Search engine optimization, or On-Page SEO, can help real estate agencies reach their audiences organically. SEO is what places websites on the first page of Google’s search, a coveted spot considering few internet users ever move on to the second page.
But with Google having changed their search layout to give precedence to ads over organic links, SEO has become harder than ever. You really need to put effort into monitoring your website performance in general, and as a bonus, you will see ROI in the form of SEO results.
For real estate agencies that don’t have the budgets or capacity to pay for year-round advertising, on-page SEO needs to be prioritized.
But what is the process for ensuring that the SEO for your real estate website is done right? Here are some tips.
Page Loading Speed Affects On-Page SEO
Did you know that page speed could affect how well your website ranks on Google? When someone visits your website but that page loads too slowly, the visitor will be more tempted to close the tab or go back.
And Google will notice when people aren’t staying on your page for more than a few seconds. The more quickly people leave your site (known as a bounce rate), the more likely it is that Google will deem your site less worthy of a high ranking.
Measure your page speed using online tools and compare it to websites that are ranking well on Google. If your page speed is good, then that’s a great start.
However, if your speed is slow, you need to begin investigating. Some of the reasons why your page might be loading slower than normal maybe because of heavy content.
Are the images you are uploading to your site too large? Check the dimensions and ensure that they are web-optimized and compressed before uploading to your site.
When your page loads quickly, people will stay on your page longer and your Google ranking will increase.
Use Keywords Judiciously
SEO is strongly tied to the kind of keywords you use. Keywords are search terms people enter into search engines to find content. If you use the right keywords in the right way, your content will be easy to find.
You need to do start by doing local keyword research. Decide what keywords you want to rank for and make a list.
Then create your content according to those keywords. You have to use your keywords in a few key areas if you want to rank on Google.
- Heading – Your keyword must feature in your H1 heading (generally your title). Try and ensure that your keyword is as close to the beginning of the title as possible.
- URL – Your page URL or link should include your keyword or keywords. If the keywords are in the title, they should automatically reflect in the URL.
- Subheadings – Your keyword should also appear in some of your subheadings, particularly in the first subheading.
- Body copy – Your keyword should appear in the text of your article a few times, but not too much—between 1-2% of your text. If you add the keywords too often, Google will think you are using keyword stuffing methods and decrease your rank.
- Image file names – Your images should also feature your keyword because of Google’s image indexing. Include your keyword in the image file name before you upload images to your site.
- Alt tags – Another area where keywords are important is in the alt tags of the images you upload. The alt tag is read by Google and will help your page rank higher.
When using keywords in your pages, use synonyms instead of the same word several times—for instance, use ‘home’ and ‘house’.
Keyword research can take time but by using your keywords correctly, you will be able to rank higher on Google.
Add Links
You need to think about your linking strategy if you want to improve SEO. There are three types of links you need to work on:
- Internal Links
- Outbound Links
- Backlinks
Internal Links
Internal links are links from within your website. Every page or blog post should include between 3-5 links to relevant pages on your website. These links should also be placed on keywords that those pages are ranking for.
By incorporating internal links, you give readers incentive to read more of your content, but also improve chances of your pages and posts being indexed on search engines.
Outbound Links
Though outbound links or external links take readers away from your site, they still help with SEO. By linking to high-quality external sites, you signal to Google that your content is related to those sites and, as a result, you deserve a higher ranking. As an example, you could use the link term PPC Agency Toronto if focused on paid marketing.
Backlinks
Getting backlinks to your site, a process also known as link-building is a strategy that can immensely help the SEO of your real estate website. When you create great content (or guest posts), high-quality websites will want to link to your content.
But backlinks can often be hard to get organically. Focus on reaching out to adjacent real estate websites and offer them promotional opportunities for linking to you in order to get backlinks. There is an article based on the analysis of studies at T Rank, that shows buying backlinks isn’t as dangerous as many reputable sources claim.
Incorporate Visuals
Visuals are great for increasing engagement, which indirectly helps to improve your SEO. Visuals entice website visitors to remain on your page longer. We’ve spoken about how page speed affects bounce rates, and strong visuals reduce bounce rates even further.
A single image can improve engagement on your page, so including relevant images whenever you can, is a crucial exercise. For instance, you can use banner templates to create attractive featured images for your blog post.
Videos can increase engagement a great deal, but creating videos can be a challenge. There are, however, a number of video companies that can create excellent video content for you.
A few images can make a massive difference to how well your content engages with audiences, which will boost your SEO and your Google ranking.
On-Page SEO Closing Thoughts
Boosting the On-Page SEO for your real estate website can be a tough ask but if done right, it can positively impact your rankings on Google and how easily your audience finds your website.
Start by ensuring that your pages load quickly, and optimize the keywords you use to ensure that people can find you when they search.
Work on a linking strategy for internal, external, and backlinks, and finally, incorporate visuals, either images or videos, that will boost your engagement rate.
With these key points taken care of, you will be able to create SEO-friendly content that will see your page rankings slowly but steadily improves.
