I just read a post at Active Rain by Roberta Kayne. She pointed out an issue that I’ve never really thought about.
It’s about something that is so much a part of the industry, but it can be deadly to your clients’ children.
Take a look. Add to your Seller’s To Do list!!
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If you’re not a member of Active Rain, you may not be able to access the post(s) mentioned above. So sign up for Active Rain now. If you’re not a member of Active Rain, you should be anyway.
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This guest post was contributed by Alex Cortez.
Alex is a REALTOR® specializing in Maui’s Wailea Real Estate.
Yahoo Site Explorer is Gone – What Are the Alternatives?
For many tech-savvy agents, SEO plays a huge part of business/lead generation. And with search engines placing a large weight on incoming links, a large majority of agents used Yahoo Site Explorer (YSE) for competitor link analysis and assessment.
Its beauty was the simplicity of providing raw data, which could then be extrapolated as needed. Used in conjunction with toolbars from SeoQuake or SEOmoz to maximize relevant data, it made the analysis fast and easy, at least comparatively.
However, with YSE permanently shutting down in its transition to Bing Webmaster Tools (for the time being, only information on a verified webmaster’s site is available), it has left many SEO’s and internet marketers looking for alternatives to Yahoo Site Explorer – particularly any options that are free of charge. In the past month, I’ve spent time using a few services and these are my opinions regarding what worked best:
1. OpenSiteExplorer – Free Trial
Rand Fishkin et al at SEOMoz are some of the industry leaders, and OSE lives up to its mighty expectations.
Data is broken down summarily, such as Title and Url of linking page, Anchor Text, Page Authority (which some argue is a better metric than PageRank when gauging a page’s value/trust), Domain Authority, and nofollow attribute.
However, the free version is limited to only to the top five incoming links analyzed and unlimited data comes at a price: 30 day free trial and $99 monthly thereafter.
Is it worth it? Sure, but only to those who spend time/energy in linkbuilding and planning link strategies, not for the weekend link builder. As data can be seen on the SEOmoz toolbar, it makes quick analysis while perusing sites extremely easy and efficient.
2. LinkDiagnosis – Free
A well known figure in the SEO world suggested that I give this a try and it’s clear why. The sheer amount of information is staggering. From linking url, to landing page, to anchor text, to PR of linking url, to number of outbound links, to Page and Domain Authority, and other data, LinkDiagnosis it is comprehensive and thorough.
However, the amount of time necessary for reports to be completed puts it in a category of its own: Run only when a deep analysis of a competitor is needed, not for a quick look under the hood.
3. Backlink Watch – Free
Once upon a time, I used it often until I realized how useful and efficient Yahoo Site Explorer was. But with the demise of YSE, it was time to try Backlink Watch again.
Information provided includes the linking url, anchor text, number of outbound links from the linking page, Page Rank, and any flags (i.e. nofollow attribute).
However, there are two critical aspects that will keep me away from Backlink Watch in the foreseeable future: 1) from a quick perusal it seems that at least some of the data is inaccurate (i.e. anchor text) and 2) it takes a significant amount of time to run a report.
4. Blekko – Free
Blekko is a search engine, and signing up for a free account is required in order to access SEO information. Upon searching a url on Blekko, there is a ‘SEO’ link below each individual result, which provides a fair amount of information – including inbound links, crawl data, and duplicate content.
Link information is broken down by State and Country of origin, linking domain (not specific url though), number of links from the linking domain, and host rank. Upon clicking on the number of links from a specific linking domain, the results show the linking page, the anchor text, and the landing page.
Although not the most efficient of set ups, the sheer amount of information is worth the time and effort.
5. Majestic SEO (Limited Free Access)
Long known as one of the premier SEO tools for serious professionals, this massive database provides a mountain of information in a very user-friendly format.
Information can be from the Historic Index or the Fresh Index (from the past 30 days). It breaks down links by number of linking domains, referring IP addresses, total external backlinks (further broken down by images, nofollow, redirects), top backlinks with anchor text, and top pages.
Paid subscriptions start at £29.99 but with the amount of information provided, there are a number of ways in which to interpret and maximize data for individual link-building objectives.
Consequently, although Yahoo Site Explorer was a perennial favorite among the SEO community and without a clear-cut successor taking its place (at least thus far), it is just a matter of time before one of the many aspirants solidify their position as the next SEO linkbuilding tool of choice.
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I wanted to wish everyone a Happy New Year,
but didn’t have anything to post that I thought said it all.
This video does.
Take a few minutes to watch the whole thing.
I think you’ll feel energized into making 2012 the best year yet!
The Holidays – 2011
By ·
I was going to change the greeting for the holiday season this year, but I couldn’t think of any sentiments that would be more meaningful than those above.
I’m taking time off from the blog this week, and probably next unless someone asks a question, or I get truly inspired.
Thanks for a Great Year
We’ve worked with a mix of clients this year. Some were first-time clients, others we’ve known for years. To all our clients, thank you for keeping us busy this year. We’re looking forward to assisting more of you next year!
Don’t Forget Our Troops This Year
Some of my traditional sites to direct you to seem to have disappeared this year. So, I’ll encourage you to visit the website called SoldiersAngels.org. I’m always a bit skeptical about sites I don’t know well, but I felt pretty good after seeing that they are sponsored by companies like Microsoft, Girl Scouts and BoyScouts of America and Dunkin’ Donuts, among a long list of other sponsors.
You can adopt a soldier, write letters to troops who may not get any mail otherwise, ship birthday cakes to deployed troops, and the list goes on.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU ALL!
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This guest post was contributed by Pavel Webb, the affiliate manager at TextMagic,
a bulk SMS software company based in United Kingdom.
There is something irresistible about receiving an SMS text message. We tend to treat our phones as a member of the family (and sometimes better than we treat our family members!).
Research shows that over 95% of text messages are opened by their recipients. So, as a method of connecting with clients, property owners and leads, it’s got to be the medium of choice.
Here are four ways you can use SMS messages to build your business and connect with your clientèle.
1. Owner notifications
You know the scenario. You have a potential buyer who wants to view a property but you can’t seem to reach the property owners to check that a time is suitable – sometimes for days!
By sending an SMS text message, you can be sure that apart from being (rarely) out of range, your property owner will get the message. The response can be easier to get too, as the owner doesn’t need to talk to you to confirm. A simple SMS response is all that’s needed.
Telling property owners that you use SMS to manage these kinds of details and that you’ll send out a reminder before the appointed time is great customer service and makes property owners feel like they are more involved in what is happening.
2. Get instant requests from online searchers
You are out often and it’s not always possible or convenient to receive email notifications from the online property services.
You could set SMS notifications for when online users request more information via property portals. SMS text messages can reach your phone even when voice might not be available. Plus, it’s more discreet to check your messages than answer the phone.
Best of all, you’ll be able to follow-up faster, often while the lead is still engaged in the viewing and searching process.
3. Fast follow-up for hot leads
By gathering the mobile numbers of your leads, you’ll be able to follow-up for a quick ‘thank you’ and include your contact information and v-card.
Making yourself reachable via SMS text message shows your lead that you’re open to multiple methods of contact; something that mobile users report valuing in their relationships with businesses.
4. Reminders and service messages
These kinds of SMS messages are the most welcomed of all by the end-customer. Acting as a service message, you can remind renters when it’s time to pay for the rent or their utilities.
Crafted as a polite reminder, you’re able to get the message to your renter without having to ‘trouble’ them with a phone call, potentially saving you and your landlord much hassle later on.
SMS use by businesses is on the rise, and savvy agents can benefit from the personal touch that mobile text messaging services offer.
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