Kerry Dimmer
What are people looking for online when it comes to their property searches?
What sort of questions are they asking and want answers to?
What are the words that are most frequently used by search engines?
These are the types of questions your real estate business should ask… that is if you want to attract a larger audience to your website or social media pages. Yes, it’s all about SEO (Search Engine Optimisation), and maximising the potential to drive traffic to your stable.
In some cases, you might consider paying an external professional company to optimise your content to achieve high rankings. They’ll focus on valuable keywords aimed specifically at your target demographic to ensure your website is ranked as high as possible on, ideally, the first page of search engines like Google, Bing, or Yahoo.
What you should understand about SEO keywords is that they fluctuate over time. This means that depending on trending patterns and even economic, political, and financial events, you need to revisit and update any SEO strategies you have regularly, at least every three months, say the SEO experts. This does not mean that you necessarily need to change your messages, but rather the terms and words used in your content.
What are the most frequent property queries online?
A number of resources claim that the most frequently asked questions online about property, or variations on these, include:
- Is now a good time to sell or buy?
- What is my property worth?
- How do I ready my house for sale?
- How long will it take to sell?
- How long does it take to transfer a property?
- What if a bank rejects my home loan application?
- Who pays the agent’s commission?
- How much deposit do I need?
- What if my offer on a property is rejected?
Whilst these are considered ‘evergreen’ questions, different market conditions and demographics dictate the response. This means that while you might be using SEO keywords that will highlight your website or social media posts that have responses, if your content does not provide keywords and phrases that the demographic you are hoping to reach either uses or understands, you are, in effect, trying to play cricket with a basketball… you may not be able to hit that ball into the crowd.
According to development software company Xara, 97% of homebuyers use the internet to look for a property. Xara also says that hashtags (#) are just as important because they can drive a bigger audience to your website.
Let’s look at the different keywords and phrases associated with different aspects of buying and selling property, most of which are timeless:
Buyers, including first-time buyers:
- home for sale;
- how to buy a home;
- new homes for sale;
- property for sale;
- cheap (affordable) houses for sale;
- how do I apply for a home loan;
- best real estate agents in my area;
- how much deposit do I need;
- is it better to rent than to buy;
- how long does it take to buy a house;
- how do I work out how much house I can afford to buy;
- what questions should I ask when viewing a house; how to choose the right neighbourhood;
- do I qualify for a housing subsidy.
Sellers:
- how do I sell a home/sectional title/flat/apartment;
- how to market my property;
- do I use an agent or sell myself;
- who is the best agent in (area)…; how to negotiate an offer;
- how much commission should I pay the agent;
- preparing my home for sale;
- home improvement tips; should I paint my house; how do I get a valuation;
- what are the costs involved in selling my house
Agent leads
If you want to attract buyers and sellers, use the following phrases:
- contact a real estate agent (name),
- your local agent,
- free home valuations,
- a guide to selling/buying,
- exclusive listings,
- neighbourhood property expert
How to determine your SEO words/phrases
One free way is to use Google. Type in a search and keep an eye on the results. For example, if you Google ‘real estate agents near me,’ you will also note there is a section called ‘People also ask’, which informs you of the most frequently asked questions similar to your original question. This is one of the most helpful tools, as you can then design specific content that will answer those frequently asked questions.
Also, at the bottom of each so-called search page is a section, ‘People also search for’, which bolds keywords used in that specific search engine.
Another free service is available via Chrome, where you can use Keyword Surfer. This tool allows you to estimate search volume on a keyword and the cost per click on your advertising/marketing campaigns.
You can also pay for a service that will track your keyword use, monitor it over time, and identify new phrases or words to optimise traffic to your posts.
Agent advice
Using keywords and frequently used phrases is not a once-off. By identifying new trends and opportunities early, you will attract users to your content before the market becomes diluted with the same information from competitors.
It is important to understand that keywords and phrases must be supported by good-quality content that is valuable for your audience. According to Time Magazine, an average online reader spends only 15 seconds on a specific page of a website; it stands; therefore, that verbosity or waffle will lose interest. The average reading speed is 200-250 words a minute, so you need to ensure your main message is up front and, where possible, keywords and phrases should be featured in headlines and/or introductions.
