Establishing Digital Expertise, Authority, and Trust (EAT)
Before the evolution of real estate websites, smartphone apps, and multimedia messaging services, agents and brokers were the keepers and gatekeepers of listing data. Today, Realtors use real estate websites to share this information, generate leads, and communicate other useful information about their local communities and the home buying and selling processes. But how do you beat the competition when it comes to a Google search? It turns out, the experience you offer your clients can be easily transferred to your digital marketing strategy. As cliché as it may sound, remember the acronym EAT any time you add new information or make updates to your website or social media messaging. EAT stands for Expertise, Authority, and Trust and strategy built out over time. Expertise Expertise is evaluated at the content-level. Google SEO rewards subject matter experts who write authentic, original content in their subject matter areas. You know the ins and outs of the real estate industry. Write about what you know. Authority Authority is reputation based. When people leave online reviews on sites like Google Business, G2, Capterra, you grow your authority. Authority can also be given in the form of inbound links from news stories and other high-authority sites within the same (or complementary) industry. Trust As in real life, trust is about legitimacy, transparency, and accuracy. Trusted sites are ones that strive to have up-to-date and accurate content, use SSL (secure) certificates, and provide contact information and disclosures when using affiliate links and cookies used for tracking user behavior. SEO The next step in the EAT strategy is to monitor your Google Analytics and Google Search Console accounts to monitor who is coming to your site, how long they are staying for, what they are reading, and how they are accessing the information (desktop, tablet, smartphone). You can review demographics such as age, gender, and location to better adjust your content and know what might be important to them. Match your content with the selling season and write ahead of time (so the information is there when the searching begins). And, of course, we recommend using a CRM to manage leads, keep-in-touch and stay organized to the needs and preferences of your customer base. To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.

LinkedIn SEO for Real Estate Agents
LinkedIn is a platform that many real estate agents are using nowadays. But are you using it correctly? More importantly, are you harnessing the features and possibilities of LinkedIn? From the day LinkedIn was launched, it served its followers as a platform where they could establish valuable connections. Often, it was used as a glorified resume and nothing more. But many of us forget that LinkedIn is as much of a social platform as Instagram and Facebook. While the LinkedIn algorithm might play by a set of different rules, that doesn't mean we should ignore such a huge platform. We all know that buyers and sellers search agents online before making an important decision on who should represent them. We already know that Google ranks your real estate website based on how optimized it is, how well designed the on-page and off-page SEO is. But what many of us don't know is that social media channels are also search engine platforms that can rank our social media as well. In order to be first in the search results, it's important to have an optimized social media account. In this article, we will take you through the process of optimizing your LinkedIn profile. Let's get started. Optimizing Your URL Just like other content, your LinkedIn profile needs to have an optimized URL. What does that mean? It means if you have an option to claim a URL with your name in it, you should do it. Adding relevant keywords like real estate agent or broker will help you to differentiate yourself from other accounts with your name and help you rise above your competitors. So let's say your name is John Smith and you're a real estate agent. Your Linkedin profile URL will look like this: www.linkedin.com/in/john-smith-real-estate-agent. Using Keywords We already mentioned the importance of using relevant keywords. LinkedIn SEO is not that different from our usual perception of real estate SEO. Using keywords signals to LinkedIn what your account is all about. Your LinkedIn profile is somewhat similar to website landing pages. Therefore, it's important to not only add keywords in your profile link, but also to use them in your profile copy. Profile copy consists of many parts. We will mention the most important ones: Headline – The headline is a section where you indicate who you are and what your working experience is. The headline is more about precision rather than creativity. So be clear about who you are and use relevant keywords. For example: John Smith - Real Estate Agent/REALTOR, Real Estate Marketing Expert. You can even indicate the link to your website. Although we mentioned that the headline is mostly about precision, a little bit of creativity won't hurt. LinkedIn gives you about 120 characters for the headline section, so if you have some space left, let's not waste it. You can add a small promotional sentence about your services, indicating how you help real estate sellers and buyers find the best property for them. Summary – To understand what the summary is all about, just remember the About Us section that we've all seen in other websites. You probably have one too. It's one of the largest sections on LinkedIn where you can add even more information about yourself. Remember to first think about what your clients might be looking for in a real estate agent and try to write a summary considering these factors. Optimize your summary by adding how your clients can contact you. You can add a contact form or link to your website's contact information. Experience – This is a section that most of us use as a simple resume. We simply list our work experience, forgetting that that's not what our clients want to read. How might your clients benefit from your experience? What are the highlights of your working experience? These are the questions you should be asking yourself. Skills – Profiles that have skills indicated are most likely to be found. Education, Licences and Certifications, Accomplishments – All these sections indicate how qualified you are as a real estate professional. Profile Photo – There are a lot of opinions about profile images. Some say that a profile image should consist of a professional headshot. Some say that it should be casual. Whatever the case—casual or professional photo—it's important for it to be good quality. Endorsements – Endorsements are a way of showcasing that your skills are valued by others, and that they vouch for you. It's important to get many endorsements and endorse others as well. Endorse and be endorsed. LinkedIn Keywords So, how can you find the right keywords for your LinkedIn profile? As many of us already know, there are many ways to find relevant keywords with the help of Google. One of these ways is exploring the search bar. Since LinkedIn is not only a social media platform but a search engine as well, the same approach applies to it. We suggest checking out the search bar function on LinkedIn. You can use filters to broaden your search. To view the original article, visit the Realtyna blog.

4 Tips to Increase SEO for Real Estate Agents
Time and time again, we've mentioned how difficult it is to stand out in the world of real estate. Computers have replaced flyers, digital ads have replaced newspaper ads, and websites play a huge factor in the homebuying process. In fact, according to NAR, in 1981, 22 percent of homebuyers read the newspaper to find a home. Fast forward to 2021, 41 percent looked for properties online first. This is only growing and growing. A home buyer's trust in a real estate agent is paramount. In 2021, NAR reported that 87 percent of home buyers worked with an agent to find their home. So, how do you stand out in the real estate world and how do you increase your SEO as a real estate agent? Keep reading. First of all, what is SEO? For all of those who come here with no prior knowledge of what SEO is, it stands for Search Engine Optimization. It is the process of optimizing your website to get basic, organic, un-paid traffic. This is a fancy way of basically saying to get more visitors on your website. As simple as it may sound, it has to be handled with care and dealt with in a clever way. So, we've done the work for you. Here are four tips to increasing SEO as a real estate agent. 1. Your Website Needs to Be Mobile-Friendly and Responsive to Increase SEO Simply put, if you don't have a mobile-friendly website, forget about getting most of your leads. Potential home buyers, or any website visitors for that matter, will be more inclined to look at your website on their phone or tablet rather than on a desktop or laptop. Most people are on the go these days and are looking for their potential real estate agent while at work or in line at the grocery store. Your website should also be responsive because your prospects wont have to adjust their screens to look at your site. The website will automatically be set up to view on a smart device. Your website should also have the ability to capture leads automatically so that you don't have to worry about that aspect. 2. Create a Real Estate Blog Once your real estate agent website comes with a blog, it adds credibility to you, as a trustworthy real estate agent. As a potential home buyer, would you want to go on a website of a real estate agent and find that you see nothing personal? No, you wouldn't. You would feel overwhelmed because, prior to meeting them, you would feel overwhelmed and nervous that they would be too pushy or not understand your needs or requirements. Having a blog on your website will also increase your chances of ranking on search engines. Having a blog with neat, real estate articles relevant to your visitors will also pop up on Google, which will also increase the chances of your website appearing on search results. 3. Promote Your Website through Local SEO According to an article published by Blue Corona, having your real estate website targeting your local geographic area makes a difference. Blue Corona states that more than half of your audience is searching for a home on their mobile device, which means you need to focus on your local SEO tactics. A good example of this would be creating content that has keywords and search terms containing your city name. This will make the prospect more likely to come across your website during their search process. Even if you can get your past clients to write reviews that have your name and city, it is already increasing your local SEO by a longshot. Simple keywords and terms go a long way. Having localized content is also a bonus. Featuring local events, seminars, a map, and any other information relevant to your community will also help increase your organic viewership. 4. Videos and Photos Make a Difference The heading speaks for itself. Once you have professional looking photos and quality videos on your website, viewers are more attracted and are inclined to talk about you. According to Blue Corona, 70 percent of homeowners prefer to list with an agent who uses video marketing. Additionally, 89 percent of potential home buyers find it useful to have photos of listings. Keep in mind, these should be strategic as well. If you need help with photos and videos of your listings, read up on these tips from a previous blog of ours. Having sharp photos is a must. In fact, Blue Corona also reports that 44 percent of listings with crisp photos sell at or above list price. In Conclusion We just went over four tips to increasing your SEO as a real estate agent. If you didn't know what SEO was, we hope you came away with a better understanding of its true meaning. Yes, SEO is a marketing term, but you don't have to be in marketing to apply it to your business. Just by making a few strategic changes, you will already see the difference. Not only will you get more organic visitors to your website, but you will be able to turn leads into listings. On top of that, you will be the star of the show in your community. To view the original article, visit the IXACT Contact blog.

