Whether you’ve seen it in the news or experienced it first-hand working in the industry, you know that real estate is booming. In 2021, the average sale price of a home reached a record high at $408,800 as many millennials entered the market during the pandemic. Within just one year, home prices rose 19.8% – the largest gain on record.
Simultaneously, another trend is emerging – online shopping for homes and real estate agents.
According to the National Association of Realtors, last year 97% of homebuyers searched online for homes at some point in the shopping process, and 43% searched online first, before ever contacting an agent.
For real estate businesses, this means that strong SEO (search engine optimization) is more important than ever. Right now, thousands of people are searching online for homes, as well as buying and selling agents. SEO is the key to being seen by them first.
Back to the Basics: What is SEO?
Search engine optimization, or SEO, is a strategy for improving your site’s rankings in search engine results. When done successfully, it brings your website to the top of search engine results pages (SERP) so that those searching will be likely to visit your website first.
Considering that most home buyers and sellers start their process with an internet search, SEO is an ideal way to get in front of them before your competitors do. And especially when the market is high, there are lots of opportunities for your website to be found. If you’re not convinced yet, here are a few more reasons to focus on your real estate website’s SEO right now.
SEO Keeps You Ahead of the Competition
Strong SEO ensures that your website will be found more easily than your competitors’. For example, the term “houses for sale Denver” is searched in Google more than 6,000 times each month. The websites that show up at the top of the SERP will see a large amount of that traffic, while those that rank lower – on the second page, let’s say – likely won’t see any of it. If you can rank higher than your competitors in search engines, you’ll be set up for long-term success.
SEO is a (Free) Powerful Tool for Attracting Web Traffic
One of the best things about developing an SEO strategy is that it’s free. Sure, there are things you can pay for that might help increase your rankings but, at its core, strong SEO is all about having relevant content on your website. So long as you have a knowledgeable copywriter and web developer on your side, SEO doesn’t have to cost a dime. Another perk: once your website is drawing organic traffic on its own, you won’t have to continue pumping big dollars into digital advertising. It’s a long-term strategy with long-term savings for your business.
SEO Sets You Up For Success When the Market Turns
We’re already signs of the real estate marketing starting to slow, and you don’t want your business to be caught off guard when things cool down. Having strong SEO is key to keeping business afloat when the market isn’t great. Whatever happens with the market, we know that buyers and sellers won’t turn away from searching the internet anytime soon. When you solidify high rankings on search engines, you know you’ll still reach those who are searching, putting your business in the best possible position for success.
Looking for tips on how to improve your real estate website’s SEO? Read our blog, 3 Simple Things You Can Do to Improve Your Website’s SEO.
If you need help prioritizing SEO for your website, you can find it with PRIME. We’ve helped several real estate companies improve their SEO rankings and increase their website traffic an average of 75% each year.
Need more proof? Take a look at our case study: How a brand new real estate firm rose to the top of search engines and became a lead-generating machine.
If you enjoyed this edition of PRIME Pulse, take a look at some of our other related articles:
- Why the Best Real Estate Websites Work
- Why Email Marketing is So Successful in Real Estate
- 30 Real Estate Blog Ideas You Can't Miss
