The real estate industry is very competitive, especially in large cities.From sole proprietors trying to make ends meet to huge national conglomerates, everyone is trying their best to increase their profile and get those lists. It’s lucky for you that you don’t have to compete with hundreds of thousands of other real estate agents online. You only compete with others in the same hyperlocal area since the area you service is hyperlocal. Of course, depending on location, competition can be fiercer, even among small businesses. But using local SEO gives you a shot. By using real estate SEO strategy, you will improve your business and will get results after a maximum of three month. So, without thinking apply for real estate SEO services.
Below are 5 tips to improve your real estate website so it can dominate local searches.
Start with an SEO audit
Before you can figure out where you are going, you need to figure out where you are.
While it can take a long time to complete an audit, it serves as a guide to your progress and gives you the information you need to create a roadmap.
- Is your site in local rankings?
- Are you getting organic traffic?
- Are you generating leads or converting customers?
If the answer to any of these questions is no, then there is a reason. An SEO audit can help you figure this out.
Key areas to focus on include:
- Site structure: XML sitemap, robots.txt, redirects.
- Page structure: headings, meta descriptions, heading tags, alt tags, urls.
- Content: structure, keyword and link placement, visuals, duplicates, redirects, and canonical tags.
- Links: outbound and inbound links, interconnection with other pages on your site, broken links.
- Usability: Accessibility, Mobile Usability, Site Speed.
Use Google Analytics to see which pages need the most attention and use Gotechogle Search Console to find issues that need fixing. There you will also find the Mobile-Friendly Test Tool and PageSpeed Insights Tool. If you need help keeping track of everything you need to do in an audit, take a look at this SEO audit checklist created by Search Engine Journal.
Optimization for search
With the results of the audit in hand, make a plan for solving each of the problems.
It is best to take a systematic approach so you don’t miss out on anything. After you fix the problem areas, look for other ways to improve your overall optimization.
Focus on:
- Keyword Research and Analysis
- SEO friendly URLs
- Optimizing titles and meta descriptions
- Image optimization
- Correct placement of outbound and internal links
- Broken links
- Redirects
- Optimizing site speed, content, CTR and Bounce Rate
- Scheme
- txt
- XML sitemap
- SSL certificate
- W3C validation
Make sure your site is accessible
Everyone, regardless of disability, deserves easy access to the Internet.
Screen readers help visually impaired people, but if a website isn’t designed for accessibility, the user experience suffers.
Key guidelines for ADA compliance include:
- Any media players or PDFs must include a link to where the required software can be downloaded.
- Users should be notified of any incorrect information entered. For example, if a form requires an email address and the user cannot enter it, they should be alerted.
- The look of a website isn’t just about color.
- Buttons and links are clearly labeled.
- Implement a “skip navigation” feature so that users can easily access content.
- All images must contain alt text for screen readers to read.
- Video content must have text captions.
- Audio and video content requires transcription or description.
- Any sound being played can be stopped immediately.
- Page titles must describe the content of the page and not mislead users.
- Users are advised of any time restrictions.
- There are no empty links or title tags on the site.
- “Em” and “strong” are used instead of the “b” and “i” tags.
- The headings are arranged in a logical order.
- Users can navigate the site with their keyboards.
- Each page has a language code in the title to determine the language in which the code is written and in which to read.
- Forms have labels and legends that are readable by a screen reader.
- Any automatic blinking, blinking or scrolling can be disabled.
- No stroboscopic effects, fast flashing animation or color.
- Any interactive elements do not materially affect the layout or readability of the page.
- Any keyboard focus should not be fixed on any specific element.
- The site passes the W3C HTML validator test with flying colors.
You must also ensure the following to be fully ADA compliant:
- There are several ways to access site pages.
- When the window is resized to 200%, the text should stay in shape without affecting the page layout or usability.
- The order and presentation of menus and buttons must remain consistent throughout the site.
- Text subtitles are required for any live audio or video material.
- Pictures do not replace functions that can be performed using text.
- Only links are underlined.
- Redundant links on the same page are removed, or at least shortened.
- The keyboard focus should be clearly visible and clear.
- If the user encounters any typing errors, suggestions for resolving them are offered.
- The contrast ratio between background elements and readable elements must be at least 4: 5: 1.
- If the site uses multiple languages, the languages must be specified in the code of each page.
Optimized for mobile. Optimized for mobile
More than half of the world’s internet traffic (52%) comes from mobile devices.
This means that if you want to keep Google and your potential customers happy, your website needs to run smoothly on smartphones and tablets. Responsive design automatically adjusts your site to the screen of any device, which is extremely important for usability. Faster page loading speeds are important because if visitors have to wait too long, they are more likely to return to the search results to find a more user-friendly site.
Submit your site to Google My Business and other relevant directories
Much of local SEO focuses on local citations. The more places where you have your site with the same name, address and phone number, the better.Start with Google My Business and update your profile regularly.Complete as much of the profile as possible.
This can help you rank higher in local Google searches and increase the chances that you will rank better than sites like Zillow and Trulia, but be sure to sign up for them too.