS & Security

• All pages are served over HTTPS (SSL certificate installed and valid).
• Mixed content warnings do not appear in browser console.

Schema markup signals to Google that your site operates within financial industry norms. It also enables rich snippets in search results.

Organization Schema (Required)

• Schema includes name, logo, address (if applicable), phone, email, social media profiles.
• sameAs links point to your claimed directory listings and social profiles.
• Validate using Google's Structured Data Testing Tool.

LocalBusiness Schema (Required if Physical Office)

• businessType is 'FinancialService' or 'LocalBusiness.'
• areaServed lists states or regions where you buy notes.
• priceRange is set (e.g., '$' for custom per-note pricing, or omit if not applicable).

Service Schema (Recommended)

• Each service (e.g., 'Mortgage Note Buying,' 'Estate Note Liquidation') has ServiceArea and ServiceType defined.
• Description includes primary keyword naturally.

FAQPage Schema (Recommended for High-Intent Pages)

• FAQ section uses proper schema markup for Google's featured snippet eligibility.
• Questions are actual user queries (e.g., 'How much will I get for my note?', 'How long does the process take?').

Article Schema (Recommended for Blog/Resource Pages)

• Article pages include headline, datePublished, dateModified, and author.
• Helps establish topical authority on note-related content.

Citation Building in Note Investor Networks

• Claim listings on industry-specific directories: Fundbox, AngelList (if applicable), or note investor forums.
• Verify business name, address, and phone are consistent across all listings (NAP consistency is critical for local ranking).
• Prioritize directories with traffic and domain authority over quantity. Five high-authority citations outweigh 20 low-authority ones.

Backlink Strategy

• Identify 5-10 'tier-1' backlink targets: note investor blogs, financial education sites, and industry associations with domain authority 30+.
• Create personalized outreach emails (not templates). Mention why your content is relevant to their audience.
• Guest post on note investor or real estate investing blogs. Include 1-2 contextual links back to your highest-priority pages.
• Avoid buying links or using link farms. Backlinks from note-buying communities and financial sites carry exponentially more weight than generic PBN or directory links.

Review Generation & Reputation Signals

• Collect Google reviews from past clients. Ask after successful transactions (via email or follow-up call).
• Respond to all reviews (positive and negative) within 48 hours.
• Google takes review velocity and sentiment into account for local rankings. Steady review generation (2-4 per month) is more valuable than a spike.

Social Signals (Secondary)

• Post 1-2x per week on LinkedIn about note market insights or client successes (anonymized).
• Social signals are a weak ranking factor, but presence builds authority perception.