Archive for January, 2008
Do-It-Yourself-SEO: Part 6
· CommentsUse this link to see all the posts in this series: Do-It-Yourself SEO.
On-Page Optimization
On-page optimization refers to anything that you do in setting up the pages of your website that will have a positive impact on your ability to rank for specific keywords in the search engines. This discussion will focus on seven key parts to on-page optimization.
1. Page Name – Use the main keyword for the page in the name of the page itself. You have to call the page name something, so you might as well include your keyword phrase in the name of the page. So, if the main keyword for a page is Atlanta real estate, for example, don’t call the page About Atlanta. Call it Atlanta Real Estate.
2. Page Title – The page title is hidden away in the code on each page, but it does appear in several places, and the search engines use it as a critical component in determining what the page is about.
Many search engines will use the page title as the first line in your entry on the Search Engine Result Pages (SERPs). The Title will also show in the “information line” in your browser, and it is the text that is used as the description when someone bookmarks your page.
Think of the page Title as a short marketing statement explaining what the page is about. There are several different theories on how long the Title should be, but you shouldn’t get too hung up on length. A concise description of the page that contains your keyword phrases and is 10-15 words long would work well.
Keep in mind that once you rank in the SERPs, you will want to use the Title to encourage people to click through to your website. Write the Title with the search engines in mind, but make sure it is informative and makes sense to human beings, too.
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NAR’s Real Estate Website Tips
· CommentsIf you’re looking for a place where you can find a lot of information about real estate websites all in one place, consider the collection that NAR has put together on their website.
The page, called Build a Better Web Site, contains links to information on the following topics:
- Getting Started
- Web Site Design
- Web Site Content
- Internet Leads
- Internet Marketing
- Data Security
- Virtual Assistants
There’s also an interesting Before & After review of a website that was redone to be more effective. By the way, is website one word or two??
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Next week, I figure you’ll all be just about recovered from the holidays, and this blog will go back to regular features like Whimsical Wednesday, and the meatier SEO posts.
Here’s Hoping 2008 Brings Health, Wealth and Happiness To Us All!
Do You Change Your Real Estate Marketing Strategy in a Down Market?
If you’re lucky, your market is strong, or you’ve established yourself to the point where variations in the market don’t affect you to a significant extent.
If you’re like most real estate professionals, you do need to respond to a down market by changing your strategy. And, if you’re one of the few who do that successfully, you’ll increase your competitive edge in your marketplace.
A down market is not the time to be doing more of everything. It’s the time to do what you do differently.
How to Plan A Down Market Strategy: Toughen Up!
In a down market, you need to tighten up and toughen up how you do what you do. For example:
- Refer out Buyers and Sellers Who Don’t Meet Your Down Market Criteria
- Don’t waste time with buyers who won’t make a commitment to working with you under a buyer’s agreement, or who won’t (or can’t) get pre-approved.
- Don’t waste time with sellers who want a big fee reduction, or who won’t agree to setting a reasonable price.
- Stay On Top of Market Conditions
- Make sure you’re current on market conditions. Give your buyers and sellers the latest information that will help them make reasonable offers and set reasonable prices.
- Beef Up Your Listing Presentation
- Make sure your listing presentation makes a strong case for your fee, and for the benefits of setting a reasonable price.
- Write Tighter Contracts
- Make it difficult for sellers to turn down your contracts. Arrange for higher deposits and shorter closing times.
If these ideas make sense, be sure to read the article by Walter Sanford that identifies 14 ways to hone your down-market strategy!
Do-It-Yourself-SEO: Part 5
· CommentsUse this link to see all the posts in this series: Do-It-Yourself SEO.
Do-It-Yourself-SEO: Part 5 – Create a Site Map
Now that you have a list of keyword phrases you want to be found for in the search engines, you need to create a site map, or an identification of the pages that will be on your website, and how those pages will relate to one another.
You can use this step to define the navigation for your website, too. Easy navigation is critical to making your website “sticky”, meaning that visitors can easily find what they are looking for and are motivated to stay on your site to look around.
How Many Keyword Phrases Should Go on a Page?
It is really only possible to optimize a page for 1-3 related keyword phrases. Using more keywords will result in a page that is packed with keyword phrases, and that is confusing to both visitors and search engines.
When you think of related keyword phrases, think about things like Atlanta real estate, Atlanta homes for sale, Atlanta homebuyers, etc. The phrases “Atlanta real estate” and “Chicago real estate” are not really related. They both contain the words real estate, but combining widely diverse geographic areas on a page isn’t a good idea.
Create At Least One Page for Each Keyword Phrase
The best way to serve both your visitors and the search engines is to create a page for each keyword phrase. So, if you are focusing on marketing in Atlanta and the Atlanta suburbs of Roswell, Sandy Springs, and Alpharetta, it’s a good idea to create a community profile page for each of those neighborhoods.
One thing to avoid is creating one Community page that contains a brief description of each of your target neighborhoods. This isn’t a good practice because it doesn’t give you an opportunity to provide much information for your visitors, and the search engines won’t know what to do with a page that has so many unrelated keywords in it.
Create Sub-Pages Where Appropriate
Think about the information that your site visitors would find helpful and create pages to address that information.
For example, a buyer might be interested in things to do in a particular area. So, you could create a “things to do” page for each of your geographic targets. Both buyers and sellers might be interested in market conditions in a particular neighborhood. Rather than creating one page called “Market Conditions”, determine if it makes sense to have individual pages called something like Roswell Real Estate Market Conditions. That page would give you the opportunity to provide fresh content by doing monthly updates.
Define the Site’s Navigation
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