How do I boost my website SEO (search engine optimization)? This is one of the top questions we get from our website clients.
Achieving and maintaining SEO can
be a complicated concept which easily overwhelms considering the many
misconceptions floating around, promises by SEO-upping services, supposed
algorithms, not to mention the ever-changing world of search engines themselves.
We tend to focus on the most common, simple
ways to organically boost position on the internet for small businesses and
real estate professionals.
No arithmetic. No thousands of
dollars. Simply proven methods that, if practiced consistently, place your site
near the top and keep it there naturally, with the added benefit of providing
your site visitors and potential clients with quality content.
Website Content Prevails
- Include rich content, tools, resources and information that provides your visitors something of value.
- Keep your website information and message UP TO DATE. Is something important going on? Have a great success story to share? Is your team reaching out in the community in a special way? – ANNOUNCE IT ALL. Not just for the sake of staying fresh, but also because search engines prefer active websites. Plus, this is a way to create a relationship with your audience, by including them in the goings-on of your business.
- Incorporate your most common search terms frequently and throughout the entire website. Don’t lose sight of your main message.
- Watch for wordiness. Today’s website cruisers want relevant information—quickly. Use visuals, videos and short lines of copy (think bullet points, brief paragraphs, bold headlines, separators, etc.).
- Pretty pictures, while interesting to the eye, only go so far. Add visuals that are of value to a visitor, not just because they look good.
- Google will favor you when you link with their products. Consider incorporating YouTube videos, preferably those that pertain to your specialty, ones that are self-created and those created by your corporate umbrella.
- Incorporate your BLOG. Blogs contain rich content that is free, easy to update and can be fed automatically into your website. Blogger (a Google product) and WordPress can be easily incorporated into websites. “Vlogging” (video blogging) is also an effective tool for those who want to get in some face time or convey a graphics-heavy message.
- Collaborate with other sites. Reach out to partner or resource websites for your industry or area. Ask them to consider linking to your site; and do the same for them. Outside links validate your website to search engines and serve for great networking. Just REMEMBER to give visitors a reason to return to your site; and make sure the partner site opens in a new browser window.
- Include links to your SOCIAL MEDIA accounts.
- Make sure your links are active. Broken links do not look good to visitors, nor search engine crawlers.
Treat Your Website as Your Business Partner
- Say “good morning.” Set your website as the default site that comes up each time you open your Internet browser. This way you can keep tabs on how it’s looking, and it will serve as a reminder to update content.
- NAMEDROP. Put your website URL on EVERYTHING you send out to potential or existing clients: business cards, email signatures, mailings, referral cards, newsletters, social media accounts, bio/resume, etc.
- Make your website your assistant. Are you always answering the same question? Are you frequently forwarding the same brochure or informational piece out? Save yourself time by putting it on your website!!! Simply forward people to your site to obtain the needed information. The more visits you receive, the higher your site climbs the SEO ranks.
- Create a lead generator to capture interested visitors. Some examples are: newsletter signup, property value inquiry, financial analysis scenario, exclusive market research, etc. Visitors receive the info; you capture their contact information as a new lead. Win-win!
- Your relationship with your website needs nurturing, just like any other. FEED YOUR WEBSITE fresh content. A caveat to this is that you can, and sometimes should, hire an assistant to work that relationship for you!
Does this require some work? Yes.
Will you see yourself at the top
overnight? No.
But, by supplying your web
presence with fresh, relevant information and by considering your site an
essential member of your team, you will yield results. Remember, your website should
carry its share of the workload by providing information to a large audience
while you are busy working deals, networking and the providing the great
customer service that only you can.
Websites offered by CRE Tech, Inc., are
designed with SEO in mind. If you’re in the market for a website built
specifically for commercial real estate agents with industry best practices for
upping SEO, contact us
today to request a free demo.
