The latest research of the 2017 local search ranking factors revealed that on-page signals are having a huge impact on local search results. This is great news because luckily, you have full control over your on-page SEO and so can make sure it does its best to make your website visible online. In this post, we’ll take a look at how to write better real estate SEO title tags to boost rankings and traffic.
2017 local search ranking factors
In one of our recent posts, we shared great research by Darren Shaw on what it takes a local business to rank high today. Here’s a quick recap just in case you missed it:
Source: Local Search Ranking Factors 2017
Whether you aim to rank in the local snack pack or local organic results, on-page signals are essential for both. These signals include many factors, for example, title tags, meta descriptions, image alt tags, NAP, etc.
Today, let’s focus on the title tag.
Why are title tags important?
A title tag is a short text displayed in search results and as the title of a browser tab. You may already know that title tags are part of the metadata search engines use to determine if your website is relevant to a specific search (and, if yes, rank it higher). So for one thing, this tag is essential for achieving higher rankings.
A good title tag can increase your click-through rate and deliver you more traffic. This, in turn, will boost your rankings. High click-through rate is yet another factor signaling that a website contains helpful, relevant content which people want to read and deserves to be ranked higher.
All of this means you should always take a few minutes to craft a 70-character long title that will be relevant and interesting enough to make people click. Let’s take a look at a few tricks to do just that.
P.S. Extra points if you remember to craft a compelling meta description too. While this is a ranking factor, it can also boost your click-through rate.
5 ways to write better real estate SEO title tags and boost traffic
1. Use dates
A date is a perfect opportunity to claim that your content is fresh and relevant. For example, a query like “best neighborhoods in Toronto 2017” brings up a wealth of new content and people actually care to read it because it’s something very recent and relevant.
This kind of content would be a good match for every real estate blog. The sooner you publish it, the bigger your odds of ranking high for the query containing the date and getting loads of traffic.
You can also look at data from previous years in the Google Keyword Planner or any other keyword tool you’re using to see search patterns.
2. Use numbers
Numbers make real estate SEO titles more memorable. People like specific information because it’s easier to remember, especially in a screaming digital landscape. Numbers in title tags can also secure you higher click-through rates and more traffic to your site. Here’s a good example of how numbers can be used:
So nothing complicated at all, but see how the title instantly sounds more interesting and compels someone to click through to the site? By the way, listicles (i.e, content structured as lists) are the most popular type of content online.
3. Go for fewer characters
Today, the optimal length of real estate SEO title tags should vary between 50 to 60 characters. Shorter titles tend to perform better, although too short ones won’t do much good. So simply “Toronto real estate” is way too short but a 90-character title won’t do either.
Try to find a sweet spot and keep it at 50-60 characters. If your website has lots of content with long titles, consider shortening them. Evidence shows that this leads to an increase in rankings and traffic.
Remember not to waste precious space on repeating your company name (that’s one area where the title from the above screenshot could do better). The URL already displays it so you can use some important keywords instead.
4. Ask a question
Questions ignite curiosity so, again, it can secure you lots of clicks and traffic which could bring more leads and higher SEO rankings. Questions also fit into search patterns nicely. Increasingly, we don’t just type keywords in search but ask direct questions and expect search engines to return direct answers.
So a post titled “what is a dual agency in real estate” is an excellent example of how you can use questions in real estate SEO title tags.
5. Include a call to action
“Download a neighborhood guide”, “Register for a free property evaluation”, “Watch a video walkthrough of the neighborhood” among others can encourage people to click through to your site and take action. If that page gets to rank in search results, your click-through rate will instantly increase because verbs do prompt people to take the next step.
What’s next?
Real estate SEO title tags directly impact your rankings, traffic and the number of online leads you get each month, so it’s important to get these right. Start by going through your existing website and then plan what you could add next.
