How doe SEO work for estate agents?

SEO stands for Search Engine Optimisation. When someone is looking for an estate agent they are likely to search using major key phrases, including ‘estate agents London’, for example. The Search Engine Results Pages (or SERPs for short) will then return what they feel are the most relevant websites to help with the search query.

It’s our job then to enhance a website, through both the internal code and the content, to help Google understand that you are one of the most relevant companies for this search term. There are over 200 factors Google will consider when ranking a page and they don’t often tell you what they are!

SEO keywords for estate agents

So what keywords should you use as an estate agent? We have sophisticated tools which help us understand which search keywords or phrases are used most. This applies for both in your local city and across the whole of the UK.  We also have 8 years experience in discovering  which golden search terms help estate agencies most – And it’s not always the ones you would think of first!

On-page and off-page SEO

To gain good rankings with SEO, we need to conduct both on-page and off-page work. 

On-page is the process of altering and adding content to suit the relevant search terms. This could be using technical details, such as changing headings, adding internal links or improving page speed. We may also create new pages based on advice or services.

Off-page SEO involves gaining ‘backlinks’ and ‘citations’ from other websites. Backlinks are links from external websites and Google thinks of these as referrals. Imagine if you asked your friend for advice on who to use to sell a property. They would recommend someone and a link from another website is treated in the same way by Google.

Citations are other areas of the internet which list your company name, address, phone number, website and contact details. If Google detects that you are using the same contact information across the internet then this builds trust in your brand.

Google My Business

We always advise estate agent clients to optimise their Google My Business listing too. This is the map listing which often appears at the top of a local search in a pack of three.

From experience, as much as 40% of new leads can come from a GMB listing. 

Our best advice to estate agents with a branch is to fill every field out using the Google My Business Manager. Also ask for positive reviews from all clients to help build trust in your brand.

If you are not already in the top three when searching for a local estate agent then we have advanced techniques which should boost your ranking.

What do you achieve using SEO?

For estate agents, the main thing we work to achieve using SEO is new leads. Most agencies want valuation leads, landlord leads and mortgage leads. We also take this a step further by attempting to generate buyer and renter leads to ensure you keep vendors and landlords happy.

What about Pay Per Click (PPC)?

We usually conduct PPC campaigns at the same time as providing SEO services. PPC provides more instant results but requires a monthly budget which is paid to Google. 

This means the Cost Per Acquisition (CPA) is much higher per lead.

Top SEO tips for estate agents

So what are our top tips for estate agents who want to use SEO to gain new leads? 

Create good content

Content is key with SEO. Gone are the days where you could stuff a web page with keywords and see it jump to the top of the search results. These days you need to write good and relevant content which helps satisfy search intent.

Gain new links and citations

Ensure all relevant social media pages have links back to your website. You could also ask for links from companies you work with such as removal firms or solicitors. Be careful though, don’t do too many ‘link exchanges’. This is when you offer a link in return for a link from them. Google can see this happening and won’t give as much relevance to your backlink as you would like.

Optimise older content

Don’t just let your old content sit and go stale. Ensure it is up to date and relevant. You will be surprised that if you add new and relevant content then you may boost your rankings on older pages. It also tells Google (and potential new clients) that you know your industry well if you are providing new information on a particular service or advice article.

Hire Vertex!

As mentioned, Google use over 200 factors to rank a website. SEO can take years to learn and the environment is constantly changing. Google bring out new algorithm updates usually once every few months and this can alter the SERPs completely. 

With everything going on in an estate agency every day it is often easy to forget about optimising your website. You’ll also need to take the time to learn what changes in the latest updates.

Our prices are extremely competitive and we know exactly how the property industry works. So why not talk to us today to see how we can help you?

Contact us here