Real Estate SEO: 12 Strategies To Dominate Your Area

Real Estate SEO: 12 Strategies To Dominate Your Area

Karol Andruszków
10-09-2024
Reading time: 32 minutes
Real estate agent with magnifier looking for real estate property

In case you didn’t realize that yet, nearly all your potential clients are starting their home searches online. Did you know that 99% of millennials—the biggest group of homebuyers—and 90% of baby boomers do exactly that? That's why the real path to capturing the hearts of homebuyers runs through their search engines. Are you ready to uncover the secrets of SEO for real estate to enhance your real estate SEO strategy?

What is real estate SEO?

Screenshot of search results from Google for “homes for sale in Italy”

Search results from Google for “homes for sale in Italy”

SEO for real estate is about optimizing your online presence to be more visible and attractive to search engines. This involves using targeted SEO for real estate listings and implementing a solid property SEO strategy that focuses on the specific terms and questions home buyers are entering into search engines. 

Why is SEO important for real estate agents?

Implementing a real estate SEO strategy ensures that your listings and services reach potential clients precisely when they need them. With local SEO for real estate, your properties appear right at the top when someone searches for “real estate agents near me” or “homes for sale in [your city].” This targeted approach not only boosts your visibility but also significantly increases the likelihood of generating high-quality leads.

 

How to use SEO for real estate? Start by understanding the local market dynamics and preferences, then tailor your content and keywords to match those specific needs and searches. This ensures that your marketing efforts are not just seen but are also relevant and effective.

From listings to leads: 12 real estate SEO tips 

As a real estate professional, you're always looking for ways to edge out the competition and get your listings in front of more eyes. SEO for real estate is your secret weapon. In this part of the article, I’ll show you practical real estate SEO tips and strategies that can turn your content into a lead-generating machine. Let’s explore how to use SEO for real estate to maximize your visibility and sales.

1. Personalized real estate keyword search

Screenshot of real estate keyword research in Ahrefs

Real estate keyword research in Ahrefs

When people search for homes, they type specific terms into search engines like Google. Understanding these terms, or keywords, is the foundation of effective SEO. Using tools like Ahrefs, Semrush, Google Trends, and Google Keywords Planner from Google Ads can help you uncover the keywords that are most relevant and beneficial for your listings. Utilizing autocomplete predictions in search engines is also a savvy way to gauge popular queries.

 

Focus on: 

 

  • Volume: Measures how many times a keyword is searched in a month, helping you understand the potential traffic you could attract.
  • Competition: Indicates how many other websites are targeting the same keyword, guiding you on whether it’s possible to compete for top rankings.
  • Relevancy: Ensures the keywords are closely related to the real estate services you offer, which improves the chances that the traffic driven to your site is from potential clients.
  • Intent: Understanding whether the searcher wants to buy, sell, rent, or simply learn can help tailor your content to meet their needs effectively.

When you input a keyword into Google, take a moment to analyze the search results. Who else is ranking for these keywords? What are they doing that you aren't? This can give you a competitive edge by understanding how saturated the market is and what strategies your competitors are employing.

1.1. Primary keywords

When building the SEO framework, primary keywords are your starting point. These are broad, highly competitive keywords that define the main focus of your entire site or a specific listing. For example, “luxury real estate” might be a primary keyword you want to dominate in your area. These broad terms are essential because they align closely with what a large segment of potential clients will type when starting their property search.

1. 2. Long tail keywords

Moving from broad to specific, long tail keywords are longer phrases that usually consist of three or more words. They're incredibly useful for real estate agents because they cater to a more defined audience with specific needs. For instance, your real estate keywords list might include phrases like “affordable homes for sale in [Your City]” or “luxury condos near downtown [Your City].” These phrases are less competitive but highly targeted, which means they can lead to higher conversion rates as they align closely with precise user intents.

1.3. Location-specific keywords

To capture the attention of potential clients looking in specific areas, location-specific keywords are indispensable. These include geographical markers such as city, state, or region names, which are crucial for appearing in "near me" searches or location-specific queries. Phrases like “real estate agents in [Your City]” or “houses for sale in [Your Neighborhood]” are examples of how you can tailor your real estate SEO strategy to match the exact location your potential clients are interested in.

2. Content creation

Screenshot of content creation in BOWWE through AI Text Generator

Content creation in BOWWE through AI Text Generator

Creating compelling content is fundamental to SEO for real estate. If you want your content to rank well in search engine results, it has to not only be relevant but also engaging and valuable. High-quality content that resonates with your audience and meets search engine algorithms’ criteria tends to secure better rankings. This includes crafting location-specific content that speaks directly to your target market. Include relevant SEO keywords for real estate throughout your articles, listings, and pages to ensure they're discoverable by potential clients.

