Search engine optimization or SEO is an organic strategy businesses and entrepreneurs, including real estate professionals, use to be more visible in Google search results. If you serve a geographic area, you can benefit from a subset of SEO—local SEO.
Realtors can and should be leveraging local SEO. It’s less competitive and allows you to connect with local clients and grow your business.
The following are seven key things every real estate agent should know about local SEO.
1. How Google Typically Ranks Results
Usually, when you search for something in Google, some algorithms can rank hundreds or thousands of sites before you can blink. The algorithm checks the index and returns a list of websites matching your search query in the organic results.
The results are selected and then ranked based on relevance, the popularity from inbound links, and prominence.
When you take time to build an SEO strategy, you’re driving traffic to your site for free, as compared to paying for advertising. The more you put into SEO, the more the results will build on each other.
2. Local SEO Follows Different Patterns
There are local organic search results, which are also especially relevant to you as a real estate professional.
Google algorithm figured out that people are searching for results that will connect them with businesses in their local area.
As a result, the local search algorithm includes a proximity factor. That means that Google is considering location when someone includes a local keyword.
This can happen even if the person searching doesn’t add a city name to their search.
3. It’s Important
Local SEO is important because people are using search engines to find real estate agents in their local area and other local businesses.
According to Google, around 30% of all mobile searches relate to location. Seventy-eight percent of people searching for something nearby on their phones visit the business within a day. Twenty-eight percent of searches that are locally driven lead to a purchase.
4. How It Works
When a local search occurs in Google, the search engine shows two types of results.
There are map pack results, then there are blue link results. You can rank in both.
Map pack results are also called the local pack. This search engine feature shows top local business listings, along with a map. It’s usually at the top of the search results for anything with a local intention.
Then, the blue links are the results we’re used to seeing in any organic search. They appear below the map pack.
5. Ranking Factors
The first thing to do as a real estate agent who wants to rank for local keywords is complete your Google Business Profile if you haven’t already. This is a local listing that has information about you and your business. It’s a free listing, and when you complete it, you can show up in the map pack and Google Maps.
When you’re completing your Google Business Profile, be specific, add your contact information and set your service areas. Go into detail about your services and expertise, add photos, and encourage your clients to leave reviews.
Reviews are themselves a major ranking factor in local SEO.
The other ranking factors important in local SEO are similar to “regular” factors. For example, you want to get people to link back to your website and content, regularly produce informative content, and target the right keywords, including location-specific ones.
6. Create Localized Content
As mentioned, if you want your site to rank, you must regularly post high-quality, informative, and valuable content.
Blogging is going to be a big part of this. If you aren’t already blogging, you need to be.
When you blog and integrate keywords, you’re also getting the chance to earn links back to your content.
When you write blog posts, include your local city and relevant neighborhood names whenever possible. You might also include neighboring cities and towns, depending on what’s relevant to your business.
7. Participate in Local Events
Finally, if you want to improve your local SEO, you can also be personally active in your community. If you’re involved in news and events, or you’re featured in interviews, these are things that will then come up with people doing local searches. This will also help you build links back to your site and position you as a local expert and authority.