3 Types of Online Search to Dominate for More Real Estate Leads
Did you know that there are three different types of online search that real estate leads use to find a Realtor? In this video, learn exactly what those three types of search are, why they're important, and how consumers use them to find agents. You'll also discover which steps to take to dominate those searches. Once you get a handle on the those types of searches, the leads will begin to roll in. Watch the video above to learn more!

Friday Freebie: 5 Lead Generation Optimization Checklists for 2022
What's the key to a successful lead generation strategy? If you said "consistency," you're on the right track. But it's hard to be consistent if you don't have a road map already in place. Cue this week's Friday Freebie. We're highlighting a free set of five checklists that will help you optimize your lead generation strategy and keep you on the path to consistency. Read on to learn how to become a lean, mean, lead-generating machine. Download 5 Real Estate Lead Generation Optimization Checklists for 2022, courtesy of Zurple Nothing makes life easier than having a plan in place. When it comes to lead generation, you need to know where to market yourself and how, how to qualify leads, how to nurture leads, and more. That may seem like a lot, but in this free packet of lead generation checklists, you'll learn how to streamline multiple aspects of your lead generation strategy. You can use the checklists yourself or share them with an assistant or marketing support personnel. Your free download includes: Lead generation checklist New lead qualification checklist Website SEO checklist Email/CRM checklist Real estate content checklist Make your 2022 lead gen strategy the best it can be. Download 5 Real Estate Lead Generation Optimization Checklists for 2022 now!

Yes, SEO Is Still Important. Here's Why
SEO -- search engine optimization -- is a suite of best practices aimed at two goals: Raising your visibility in online searches relevant to your business Giving people who visit your website a better, easier experience Reaching the top of any significant Google search doesn't happen by chance. It's possible only when you practice search engine optimization throughout your website. Although it might seem like an intimidating prospect, SEO becomes much easier when you have the right resources in place. SEO Is Your Key to Affordable Organic Leads for Your Website Your real estate website is one of your most important assets. In fact, it's second only to you in its power to deliver business value. It's true! You're the star of your brand — and you'll always be at center stage. But there's one pesky thing about humans, even real estatepros: We have to sleep at night. Even when you're doing something else, your website is always hard at work on your behalf, introducing people to your brand. Making your website work for you should be one of your biggest goals in 2022, especially if you're early in your career. A website that attracts, qualifies, and converts leads helps take a lot of the pressure off your business. You no longer need to hustle constantly for new prospects. And that means you can spend time leveling up your skills and deepening existing relationships. All in all, real estate pros who don't find a way to create the right balance are on their way to burnout. The most reliable way to yield ROI from your website is to make sure it appears prominently in search, and the only programmatic way to do that is to practice SEO. In our SEO services for real estate, we've consistently seen small, mid-sized, and large agencies reach thousands of new leads after implementing best practices in search engine marketing. That adds up to less than $10 per organic lead, just 0.001% of what a single transaction could be worth. Even solo real estate agents can stand shoulder to shoulder with their larger competitors if they choose a long-term focus on SEO. Unlike online advertising, SEO delivers compounding benefits in organic traffic that are virtually free of charge. By comparison, ads stop working for you as soon as you stop paying. Use SEO for months and even the wealthiest rival can't come along and reproduce your success. And the sooner you get started, the sooner you'll see results. How to Get Started with SEO for Real Estate Even if you want to take a do-it-yourself approach, SEO isn't really as fearsome as it appears. By knowing some of the basics, you'll have much more power to influence your digital marketing's direction in the future. Here are the fundamentals that will turn you into an SEO-savvy real estate professional: Start by Understanding Who Your Ideal Client Is First and foremost, you have to know exactly what kind of client you want to attract to your doorstep. SEO requires content — helpful, informative material you publish on your website — and every piece of content is written for someone. That "someone" is your buyer persona. Who are they? What are their problems? What questions do they have? Write down everything you know about your ideal client. You'll use this information to help build out the strategy around your search engine marketing. Then, Figure Out What That Client Searches For The goal of any good SEO campaign is to help your website rank near the top of Google results for relevant keywords. Keywords are the specific words or phrases someone types into Google when they're looking for information — for example, "real estate agent Austin TX." The more specific a keyword is, the less traffic it tends to have. But that can also make it less competitive and more pertinent to you. It's much easier to rank for "first-time homebuyers Austin TX" than for "real estate agent." Publish and Promote Terrific, Keyword-Informed Content Keywords are valuable because they help Google understand the purpose of a piece of writing, image, or video. But they're also there for the convenience of real, human readers. Keywords often don't tell you exactly what your article should be about — you'll need to match each keyword with a topic that's useful to your ideal clients. As you publish more of this valuable content, Google takes notice. Sharing it on social media will also help you attract more backlinks to your site, which drives even higher visibility. Once you see results from SEO, you'll wonder how you ever did without it. Learn how DeltaNET 6 can give you a headstart on SEO with a FREE, 30-day trial. To view the original article, visit the Delta Media Group blog.

How to Get Real Estate Leads with No Upfront Costs
It sounds too good to be true, we know: But you can actually generate real estate leads with no upfront costs. It will take some effort and focus, but the leads you receive will be warmer and more likely to convert than those you'd buy from any number of companies offering supposed "quick, easy leads." The main activity you'll need to focus on to fill the top of your funnel is building a strong online presence and improving your online reputation. That, in combination with outreach and lead nurturing, is the recipe for generating and ultimately converting real estate leads with no upfront costs. Let's dive into the details. What Is a "Strong Online Presence"? A strong online presence means that it's easy for buyers and sellers to find information about you and your business on as many corners of the internet as possible. Being visible and easily findable online is table stakes for most transactions nowadays. Consumers look up every business they're considering working with, from dentists to real estate agents to restaurants. Inevitably, the first place they'll go to start that search is Google. If you don't have a Google business profile and well-maintained website, it'll be hard to find you online — leaving buyers and sellers wondering if you're a reputable agent or whether you're still practicing real estate at all. And that's just for the people who actively search for your name. Imagine all the buyers and sellers who Google terms like "real estate agents near me" and miss out on learning about you simply because you aren't there. Make Your Business Easy to Find on Google Being present on the world's most popular search engine is step one. The best thing you can do to start building your presence is to create a Google business profile, which is the large info box that appears to the right of Google Search results or at the top of Google Maps results. Like we mentioned earlier, doing this requires no upfront cost. You can go to Google and start the process of claiming and verifying your business right now. The key, though, is maintaining your profile by updating it with new content and new reviews on a weekly basis. Yes, weekly. This helps with SEO and building trust with Google so that the search giant will be more inclined to show your profile over competitors when a local buyer or seller searches for "real estate agents near me" or the like. After all, Google doesn't want to show its users defunct profiles or poorly reviewed businesses over active, well-reviewed businesses. Here are our top tips for optimizing your Google Business Profile for better ranking: Fill in all information fields, including contact details, business hours, and your bio. Publish photos, including a professional headshot and images of your recent listings and sales. Add new content weekly to show Google that you are keeping your profile active and up-to-date. Publish content posts with helpful tips, market insights, and information about your services. Show off your real estate knowledge to position yourself as an expert. Add new content weekly so Google knows you're keeping your profile active and up to date. Request reviews, and then request more reviews—often! Consumers need to read at least 10 positive reviews to begin to trust your business, and nearly three quarters of people only pay attention to reviews written in the last month. As with photos and content posts, adding new reviews to your profile on a regular basis is a positive signal to Google, too. Respond to all reviews, including negative ones. If you don't publicly acknowledge negative reviews, consumers are left with more questions than answers, and it also sends a negative signal to Google. Respond Quickly to Leads as They Come In We're living in a world where you can track your food delivery order from the oven to your door. Consumers' expectations are very high, and it's no different when they submit their contact details to receive more information about your listing or services. If you wait too long to respond, you're more likely to lose that lead to another agent or even just cold feet. We recommend responding in less than an hour — ideally in minutes — to catch them while their interest is still high. Nurture Leads Who Aren't Ready to Transact Although a potential buyer might reach out to you through your Google business profile, they may not be quite ready to jump into the real estate market. It's important to nurture every lead you receive. Nurturing leads means engaging with them regularly so you're top of mind when they are ready to buy or sell. You can do this by supporting leads in whatever ways they need, such as being available to answer questions or referring them to trusted lenders or other professionals in your network. You should also reinforce your market expertise whenever possible. This is easily achieved by including leads in your email workflows for e-newsletters, neighborhood spotlights, trend reports, and market updates. The more that potential buyers and sellers interact with you and your content — even digitally — the easier it is to build trust and ultimately be the agent they turn to when they're ready to buy or sell. Reinforce Your Expertise Through Marketing You can generate real estate leads with no upfront costs, but marketing isn't free. The cost of ads, direct mail, etc., shouldn't stop you from having and executing a marketing strategy. This is critical for any business, including real estate agents, in order to extend your reach, increase brand awareness, build trust, reinforce your expertise, and move leads down your funnel faster. Digital marketing is the perfect tool to use in conjunction with your lead generation tactics. That's because advertising platforms, such as Facebook and Google, allow you to add specific people to your custom audience. As long as these ad platforms are able to identify your leads on their network, they'll serve your digital ads to them. The more often these leads see you pop up in their newsfeed or around the internet, the more likely you are to make an impression of being a successful real estate agent. Although you don't need to pay a dime to generate leads in the way we described, it does take continuous work to maintain an online presence that builds trust with consumers and ranks high on Google. Learn how Homesnap Pro+ can do the hard work for you. To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.

