Real Estate SEO: 10 Tips to Improve Your Website’s Ranking

If you need to build or maintain a strong online presence as a real estate agent, real estate SEO is the secret weapon you need to unleash. SEO stands for ‘search engine optimization’, which means optimising your website to rise up the Google rankings. Good SEO strategies and techniques will successfully put your site on the first page of Google for the local search terms you want potential clients to find you with. This is an awesome position for your real estate business to be in, especially considering the number of searches on Google grows every day!

SEO for Real Estate Benefits

Whatever industry you’re in, the more visibility the better. You want as many eyes as possible on your brand, and having your website on the front page of Google is going to do exactly that. Real estate is a highly competitive industry, with fierce competition whether you’re a local agent or a big corporate agency. You need to stand out in the crowded real estate market. Search engine optimization will help you do that!

If you invest in real estate SEO as part of your digital marketing strategy, there are a whole bunch of benefits that’ll come your way. Here are a few of them:

Better Visibility 

Property buyers and sellers who search for real estate terms related to your area – who do you want them to see first? You or your real estate agency of course. With strong SEO practices, your website will rank higher on search engine results pages (SERPs). More potential clients will see your site, you’ll get more traffic and more leads. SEO as a lead generation tool is extremely effective.

Targeted Traffic 

SEO helps you attract visitors who are genuinely interested in your services. By optimizing for specific keywords, you’ll draw in potential buyers and sellers actively seeking the real estate expertise you can offer them. Because they’re already interested in what you can offer, converting them into an actual client becomes easier. 

Credibility and Trust

Higher search engine rankings will give your business a credibility boost. People trust websites appearing on the first page of Google results more than those buried on page ten. When you optimize your real estate agent website, you help optimize your legitimacy in the industry! 

Cost-Effective Marketing

Compared to traditional advertising, SEO is a cost-effective way to boost your real estate business. You’ll reach a broader audience without breaking the bank, making it a smart investment for your real estate business. It’s an enduring investment too, because unlike online adverts, the search engine results won’t suddenly disappear if you pause your SEO campaign. 

Improved User Experience

If someone clicks on your real estate website, you want them to have a seamless, enjoyable experience in which their search questions are answered. When you optimise your site for SEO, it’s got way more chance of providing this. It’ll load quickly, be mobile-friendly and have valuable content that humans want to read.

The above points should give you an idea of why real estate SEO strategies are so important. Now that we’ve established that, let’s dive into some SEO tips that will help you improve your real estate website. Let’s get into the nitty-gritty! Here’s step one:

Ten Real Estate SEO Tips to Optimize Your Website

1. Keyword Research 

A. Understanding the Target Audience

The first step in real estate search engine optimization should be getting a good understanding of your target audience. Who are your potential clients? What are they looking for? What keywords or phrases do they use when searching for real estate services? Knowing your audience will help you tailor your real estate content to their needs.

B. Identifying Relevant Keywords and Phrases

Keyword research is the cornerstone of any successful strategy for real estate websites. You’ll want to identify keywords and phrases that are relevant to your real estate business. These can include location-specific terms, property types, and industry-specific jargon. Using the right SEO tool, like Google Keyword Planner, SEMrush or Ahrefs can be invaluable for finding the right keywords to target.

C. Utilizing Keyword Research Tools

A good keyword research tool will provide data on search volume, competition, and keyword variations. These SEO tools will help you identify the low-hanging fruit when it comes to the real estate niche, so you can zone in on high-traffic, low keyword difficulty terms that will start bringing visitors to your website. 

2. On-Page SEO Optimization

A. Optimizing Page Titles and Meta Descriptions

Page titles and meta descriptions are the first things people see when your website appears in search results. you want these to be able to convert search engine browsers into users of your website. Optimized page titles and meta descriptions that are keyword-rich and engaging will improve the click-through rates to your website. 

B. Creating Compelling and Unique Content

“Content is King” when it comes to SEO for real estate agents, as you’ve probably been told many times. The reason you keep hearing it is because it’s true – high-quality content is one of the keys to a real estate website’s visibility. Don’t resort to mass-produced and wishy-washy AI content – create personal, engaging and informative blogs, property descriptions and articles that your readers will learn from and enjoy. 

