More and more real estate professionals are relying on SEO (search engine optimization) to find buyers and sellers for their properties. This means that they have had to re-learn the way they market their properties, building websites and online networks, rather than personal connections. So, what are some of the key things they now have to be aware of? Al Hartman has taken a look at the four key tips all realtors should consider using.
Al Hartman’s Top Tips for Online Realtors
- They must get the page title right. This has to be a unique title that has keywords and keyword phrases that other people would look for. A good example of a long tail keyword would be “Find Houston Homes through this MLS Search for Free”. That is reasonably short, very clear, and includes a call for action. This is a proposition that people will want to click on, in other words.
- They must get their meta tag summary, or snippet text, right as well. This is what shows up underneath the page title once it appears in the search engine. The meta tag summary is an option element, but it is something that the website owner can have a lot of control over and that provides a fantastic opportunity to introduce people to what a site is about before they even click on it. Additionally, research has shown that people prefer clicking on websites that have a snippet text because they have more faith in the relevance of the site.
- They must have a good domain name. Without that, their click through rates will always remain low. It is vital that the domain name is relevant to the geographical area in which someone works, the type of real estate they deal with, and their expertise. For instance, it should show not just a geographical region, but go down as far as the actual neighborhood on which the realtor focuses. Doing so increases credibility. It is possible to make separate pages for each neighborhood you deal with, if you move outside of a single geographical area, rather than making a completely separate website.
- They must ensure that their different page names have a descriptive and official look and feel to it. They shouldn’t be called “Neighborhood #1”, but rather should be called “Kingwood” or “Chinatown”, for instance.
These are the basics of getting the SEO of a real estate website right. There is a lot more to it as well, however, and realtors should consider that. For instance, their listing photographs have to be absolutely perfect as well. It is no longer acceptable to simply snap a photo on a smartphone, as people want to see high quality images, virtual tours, drone photographs, and more. However, those are the details that relate to what is on the website itself, rather than the details that relate getting the website found. The latter should be the starting point.