How to Improve Google Positioning by Promoting Yourself Locally with Virtual Tours
This post is an example and proof of how to use virtual tours to position yourself on Google, draw traffic to your website and get leads from your local audience. Check out the aerial 360° virtual tour of the most famous Australian beach, Bondi Beach. This aerial tour will allow you to see the Bondi Beach Coastal walk from Bondi to Bronte Beach. It also covers the beautiful Tamarama beach on your way down south. Visit the Icebergs pools and see some local attractions: Remember, if you already have a Virtual Tours Creator account, you can create professional virtual tours of any space and it won't cost you more than what you already pay. Just find a local attraction: RSL Surf club Golf course School or kindergarten (VTC offers free virtual tours hosting for our plan holders of any educational institution) Museum Gallery Coffee place Park Beach Monument... ...and make a vr tour of it! Later embed it on your website's blog and you will see that with time, your real estate website will start popping up in Google search. And when anyone watches the tour, your logo is there, right at the bottom of every panorama. They will know straight up that you are an agent fully fluent in the digital real estate world. They will understand that you can reach more people faster than any other agent and that their property will be in good hands. This is how you get your name out there in the digital era. Below you can find our older virtual tour of Melbourne's Graffiti Laneways that we use just like the Bondi Beach aerial 360° virtual tour . This tour brought more than 1300 people to our website and the average time spent on viewing it was over six minutes! Imagine getting a potential 1300 homeowners or landlords spending six minutes on your website! You can also create a tour of a local school or kindergarten, and your logo and your name will be visible to every parent that wants their kids to go to a school or Kindy in your local area. Virtual Tours Creator (VTC) gives you free hosting of such tours. Learn more about VTC here. To view the original article, visit the Virtual Tours Creator blog.

The New Google Screened Badge is Changing Digital Advertising: Here's Why
Every real estate agent should make it a priority to get their Google Screened badge as soon as possible. Here, we'll cover the top questions real estate agents have about the Google Screened badge. Google has slowly been adjusting its search results pages – specifically the first page — over the last few years to make itself a bigger competitor for top-of-the-funnel advertising tactics. Instead of sending people away to other websites, Google wants its users to find the info they need without very much clicking or scrolling. Just take a look at how Google has evolved its strategy recently: First, you could only run a paid search ad that appeared at the top of search results. Then, Google introduced the Google business profile to give relevant businesses prime real estate at the top of Google. Then you could connect your search ad to your Google business profile to unlock a Google Maps ad. There have also been adjustments so searches are hyperlocal (two people across the country searching "top real estate agents" will see different results), and the introduction of "snippets" so searchers can instantly see answers to common questions related to their search without ever clicking into a website. Now, real estate agents can run Local Services Ads, which appear at the very top of the search results page — even above paid search ads — and deliver live phone call leads. They can also include a powerful endorsement from the search giant itself: the coveted Google Screened badge. Unlike a traditional ad, the Google Screened badge can't be obtained in just a couple clicks, and Google won't endorse just anyone. The badge is tougher to get because you have to go through a screening process, but it's worth it because Google rewards badge owners with more live phone call leads. This gives savvy digital advertisers a huge advantage, because they can unlock a clear path to better ROI without paying anything extra, except a tiny bit more of their time to push some digital paperwork through. If Google has taught us anything, it's that its users adapt fast to these interface and experience changes, and quickly alter their search behavior accordingly. As the Google Screened badge continues to expand into other industries, users will only grow more and more likely to call Google Screened businesses that are right at the top of the page. That's why, even though it takes a little effort, claiming your Google Screened badge right now is worth it. What is a Google Screened badge? The Google Screened badge is a green checkmark and designation applied to Google's new Local Services Ads. Right now, the badge is only available to a few professional service providers: those in law, financial planning, and real estate. Each ad prominently displays the advertiser's headshot, star rating, and review count, as well as a click-to-call feature that drives direct phone call leads to businesses. Not all Local Services Ads receive the badge, and that's because you need to apply for it and get approved. It's an involved process that requires agents to allow Google to conduct business-level and business-owner background checks. This is how Google does its due diligence to ensure that its most esteemed advertisers are, in fact, licensed real estate agents. Once the vetting process is complete, you'll automatically be ranked over every non-screened agent in your market. Why do I need a Google Screened badge? Google continues to adapt its platforms to give users the most relevant search results higher and higher on the page. You've seen traditional SEO continue to evolve (just look at the organic featured snippets and FAQs that now appear near the top of search results), and that's because users expect the best information to appear first. By placing its Local Services Ads at the very top — the most sought-after placement — Google is telling consumers that these are worth paying attention to. And, Google is telling advertisers that this is where it's investing its time and resources. As such, Local Services Ads provide one of the lowest-friction experiences available today. Its prime placement makes it easily seen and accessible, and it offers a hassle-free click-to-call feature. The addition of the Google Screened badge not only boosts trust in the eyes of consumers — like a digital referral — but Google really does prioritize vetted advertisers above those who do not have the badge. Local Services Ads combined with the Google Screened badge create a one-of-a-kind ad unit. It's essentially a combination of a top-of-the-funnel ad (when consumers first become aware of your business) and a bottom-of-the-funnel ad (when consumers are ready to take action). That's because someone could search for "real estate agents in Seattle" instead of a specific agent, get served a list of Google Screened results — seeing these specific agents and their five-star ratings for the first time — and then tap an ad to call one of the verified agents. Within a single search experience, you can be discovered for the first time and immediately contacted, thanks to the high level of trust that users have in Google to screen and recommend businesses. This new ad type presents real estate agents with a unique opportunity to get in on the ground floor of what will undoubtedly become an important and highly competitive advertising space across industries. How can a Google Screened badge help me get more live phone call leads than my competitors? The Google Screened badge is exclusive. Since you need to go through a traditional background check process to get approved, it puts you on a different level from other agents. This requires more effort, but it also gives you a competitive advantage when you're trying to win new business because Google sends more leads to agents with a Google Screened badge. Our data also show that the leads generated from Google's Local Services Ads are highly qualified. For instance, one in two leads is an actual buyer or seller, and one in 10 leads is a seller lead. Plus, you can dispute bad leads with Google and win that budget back, creating a more efficient advertising strategy and ROI than your competitors. Agents who get in early will outpace their competition, as they'll have a head start in building trust with Google. The company rewards advertisers who invest in its products and provide a good client experience. When you already have good reviews and a high star rating and then also earn the Google Screened badge, it's a signal to consumers that you are trustworthy, which Google knows will lead to more live phone calls. The more phone calls you answer, the happier Google is with the experience you're providing to consumers. As a result, the search giant will optimize your ad for more phone calls. This creates a merit-based system where agents control their own destiny, so other agents can't simply outbid you for exposure. If you get screened and earn a Google Screened badge, consistently get five-star Google reviews, and answer when those leads call, you'll quickly outpace your competition. How do I apply for a Google Screened badge? We mentioned earlier that the application process is more involved than any other advertising product on the market. But that should not deter you at all. As one of the only professional service sectors that can apply right now, real estate agents should be running—not walking—to earn the Google Screened badge. THIS is the ground floor if you act quickly, like buying Amazon stock decades ago for $10. Navigating the application process on your own can feel intimidating. Homesnap Concierge makes it easier for real estate agents as one of Google's only trusted third-party partners. When you work with us, you're assigned a dedicated success manager who will coach you through the process, letting you know what information to provide, which specific documents to submit, and when to take the next step. Your success manager will ensure you don't miss a beat and are able to earn the badge as soon as possible. Another important part of the process that real estate agents should be aware of is the requirement of having a verified Google business profile with at least one review. Details from your profile are linked to your Local Services Ads and badge, and Google also uses that information to determine when to serve your ad in search results. As a Google preferred partner, Homesnap Concierge is able to expedite Google business profile verification process for our agents — which can otherwise add weeks to the process. And finally, our Concierge specialists vet every phone call lead and dispute bad leads on your behalf — so you can be sure your ad budget is always being invested in quality leads. It's bound to be a hot summer for residential real estate. Home-buying demand remains strong and inventory could expand as states loosen COVID restrictions and give us a glimpse of a return to normal on the horizon. Now is the time to invest on an advertising strategy that will bring you high-intent, qualified leads by phone. To view the original article, visit the Homesnap blog.

