Leveraging your research every step of the way through some sort of blog-type site element is the best free way to optimize a site without the constant outflow of cash. For example, Gary Lucido, president of Lucid Realty, started blogging for ChicagoNow.com, which not only promotes his company, but also helps with SEO.
“Blogging is probably the best thing I do for SEO,” he says. “I also spent quite a bit of time learning the basics of SEO. There are a ton of technical details you have to get right and you have to know your keywords. There are so many moving parts that you can’t separate out the effect of any one initiative. You have to do lots of things right. The individual agent could never do what it takes: you have to be pretty knowledgeable about Web pages and the Internet, and also have plenty of time to work on this. I have yet to meet an agent that can do either of those. It’s a long-term process and the results are ongoing. It’s not like you are ever going to see a step function of improvement.”
But agents don’t often have time for this part of SEO, let alone the other basics of SEO: inbound links (where your site links to other parts of your site), outbound links (other sources and websites link to your website), and images and videos on your site with alt and meta tags filled out. This is why agents might be inclined to invest in SEM, or PPC ads. But those aren’t an easy out either, meaning those won’t get results any faster, necessarily, just because you’re paying for them.
“Plug in all the search terms you know into Google Adwords to see how much you’ll have to pay and go from there,” Hata says. “Does that dollar amount fit in your budget? Are you prepared to commit to it? It’s always best to plan on organic SEO, and think of PPC as an add-on to supplement your site or marketing campaign.”
Lucido says he never saw any benefit from investing in pay-per-click, and getting those paid clicks weren’t easier than optimizing his site the old-fashioned way. “You really need to know how to optimize the pay-per-click program, or you will be penalized by Google,” he says.
“Agents have to be wary of competing for large search terms – think ‘Chicago homes for sale’ – as that will be an expensive bidding war to get into,” Haran says. “Besides local brokerages, you will also have to fight against national competitors. If you have your own site, see what traffic is coming in naturally. Track the keywords people are using to find your site and focus on those. Specialize in targeting.
The more specific the term, the more focused the traffic you will get, and the more cost-effective your budget will remain.”
The best way to have a clear focus on optimizing your site? Think of your website as a real estate media outlet for clients. This kills three birds with one stone, according to Hata: done consistently, your site is a potential SEO machine, a great hub for an SEM/PPC campaign and a great resource for clients.