The digital marketing landscape constantly evolves with new algorithms, technologies, and consumer behaviors emerging each year. As a real estate business, it is crucial to have an effective SEO strategy that will help you adapt and stay relevant in this rapidly changing environment. In this article, we will dive into the key elements of developing an SEO plan by 2024 that will keep your real estate listings high in search results.
SMART Goals Set
Before starting your SEO activities, the first step is to set clearly defined and measurable goals. Your goals should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound (SMART). For example, instead of the goal «increase organic traffic», set a goal like «increase monthly organic traffic by 30% by December 2024». Setting SMART goals helps ensure your SEO efforts are focused and you can track progress over time.
On-page Optimization
On-page optimization refers to tweaking the elements within your website to make it more user-friendly for search engines like Google. Some on-page factors to focus on for your real estate website include:
- Content: Write at least 1500 words of fresh, readable content for each property listing page that is optimized with target keywords. High-quality, unique content is still king for search engines.
- Site Speed: Page speed is an important ranking factor. Optimize images, reduce page size, and eliminate redirects to ensure your property pages load in under 2 seconds.
- Mobile Friendliness: Ensure your site is responsive and looks good on mobile as more users search on smartphones. Get a mobile-friendly test.
- URL Structure: Use search engine-optimized URLs with property details like location, price, etc. for better usability and crawling.
- Heading Tags: Properly structure your content with H1, and H2 tags and include targeted keywords.
- Internal Linking: Optimally link important sections and listing pages to help search engines understand site architecture.
Off-page Optimization
While on-page factors depend solely on your website, off-page optimization involves activities outside your website that can help boost your search rankings. Some effective off-page tactics include:
- Guest Posting: Publish quality, original content on other high-authority real estate blogs and websites in your area.
- Local Citations: Claim and verify your business listing details across important local directories like Google My Business, Bing Places, etc.
- YouTube Videos: Create useful real estate marketing videos and optimize them for search on YouTube.
- Social Signals: Engage customers by posting consistently on social media and build shareable real estate content.
- Backlinks: Get quality backlinks from other domains pointing to your important property and category pages. Avoid low-quality links.
Technological Changes
Your SEO plan needs to evolve with emerging technological changes in the industry. Some upcoming trends to be aware of include:
- Voice Search: Optimize your on-page content, and listings for conversational searches on voice assistants.
- Stories Format: Leverage social media stories/Instagram post formats to boost engagement of property videos and photos.
- Chatbots: Look into developing a basic chatbot for 24/7 property listing access on messenger platforms.
- AR/VR: Adopt augmented and virtual reality experiences to help customers virtually tour properties.
Monitoring and Reporting
The last crucial part of your SEO plan is to closely track and analyze the results of your optimization efforts. Use Google Search Console, Analytics, and other tools to:
- Monitor keyword rankings and traffic changes monthly.
- Identify best / worst performing pages quarterly.
- Audit links and technical issues annually.
- Compile comprehensive reports for stakeholders biannually.
Make data-driven decisions and adjustments regularly based on monitoring to maximize ROI from your SEO investments over time. Outsource the technical implementation to proven SEO companies in India as needed.
FAQs:
How long does it typically take to see results from SEO?
A. Most SEO experts recommend budgeting at least 6 months to see meaningful results as search engines take time to recognize changes. You should see some minor improvements within 3 months if optimizing properly.
Is SEO helpful for both local and national real estate businesses?
A. Yes, SEO can benefit both. Local SEO helps target customers searching within your area, while national can drive leads throughout your country. Focus SEO efforts on your location primarily.
What is the average monthly budget for real estate SEO?
A. Budget can vary greatly based on business size and goals. On average, expect to invest 50,000-2,00,000 per month for a small independent brokerage, 4,00,000+ for medium size, and 5,00,000+ monthly budget for large national brands. Outsourcing is recommended.
In conclusion, developing an effective SEO strategy requires both technical expertise as well as an understanding of consumer behaviors and market changes. By focusing on optimizing both on-page and off-page elements, setting measurable goals and closely tracking results, real estate businesses can develop a winning SEO plan to dominate local search results and drive qualified customers online through 2024 and beyond. Outsourcing SEO to an experienced digital marketing agency is key to success.