How to Generate More Leads with Google's Local Services Ads
By now, you're probably familiar with Google's Local Services Ads. But, if you're not, here's a quick summary: A brand-new advertising product from Google, Local Services Ads seamlessly facilitate contact from homebuyers and sellers to real estate agents in their market. They're prioritized at the top of the Google search page, above traditional paid search advertisements, and, most notably, enable prospective buyers and sellers to call an agent (via their desktop or mobile device) directly from the ad unit. As you can imagine, the premium on-page location and lack of form fills make Google Local Services Ads a game-changing addition to any agent's digital marketing repertoire. Yet, it's important to note that these ads, like all advertisements, are not a guaranteed set-it-and-forget-it lead generation product. An agent's actions can—and will—have a significant impact on performance. We'll explore what you can do to boost the efficacy of your Google's Local Services Ads below.

How Google Can Make or Break Your Real Estate Business
In 1959, Xerox introduced the world's first photocopier. By the early 60s, the machine proved so ubiquitous that Xerox itself became a verb--you didn't photocopy a document; you Xeroxed it. Merriam-Webster added it to the dictionary in 1965, and marketers have considered "verbifying" to be the ultimate measure of a brand's dominance ever since.

SEO for Real Estate 101: Link Building
People who don't know your website's URL will often search for your name, real estate agents, or homes for sale in your area in order to find the information they seek. If you want to show up in the search results for these people, you have to optimize your website for search engines. This is also known as search engine optimization, or SEO. A big part of a successful SEO strategy is link building.

Website SEO Guide [FREE Download]
Want to increase your website rankings on Google? Download this FREE GUIDE for tips, tricks and strategies sourced from website experts across the industry. Did you know that 93% of home buyers run online searches for listings, agents and information during their home buying journey? This is why it's so imperative for real estate agents to have a strong web presence, so that when someone Googles "Real Estate Agents Near Me," there are options in the top search results other than the big portals. We know, we know...this is easier said than done. SEO is NOT like it was 10 years ago. National companies own 80% of the front page in searches, which leaves real estate agents fighting for a first page position with only 2-3 available spots. So...what's the secret to building a website presence that's going to help drive good search engine placement? The experts at Elevate have created a fantastic FREE Website SEO Guide to help you take your web presence to the next level. Enjoy 13 pages of tips, tricks and strategies such as: the types of content you should blog about, optimizing your website, using meaningful and relevant URLs, embracing Google reviews, and much more. > DOWNLOAD GUIDE NOW The Website SEO Guide also features some special offers for real estate professionals, including a FREE website audit of your existing website so you can see what's working well and what can be improved, a FREE gap analysis for brokers looking to better understand the website offerings for their agents, and FREE daily marketing tips direct to your inbox.

How to Master Local SEO for Real Estate Success
Local SEO has long been a key ingredient of a successful online marketing mix for real estate agents, and it has only become more important with COVID-19 precautions changing the way that the industry does business. When someone is interested in buying or selling a home in your market areas, they will typically trust their favorite search engine. They might be looking for an agent, searching for listings, or seeking virtual open houses to tour properties from a distance. No matter what local real estate topic they're searching for, local SEO helps your personal brand stand out from the pack.

Best Real Estate SEO Keywords for 2020
Real estate agents spend a lot of time on their website design and pay a lot of money for advertisements, but many still struggle with lead generation. Some of them hire content writers and publish articles regularly, but still fail to score viewers to their website. Quality content writing is the ultimate solution to this problem. Nevertheless, one cannot ignore the value of what is in demand and what folks are looking for on the web. In this article, we are going to explore the top keywords for real estate for 2020 that bring a lot of SEO value to your real estate website.

10 SEO Hacks for Your Real Estate Website
No matter where you're based or what your specialty is, most of your future real estate clients will find you online. Search Engine Optimization – usually called SEO – makes the difference in whether they discover you or a competitor with comparable offerings. SEO is a series of techniques combining best practices in digital marketing and website design. It has two main purposes:

The Ways Virtual Tours Improve SEO Strategy
Your website is your showcase, it represents what you sell, it represents your agency, and ultimately it represents you. As a result, it's essential to have a well-positioned website to generate more traffic from search engines like Google and increase your chances of drawing in new customers. What is SEO? Search engine optimization is about improving your position in a search engine results page (SERP). Google is the dominant search engine, accounting for over 90% of searches processed globally. There are some regional exceptions; in China, Baidu holds 66% of the market, Google represents only 10%. Bing, Yahoo and Yandex are other minority share search engines, but when we talk about SEO, we usually refer to Google search results. Why is SEO important? To increase the number of visitors and therefore gain greater brand awareness, prospects and sales, you have to look at the ranking of your website in terms of relevant keywords. Your ranking is very important because the first three positions on Google receive more than 60% of clicks. If you are not the first page, then you will receive very little traffic to your site. Keywords Optimization First you need to identify the strategic keywords that you want to rank for in Google's SERP. How do you identify them? By choosing from those that are regularly typed by internet users (search volume). You can use search tools such as Google Keyword Planner for that insight. You need a Google Ads account, but signing up is free. Once you have found the search terms that your potential customers use, you can include them in the structure and content strategy of your website. How virtual tours can help you Adding these keywords analysis to your navigable Matterport space, for instance, will help Google understand that the content of your pages where it's displayed should be shown in searches for those terms. You can add the keywords in the title, add links in the template and add the address of that analysis, all of which can be tracked in Google. Content (on the site) is king Google loves "content", especially new content that visitors to your website will spend time interacting with and sharing. Google's algorithms take into account parameters such as bounce rate, time spent on the page and shares. The more content your website has, the better Google will rank your pages. Backlinks Backlinks are external websites that want to reference your site by linking to it in their own content, directing visitors to your page. The more backlinks you get from high quality or "authority" websites, the better. Google considers these backlinks another key element of its algorithm in ensuring it displays relevant pages from authoritative websites. Google uses your backlinks profile to create an authority score for your website, a measure that allows you to determine which websites have a high value and should be included in the search results. If many high-authority websites direct their visitors to your website (via backlinks), it is a vote of confidence in your content. MOZ has created the domain authority score that is now widely used by SEOs. You can find out more about this here and see your DA score for free using this tool. Wrapping Up SEO is much more than what we've discussed here, but this article should provide a quick overview of how virtual tours can help you in your SEO strategy. Improving ranking in Google is a long-term process but the quality of your website content will always be fundamental to attracting more visitors to your website and converting them to customers as they find you an interesting and valuable resource. To view the original article, visit the Matterport blog.

The Ultimate Guide to Real Estate Keywords
There's no doubt that online search is one of the most important tools for helping prospects find your real estate business. According to the National Association of REALTORS, 50 percent of real estate customers find the home they eventually buy through online search, and plenty more use search to identify the real estate agent who helps them find the right home. So it's important to make your website as search engine-friendly as possible—which starts with using the right real estate keywords. Today, we're going to take a closer look at what real estate keywords are, how they work, and what you can do to leverage the power of keywords for your real estate website.

