Did you know that 44% of buyers looked to the internet first before purchasing a potential home?
So, what does that mean for the hardworking real estate agents out there? Well, it means that you might have to fight even harder for clients in this internet-crazed world.
But, it doesn't mean that you should fight the internet. Instead, you should take your business online. If people are looking for houses online, surely they are looking for agents online too. By utilizing real estate SEO techniques, you can boost your local search visibility to increase your client base.
Don't know how to use SEO? That's okay! Keep reading to discover 5 real estate SEO tips to boost local search visibility.
Include Your City Name
The vast majority of house searches will begin their Google search by including the name of their city. The reason is simple - there are real estate agents all over the country, and they want to limit the search to local agents only.
When considering your potential SEO keywords, don't just use words like "houses for sale" or "realtor." Instead, try "Los Angeles houses for sale" or "Los Angeles realtor."
This will help boost your local visibility, to help potential clients in your area find you.
Use, But Don't Overuse, Your Keywords
Real estate SEO keywords are important for gaining internet visibility, but how much is too much?
If you overuse your chosen keywords, your content will become bogged down and readers might get annoyed. But, if you don't use them enough, then you won't turn up in local searches.
A good rule of thumb is that about 1%-2% of your blog post (or website page) should be your keyword. In other words, you should use your keyword around 5 times in 500-words of copy.
Utilize Synonyms
So, how can you boost your visibility without overusing your SEO keywords?
The good news is that Google also includes synonyms and related words in its formula. This means if you choose "Los Angeles houses" as your keyword, you can also include terms like "Los Angeles homes," "finding homes in Los Angeles" or "list of Los Angeles houses for sale" to increase your visibility.
Create a Blog and Link to It
Sure, utilizing SEO on your permanent website pages is important, but by creating a blog, you're giving yourself a chance to constantly utilize SEO keywords.
To take this a step further, create internal and external links that will connect your blog post to older posts or other informative websites. Both are important to increase your online visibility.
Put Google Maps on Your Website
One way to help boost your online visibility is by pairing it with an embedded Google Map.
When you embed a Google Map onto your website, this allows Google to verify your location. Once it has done that, your website will be more likely to show up when someone searches for real estate agents in your area.
One very important step is to conduct a business citation audit to make sure your company name and address is correct on local pages, such as Yellowpages and Yelp.
How to Utilize Real Estate SEO
It can be difficult to compete with other real estate agencies with the growing convenience of the internet. More customers are likely to shop online for houses and it's easier than ever to find local business in your area.
So, how do you make sure that you are one of those businesses that come up in local searches? By utilizing real estate SEO, and following these 5 tips, you can boost your online visibility to increase your client base.
Do you want to learn more? Check out our real estate blog for more content like this.