Real estate websites need efficient SEO tactics to rank highly in search engines. This is where real estate SEO can step in and help. Without real estate SEO, your website won’t be visible to Google’s users. This way, your real estate business won’t generate leads or get visitors. You could be a great real estate agent, but not necessarily an SEO pro. You can see this guide to becoming a true master of real estate SEO.
But only a specific type of real estate SEO that makes local agencies win the competition against large real estate portals: local SEO. Excellent use of local SEO strategies doesn’t only get you ahead of local competitors but can make you outrank large marketplaces as well.
Local Real Estate SEO Definition
Local SEO is not that different from the usual SEO, but it is more about targeting local geo markets. So basically it means optimizing a real estate website to rank on pages results of local search engines. This type of SEO works the best for a starting real estate agency.
Why is local SEO a must for real estate sites?
In today’s world, a good real estate agent is not only the one with great sales tactics, but also the one who can approach internet users as well. In addition to making your website one of Google’s top results, SEO can help you target potential customers through digital ads. Also, you need SEO to provide your site with appealing content that doesn’t break rules or regulations of the fair housing act, for instance.
Nowadays, modern technology is involved in all aspects of life. This applies to the world of buying and selling residential and commercial properties of all sizes and shapes. So, newspaper ads are no longer the best resource to look for properties. It has been replaced by search engines. An internet user looking for a property simply types specific words into a search box and gets thousands of results in a few seconds. You will definitely want this user to take a look at your site. And SEO is capable of attracting them to your real estate business site. The better ranked your site is, the more potential buyers or sellers will stop by.
How to use local SEO on your real estate site
It is not easy to be a real estate agent and an SEO expert at the same time. SEO is not based on a single tactic, as it includes several practices done on-and off-page. But luckily, you don’t need to compete with the biggest real estate sites in the country at the beginning of your SEO journey. It is more than enough to be a top result in your local area. In addition to the basics of SEO, like keyword planning and including useful and quality content, you need to keep the following tactics in mind:
- Get useful backlinks
Backlinks are one of the most valuable off-page SEO tactics that many SEO beginners ignore. However, it adds a significant amount of credibility and trust to your website. When other sites refer to yours, this means—to Google—that your content is truly valuable and worth a top rank.
When you try to get backlinks, you should focus on both quality and quantity. So basically, you need to get as many referrals as you can, but not from any website. You need backlinks from websites in the same local area that you are targeting.
You need to start coordinating with other local service providers to backlink your site, and you can do the same for them as a win-win situation. Usually, local businesses form BNI groups to stay in touch with each other. So, it would be useful for your real estate business to benefit from this networking resource.
- Enlist your site in online directories.
Simply put, these local directories contain listings of local businesses in each and every category. It is another overlooked SEO practice that can make your real estate site visible to the right audience. Fortunately, there are many free directories for local businesses, such as Google My Business, Bing, and LinkedIn Company Directory. And it is really easy to be in these local directories. You need to include your updated business contact info in many online local directories.
In addition to the usual contact info, you can strengthen your presence in local listings by adding a link to your website, which can be a valuable backlink to your site. Also, you must include a description of your business so that users of listings know exactly who you are.