Do This One Thing to Increase Your Google Results!
Most real estate agents would love to be ranked higher in a Google search. But unless an agent spends a lot of money on Google advertising or invests major dollars regularly in Search Engine Optimization (SEO), landing in a Google search "above the fold" -- the first part of a screen before you scroll -- is unlikely. Unless you take advantage of one opportunity that Google is offering every real estate agent today. That opportunity is Google My Business. Google My Business is a powerful visual listing that displays at the top right of a Google search when someone is looking for you by your name and occupation. If potential clients are near you and are searching for a real estate agent nearby, your listing may be included higher in their Google search as part of Google Places, which also shows a Google map of local agent office locations. Because of its prominent placement in search results, a Google My Business listing can deliver some of the best search placements there are for a small business. Most importantly, it allows you to connect with potential clients faster. Google My Business features your office hours, address, contact information, photos of your business and office that you have uploaded, and a screenshot of a Google map of your business location that is hot linked to an interactive Google Map for directions to your office. It even displays your client reviews and your overall Google client rating. Best of all, your Google My Business listing doesn't cost you one dime – other than your time to create your business listing and keep it fresh. You can set your free Google My Business account by going to this link: google.com/business. Advantages for Agents When a client searches for your name as a real estate agent, your Google My Business listing will be displayed at the top of the right side of the Google search. Anyone who lives near your office—or is nearby—and searches "real estate agents near me" could also see your Google listing in their search results. Your office will also appear on Google Maps searches. Google My Business is dynamic, which means you can add to it. You keep it updated with new photos, videos and encourage your clients to add reviews. By doing this, your Google My Business listing will increase your authenticity as a real estate expert for your area in Google's view. As a result, your search results ranking by Google will also improve over time. With Google My Business, you don't even need a website because it's an independent listing and contains all your business information: address and contact information, including your phone. If you have a website, of course it includes that too. When a client or potential client searches for you and ends up finding you through your Google My Business listing, you have accomplished something else: You've connected with them in the way that they want to be connected, giving them just the right amount of information they are seeking. They don't need to see your entire website. They just may need directions to your office or your phone number to give you a call. That's what makes Google My Business unique. Google My Business Tips for Agents Add Photos: When setting up your Google My Business listing, don't forget to add photos. An exterior picture of your office location is important, as it can help your clients find your location. Remember, a lot of people will be using Google My Business to find your office. Having a visual picture of the building they are looking for will help them find you faster. Encourage Client Reviews: After every transaction, send your customers an email thanking them for their business and ask for a little help. Explain that a quick review on Google – the most powerful search engine in the world – will help tell others about your service. Provide them a link for a Google review. It's easy to do and that review will be added to your Google My Business listing. Remember, the more reviews you get, and the more current your reviews are, the more Google is likely to push your search ranking higher when people are searching for real estate agents in your area. One extra perk: Google notifies you every time someone completes a review on your Google My Business listing. Keep your listing fresh: If you decorate your office for a holiday, or have a promotion or event scheduled, post a new photo to keep your content fresh in your Google My Business listing. If you are involved in a community activity, for example, and are collecting items at your office, post a photo or sign related to that event as well. Fresh content works for Google My Business too. One more perk: even though the listing is free, Google will provide you with reports on how well your listing is performing—at no charge. That's right, you can see what most people are interested in and the actions they took, from how many people clicked on your phone number from their smartphone to call you, to how many used the directions button to find your office through Google Maps. Again, even the Google reports you receive are 100 percent free, so there's absolutely no reason every agent shouldn't sign up for their own Google My Business account. Remember that Tech Helpline can help you understand better how Google My Business works. They can also help you optimize your photos for faster uploads or answer any of your tech questions. Give Tech Helpline a call today. Don't have Tech Helpline support? Ask your state or local REALTOR® association for it! Tricia Stamper is Director of Technology at Florida Realtors®, which owns and operates Tech Helpline and Form Simplicity.    

3 Key Ways to Rank Higher on Google
As a real estate agent, having a Google business profile is crucial to growing and sustaining your business. People are almost three times more likely to consider your business reputable if it has a complete Google business profile. A Google business profile appears next to Google search results when someone searches your name or keywords associated with you. It has your business information, photos and reviews. It's important because Google is the first place where potential buyers and sellers will go — even if they get your name as a referral — to see if you're reputable.

How to Do Keyword Research for Your Real Estate Website
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a powerful tool for helping prospects find your real estate website and the content that you create. Many factors go into successful SEO, and keyword research certainly ranks near the top of the list. Understanding what types of keywords your audience likes, how to find new keywords, and how to integrate keywords into your real estate content will help you take your marketing to the next level. Let's take a closer look at how to do real estate keyword research, and put your new keywords to work for your business.

Facebook Business Page Strategy: SEO 101
Facebook has come a long way from its early days of college coders dreaming in a dorm room. Today, over 2 billion people use Facebook globally. More than 1 billion of those users log into Facebook daily. Want those eyes on your real estate listings? You'll need to develop a strategy for search engine optimization (SEO), your key weapon in the fight for online visibility. These Facebook Business Page SEO fundamentals will point you in the right direction.

5 Black Hat SEO Tactics You Should Avoid
Search engine optimization (SEO) is one of the most powerful, essential tools for growing your real estate business online, and it's also a big business in its own right. Many SEO providers offer reputable, white hat SEO services that help grow your business without damaging your reputation, relying on their in-depth knowledge of how search engines work and what Google's algorithms want to see from high-ranked websites. However, you'll also want to be aware of marketers who try to cheat the system by using black hat SEO tactics, which are ultimately bad for business. Let's take a closer look at five black hat SEO tactics to avoid as you grow your real estate business online.

Does SEO Make Sense for the Average Agent's Website?
If you own a website, it's likely you have heard the term SEO or Search Engine Optimization. If you're a real estate agent with a website, it's also highly probable a firm offering SEO services have solicited you. The challenge with SEO today, for many agents, is that the largest real estate companies who focus on the internet invest millions of dollars in SEO. They often have outside firms, or internal teams, whose daily focus is on perfecting the SEO of their websites. As a result, they often dominate even local real estate search results. Also, these companies buy a lot of local real estate advertising keywords, so these sponsored search results are always on top of the unpaid ranked search results below.

Creating Your Own Backlinks for Real Estate SEO Clout
Has real estate SEO become just too much trouble for your results? Don't feel alone, as the changes in Google's algorithms over the past couple of years have relegated most real estate agent and brokerage websites to results pages that get them few clicks. The big players like Zillow.com and Realtor.com are dominating first page results, and we're even getting some competition from our own MLS organization websites with listings. These days, it's not as much about keywords as it is "domain authority." Here's one definition of domain authority: Domain authority is a measure of the power of a domain name and is one of many search engine ranking factors. Domain authority is based on three factors: Age, Popularity, and Size. Notice the Popularity and Size criteria. There is no way your website can compete on those items with Zillow or Realtor.com. They get millions of views and have thousands of pages. So, what are you to do to help move you up in the SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages)? Really, if you are using "long tail" key phrases and creating lots of localized content, your main competitors for the lower placements on page 1 are your local competitors. Assuming that you and your competitors are all using a lot of the same key phrases in your content, how can you get a leg up on them in the search results? Using domain authority is how.

Five Ways to Use SEO to Drive Real Estate Leads
Ninety percent of people start their home search online. Ninety percent! For consumers, the most difficult real estate challenge is finding the right property, followed by finding the right agent to buy or sell a home. As a real estate agent, how do you make sure these consumers find you? One crucial tactic you need is Search Engine Optimization (SEO). While most agents and real estate outlets do have an online presence, most report that keeping up with technology in the digital age is a challenge. Most prospective home buyers these days use search engines, like Google, to find properties or to find an agent to sell their home. You can use SEO to help people find your business and the services you provide. While SEO can be complex, there are some tried and true tactics to help you be found online.

5 Essential Tips for Local SEO Real Estate Marketing
Many real estate agents use paid advertising as their means for generating leads. While paid advertising is an effective source for qualified leads, it does have its drawbacks. First of all, you'll have to continue to pay for these leads, and the cost of bidding for keywords using search engine results can be expensive. Competition can be fierce — especially in the real estate industry — and you could find yourself in a bidding war for the top rankings. Furthermore, click fraud is a real thing. Competitors can continuously click on your advertisement until your budget has ended and your ad has disappeared. While we don't suggest eliminating paid advertising from your marketing mix altogether, we do encourage you to focus a bit more on your local SEO real estate marketing strategy. By strengthening your SEO, and putting a full strategy into place, you'll get discovered by your target audience online and increase your bottom line. In this article, we take a deeper look at some of the local SEO real estate marketing tips you can implement today. 1. Develop On-Site SEO Strategy When thinking about your overarching SEO tactics, you'll definitely want to optimize your website. Your website is the face of your brand, so not only will it have to look good, it must have compelling and optimized content. Here are some things you can do to optimize your website for local SEO: Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are used throughout your website. Use your state, city, and town names in your title tags, meta descriptions, and in the body of the content you create for your site. Implement schema markup onto your website. This sounds really fancy, but schema markup is a code that you implement on the backend of your website that allows search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo know what they are looking at. When a search engine indexes your site, the search engine will view your schema markup, allowing the search engines to return more informative results for users.

