Real Estate SEO

In today’s digital age, more and more people are looking online when deciding to move home, at least beginning their search there. With competition everywhere and the importance of connecting with these customers, it is crucial to be in the right place at the right time for them to see you or you will lose them.

This is why SEO, or Search Engine Optimisation, is so crucial. It is imperative that you appear as high up in search results as you can, and as often as relates to your area. SEO is an organic method of raising your rank in search engines and placing you near the top. Most people don’t look any further down than the first three organic sites, so that is where you need to be, and SEO can help you get there.

SEO works using a series of factors to rank your site and determine its placement in the SERPS. It is important that your site be secure, mobile-friendly (as more and more searches are done on phones instead of computers), and have quality content. Page speed and length are also factors, as is having quality back links to well established and trusted sites. Further, your site should be fully optimised with the right keywords and product descriptions to rise higher in the results. Longer, more specific phrases that match what the user is searching will gain you a higher rank. Instead of just using ‘homes for sale’, be more accurate with locations, types and also who you are targeting from first time buyers to retirees.

One disadvantage of SEO is that it doesn’t happen overnight, it takes time to work and be successful. If what you need is increased traffic immediately, you are better off going with SEM, Search Engine Marketing, with a paid ad that instantly will appear in a high position without the wait. It is also easier to test the impact of SEM ads, an important part of any marketing strategy, though generally SEM attracts fewer clicks than your organic listing would through SEO.

Another disadvantage to SEO is that these paid ads push the organic listings further down the page, so that it is even harder to be noticed. This being said, it also adds to the importance of using SEO to appear as high as possible, and people do usually look as far down as the first few organic ads. Consider using SEM in the short term while building your SEO as a way to get traffic now and optimise for the future at the same time.