The tried-and-true way to create a website seems to be hiring a professional SEO (search engine optimization) consultant. That consultant will ensure your site has the right keywords in the right places and that articles from other sources are cross-posted to your blog. This approach is for the long game.
What does that mean? Well, it means that it’s effective if you have had a website for a long time (months or years), but it isn’t going to show a lot of results immediately. There is also a variety of factors that affect this approach, including what keywords you are trying to go after and in what area.
For instance, “San Diego real estate” is highly sought-after, and it will take longer for your efforts to show good results.
So what’s new with SEO? Mobile SEO is becoming more and more important. The reason isn’t surprising; according to NAR, 50 percent of homebuyers used a mobile website or application in the homebuying process last year.
This new demand is great news for agents who haven’t invested in long-game SEO. Mobile SEO is a different animal, and there are plenty of ways to increase your visibility on potential clients’ smartphones.
Here’s a list of recent innovations made by Google — and tips on how real estate agents can take advantage of them:
1. Google has started to show live tweets in mobile search results.
Anyone tweeting out content with trending hashtags has the possibility of being featured by Google.
If you already have a Twitter account, make sure you are keeping your brand visible by tweeting relevant thoughts about trending topics. This might be as a tremendously unorthodox way to attract leads, but you’re not reading this article because you want to be like everyone else, right?
2. Google has started to favor mobile-optimized websites.
When a homebuyer looks up your website on their smartphone, it will rank higher in search results if your Web page is mobile-friendly.
Responsive website designs are pretty common these days, but if your site was created more than a few years ago, it might be time for an upgrade.
3. Google has started to index mobile apps so they show up in search results.
If you’re an agent who has taken your brand mobile, this means that you will be getting more downloads of your app.
This indexing will allow people searching for relevant content to stumble across your app in mobile search results. This technical achievement will also help real estate agents who have their own apps stand out.
These developments by Google are just the first in what is inevitably going to be a mobile revolution, with every homebuyer holding a smartphone.
Kevin Hopp is the vice president of customer success at Dizzle.