16 Real Estate SEO Mistakes That Can Hurt Your Marketing
Every brand operating online hopes to rank well in search engine results pages (SERPs) so they can be highly visible to online searchers and attract leads and customers. That is most commonly done through search engine optimization (SEO). The secret to doing so is actually pretty simple: Follow Google and Bing's SEO rules (a.k.a. abide by their search algorithms and recommended best practices) and you'll do well over time. Then there are the mistakes: Tactics that are outdated or altogether frowned upon by search engines that can cause your website pages to be virtually invisible to online searchers. Discover 16 core SEO mistakes that can damage your digital presence and deter your real estate website content from ranking in SERPs. 1. Thinking it's still 2005 and assuming keyword-stuffing will actually work Though you'll hear marketers discuss the early days of SEO as if they were a half-century ago, the reality is the concept of optimizing content for search engines is fairly new. It's more-than-understandable for these pros to think the inception of SEO was so long ago, because over the past 20 years (and even since the turn of this decade), there have been innumerable alterations to what constitutes a "good" and "bad" SEO strategy. The primary characteristic of a bad modern SEO plan is the overuse of keywords. Back in the day, it was more than fine (even recommended by — gasp — Google!) to add in several keywords to your content to help it gain "SEO juice" and enhance its likelihood of being favored by the search gods. Simply put, this is no longer the case—and for good reason. Anyone can stuff keywords into their blog posts and landing pages to rank better. So, to ensure brands had to actually, you know, put effort into their content and be valuable for their audiences, Google and other search engines began to favor content with a more natural-language feel to it as opposed to content with 20 or more of the same long-tail keyword. Here's one of the easiest-to-execute SEO tips and tricks you'll ever receive: Write for your audience first, then modify your content with a select number of appropriate, pertinent keywords. This number total will vary depending on the length of your content, but the real key to success with keyword inclusion/density is ensure none of the terms and phrases you incorporate in your content disrupt its flow and confuse your readers. Just write as you would talk to your home buyer and seller leads and clients, and then adjust what's on the screen with a particular keyword group that directly relates to the content.

Can Your Clients Find You Online? (7/21)
Thursday, July 21, 2016 at 9:00 AM PDT Back in 1986 (30 years ago), if a past client wanted to find your contact information, chances are they used a phone book to look up your information. Today, when a customer wants to find you, they go online, but a recent poll of our readers found over 75% of real estate professionals don't have a strategy for getting found by their customers online! For those lacking an online search strategy, they are essentially forgotten by their customers because they aren't showing up in searches. Getting found by your customers requires an Online Search Strategy. Join us on Thursday's free training on tips and simple, effective strategies to get on Google and the most popular search engines. Here's what you will learn: How to get on the first page of Google Search and impress people who find you online How to get your site or landing pages to show up on the first page of search results for highly specific, neighborhood searches. Easy ways to improve your presence (and look professional and competent) ... even if you don't have a website! How to get your listings to show up on the first page of search results when someone searches for them In typical Paperless Agent fashion, you'll get real examples, actionable tips, and proven practices for getting better results Valuable insights from a live Q&A session with two industry experts where you can get your most pressing real estate marketing questions answered! Register now!

How to Create an Online Reputation That Gives Clients Confidence! (6/9)
Thursday, June 9, 2016 at 9:00 AM PDT The latest numbers are in, and many agents are stunned: "Currently, 2 out of every 3 people are Google-searching agents beforechoosing to do business with one." That's why this week's live training features a "done-for-you" plan to create an online reputation that gives more clients the confidence to choose YOU! Here's just some of what you'll learn this Thursday: How you can get on the first page of Google Search, dominate the competition and impress prospective clients who find you online How to improve your online reputation in 30-days or less, so you can attract new clients who are looking for you online right now! Easy ways to improve your online presence (and how to always look professional and competent) ... even if you don't have a website! The essential social posting strategies to showcase your skills, knowledge and expertise to get more referred customers and "warmed-up" prospects Live Q&A session with two industry experts so you can get your most pressing real estate marketing questions answered Register now!

10 Expert Real Estate Website Optimization Ideas for Agents
Here's the plain truth about your real estate website: It's a never-finished project. Setting it up, adding some blog posts, throwing together some neighborhood pages, and including your contact and brand info is just the start of what is an ongoing real estate marketing activity. What's required to see pronounced success with your site — lots of visitors daily and tons of leads generated monthly — is a concerted focus on enhancing your web presence routinely: publishing fresh content that enlightens and advises your home buyer and seller audience and keeps them coming back for more. Discover 10 aspects of your real estate website you need to work on and improve consistently to get the most out of it below, where we use a Placester site as an example. 1. Prominently display listing photos, visual branding collateral, and contact info atop your homepage. Your website homepage is the first digital interaction the bulk of your audience will have with you, so make sure it offers every detail they would want and need to know about your brand, including your agency name (ideally through a stunning logo), your social media accounts (through social sharing buttons), and your contact information. Moreover, you need to constantly update the photos featured on your homepage — ones that ideally showcase your latest listings if you're a seller's agent or the most notable (a.k.a. visually appealing or interesting) homes for sale in your area if you're a buyer's agent. When optimizing your homepage, think of it as introducing yourself at a networking event to someone you've never met before. It's your first opportunity to explain your brand in a clear and concise fashion, so you need to make the most of this chance and relay all of the important info you want the world to know. Get some of your friends, colleagues, or associates to look at your homepage and ask them if they get a complete picture of your brand's value proposition and details: who you are, what you do/sell, where you're located, how they can get in touch with you, where they can learn more about you, etc. Key Takeaways: Frequently change listing photos on your website's homepage to keep it fresh and ensure it features the most attractive homes. Make sure all types of contact information — phone number, email address, and social media accounts — are listed atop the page. Put yourself in your audience's shoes: Would they know who you are just by looking at your homepage? If not, adjust it accordingly.

New .Homes Website Domains Now Available to Real Estate Pros
Is the .com domain name you really want already taken? Never fear, there's a new domain extension in town, and it's full of SEO potential for real estate practitioners. The sunrise registration period opened just last Monday for the new .Homes top-level domain. "Sunrise" registration is a limited window of time that allows trademark holders to purchase .Homes domains that match their marks before registration is opened to the general public. That means if you've trademarked the name of your real estate team or practice--Central Coast Realty™, for example--you can now reserve CentralCoastRealty.Homes so that your company's name isn't taken by somebody else. The Sunrise period runs through May 6. You can learn more here. However, the domain names with the highest SEO potential are up for grabs on May 12, when open registration starts. Because registration will then no longer be restricted to trademark holders, agents and brokers can buy names that reflect their area, like Boston.Homes. The reason a domain like this has so much SEO potential is because it matches the phrases that consumers are likely to search for, e.g. Boston homes or Boston homes for sale. .Homes domain names are only available to professionals who serve the residential real estate industry. This includes agents, brokers, mortgage professionals, appraisers, property managers, builders, home insurers, MLSs, and associations. Dominion Enterprises, the operator of Homes.com, is the exclusive registrar of .Homes domain names. To learn more, visit domains.homes.

How to Get Your Business in Google's "7-Pack"
There is no question that using Google Plus is important for a real estate agent looking to capture business from social media. What is often overlooked – and probably even more important – is using Google My Business (formerly Google Local) to tie your business in through search. When someone does a search for a local business using Google, the search engine will often deliver what is called the "7-pack," which includes seven local businesses based on geographic location. Google chooses seven lucky business websites that have been optimized to appear in these kind of searches. The 7-pack is grouped together, slightly separated from rest of the search results. Hopefully bells are starting to ring in your head, telling you that this kind of search is important. In the real estate sector, you want your information to come up in a local search like, "Realtor Portland OR" or "real estate agent Miami FL." Keep in mind that getting into the 7-pack is free, you just need to know how to do it. Are you interested in how an agent or broker can get themselves into the Google 7-pack? I am sure you are all nodding your heads as you're reading this. Let's use me as an example. I'm a real estate agent from Hopkinton, Mass., and you can see what I'm are talking about by going to Google and entering the search term "Realtors Hopkinton MA." You are more than likely going to see my websites, massrealestatenews.com and maxrealestateexposure.com, in the 7-pack. As a real estate pro, this is a very valuable position.

5 Smart Strategies for Real Estate SEO
Search engine optimization (SEO) is the key to helping motivated buyers and sellers find you—and the properties you represent—via Google, Bing and other search engines. At a high level, SEO is all about using relevant keywords in your website content and attracting links to your content from other websites, especially those that Google considers trustworthy and authoritative. Here are five smart SEO strategies you should implement on your website to attract more real estate leads. 1. Build your website on an SEO-friendly platform If you haven't set up your own real estate website yet, you should. A website can serve as a useful resource for buyers and sellers in your community, which can, in turn, help you generate leads. WordPress is a popular choice for many real estate agents. 2. Do your keyword research—and be specific It's extremely important to use keywords on your website that are both relevant to your content and represent what your potential clients are looking for. Along with keywords that describe your location and what you do, make sure you use keywords that optimize content on your site to match a visitor's intent. For example, find a real estate agent in San Francisco.