C. Structuring Content with Headers and Subheaders

Using headers (H1, H2, H3, etc.) and subheaders within your content makes it more readable and organized, helping search engines understand the hierarchy of your content. Google enjoys structure, and so do your readers! 

D. Incorporating Relevant Keywords Throughout the Content 

Remember those real estate SEO keywords you researched? Now it’s time to use them naturally within your content. Avoid ‘keyword stuffing’, which is the random and excessive placement of the keywords on your page in an unnatural manner. This will negatively affect your real estate site rankings.  

E. Optimizing Images with Alt Tags

Your real estate listings give you a lot of smart-looking imagery to use on your website. You can optimize these by including descriptive alt-tags, which improve your SEO and enhance accessibility for those using screen readers. 

3. Local SEO Optimization

A. Registering Your Business on Google My Business

Google My Business, or GMB, is essential in your local SEO tactics. GMB is a free tool from Google that gives you a business listing on Google Maps and in Google results. It should be part of the digital marketing best practices you observe. 

B. Optimizing Your Google My Business Profile

Fill out your Google My Business profile completely and accurately. Include your business hours, contact information, photos, and a detailed description of your services. Local clients looking for a local real estate service will then be presented with your information. Not only can you get more online traffic, it also boosts foot traffic to your agency.

C. Collecting and Responding to Online Reviews

There is a review function on GMB, which you can use to encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews on your profile. When they do, be sure to respond to both positive and negative reviews professionally and promptly. This shows your client experiences are important to you and your agency. 

D. Optimizing Website for Local Keywords

Local keywords should be a cornerstone of your SEO strategy for real estate. Say you’re based in Coorparoo, Brisbane. You want to include phrases like “best Coorparoo real estate agent” or “Coorparoo real estate” so that you can rank for local search. Your keyword research will help you identify the best local real estate keywords to use. 

4. Building High-Quality Backlinks for Real Estate SEO

A. Identifying Authoritative Websites in the Real Estate Industry

Backlinks are part of your off-page SEO, which are your SEO endeavours not related to your actual website structure and content.

A backlink is a link to any page on your website from another website. The more authoritative the website, the more powerful the backlink! Building backlinks involves outreach to websites that might be interested in linking to your content. 

B. Guest Posting on Relevant Blogs

Guest posting on industry-related blogs is an effective way to earn backlinks. You write an informative article that gets posted on the blog of another website, and in return they include a link back to your website. This link is either in your author bio or within the content.

C. Building Relationships with Other Local Businesses

Networking with other local businesses can lead to mutually beneficial partnerships. Consider cross-promotions, co-hosted events, or simply asking for backlinks if your services complement each other. Remember that backlinks from your website are also attractive to other websites out there. Use this to leverage your networking efforts. 

D. Creating Valuable Content to Attract Backlinks

High-quality, informative, and shareable content naturally attracts backlinks. If your content is valuable to your audience, you’ll find other websites are more inclined to link to it. 

5. User Experience Optimization and Technical SEO

A. Ensuring Fast Loading Times 

Internet users have short attention spans these days! A technical SEO expert will get your website speed lightning fast. Slow websites get people to log off fast. Improve your loading times by compressing images, using fast hosting and minimising unnecessary scripts. 

B. Making Website Mobile-Friendly

A large portion of the users logging onto your website will do it through a mobile phone. Google now prioritises mobile-friendly websites, so it’s essential to have one if you want to rise up the rankings. 

C. Improving Website Navigation

A well-organized website with clear navigation helps users find what they’re looking for quickly. It keeps visitors engaged and reduces your ‘bounce rate,’ which is the number of users who leave your site after looking at just one page. A lower bounce rate is more favourable to Google. 

D. Increasing Website Accessibility 

Web accessibility ensures that all users, including those with disabilities, can access and navigate your website. As well as being ethically important, this ensures you don’t alienate certain sectors of your audience. If everyone has equal access to and use of your website, it’s going to do better by Google. 

6. Social Media Integration

A. Creating Social Media Profiles

Establish a presence on popular social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram. LinkedIn is also an important one for real estate agents. Use your profiles to position yourself as a knowledge leader in the industry, as well as to share updates about properties, industry news, and to engage with your audience.

