Being in the Business of Real Estate is sometimes frustrating. Not for all the reasons that just may have popped into your head.
It is frustrating to me because I feel that I am to close to the issues. Take for example the issue of Search Engine Optimization or SEO for short. I work hard on a regular basis to push my web sites to the top of the Search Engines via natural organic results.
There is the Rub! I am Not a Buyer nor a Seller of Portland Oregon Property. So I can only take a stab at what might be the keywords that others are typing into their favorite Search Engine.
It might be something a simple as real estate for sale or homes for sale. Or it could be more elaborate and specific like Portland homes for sale, or even more specific such as downtown Portland Oregon Condo's for Sale. Yet how would I know? For all I know the majority of Buyers are Looking for Pickles and somehow stumbled across real estate by accident!
I hope so cause I might have that covered, see The_Pickle . But let's face it I don't have enough money to start buying, creating and maintaining a site for every vegetable.
So perhaps the better way might just be in collaboration? What say you? What search terms do you optimize your site or sites for? Don't have a site you say? Well then what search terms do your friends and relatives use when searching for homes online?
Can you help a brother out? If you share so will I for that is what Activerain was founded on and what causes most of us to continue to SHOW UP AND SHARE !
What are Your Top Terms and With what page Rank?
Homes For Sale Portland Oregon Search Now
Search for Portland Real Estate Portland Oregon Resource Center
So let me get this right, I can get all the Portland Oregon Listings emailed to my home that match my Search Criteria ?
" A Real Estate Transaction with Herb is one YOU will Profit from "
Where Happiness Begins
Herb Hamilton is a Licensed Real Estate Broker in Oregon
Herb, I usually go to compete.com to see what different website's top search words are.
Hi Herb,
There have been lots of discussions here on AR about SEO, but finding them and reading them can be time consuming. My best suggestion is to take some classes on AR University. They are free and the instructor is not only a wizard at blogging and SEO, he is also very knowledgeable about real estate.
Christine
And is that helping you? How are you fairing against your competititon?
I would suggest you read the book titled, "The Long Tail," that came out a few years ago.
It is very frustrating in today's market when we have to work so hard to stay in business. So much of our time, energy and money is spent doing things, that to me, feel like has nothing to do with selling real estate.
Actually, you might want to ask a few of your buyers what they used as a search term. Being from northern Michigan it only seems logical that one of my terms should be Northern Michigan Real Estate. So I use different variations of this, eg. homes in northern Michigan, hunting land in northern Michigan, cabins in northern Michigan. Dang, I thought I was really on to something, then one day a buyer told me he had been searching for real estate up north and was having difficulty finding me. I asked him what was the search term he was using...Up northern property, upper norther land....I would have never realized folks from downstate would ever use the "UP..UPPER..term had I not asked. Now I also use different variations of the up north form. Best of luck. The long and short, ask the buyer. DJ
Debbie,
Perhaps you are the only reader that actually got the post. I wasn't really asking for help or ideas of where to look as most people who have responded seem to think.
I was just hoping to get a dialogue going where many could participate and benefit.
As for you suggestion it is something I have been asking Buyers and Sellers since I started thinking about SEO which was about the same time I joined Activerain ( Early 2007 )
Herb - I suggest back-links with as much variety of keywords relating to your business and your area. For example, Portland real estate for sale, homes for sale,Portland homes for sale, homes for sale in Portland, etc.. The more variety and the more back-links the better!
I think it's amusing when I see the terms people have googled to get to our site. People are searching for longer and longer terms. It isn't just Portland Oregon condos - its Portland Oregon condos Pearl District, Portland Oregon real estate agents specializing in short sales, etc. You've been at this a long time so I bet your SEO is good!
We just wrote a post about this yesterday. You need to use Google's Wonder Wheel, it will take the popular terms and shoot back 6-8 that others who searched that term also searched. Less popular so less competition.
Hope this helps,
I love the AR University and I think that Steven is an amazing instructor. Fairing well against the competition!