⚡ BOWWE Growth Hack:

With tools like BOWWE, content creation becomes a breeze. BOWWE's AI Text Generator lets you produce well-crafted texts for your site in seconds, tailored to the specifics of the real estate industry. This tool offers customizable prompts that help you target the exact needs of your audience, making sure every piece of content is optimized for both users and search engines.

2.1. Website copy

The copy on your real estate website, from the headlines to the body text and calls to action, should be meticulously optimized with real estate SEO keywords to maximize search engine visibility. For example, instead of just using "real estate," use more targeted phrases like "luxury homes in [Location]," "affordable [Location] apartments for sale," or "[Location] housing market trends."

 

However, the primary goal is to provide immense value; your content should answer questions and address the needs of your visitors to encourage further engagement. For instance, if you're targeting home buyers in a specific area, include keywords like "buying a home in [Location]" and support the text with valuable information, such as buying tips, market data, and local insights. 

2.2. Listing pages

For real estate listing SEO, incorporating rich media such as images and videos alongside customer reviews can significantly enhance both conversion rates and SEO performance. Each piece of media should include alt text with relevant keywords like "[Property Type] in [Location]" or "[Location] property for sale." Additionally, ensure that the descriptions contain rich, location-specific keywords and detailed information such as the street address, city, and zip code to enhance local search visibility.

 

Ensure each listing is easily accessible with direct links and consider showcasing your most recent properties on your homepage. Keywords like "new homes in [Location]" or "recently listed properties in [Location]" can help draw potential buyers to explore more

2.3. Service pages

Service pages are critical for detailing the services your business offers, and they play a vital role in SEO for real estate agents. These pages should be optimized for local SEO to ensure they effectively reach your intended audience. Use specific service-related keywords and location-based terms like "[Location] real estate agent services," "[Location] property valuation," or "estate management in [Location]."

 

Focus on incorporating these keywords naturally in your content to help potential clients find exactly what they’re looking for quickly and efficiently. For example, instead of a generic description, specify the types of services you offer with phrases like "offer comprehensive property management in [Location]" or "specialize in first-time homebuyer assistance in [Location]." 

2.4. Blog

Screenshot of adding a blog into website in BOWWE Builder

Adding a blog into website in BOWWE Builder

Blogging is an incredibly powerful SEO tool for real estate professionals. It allows you to create fresh, informative content regularly, which is key for driving traffic and improving search rankings. Blogs excel at targeting long-tail keywords and answering the specific queries your potential clients might have. Regular updates not only keep your content relevant but also help to establish your site as an authoritative source, which search engines favor. Blogs can boost your lead growth even by an incredible 165%! Utilize BOWWE's features to easily add and create a blog on your site, enhancing your SEO efforts across multiple languages with just a few clicks.

3. Link building

Link building is a fundamental aspect of off-page SEO and involves acquiring hyperlinks from other websites to your own. These links are seen by search engines as votes of confidence, significantly boosting your site’s domain authority and trustworthiness. It's crucial to focus on building natural, relevant links to avoid penalties from search engines. Alongside external links, don't overlook internal linking—creating hyperlinks within your own site that connect different pages. Effective internal linking not only enhances the user experience but also improves site structure and distributes page authority more evenly across your website, aiding in better SEO performance.

4. Meta description and meta title

Screenshot of adding meta title and meta description in special settings in BOWWE Builder

Adding meta title and meta description in special settings in BOWWE Builder

Meta descriptions and meta titles are vital HTML elements that appear in search engine results pages (SERPs). These elements provide information about website content. A well-crafted, keyword-optimized title and description can significantly impact the visibility of your real estate listings and services. With BOWWE, setting up and optimizing these elements is straightforward—you can manage them easily through post settings without needing to delve into programming or the technical nuances of SEO.

5. Image Alt description

Screenshot of adding ALT image description in special settings in BOWWE Builder 

Adding ALT image description in special settings in BOWWE Builder 

The image alt description, commonly known as alt text, is an HTML attribute that provides a textual representation of an image on your website. This feature is crucial for visually impaired users who rely on screen readers to interpret image content. Additionally, alt text enhances your real estate website's SEO by enabling search engines to index and comprehend the context of your images more effectively.

 

If you have an image of a home for sale in Miami, instead of using a generic alt text like "home," use a more descriptive and keyword-targeted phrase. Alt text such as "Spacious three-bedroom oceanfront condo in Miami Beach" offers detailed information that is both relevant to what the image depicts and useful for real estate SEO.

⚡ BOWWE Growth Hack:

With BOWWE, adding alt text to images is a simple task that can be managed directly in the image widget settings, ensuring your website remains accessible and SEO-friendly.

6. SEO friendly page address (URLs)

URLs function as the online address of your webpage. Ensuring these URLs are simple and keyword-optimized is crucial as it improves both search engine rankings and user click-through rates. For instance, a URL like “www.example.com/luxury-homes-miami” immediately tells both users and search engines what to expect on the page. 

