The Key to great SEO.. Quality over Quantity

The Key to great SEO.. Quality over Quantity
by Lori Ballen

Few professionals know better about personal branding than real-estate agents. You know how to network and you know how to use display advertising for maximum return on investment.

But what happens when you're told to move your personal branding online?

Coming up with a great-looking website can be easy, but making sure it gets found is more difficult. And if you can't get found, then you aren't getting top returns on your investment.

That’s where SEO comes in.

Google, the world's most dominant search engine, is constantly refining its algorithms and turning the practise of search-engine optimization into a science.

When you optimize your websites for Google's algorithms, you can improve your search-engine rankings and appear higher on search-engine results pages (SERPs).

That makes it easier for homebuyers to find you, the right real-estate agent. And since 92 per cent of homebuyers are using the Internet to search for new homes*, you want to fight you way to the top of the SERPs.

When they find you and like your website, you have the potential to convert them to a sale.

The sweetest honey attracts the Hummingbird

With Google's most recent algorithmic release, Hummingbird, every real-estate agent has to take another look at his website and SEO practices.

Some of the standards remain. You must ensure:

• Optimal site performance
• Advanced keyword research
• Proper URL structure
• Legitimately earned backlinks
• Fluid user experience

The key to making Hummingbird work for your website, however, is to focus on interesting, informative content that's relevant to your niche, or real estate.

Google demands consistently fresh content that solves problems for its users. For instance, if your target market is mid-range buyers in Las Vegas, you want your website to turn up high on the SERPs when homebuyers search for "where are the most affordable homes in Las Vegas."

Many realtors, however, dedicate their fresh content, or blog pages, to regurgitating the information from their Trulia and Zillow listings.

What is quality content?

With its latest algorithmic updates, Google is punishing SEO practitioners who spend their time stuffing blog posts with keywords.

It wants useful, relevant content that helps its users solve their problems.

As a real-estate agent, you have to think about your target markets and imagine the questions they're going to ask when they type a search into Google or ask their smartphones for assistance.

Consider the following topics:

• Neighborhoods in your target regions
• Amenities
• New businesses
• Events
• Help for first-time buyers
• How to downsize for retirees

You aren't just selling a house. You're selling the neighborhood and a lifestyle. Tell your future homeowners a story about their future lives. And don't forget to use lots of big, beautiful pictures of homes, neighborhoods and parks to illustrate your stories.

We know you're busy, too. You shouldn't worry about posting furiously and flooding your blog with content. With these new updates, you should satisfy Google's demands with one really good post a week.

Be social online

Many of you are already using Twitter and Facebook to post links to your listings.

Are you getting much engagement out of it?

Social media -- along with the links and your conversations -- are due to become a vital tool for your SEO strategy. With Hummingbird, Google intends to use social signals as part of your search-engine ranking.

You will need to generate shares, likes, retweets and conversations, because they are soon going to impact your showing on SERPs.

It's important to start engaging with your audience, reaching out to your Twitter and Facebook followers to talk about the weather, your local news and other topics of the day.

And whatever you do, get a Google+ account if you don't have one already. Start populating it with content and circling people in your area and peers in real estate. As a Google product, its +1s and link shares are likely to lead the rankings when social signals start to take effect.

Are you ready to embrace SEO, content and social media as part of your online strategy?

 * National Realtors' Assocation, 2013 Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers

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