B. Sharing Blog Articles on Social Media

Published a new real estate blog post or article? Share it on your social media profiles! It’s always good to keep fresh content flowing onto your socials, plus it will drive traffic to your website and increase your online visibility. 

C. Engaging with Followers and Responding to Comments

Social media isn’t a one-way street. Show your followers you care about them by responding to comments and answering questions. Engaging with your audience creates trust and familiarity. 

D. Utilizing Social Media Advertising

Paid social media advertising can be an effective way to reach a broader audience. It can help you get traction on a blog post or real estate listing. You can also hone in on the exact target market you service, increasing your chances of attracting the right clients. 

7. Generating Local Citations

A. Listing Your Business on Local Directories

Local citations are online mentions of your business on various directories and websites. Ensure your business is listed on relevant local directories like Yellow Pages and True Local. It can take a bit of time setting up your directory listings, but it helps create a larger digital footprint for your brand. 

B. Ensuring Consistent NAP (Name, Address, Phone Number) Information

Consistency is key when it comes to NAP information! This can be a tricky one to stay on top of because most businesses move around in their lifetime. Make sure your business name, address, and phone number are the same across all online platforms, and updated if you move or change anything. Inconsistencies can confuse search engines and affect your local SEO.

C. Optimizing Citations with Keywords and Business Descriptions

When you create or update your business listings, include relevant keywords in your business descriptions. Your business will be categorized correctly and you’ll be using this tool for real estate SEO effectively. 

8. Utilizing Schema Markup

A. Adding Structured Data to Your Website

Schema markup, also known as structured data, is a code you add to your website to help search engines understand the content better. This can result in rich snippets in search results, which helps your site stand out and portrays you as a thought leader in the industry. 

B. Enhancing Search Engine Visibility

Schema markup provides additional context to search engines and improves your website’s visibility online. For example, it can help highlight property details like price, square footage, and the number of bedrooms and bathrooms.

9. Monitoring and Analyzing SEO Performance

A. Utilizing Tools Like Google Analytics and Google Search Console

To track your SEO leads and progress, you need to use tools like Google Analytics. GA provides powerful insights into your website’s performance, including visitor demographics, traffic sources, and more. It helps you understand your audience better, and see which pieces of content are doing well and which aren’t. Google Search Console helps you with information on how Google is indexing and serving your website. It’s handy in identifying issues in the ‘crawlability’ of your site. 

B. Tracking Keyword Rankings

As time goes on, you’ll want to keep an eye on how your keywords are performing. Tools like SEMrush and Moz can help you track their rankings and assess whether your SEO efforts are paying off. this gives you an understanding of what you’re doing right, and in what areas you need to ‘up your game’! 

 C. Making Data-Driven Optimizations

Based on the data you gather from SEO tools like Google Analytics, Ahrefs and SEMRush, you can make informed decisions to optimize your website further. This is all part of the real estate ranking process! Whether it’s updating content, refining keywords, or making improvements to user experience, you’ll have the data on hand to make the right decision and monitor its effects. 

10. Keep Persisting with It

A. SEO is a Long-Term Process

SEO isn’t a one-and-done deal; it’s an ongoing process. Google makes regular changes to its algorithm, which you need to be aware of and adapt to. Your competitors are also on their SEO journey, so you need to evolve to stay ahead of them. Keep at it and keep learning, and you’ll see long-term benefits! Alternatively, there are real estate SEO experts out there who can guide you. 

Implementing the above steps might seem overwhelming, but don’t be discouraged. Start with one or two and gradually work your way up. It’s worth the effort, as SEO for real estate websites can significantly impact your success in the industry. 

Lets Talk SEO for Real Estate Agents

Real estate SEO is a powerful tool for modern real estate professionals. By following the ten steps outlined in this SEO guide, you’ll start seeing a definite improvement in your search engine results.

If you’re looking for the best real estate SEO advice, The Real Estate Writer is here for you. We’d love to see your beautifully optimized website soar like an eagle on Google!

Get in touch today and let’s start with an SEO audit on your website. Then we can begin to put all these real estate SEO tips into practice for you.