You’ve probably exhausted all the marketing alternatives. You’ve probably spent a pretty penny in the process, too. The next step is all but necessary in today’s landscape of internet marketing. Search engine optimization (SEO) can be your best friend in this respect. Rather than relying on potential pricey (and endless) attempts to promote your website, why not rely on a more organic and self-sustaining means of reaching your target audience?
If you haven’t taken that next step, it’s probably time to reach out to an SEO consultant who can ensure you’re doing everything possible to attract people to your site. If and when you reach out to an expert, talk to him or her about localizing your SEO strategy. After all, most real estate companies are targeting an audience in a specific geographic area. If you do business in Los Angeles, web users looking for real estate in New York won’t be especially helpful.
The first step to any strategy in local SEO for real estate is creating regularly updated content with an aim to attracting potential clients to your site.
Think about the kind of things they’d be likely to search for online. Better yet, do some research into the kind of keywords that are regularly used in those searches. And when the time comes, your content should incorporate those keywords while also specifying your location. Instead of generically writing about the best ways to find a luxury condo, focus on how to find luxury condos in your area of practice. Feature that locale in headlines and page titles, too. It’s not just about SEO—it’s also about generating clicks once a potential reader finds your search result.
Now, a quick reality check. Yes, there are a number of tried and true SEO tactics and strategies. But there are no overnight shortcuts. It’s crucial that you’re also creating content that actually engages readers and ideally keeps them coming back for more.
“The real estate industry has a reputation of producing some fairly lame content which is why there aren’t a ton of examples of beautiful inspiring content marketing in our industry. But, it doesn’t have to be that way,” Seth Price writes for Placester. “In fact, creating awesome content that educates, informs, and engages consumers through the entire customer life cycle will be a requirement for any business looking to survive the decades to come. Consumers are in the drivers seat and have grown to expect value added experiences.”
Put simply: don’t waste your readers’ time. They’ll know better.
Now that you’ve got some of the fundamentals down, you’ll want to investigate more nuanced SEO strategies. Be sure that your business’s name and address are repeated several times throughout your site. Additionally, include that kind of information in title tags and meta descriptions. You’ll also want to have someone with a little technical expertise ensure that you have an XML sitemap. This helps search engines recognize and index your listings.
This is just a start. From link building to incorporating user reviews into your site, there’s plenty more you can do attract local clientele organically. You can try to go it alone, but it never hurts to seek out a little help. Whatever you spend in the short-term could pay huge dividends down the road. After all, it’s not enough to just have a website. You want that site to become a destination, and that takes a bit of work.