I am continually amazed by the fact that people who have real estate websites,  those who help people build real estate websites, and people who do SEO for a living, all seem to have a limitless capacity for arguing over what should be done to get websites ranked well in search engine results.

I think it’s important to keep in mind that in the world of SEO (search engine optimization), there is no concensus.  It reminds me of the parable about the blind men who wanted to “see” an elephant.  Here’s the short version:

The Blind Men Describe an Elephant

• The first blind man felt the elephant’s broad side and said: “The elephant is very much like a wall”
• The Second felt the elephant’s trunk and said: “The elephant is very much like a spear”
• The Third touched the elephant’s trunk and said: “The elephant is very much like a snake”
• The Fourth reached out to the elephant’s knee and said: “The elephant is very much like a tree”
• The Fifth felt the elephant’s ear and said “The elephant is very much like a fan”
• The Sixth grasped the elephant’s tail and said: “The elephant is very much like a rope”

You’ll find a very similar situation in SEO discussions.  There are some things that  – I don’t think I even dare say everyone – almost everyone agrees on.

But, everyone involved also forms their opinions or theories based on their own experience.  Some people say you must blog.  In my experience, that’s not true, by the way.  Other people say linking is key, and the list goes on.

I think that each person touches a different part of the SEO equation, just like the blind men with the elephant, and latches on to something that worked for them.  Then, many of those people decide that the technique they latched on to is the final answer.  The silver bullet that is going to shoot everyone who follows along to the #1 spot on Google for their keyword phrases.

Keep in mind that it just ain’t so.

This whole problem stems from the fact that the search engines themselves carefully guard their algorithms for ranking sites.  In the absence of clear direction, we all run about trying to make sense of the SEO universe.

So, the next time you see SEO experts arguing, or you read someone’s rant about blogging being the only way to have a successful Internet presence, take ALL of it with a grain of salt.

As a whole, real estate websites are notoriously ill-prepared to be ranked on the search engines.  There’s a lot of opportunity out there to drive traffic to your website by being found on the search engines.

Whether you’re doing your own SEO or hiring someone to do it for you, do your due diligence.  Evaluate the advice you get and do what makes sense to you, or hire a company you trust.

Remember, once you’ve achieved ranking and have traffic to your site, the next thing you’ll need to concentrate on is turning traffic into leads.

So, don’t expend all your energy on the SEO wars!!!

Learn more about real estate website SEO and link building.