How can a Realtor achieve quality SEO without breaking the bank?

Now more than ever, homebuyers are turning to the Internet in their search for a new home. According to the National Association of Realtors, 92% of buyers use the Internet during their home search, whether to find homes or information regarding the home buying process. In spite of this, real estate agents still remain an integral part of the home buying process, 88% of buyers purchased through a real estate agent or broker.

For real estate agents, this means an increasing need to achieve quality real estate SEO. This ensures that when homebuyers and sellers search for a real estate agent, you are one of the first to show up in the results. Here are 3 tips on how to achieve your real estate SEO goals without spending an arm and a leg, especially when competing against real estate powerhouses like Trulia and Zillow.

Identifying The Right Keywords

Real estate typically has very high competition keywords, particularly on the local level. Prior to planning your real estate SEO strategy, use Google Keyword Planner to identify what terms people are searching for most. Also, use this tool to identify niche keywords that may be lower in competition. These could be things like “luxury real estate” or “ international real estate.” Hyper-local search terms could also be used. This doesn’t just mean naming the general city, but rather homes near certain schools or attractions. Use these keywords among your webpages, URLs, blogs, and photos to help optimize them for SEO and rank higher in Google.

Start Blogging for Your Brand

Blogging is a great way to improve SEO. It allows you to target certain keywords and keeps your site updated. Google’s algorithm puts new content higher in search rankings than older content. Blog about content homebuyers would find useful and become a resource to them. Topics can include different types of loans, home inspections, added costs when purchasing a home, or different neighborhood. Think about the most common questions and concerns you receive from sellers and buyers. Then use your blog to answer these questions.

When blogging, be sure to update regularly, include keywords, and use a call to action. Keywords should not be awkwardly forced in to your post and your call to action should be simple. In addition, it is important to use local keywords such as “Atlanta real estate” and “Denver homes for sale” as opposed to general ones like “real estate” or “homes for sale.”

Build The Right Links

Link building is what will really boost your SEO.  Link building is when another website links back to yours. It is important to gain links from websites with higher authority than yours. This will raise your credibility and subsequently your ranking with Google.

Guest blogging is one way to go about this. Reach out to bloggers who write about home and real estate topics and pitch a relevant guest blog topic. Be honest and up front about wanting a link back to your site. Some bloggers won’t allow this, which doesn’t do anything for your link building strategy.

Social media can also help with link building. Posting to Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook, Google+, and other networks with links back to your page will help boost your SEO. Getting reviews, mentions, and shares on these sites, as well as blogs, helps too.

Keep in mind real estate SEO can be complicated, particularly due to high competition keywords. Creating a consistent and optimized link building wire frame within your website is also important, among other things. A real estate marketing agency can help create and implement an effective SEO strategy for any real estate agent.