How To Optimize Your Website for Google
Search Engine Optimization can be as difficult, time consuming, and expensive as you allow it to be. However, unless you've changed careers suddenly, you're not an SEO "guru" or consultant. You're a real estate professional who wants the most from your website, but without it sucking up most of your time and a lot of your money. If you just take on reading as much as you can on the Web about SEO, you might as well quit practicing real estate, as there are tens of millions of articles about SEO in general, and millions specifically about SEO for real estate websites. Today, we'll explore proven techniques that bring websites to the top of the search engine results pages (called SERPs). We start by recognizing that SEO is very much about "relevance." Is the content on the site relevant to the overall subject or goal of the site? Residential is the niche served by most agents, but you'll not get the most out of SEO with a pre-made residential site template or content if your market niche is commercial or property management.  META is still important Meta tags haven't changed much for years, but how the search engines use them has. For example, the Keywords Tag is still used by the engines for clarification as to the subject matter of the page. However, they aren't used much anymore for ranking the page according to Google. You still want them, but you don't want to "stuff" your article or your meta keywords with too many and not directly related keywords.

5 Basic But Effective SEO Tips to Drive More Traffic to Your Website
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the "key to the castle" when it comes to capturing traffic from buyers who are searching for you online. But what exactly is SEO? According to Search Engine Land, "Search engine optimization is the process of getting traffic from the free, organic, editorial or natural search results on search engines." This may sound a little intimidating, but you don't have to be a web developer to be discovered more often by search engines. Here are five basic, but effective, SEO tips that will help your business rank higher in local real estate searches. 1. Conduct Keyword Research Conducting keyword research should be the first step in becoming more visible when potential clients search for you online. There are a few ways this research can be done, but the easiest is referred to as "long-tail keywords." Go to your Google search bar and start a query such as "Homes for sale in." You'll notice that Google provides you with a list of suggestions to complete your search. These suggestions are based on the geo-location of where a person is conducting their online search, in addition to the phrases or keywords that have had the highest frequency of use in the past. When someone in your area types in "Homes for sale in," they'll most likely be shown the same suggestions that Google provided you. Incorporating these terms and phrases selectively and logically into your website content will help Google recognize your site as being "relevant" in similar local searches. Keep in mind that this is one of the most basic forms of keyword research and not likely in itself to make you show up at the top of a Google search. Tools like Google Webmaster Tools and Google Display Planner will help you understand and implement core keyword research and strategy.

Top 10 SEO Strategies & Tips for Realtors®
SEO, Search Engine Optimization, can make a big difference between whether your website is just a billboard people surf past or a destination that delivers leads and commissions. A Google search on "SEO" yields 216,000,000 results as we write this. If you limit it to "real estate SEO," you still get 40,000,000 results. Yes, that's 40 million. You can see that there is no shortage of articles and information about search engine optimization, and many are written by self-described "gurus." Also, if you look at the dates on them, there is a lot of very old information out there. What does "old" mean when we're talking about SEO? For Google, with hundreds of minor and many major algorithm updates each year, "old" can mean only weeks in some cases. You can view a history by year of updates over at Moz.com, and it's a long list. Many aren't major nor do they have names. Others like Panda and Penguin, are major and have themselves gone through multiple updates. What's the point? It's simply that SEO is a moving target, and this report begins with this information because it's important. We have done extensive research of newer material and SEO information, and the strategies and tips here are the latest and most reliable out there. We've also taken care to give you strategies that are more "evergreen," or expected to be in the future. The term "evergreen" comes from the news and publishing industry and refers to material that is not "dated." It is expected to be relevant for a long time or forever. As you go through this material, you'll see that we've concentrated on Google's goals and how these strategies help Google to achieve them. By concentrating on what Google wants, we can share information that is relevant, timely, and expected to be useful for some time to come. Google has come a long way in lowering reliance on things like keyword density, which led to keyword "stuffing" and low quality content getting higher positions in search.

The 5 WORST Real Estate SEO Practices
With over a billion real estate searches starting on Google each year, thinking through your real estate SEO search strategy is critical for success. To begin mastering SEO, catch up on the five worst things real estate professionals can do for their SEO strategies: 1. Not supplying unique content Supplying basic listings information such as lot size, address, and bedroom/ bathroom count is something all real estate companies do, making this information looked at by Google as "duplicate content." Google's latest Panda update heavily penalizes platforms that only supply duplicate content by reducing their search engine rank. So, supplying customizable, frequently updated information such as school reviews, community and demographic information, and market trends and transactions are all ways to battle duplicate content and improve SEO. 2. Not supplying localized SEO landing pages With 69% of home shoppers starting their search with a local term such as the name of a neighborhood, localized landing pages for neighborhoods, towns, and counties are a great way to grab localized search traffic while boosting SEO. Conversely, not supplying these localized landing pages (complete with all the localized information a home shopper needs to make a decision) puts real estate professionals at a huge disadvantage for capturing that 69% of home shoppers.

New Google SEO World
The search engine world and SERPs (Search Engine Results Pages) have changed in dramatic ways. Remember back when it was all about keywords, and just keywords? Then it was key phrases, and along came "long tail" phrase searches. All of those elements are still there, but so much more is going on now. The popularity of mobile and the billions of mobile searches is changing how Google handles search phrases. "Conversational search queries" are mainstream. Searching the way we talk will bring the results we want as Google enhances this process. As an example, try doing a search using "find me a home in bryant park for sale." You'll be surprised, as the results will be right on point. Or try "how do I keep up with real estate prospects." It really works and is getting better.

Meta Data Matters!
Many SEO "experts" claim to fully understand the algorithms that search engines use to deliver results. If these experts don't admit to even a little uncertainty, they're lying. The truth is that it's practically impossible to know all the factors (and the weight of those factors) that go into search results. The most anyone can do is to provide a best guess. That being said, there are some basic tenets of SEO that you can pretty safely rely upon. These include, but DEFINITELY are not limited to: Meta tags (our subject for today) Title tags On-page content Site performance Incoming links from other sites Domain name Sitemaps Images and video Regularly updated content In doing research for this article, I found a great resource that may come in handy: the Google Search Engine Optimization Starter Guide. Depending on your tech knowledge, about 60% of this document might not make sense. But it's worth reading for the 40% that does make sense.

Marketing Your Real Estate Business with Social Search Optimization (SSO)
If you aren't using social media sites like Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn and YouTube, you could be missing out on some great business opportunities. Social search optimization (SSO), also known as social media marketing, incorporates the use of these four different social outlets. Marketing your real estate business with social search optimization is a great way to extend your business reach and increase your leads and revenue. SSO has become one of the quickest methods for marketing your real estate business. By definition, social search optimization is the use of online marketing strategies in social media networks in order to promote a specific product, service or brand. By involving yourself in these online marketing strategies, you can establish contacts through media sharing, opening up opportunities for new real estate clients across the country. How does SSO work? Let's say you just picked up a new listing from the MLS, and need to sell it within a few months. A simplified, step-by-step method for using SSO to sell the property might look something like this:   Use Twitter to announce your new listing. Add the new listing to your Facebook profile and/or page. Update your status on LinkedIn to provide some new information about the home you are selling. Post a short, informative video on YouTube. Provide back links between the above social networks to your main real estate

Three Simple Steps to Boost Your SEO
This post comes to us from the HomeFinder.com blog: What is SEO? Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is an easy (and free!) way to make sure your website appears at the top of a Google search. Why is SEO important? Improving your SEO means that you are taking specific steps to help get your website and listings ranked high on Google, which means potential clients can easily find you and your listings. How do I boost my SEO? Follow the below three easy steps to help maximize your brand's online exposure and attract more clients. 1.) Define and Establish Your Brand Identify your local market – determine the location you specialize in and where your business is centered. Narrow down your niche and determine your professional specialty (i.e. urban condos, military relocation services, luxury homes, etc.). Target two keywords that you want to use, per page of your website.

