In today’s digital world, players in the real estate industry, like enterprises in any other professional ecosystem, must leverage online tools to stand out in the market. Local SEO is one of the game-changing and powerful initiatives that can help realtors achieve online visibility and unlock more leads in their local area.
This guideline will delve into SEO tips for realtors that can help them generate more website traffic and ultimately more clients.
What Is Real Estate SEO Anyway?
SEO, or Search Engine Optimization, involves optimizing a website for better visibility and rankings on Search Engine Results Pages (SERPs, for short).
Real estate SEO, in particular, is a strategy that can help real estate companies and stakeholders optimize their websites for efficient visibility, traffic, and deals. This online strategy makes their real estate websites more visible to home buyers and sellers, attracts more clicks, and increases possible deals.
SEO is generally categorized into four types, depending on the nature of activities included under each type:
- On-page SEO: This kind of SEO aims to optimize a website’s homepage and other web pages for search engines. For example, in on-page SEO, you use title tags, meta descriptions, web content, focus content keywords, etc.
- Off-page SEO: To rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs), you need to get backlinks to your websites from other places on the internet, increase social media interactions (likes, shares, saves, etc.), increase branded searches, etc..
- Technical SEO: For technical SEO, businesses get down and dirty in the technical aspects of their online and digital infrastructure. Actions in this area include creating a site map, improving hosting and server infrastructure, optimizing page speed, etc.
- Local SEO: In this area, businesses focus on the geographical aspects of SEO like creating a Google My Business profile and locally-focused landing pages. It allows their real estate business to appear in local search queries better.
Local SEO: Online in the Neighborhood
To understand local SEO better, think of it as an online passive advertisement in the proximity of your business. This means that businesses must try and be visible online to people in the surrounding areas. To do so, it’s crucial to find geographically relevant queries to rank higher in local search results.
In tech lingo related to search engine optimization, you’ll come across various terminologies, most of which you don’t need to be concerned about. However, there are a few key terms that wouldn’t go over anyone’s head:
- Local search queries: These search terms include a location, such as “homes for sale in [city]”, “real estate agent near me” or “Real Estate in [city].”
- Google My Business (GMB): Google offers a free tool allowing any type of business to create and manage its online presence across Google Search and Google Maps platforms.
- Local citations: One common strategy for real estate is to cite their business names, addresses, and phone numbers (NAP) on other websites, directories, or social media platforms to achieve higher rates of local citations, which is the number of times a business has been mentioned in other websites in your geographical proximity.
Besides the key local SEO terms, understanding the types of real estate SEO and how to apply them can help realtors manage their online presence more efficiently. Bear with us, since without the basics, you’ll have rather a hard time understanding the crucial SEO tips in this blog.
SEO Tips for Realtors: One Step at a Time
Optimize your Google My Business profile
Google is a common tool used by the public to search for services, products, and almost everything else! No wonder Google My Business is a crucial step for higher ranking. Real estate companies can use this strategy in three ways:
claim and verify a GMB listing
To claim and verify a Google My Business listing, a real estate business is required to visit the Google My Business website and follow the instructions to claim their listing. To be verified, Google usually sends a postcard with a verification code or confirmation via email or phone.
complete GMB profile
Once their listing is verified, as a real estate owner, you need to complete your GMB profile with accurate information including:
- Business name: Check if the name on your profile matches exactly as it appears on your website and other listings.
- Full address: By providing a complete and correct address, Google can match your business to local searches.
- Phone number: Instead of toll-free numbers, use local phone numbers as they help build local credibility.
- Business hours: For better optimization, list your regular hours of operation and update them for any special hours or holidays.
- Photos: To add more credit to your online presence, add high-quality images of your office, team, and properties. These images can attract potential clients and give a personal touch.
manage reviews and ratings
Client reviews, high ratings, and active management play a significant role in local SEO, boosting your search ranking and attracting more clients. To show engagement and address any concerns, respond to all reviews, both positive and negative.
Local keyword research: Sift through the local language
Local SEO highly depends on local keyword searches. No wonder this option is always suggested when talking about SEO tips for realtors. It includes identifying relevant keywords and using those keywords effectively.
identifying relevant keywords
Identify local keywords and terms that potential clients use when searching for real estate services in your area. Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Semrush are tools that can help you identify keywords, review keyword trends, and plan your keyword-based content production.
If you’re a home seller searching in your area, you’ll come up with keywords such as “best real estate agent in [city]” or “buy a house in [neighborhood].”
using keywords effectively
Local keywords can be used in your favor if you use them effectively and naturally in your website’s content, including:
Title tags and meta descriptions: Use keywords in these elements to improve click-through rates from your search results.
Headings and content: Find a logical way to use keywords in your headings and throughout your content while maintaining readability.
