Which New Zealand Home Loan providers are maximising their market share online? Find out which home loan providers are taking the lead in organic search and how they’re doing it. FIRST has investigated the organic search engine rankings for NZ consumer searches focused on home loans, utilising FIRST’s Ranking Based Reach (RBR) analysis framework. In addition, a consumer survey was carried out to discover what is most important for Kiwis wishing to apply for a home loan. In this report we discovered: New Zealand house prices rose by 8.02% during 2013, after a rise of 8.54% in 2012. House prices are still rising and also home loan rates continue to increase. Therefore, getting the best fit is even more crucial for consumers. Due to their low RBRs, search results are broadly dispersed among a wide range of competitors, even more in mobile. In this competitive home loan and mortgage market, retailers are missing out optimising on the most cost effective marketing channel: Search. 29% of all New Zealand smart phone users use their device for making online researches for “buying a house” and it is likely that these numbers will increase. A considered digital strategy that integrates both organic and paid search should be a key customer acquisition and revenue driver for home loan providers. Popular search phrases are missing from most sites and in most cases very little is being done with organic search. FIRST uses its bespoke metric called RBR (Ranking Based Reach) to estimate how well each company is ranking in search engines. RBR provides a simple way to compare a website’s search engine rankings with its competitors. RBR is an estimate of the percentage of available search traffic a website will receive for a set of phrases – this gives the sites share of search or reach. It is weighted based on the popularity of each search phrase and the relative click through rate (CTR) of each ranking position.

1. Which websites are maximising their market share?
Searching for Home Loans Online

2. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 2
Calculating share of search
• Rankings Based Reach (RBR)* provides a simple way to compare a
website’s search engine rankings with its competitors.
• RBR is an estimate of the percentage of available search traffic a
website will receive for a set of phrases – this gives the sites share
of search or reach.
• It is weighted based on the popularity of each search phrase and the
relative click through rate (CTR) of each ranking position.
Source: Rankings Based Reach (RBR) is a methodology developed by First, http://www.firstdigital.co.nz

3. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 3
Selected sites
Leading New Zealand home loan and mortgage sites were selected for Ranking Based
Reach (RBR) performance analysis.
Sites
amp.co.nz loanplus.co.nz
anz.co.nz mikepero.co.nz
approved.co.nz mortgagebrokerauckland.net.nz
asb.co.nz mortgagelink.co.nz
bnz.co.nz mortgagesupply.co.nz
cherrymortgage.co.nz nzcubaywide.co.nz
firstcreditunion.co.nz nzhomeloans.co.nz
go2guys.co.nz realmortgages.co.nz
hallamjones.co.nz roost.co.nz
heartland.co.nz sovereign.co.nz
hlg.co.nz speedyloans.co.nz
hnzc.co.nz squirrel.co.nz
homeloanshop.co.nz tsbbank.co.nz
ilender.co.nz welcomehomeloan.co.nz
kiwibank.co.nz westpac.co.nz
loanmarket.co.nz

4. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 4
What are people searching for?
Source: Google Keyword Tool, New Zealand exact match, Mar 2014
In order to investigate which websites are leading in search we researched frequently used
home loan and mortgage related phrases.
Search Phrase
Local searches
per month
Search Phrase
Local searches
per month
mortgage calculator 14800 best home loan rates 40
home loan calculator 1600 first home owners grant 30
mortgage rates 1600 refinance mortgage 20
mortgage 880 compare home loans 10
home loans 590 finance home loan 10
loan repayment calculator 480 home loan adviser 10
mortgage repayment
calculator
480 home loan insurance 10
mortgage brokers 390 home loan refinancing 10
buying a house 320 refinance home loan 10
home loan rates 320 switching mortgage 10
home loan interest rates 210 property loans 10
no deposit home loans 110 switching loan 0
first home buyers grant 50
Total searches per month
22,000
Total searches per year
264,000

5. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 5
Google: Search engine results page 1
Bank of New Zealand
(BNZ) is ranking on
position four of the
paid search but also
smaller players as the
Go2Guys rank here
on position 6. In total
there are ranking 11
companies in the paid
search. That
represents the
maximum amount for
the 1 Page. This
market is highly
competitive.
What the consumer sees: The top of the Google search results page for a search on “home loans”
Up to 3 keyword-
related Google ads
lead the Google
ranking: ilender.co.nz
and tsbbank.co.nz rank
under the top 3
position for the paid
search term “home
loans”.
Under the organic
search results a large
variety of companies
rank on Google’s first
page starting with
Westpac, followed by
New Zealand Home
Loans and Welcome
Home Loan for the
search term “home
loans”.

6. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 6
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12
paid organic
Source: Chikita, 2010 (Organic Search) & Accuracast 2009 (Paid Search)
35% of users click
on the top organic
search result
Almost 95% of organic
traffic goes to the top 10
results
The importance of top rankings
Search engine position
Proportionofclicks

7. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 7
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
RankingsBasedReach
Rankings Based Reach: Natural Search
Source of ranking data: Google New Zealand, www.google.co.nz, Apr 2014.* includes all websites under the relevant domain name (eg, including www.)
MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY
The majority of companies have a very
low RBR of 1% or less, which means that
there is still a lot of room for
improvement.
The RBR leader is BNZ with
a fantastic RBR of 50%. The
closest competitors are
Westpac, ANZ and
Kiwibank. Within the first 6
positions only banks are
present, which means that
smaller companies have to
optimise home loan related
search terms if they want to
compete online.
A vast majority of companies are “not
really” present within search. Without
improving their RBR reach presence,
they are missing opportunities for
potential sales.

8. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 8
0%
5%
10%
15%
20%
25%
30%
35%
40%
45%
50%
RankingsBasedReach
Rankings Based Reach: Natural Search (Mobile)
Source of ranking data: Google New Zealand, www.google.co.nz, Apr 2014.
* includes all websites under the relevant domain name (eg, including www.)
MASSIVE OPPORTUNITY
These websites can compete by
optimising for mobile searches.
BNZ’s search position is very
similar in mobile, in contrary
to Westpac, which might
need mobile search
optimisation.
In mobile search, it is more important
than ever to rank on the first page.
Smart phones are critical shopping
tools with 74% of NZ users having
researched a product or service on
their mobile device*.
*Source: Scary eCommerce Statistics , www.ecommerce.org.nz, Apr 2014.
Kiwibank will need to
optimise being found on
mobile as the RBR
dropped from more than
30% to under 5%.

9. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 9
ANZ is leading the way
Source: Relative total keyword performance on a normalised scale 1 to 100, Google Trends, New Zealand, Mar 2014
The chart illustrates that brand search terms like ANZ, ASB and BNZ show high search volumes, compared to smaller players like Mike Pero
and TSB Bank. The search popularity of ANZ Bank has increased dramatically, beginning with end of 2012.
To combat being left behind, runner-up companies need to drive consumer brand recognition via search, display, social and email
campaigns.

10. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 10
Search trends for “mortgage calculator”
Companies not ranking for “mortgage calculator” in the Google search
engine are limiting their possibilities for sales. The search volume has
been constantly rising over the last few years and the search terms is
vastly important for a successful online strategy.
Companies/Banks offering home loans or mortgages therefore need
to consider niche consumer search behaviour, such as “mortgage
calculator” search terms, in their digital marketing strategies.
Source: Relative total keyword performance on a normalised scale 1 to 100, Google Trends, New Zealand, Apr 2014

11. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 11
0.00%
5.00%
10.00%
15.00%
20.00%
25.00%
30.00%
35.00%
40.00%
45.00%
50.00%
Visit the physical branch
of a known home loan
provider or broker
Directly go to the website
of a known home loan
provider or broker
Seek recommendations
from friends or family
Search for home loan
information on Google
Visit other financial
websites (such as
interest.co.nz)
Consumer Research: Finding Information
This representative survey was carried out by 3Di Research on
the Great Sites platform Apr 2014 (n=1,304).
Question 1: Typically, where is the first place you go to find information on home loans and
mortgages?
A large proportion of people
tend to visit the physical branch
of a known home loan provider
or broker.
More than 25% of people tend to directly
visit the website of a known home loan
provider. Therefore, improving the usability
of a website (on desktop and mobile) is a
key factor for lasting success.

12. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 12
0.00%
10.00%
20.00%
30.00%
40.00%
50.00%
60.00%
70.00%
Banks / Finance providers Independent Mortgage Brokers
Consumer Research: Who gives best advice?
Question 2: Who do you rate as most able to give the best
advice on home loan options?
This representative survey was carried out by 3Di Research on
the Great Sites platform Apr 2014 (n=1,304).
Mortgage Brokers will need to
shift in consumers perception,
where to receive the best home
loan advice.
It seems as if banks and finance providers
are more likely to be seen as proficient in
their knowledge.

13. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 13
2.50
3.00
3.50
4.00
4.50
5.00
Lowest
interest
rates
Low fees Reputation
and
credibility
Professional
advice
Service and
support
Mortgage
structure
options
Flexible
switching /
refinance
options
Add-ons
(Fly Buys,
signing
bonus etc)
Mean Values
Consumer Research: Important factors when considering a home loan?
Question 3: What is most important to you when considering
a home loan or mortgage? (Rank the following on a scale of
1-5, 1 being least important – 5 of great importance).
This representative survey was carried out by 3Di Research on
the Great Sites platform Apr 2014 (n=1,304).
Conclusions: Lowest interest
rates, low fees and reputation
and credibility are the most
important factors for consumers
when considering a home loan
or mortgage.
Add-ons seem to play the least
important role by far.

14. • New Zealand house prices rose by 8.02% during 2013, after a
rise of 8.54% in 2012.(1) House prices are still rising and also
home loan rates continue to increase. Therefore, getting the
best fit is even more crucial for consumers.
• Due to their low RBRs, search results are broadly dispersed
among a wide range of competitors, even more in mobile. In
this competitive home loan and mortgage market, retailers are
missing out optimising on the most cost effective marketing
channel: Search.
• 29% of all New Zealand smart phone users use their device for
making online researches for “buying a house” and it is likely
that these numbers will increase.(2)
• A considered digital strategy that integrates both organic
and paid search should be a key customer acquisition and
revenue driver for home loan providers.
Summary &
Observations
(1) Source: Q4 2013: World's housing markets in headlong boom, led by
U.S. and Asia Pacific, globalpropertyguide.com, April 2014
(2) Source: NZ will have 90% smartphone and 78% tablet ownership by
2018, scoop.co.nz, April 2014
Home loans and mortgages

15. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 15
About FIRST.
Respected digital veterans are the foundation our agency is built upon: each team holds
a core capability that feeds into a business’ digital requirements. Our expertise in digital
has been built on over 14 years’ experience in digital strategy, analytics, conversion,
search marketing and digital campaigns.
FIRST, our award-winning team of internet marketers, has helped over 300 companies
across 100 industries achieve digital success. We provide companies with a digital
roadmap to success centered around a “digitally led” sales and marketing strategy.
Our services span search (SEO and SEM), email, performance media, conversion
optimisation and advanced analytics. Most importantly, our work is underpinned by a
focus on delivering the return on investment our clients expect.

16. Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz 16
Contact us
Contact FIRST to find out more.
Phone +64 (9) 920 1740
Email info@firstdigital.co.nz
Web http://www.firstdigital.co.nz
http://www.linkedin.com/company/first-digital
http://www.firstdigital.co.nz/blog
Copyright © FIRST., part of the BeyondD Pty Ltd Group. http://www.firstdigital.co.nz
Our Vision
To be highly sought after for
making a measurable
difference
Our Mission
We’re a team focused on
transforming businesses and
creating market leaders
through digital marketing.
We innovate, test and
optimise to create a
competitive advantage to
dominate the digital channel.
Our data-driven approach
will keep things simple and
make a measurable
difference.
Our Focus
As a Google Certified
Analytics Partner (GACP),
we focus on smart customer
acquisition using search and
performance media,
maximising conversion
using best practice CRO and
helping NZ businesses
making the best possible
decisions based on
accurate, actionable web
analytics.
https://twitter.com/first_nz