Back to Search Engine Marketing
Did Inktomi Google Your Spider?
If you're a sophisticated search engine specialist, you know exactly what Inktomi, Google, and spiders are all about. If you're like me, however, your eyes glaze over when someone mentions search engines. All I want is for people to be able to find me on the web - my job is to be in front of clients making personal connections and closing deals.
Like it or not, search engines are a fact of life when it comes to marketing real estate in the 21st Century. Perhaps you've been told you have to be proficient at using metatags, you need to optimize your website for search engine placement, or you need to build your "link popularity." Bottom line - like title, inspections, and mortgage, the search engine industry has become so complex Realtors must now rely on industry experts to handle this critical aspect of their marketing. Furthermore, the days of "free" are over. Great placement on Google or any other search engine takes time and money. So the real question is what can you do as an agent to enhance your web placement, build more traffic, and convert that traffic into solid leads without having to become a full time computer nerd? Here's how to do it.
Get smart about branding.
If you brand with your name, strangers simply won't be able to find you. When you select a brand for your business (and this applies to both traditional and web marketing), your brand should say what you do, where you do it, and with whom you do it. Because people are constantly bombarded with names from television, products, and people they meet daily, few people are good at remembering names. In contrast, people are much more likely to remember geographical areas, a specific niche to which they belong, or a specific function. Some examples include BrentwoodCondominiums.com; homes4LAteachers.com, or AustinProbateBuyers.com. Creating a brand that doubles as a dot-com address is extremely smart since your print advertising can be used to drive website traffic.
Hire the best search engine specialist you can find.
When it comes to making this important decision, there are several important criteria to consider. First, you need a company you trust, preferably one that specializes in the real estate industry and has a proven record of supporting thousands of agent websites. Second, be skeptical of anyone who makes lots of promises and is unwilling to put those promises in writing. Finally, avoid companies who spam you about their web placement services or promise to put you on thousands of search engines - they'll place you on search engines no one visits. Don't waste your money.
Be willing to invest in "pay-per-click" sites such as "Overture" or be a "sponsor" at Google.com.
Agents don't bat an eyelash at paying for newspaper advertising, yet few see the wisdom of getting a "great location" on the web. The challenge here is that there are currently over 8,000,000 websites indexed under the term real estate on Google. The top positions go to Yahoo, MSN, the New York Times, etc. How can you compete? The same way you do in the newspaper - pay for placement, especially if you're in a large metropolitan area. This is where you truly need a specialist who understands all the intricacies of balancing what you're charged "per click" (i.e. these sites charge you a set fee for each person who clicks on your site) and which phrases you should bid on (i.e. web marketers bid for position based upon phrases visitors use in their search).
Great search engine placement takes time and effort.
Even with "pay-per-click," great placement requires an on-going effort. Just as you would monitor ads in the paper to see which ones are most effective, you should work hand-in-hand with your search engine specialist to determine which phrases are yielding the best results.
Ask your search engine specialist how to create a web ring.
This is a wonderful strategy and is something that is simple to do. Here's how it works - when you meet an agent who is not a geographical competitor, trade links. In other words, you provide a page with a link to their site and they provide a link to your site. This builds what is known as "link popularity" and will help you have higher placement.
Know how to convert your web leads into sales.
Did you know that over half the people who have websites don't even bother to respond to email inquiries from their site? It does no good to have a website that produces great traffic and you either fail to follow up or lack a strategy to convert your leads into closed business.
Remember, great placement takes time, money, and an industry pro to achieve results. It's your job to follow-up and convert those leads into closed transactions.
To contact Bernice Ross please email her at bernice@realestatecoach.com
