Many real estate brokers believe that search engine optimization is a key tactic to master in their online strategy. There is a tendency to use statistics to make assumptions about your search engine optimization strategy that can lead you astray and have you investing your efforts and marketing dollars ineffectively.
We all know the NAR research. 35% of buyers and 40% of sellers start their home search online. This is a totally misunderstood statistic. It does not tell us where the consumer starts their search online. Do not assume that it is a search engine like google, MSN, AOL, or Yahoo. Do not assume that it is Realtor.com, Zillow, Trulia, Homes.com, or Homefinder.
Understanding how the consumer gets to you is the key to your online success. The great news is that your broker website has an analytics program like Google Analytics that will give you the answer.
The primary goal of your search engine strategy is to drive traffic to your website that results in leads and sales. How you optimize your search engine keyword strategy is predicated on the outcomes related to conversion. Component to understanding lead conversion by keyword is the engagement level that comes from sources like search engines or portals. If traffic from a particular keyword results in high bounce rates (consumers view 1 page and leave your site), low pages per visit, or shorter than average time on site – drop that keyword optimization.
The real truth in online effectiveness for brokers is optimizing around your brand, your agents, and your listings first. Only after you have succeeded should you look for generic keywords like cityname + real estate.
This white paper explores a case study that outlines the truth about search engine optimization for brokers using real broker data as a benchmark for you to aim at. Please download the report with our compliments, and feel free to express your feedback here or via email to Victor Lund at victor@wavgroup.com.
To download this white paper, click here.