There's Blogging, and There's Blogging for Leads
This post comes to us from the Diverse Solutions blog: REALTORS® blog for various reasons. Typically, blogging in real estate consists of blogging for blogging's sake, or blogging for leads and commissions. Or, maybe you think you're blogging for leads, but you're just not getting any. Why waste time and effort if you're not ending up with qualified leads that result in transactions and commissions? You can balance your other lead generation activities, like networking and traditional advertising, with your blogging. It can be a valuable resource for more deals every year. We decided to consult with some real estate agents who make more than half their commission income from leads they generate on their blogs. Here are some tips they shared with us that you can use. Blogging Tips From Real Estate Professionals 1. Blog for Your Site Visitors: Buyers and Sellers You will be using SEO-friendly strategies, keywords and phrases, and stuff like that, but your blog posts should be written to meet the needs of your visitors. They need to be easy reading and informative.

Organic Traffic Isn’t Free: Beginner SEO Tips for Agents
This post comes to us from the Market Leader blog: Organic – it's not just what's for dinner. Like organic food, however, organic traffic to your website is obtained naturally – without paying for it or having it referred from a directory or another site. In fact, organic traffic is sent to your site because the search engines "think" your site is interesting or relevant to the search terms. They like you – they really like you. Since not every real estate agent can make it to the front page of Google, the question of the millennium is: "Why not?" Why Doesn't My Site Show Up in Google? Google uses a long list of criteria – over 200 factors – to determine which pages rank for which search terms. The whole process is bundled in what is known as an algorithm, defined by Google as "... computer programs that look for clues to give you back exactly what you want." When a user enters a search term, the algorithm clicks and whirs and tries to guess what the user wants to see. It does this by considering terms on the site, how fresh the content is, what region the searcher is in, and "page rank." So, although just owning a website and publishing it to the Web doesn't necessarily mean you'll automatically rank, it is the first step.

Google's SEO plans for your real estate website
This post comes to us from the Properties Online blog: Google, as usual, is busy updating and developing its search quality. Summer 2013 has brought several SEO changes, and Matthew Cutts, a member of Google's Search Quality Team, says that small to medium businesses will be in a position to reap the rewards of the changes. In a recent video blog, Matt talks about Google's SEO plans for your real estate website – by way of Google's scheduled summer initiatives. SEO for Google is focused around a better quality user experience and better support for webmasters. Matt specifies "regular" webmasters here – the good guys trying to provide a good web experience. He tells us that if we do our job to provide great and compelling sites that users love, tell their friends about, bookmark, return to and share, that his team will work hard on the other end to support those efforts. Sounds great, right? Now, creating that great site (if you haven't done so already) is the stuff of another blog post. For now, I'll recap Google's SEO plans for Summer 2013, as told by Matt Cutts. Google has recently deployed version 2.0 of Penguin. It includes web spam changes that are dedicated to targeting black hat web spam, and to address the practice of black hat web spam in a deeper and more impactful way. Black hat web spam is all about shortcuts and dirty deals – trying to achieve higher page rankings through shady techniques like keyword stuffing and link schemes. These deceptive techniques don't benefit web visitors at all and can get in the way of your genuine content showing up in a potential client's search.

SEO Tips for Real Estate Agents
Build better business through online visibility Have you ever wondered how search engines like Google and Bing find websites? You type in a few key words, hit "enter" and your page is transformed into a nearly endless list of relevant resources. How do the engines know which sites to present? How can you persuade those engines to put your business at the top of the list? There are many factors (such as paid advertisements), but search engine optimization, or SEO, is key to standing out among your competition. Razvan Antonescu, Senior SEO Specialist for Point2, explains the concept in laymen's terms. "SEO is a set of actions that a business can take on its sites, on other sites and even in the offline world that have the common goal of increasing the visibility of a business in search engines. Visibility in search engines can range from being found for your name or your company name to generic keywords." In short, SEO helps people find you and the services that you offer. Making your brand search-friendly is easier than you think. Antonescu recommends taking the following steps for your website: Find the proper page titles and description by keyword research, competition research and feedback from clients Create text content for each page of your website using the above mentioned keywords

Social + SEO: Content Formatting
This is the first article of "Social + SEO," a series of monthly educational blog posts on social media and SEO tools and strategies that real estate agents can use to expand their business. Social + SEO will cover topics and strategies that are easy to learn, simple to implement and, most importantly, will provide you with an immediate return on your time investment. Every Social + SEO post will cover two topics, one on social media and another on search engine optimization. I will describe each topic, demonstrate how you can implement it and then explain how your business will benefit. Review – What is Social Media and SEO? Before we delve into this month's topics, I want to make sure that you know what I mean when I say "social media" and "search engine optimization." Social media, simply put, are the ways people communicate with each other through the Internet. The best examples of social media include social networks like Twitter, Facebook and Google+, but other services, like YouTube, Instagram and even some video games can be put into that category as well. Search engine optimization, or SEO, is the process of increasing the number of times a website, web page or blog post gets clicked in search engine results. This is primarily accomplished by improving the rankings of sites and pages in the search results of Google, Yahoo, Bing and other search engines. Search engine rankings are determined by many different factors; the exact number varies based on the search engine. Google, for example, has more than 200 known factors that play into its search engine ranking process. These include the number and quality of links a piece of content receives, the number of times it is shared on social media, and the average amount of time visitors spend reading the content.

Top 5 ESSENTIAL Real Estate Online Marketing Practices
Real estate online marketing is a game that every agent and broker around the world is playing now (sometimes despite all of their best efforts at avoiding it). With hundreds of social media and networking sites out there, and a variety of blogging or micro-blogging platforms, the question is how to spend a very precious amount of your own time on ONLY the essential and highest ROI social media activities. So here are our recommendations on the Top 5 Real Estate Online Marketing Practices: 1. SEO on Your Website Don't stop reading because you start thinking this is all elementary. The truth is, a lot of people claim to do SEO, and you may have read an article or two on the topic yourself. If you are planning on getting some real real estate online marketing results, you probably won't pull it off with adding a quick little tag yourself, or messing with the Meta Description. You also probably won't get it with the out-of-the-box site from [pick your big-box company]. Plan on either investing your own substantial time or some money into making this happen the right way, and measure the results. Keep in mind it doesn't happen overnight, but you normally don't need to wait 8-12 months either. 2. Google + If you haven't heard, Google favors itself. Really? Yes, really. So, you want to be sure that you have a really good Google+ profile, that you have set it up and optimized it well, tied it to your blog and site for authorship, and that it gets regular updates. This is something that can help drive more visibility for you. Again, you'll either need to spend some time making sure you do this the right way or get some help in it. One of the things you will find with this topic, as well as others we often cover, is that there are a couple of levels of social and online interaction that typically can work for a real estate agent. First, you need to have regular, high quality content for content's sake – exposure, optimization and trust come from this. Someone else can do this. Secondly, you need to make sure you are bringing some strong and consistent value to the table in your own, more-specialized content – this is you, and can be a little less regular, but is important for value, trust, and additional exposure. Moving on...

SEO for Real Estate Takes Time
This post comes to us from BrokerageU: Earlier, we discussed how it's possible to beat sites like REALTOR.com, Trulia, and Zillow. But we wanted to take a minute and make sure you understand that this isn't an overnight process. It takes a long time, and your real estate website won't work unless you work on it. While some vendors can make it sound like they will get you on the top of Google overnight (we've all seen junk emails from these vendors, even some in the real estate industry that lie when they are on the phone with you),  the truth is that this doesn't happen. There is no single magic bullet that will make your site change overnight. Furthermore, those that get you overnight differences in SEO are probably using black-hat SEO methods. They are probably doing just as bad of work as what you can buy on Fiverr – "Get 100 inbound links for $5." I repeat – these low quality purchased links can actually hurt your website. Google even has a tool for you to fess up to having down this before and "disavow" those bad links. These methodologies are against the rules that Google has outlined. It's only a matter of time until the algorithm is changed and the benefits are completely wiped away and, in most cases, you'll actually get a penalty. Are two months of increased rankings worth six months of not being anywhere on Google? It happened to J.C. Penney, and it can happen to you.

Friday Freebie: Website Evaluation from Dynamic Page Solutions
This week's Friday Freebie comes to us courtesy of a longtime site contributor. Dynamic Page Solutions has been educating RE Technology readers on the basics of Search Engine Optimization for almost two years. To learn how their expertise can help your website--keep reading! Free Website Evaluation from Dynamic Page Solutions How's the health of your real estate website? If you're not sure, now's a great time to find out. Dynamic Page Solutions is offering a free, no obligation website evaluation. Your website and its architecture will be evaluated on its ability to: Keep up with search engine algorithm changes Rank for focused keywords Generate traffic via longtail keywords And more Following the evaluation, Dynamic Page Solutions will make recommendations to increase your traffic and lead generation. This may include services like online branding, optimized IDX, SEO, and pay-per-click advertising. To learn more or start your evaluation, visit Dynamic Page Solutions' website.