With constant access to technology, consumers now turn to the Internet for most of their real estate needs. In fact, according to the National Association of REALTORS®, 92 percent of people now use the Internet in their home search. While it’s clear that real estate agents should be taking advantage of online visibility, it can be tricky for agents to position themselves where consumers are searching.
There are a number of ways to make your website and your brand more visible to consumers searching for real estate online. While some of these ways may be complicated, there are simpler solutions to help these consumers find you more easily. Here are three ways to boost your online visibility even if you aren’t a tech guru.
Create Quality Content
Sharing useful, helpful content on your website is one of the best ways to increase your search engine visibility. If you don’t have a real estate blog, consider creating one, as it’s a great way to connect with online clients and build your brand. While we don’t recommend creating pointless posts just to boost your search ranking, blogging with a purpose—writing posts that are actually useful to your clients—can go a long way in directing traffic to your site.
The first step in building quality content is figuring out what kind of audience you want to attract. Without knowing their needs, you won’t be able to craft content that they’ll find useful. Many consumers are looking for content that’s relevant to their situation and answers their questions. So, do you have any tips on fall decorating, re-tiling a bathroom floor or how to start the home-search process? Share the kind of content that sparks the interest of your audience and you’ll be able to position yourself as a real estate expert. Find a niche that works for you and then focus your content around it.
Stay Active on Social
While some agents question the usefulness of social media, more have found that it surpasses the effectiveness of traditional channels. Social media is a vast marketing tool that can boost your online visibility in a big way. Many agents use social to generate local exposure, boost blog traffic, answer real estate questions and, overall, connect with more buyers and sellers.
To use social in the most effective way, just like with your site content, it’s important to create posts that are of value to consumers. While showing off your listings can be beneficial, it shouldn’t make up the entirely of your social strategy. If you’re looking to connect with a more local audience or entice prospective buyers, share fun facts about your neighborhood, including local events, hot spots and more. Also, since video is even more engaging, consider shooting fun a walk-through of one of your listings. Keep in mind that you should also share any blog posts on your social channels, always linking them back to your website.
Advertise in the Right Places
When it comes to real estate, it’s key to position yourself and your brand in front of your target audience. According to NAR, 43 percent of buyers find the home they ultimately end up purchasing on the Internet. Because of this, it’s important that real estate professionals advertise themselves where prospective buyers and sellers are searching. With a targeted digital ad campaign, pros can easily pinpoint a specific local audience with a defined budget to effectively market to the right consumer at the right time.
While there are a number of advertising options, social advertising is an easy place to start. Options such as Facebook Ads give you the ability to target both a specific location as well as key behaviors, such as people who are likely to move. Another targeted advertising solution is Homes.com’s new Local Ads. By providing real estate professionals direct access to engaged consumers in their target city, listings are just one click from Google. Featuring a gigantic banner ad at the top of Homes.com search results, Local Ads is designed to capture active consumers searching for properties in your target city.
After implementing these visibility-boosting tips, keep in mind that the best strategies are the ones that are fully carried out. Increasing your site’s visibility is a process that takes time but, in the end, will be well worth it.
For more information, visit connect.homes.com.
