Your Real Estate Roster is Losing without a Link Builder in the Lineup

The Internet provides the perfect stage for businesses to communicate and connect with current and potential customers and clients. And we are all grateful for this virtual gift. Over the years, continuous digital advancements, trends in technology, mobile applications, and consumer behavior, have resulted in a heavy shift towards online advertising and marketing across all industries, including real estate.

Somewhat to our dismay, search engine optimization was born some time ago, and has become undeniably important. Not only is SEO a critical component of any well-rounded online marketing strategy, but it is far from static, much like real estate market.

Basically, SEO practices that used to be recommended are no longer relevant. In some cases, these “old” tactics can actually do more harm than good, so the folks that refuse to grasp just how significant search engine optimization is, will end up paying for it in the long run. Any savvy competitor worth their salt these days stays current with SEO trends and updates, regardless of how frustrating it is.

If You Build Links, Will They Come?

One of the most important, but often misunderstood, SEO tools at your disposal is link building. Keep in mind, however, that how you build these links matters much more than whether or not you even do it. The delivery method can make or break your search engine results rankings.

Link building is not a new SEO technique, but the methods and demands have changed dramatically in the past few years. Ultimately, the goal of link building is to obtain back links to your site from various online sources – directories, websites, blogs, social media platforms, etc. In the beginning, before updated algorithms galore, getting these back links was relatively, dare I say – “easy”. But times have changed my wise web-based friends.

Google, the alpha of online search, no longer cares about how many live links point back to your site. They care about the quality of those links, just as potential home buyers are concerned with the quality of their future house. Quality has always been a big deal in regards to SEO, but now it’s an all-encompassing driving force behind every Google update.

The fact that Google has become more regulatory of links on the Internet is actually good for legitimate businesses because it weeds out the surplus of spammers. Granted, link building is the type of SEO activity that requires a considerable amount of attention and patience, but when done properly, the results are certainly worthwhile for real estate efforts.

Just as with any other advertising method, link building cannot be mastered over night. It requires a significant amount of research, planning, and – a designated link builder on your team. Due to the attention that link building requires, the responsibility of this role belongs to one, if not more, individuals, depending on the size of your real estate agency, investments and property development business, or luxury custom home building company. Do not drop the load of link building on the plate of a current team member and expect all-star results. You will be sadly disappointed.

A successful link building strategy realizes the value in having a solid link builder on board, and is based on the following:

• Blog Like a Boss – An onsite or off site blog is basically an essential component of any business domain. It provides a branded platform for publishing new and reader-friendly content, which is what Google likes to see. Once you have a company website blog, for goodness sakes don’t let it become a bore. Even if your niche is bland, you’ve got to keep the content fresh and frequent. This is your chance to really connect with consumers or clients in a “casual Friday” setting so have some fun with it and don't be anti-social!

• Please with Pics – The pictures and videos that you post online can add some serious strength to your SEO power. Quality, relevance, tagging, embedding, and descriptions must be utilized when posting on and off site content. Honestly, the more images, the better! People eat with their eyes first, and guess what – they also shop with their eyes first.

• Guest Post Host – The key to a successful guest posting campaign is to identify quality websites and blogs that pertain to the real estate niche, and then provide quality content, preferably in exchange for a backlink to your company site. Keep in mind, however, there are some cases where a guest post is still worth it even without a link. Nobody can interact in the online community like your link builder can. Connections equal credibility, and that attracts your clientele.

• Write it Right – The emphasis on consistent, relevant, well-written, and user-friendly content just continues to increase, and it’s certainly not going back in the other direction. This means you must publish quality content on and off site on a regular basis. Invest in the writing aspect of your SEO strategy. It’s not cheap, but it’s worth it. You reap what you sow, and publishing subpar articles on the web is a waste of time. Content production is a full-time gig that belongs in house because who understands your business better than one of your own?