You have built a stellar real estate website but where are the visitors?
Your website is just one piece of the online marketing puzzle. You also need to drive traffic by making sure that your prospects can find it exactly when and where they’re looking for a real estate agent.
This is why you can’t afford to ignore local SEO because most consumers start looking for local service professionals online using search engines. For example, 46% of all Google searches show local intent and 78% of location-oriented searches lead to offline conversion.
How To Improve Local SEO For Your Real Estate Website
Here are the top strategies to improve your real estate website’s local SEO so it can get ranked higher on relevant search engine results pages (SERPs.)
Identify High Intent Keywords
Find out what keywords high-quality prospects use when they research real estate rental or purchases in your area. For example, terms associated with the location, such as city or county name, as well as phrases that reflect research intent (e.g., “home prices in Oakland”) or buying intent (e.g., “buying a house in Sausalito.”) Incorporate these keywords into your website content and metadata so search engines can index your site and show them on relevant SERPs.
Create Local Content
Tap into the power of content marketing by posting fresh, timely, and engaging information that includes local search terms (e.g., town or city name, local events, or local landmarks.) You can also mention local news and share educational information about local conditions to signal relevance to search engines while positioning yourself as a local expert.
Optimize Your Website
Your website’s URL, metadata, title tags, and header tags should include relevant keywords that you want to rank for. Also, it should be optimized for mobile experiences because Google’s algorithm prioritizes mobile-friendly websites. For example, use a responsive template, reduce load speed, simplify the navigation, and incorporate mobile-specific features such as tap-to-call and location services.
Include Contact Information
Include contact information, such as address and phone number, on various pages and the website’s footer area to signal to search engines that you’re a local business so you can rank higher on local searches. This information should be identical to that on your Google My Business Listing and other online profiles.
Claim Your Online Listings
One of the best ways to get found on local searches is to make sure your business is shown in the “local pack” at the top of relevant SERPs by claiming your Google My Business listing. Also, set up your online profiles on other directories and third-party sites (e.g., Yelp) and include a link to your website to leverage the power of backlinks, which signals your site’s relevance to search engines.
Ask For Reviews
After you have claimed your business listings on third-party sites, ask your clients to post a review. This signals to Google that your business is legitimate and helps drive traffic to your website, which, in turn, can improve your SEO. Regularly reach out to your satisfied clients with a link to your online profiles and ask them to leave their feedback so you have a steady stream of new reviews that will signal relevance to search engines.
Monitor Your Results
Search engine rankings are affected by many factors — from what your competitors are doing to changes in consumer behaviors — and they can change on a dime. You should be constantly monitoring and analyzing your results (e.g., traffic, conversion) to ensure that you’re targeting the most effective keywords and attracting high-quality prospects that convert.
Bonus Tip: Jumpstart an SEO Virtuous Cycle
It may take some initial efforts to get your website ranked but it’ll be worth the investment because the success will snowball. As more people visit your website, Google will consider it more relevant. It’ll rank higher on SERPs and in turn, drive more high-quality traffic.
If you’re starting your SEO effort, you can use online ads to drive high-converting traffic to your website. This helps signal relevance to search engines and build the momentum you need to augment the success of your organic search results.