7. Structured data for real estate listings

Screenshot of structured data results for property listings

Structured data results for property listings

Structured data helps search engines better interpret and classify the content on your real estate website, improving how your site appears in search results. By incorporating structured data, like the RealEstateListing schema for your listings, you enhance your SERP display with rich snippets—like ratings, reviews, and images—which can make your listings more appealing and informative to potential clients.

 

Other types of schema, such as event schema for open houses or SingleFamilyResidence schema for detailed property information, ensure that your listings are not only visible but also well-represented in search results. Take a look at the full list of real estate schema markup.

⚡ BOWWE Growth Hack:

By using Rocket SEO module in BOWWE, you can easily integrate structured data for real estate listings into your website without needing to delve into the backend coding.

8. Responsiveness

Currently 76% of homebuyers use mobile or tablet devices for their home search, making responsiveness an essential feature of any real estate website. A responsive website automatically adjusts its layout and content to fit different screen sizes and devices. 

 

BOWWE provides a range of features that support the creation of responsive websites, whether you start from scratch or choose from ready-made templates. This flexibility ensures that no matter the device, your website remains functional and aesthetically pleasing, maximizing your reach and engagement with potential clients.

9. Load time

Search engines like Google prioritize websites that load quickly, considering page speed a crucial factor in their ranking algorithms. Optimizing images, reducing server response time, and minimizing CSS and JavaScript can all contribute to better load times of your real estate website. 

10. SSL

Secure Socket Layer (SSL) certificates are essential for any real estate website handling sensitive data, such as personal information and payment details. Websites equipped with SSL certificates display "https" in their URLs, signaling a secure connection to visitors. This not only protects your users' data but also significantly boosts your website's trustworthiness from both a user and a search engine perspective. 

11. SEO tools

Screenshot of statistics module in BOWWE Builder

Statistics module in BOWWE Builder

To effectively manage and optimize your real estate website's SEO, signing up for SEO tools like Google Search Console, Google Analytics 4, and Google Business is crucial (all these tools are free!). These SEO tools offer a wealth of insights into how your site is performing in search engines, including traffic patterns, user behavior, and potential indexing issues. Such insights enable you to fine-tune your real estate SEO strategy continuously. 

Particularly for local SEO, Google Business is essential. It places your business in the Local Pack, a prominent block of business listings that appear above traditional search results for queries like “real estate agents near me,” making it a must-have for any real estate professional looking to capture local market attention.

BOWWE offers a powerful statistics module that provides the most up-to-date and accurate information about your BOWWE website! Check the number of visits, from which countries you have the most visitors and at what times, compare any periods!

12. Indexing

Indexing is the backbone of SEO; it's how search engines store and retrieve your website content for displaying in search results. Ensuring that your real estate website is properly indexed by search engines like Google is critical for visibility. You can facilitate this by submitting your sitemap to Google Search Console or using the direct ping method by entering the URL in the format “https://www.google.com/ping?sitemap=FULL_URL_OF_SITEMAP” in the search bar of Google. This ensures that all your pages are recognized and can be ranked appropriately when users search for relevant real estate keywords.

SEO for real estate agents - summary

In this article, we've explored a variety of strategies and tips that real estate agents can use to boost their real estate SEO and improve their online visibility. Here's a quick recap of the key steps:

 

  • Keyword Optimization: Identify and utilize both broad and long-tail keywords relevant to your market and offerings.
  • Content Creation: Produce high-quality, relevant content that addresses the needs and interests of your target audience.
  • On-Page SEO: Optimize your website’s meta tags, URLs, and content with targeted SEO practices.
  • Local SEO: Enhance your visibility in local search results through Google Business Profiles and localized content.
  • Link Building: Establish a robust backlink profile and implement effective internal linking to strengthen your site’s authority.
  • Mobile Responsiveness and Load Time: Ensure your website is responsive on all devices and loads quickly to improve user experience and SEO.
  • Use of SEO Tools: Leverage tools like Google Search Console and Google Analytics to monitor your site’s performance and make data-driven improvements.
  • Structured Data: Implement structured data to provide search engines with more information about your site’s content, enhancing visibility in search results.

 

By implementing these real estate SEO strategies and continuously optimizing your approach, you can significantly increase your visibility and attract more qualified leads. Remember, effective real estate search engine optimization is an ongoing process that requires attention and adaptation to the new real estate trends!

Search engine optimization real estate - FAQ

Article by
Karol Andruszków

Karol is a serial entrepreneur, e-commerce speaker m.in for the World Bank, and founder of 3 startups, as part of which he has advised several hundred companies. He was also responsible for projects of the largest financial institutions in Europe, with the smallest project being worth over €50 million.

 

He has two master's degrees, one in Computer Science and the other in Marketing Management, obtained during his studies in Poland and Portugal. He gained experience in Silicon Valley and while running companies in many countries, including Poland, Portugal, the United States, and Great Britain. For over ten years, he has been helping startups, financial institutions, small and medium-sized enterprises to improve their functioning through digitization.

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