URL structure: Clean and descriptive URLs with keywords in them give you a way to inch closer to better SEO, such as “yourwebsite.com/homes-for-sale-in-[city].”
Love thy neighbor: Creating localized content
Content must target locals; that is, where localized content finds its way to address the locals’ concerns and requirements, increasing the click-through and attracting more clients. To reach this SEO level, write blog posts about local topics and showcase local property listings.
- Writing blogs about local topics: Instead of general topics, focus on regularly publishing blog posts about local real estate trends, market updates, and community events. This can enhance your local SEO. For example, write about “Upcoming Real Estate Events in [City]” or “Top Neighborhoods to Buy a Home in [City].” Besides improving your search rankings, this content establishes you as a knowledgeable local expert.
- Showcasing local properties: When listing properties, optimize them with local keywords and detailed descriptions. Highlight features specific to the neighborhood such as nearby schools, parks, or public transport. It helps to attract potential buyers searching for properties in your location, improving your local search visibility and your chances of greater progress and success in your industry.
Spread the word: Building local citations
A stone’s throw away from keywords, building local citations can be a good way to look from a different angle to SEO tips for realtors. First, let’s look at what local citations are and how to use them for SEO.
- Definition of local citations: Local citation involves mentioning your business name, address, and phone number across the web. These crumbs of online presence will help search engines verify your business’s legitimacy and improve local search rankings. Use accurate and consistent citations as a way to better local SEO performance.
- Finding and listing your business in local directories: Reputable local directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, and your local chamber of commerce websites are good choices to list your business. You can also use tools like Moz Local to check your citation accuracy through these directories and identify opportunities for additional listings.
Likes & comments: Leveraging local social media
Nowadays, millions of people spend hours on end on social media. It goes without saying that any business owner in their sane mind should consider this opportunity to optimize their online presence. These strategies include engaging with local communities on social media and sharing local content and updates.
- Engaging with local communities: Social media platforms are excellent places for connecting with local communities. This way, you can connect with locals and share content on relevant events and real estate tips. To increase your visibility and build relationships with potential clients, don’t forget to engage with local groups and respond to community posts.
- Sharing local content and updates: You can use social media to regularly post updates about new property listings, open houses, and market trends. To reach a broader audience in your area, don’t forget to use local hashtags and geotags. These SEO tips for realtors about the digital world can drive traffic to your website.
Track the progress: Monitoring your local SEO efforts
While your efforts play a key role in your presence online, monitor if your effort meets your expectations as well. That is where you need to track your online performance and make some adjustments whenever it’s needed.
- Tracking local SEO performance: Automatically track and monitor your performance using tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and local SEO tracking software. In addition, to assess the effectiveness of your local SEO strategies, you can use track metrics such as search rankings, website traffic, and conversion rates.
- Data-driven adjustments: By analyzing the data, you can identify areas for improvement, and adjust your content strategy or SEO tactics if certain keywords are underperforming. By regularly reviewing your GMB insights and citation accuracy, your local SEO efforts will be in line with current best practices.
Now, with a general understanding of all strategies and tips for real estate SEO and to drive home all that we discussed, let’s review the key advantages of these strategies for your business and clients.
How Good Is Local SEO for Real Estate Players?
In general, with a strong local SEO, you, as a real estate owner, can dominate local real estate markets, generate more leads, and become major attractions for buyers, sellers, and agent recruits across the entire industry:
Buyers
- Buyers can benefit from a high SEO ranking as it gains more visibility when buyers search for homes for sale in specific areas.
- Optimized local business listings make it easy for buyers to find and contact agents at that brokerage, leading to less effort on their part and, in turn, greater satisfaction.
Sellers
- By improving local rankings and visibility, real estate businesses and sellers can capture more seller leads.
- ّFor sellers, it’s important to establish the brokerage as an expert on the local market, creating a long-lasting professional brand, and enticing more listings.
Recruiting Agents
- With suitable local rankings through different search engines, recruiting agents can work and gradually build up their business into a real estate force to be reckoned with.
- New agent recruits with quality prospects can immediately become active in the industry upon joining an agency by relying on SEO-generated brand awareness and leads.
High Time Your Dominated the Internet!
Local SEO is a crucial tool for realtors that allows real estate companies to attract more clients and stand out in their local market. Some SEO tips for realtors include optimizing your Google My Business listing, conducting local keyword research, creating relevant content, and engaging with your community via social media.
These strategies can enhance realtors’ online visibility and drive more targeted traffic to their websites. Implementing these strategies will also boost local search rankings for realtors and connect with potential clients more effectively.
It’s time to jump on the SEO bandwagon if, god forbid, you still haven’t and boost your presence in your immediate and wider proximity. Today, people live in the online world as much as they do in the physical, if not more. Thus, leaving the cyberspace of your local area free for the competition will soon see you trailing behind.
