The internet has become an important part of the home buyer’s journey.

Did you know that 90% of today’s home buyers start their house search online? Or that Google searches related to real estate have grown by a whopping 253% over the past 4 years? With so many people searching for homes online, realtors who leverage the internet for leads wins.

But, what’s the best way for realtors to generate leads online?

You guessed right. Real estate SEO!

Search engine optimization (SEO) plays a critical role in enabling your real estate business to reach more buyers online. But real estate SEO requires specific tactics that differ slightly from those employed by other businesses. That said, here are a few tips that will help to improve your web rankings.

1. Optimize Your Website for Mobile

Today, more than 20% of all real estate related searches happen on mobile devices.

That means to succeed in the ever-competitive real estate market, your website needs to cater to mobile users. In other words, your website must adapt to the screen size of any device your users are using. Here are the key areas to focus on when optimizing your site for mobile.

• Responsive web design
  
• Page load time
  
• Ease of use
  

On the usability front, a site’s UI/UX is an important ranking metric for Google. If your website doesn’t propagate correctly on mobile devices, Google may penalize you in search rankings because you’re not giving your customers a friendly experience.

So, how do you create a responsive website that’s also SEO-friendly?

One way is to use a website builder. The best real estate website builders allow you to build responsive websites that are optimized for organic search, user experience, and lead conversions. They also offer IDX integration that allows buyers to conduct searches of authorized MLS properties in a given area.

2. Add Your Website to Google My Business and Other Directories

A big part of real estate SEO focuses on local citations.

The more places your website is listed the better. That said, start by adding your site to Google My Business and optimize your local Google My Business page.

This way, when buyers search for a local realtor they will see a map pack featuring different Google My Business pages, yours included. Make sure your profile is complete with up to date info, and spice it up with photos, directions, and relevant content.

In addition to the Google My Business page, you’ll also want to list your business on other relevant directories, such as:

• Realtor.com
  
• Angie’s List
• Yelp
  
• RedFin
  

Because many homebuyers will first read online reviews on these platforms before hiring an agent, having your business listed in as many as possible will not just boost your SEO but also create brand awareness. 

3. Target Local SEO Keywords

Did you know that 46% of searches in Google are local?

The Silicon Valley search Giant operates sophisticated algorithms that focus on local content.

Since nearly all prospective home buyers are using location-based searches to look for properties online, there is a huge opportunity to get traffic from local searches. Start by creating content with local SEO keywords.

Such content contains keywords that are relevant to your business but also include location information. Typical examples of local SEO keywords are: Miami homes for sale, best Miami beach realtors, apartments for rent in Miami, etc. Local SEO keywords not only have less competition but also drive more targeted traffic. 

We hope these tips will help to improve your site’s rankings. Feel free to comment and share!