RealtyBizNews - Real Estate Marketing and Beyond
Real Estate Marketing & Beyond
Home » Marketing Insider » Real Estate Marketing » SEO » Most Realtors Struggle to Master SEO

Most Realtors Struggle to Master SEO

By Mike Wheatley | November 24, 2014

There’s sales-lead gold in website search-engine optimization, but most real estate agents have no effective way to mine it.

That was the most telling discovery from a recent survey that asked 342 North American real-estate agents and brokers if -- and how -- they used search engine optimization, also called SEO, to uncover sales prospects.

origin_3431433137

photo credit: Paloma Gómez via photopin cc

The survey was conducted last month by WebsiteBox, the technology firm that offers do-it-all real estate websites for a $99 one-time fee.

“We already know that search is the number-one traffic driver to real-estate websites – and that search is way more important than social media,” said Peyman Aleagha, WebsiteBox CEO. “So, if 90 percent of prospective home buyers search online, and three-quarters of those buyers never click past the first page of search results, then it’s crucial to make sure your website shows up at the top of those results.”

Big Three: Keywords, Coding and Content

Survey respondents – who were all WebsiteBox customers and real estate professionals – indicated they have a basic understanding of what SEO means: encouraging search engines like Google and Bing to direct interested property buyers to their business websites and sales listings. In fact, 83 percent said they believed SEO to be the most important source of online sales-lead generation.
The WebsiteBox survey results suggested that most realtors are making an effort to comply with best SEO practices: relevant keywords, compelling content, and sound website coding. More than half of the respondents said they already use keyword research, and 35 percent said they employ website meta-tags and backlinks. A respectable 45 percent said they are blogging and posting content that buyers would find useful.

For all their effort, few respondents (4.9 percent) said they generated referrals through SEO. The problem may be that the agents are using the wrong tools. Indeed, 69 percent of the WebsiteBox survey respondents said the tools they have don’t seem to get the SEO job done.

Agents Lack Time, Money, Expertise for SEO

Could it be that they don’t have the budget to spend on professional SEO tools? Currently, the majority of respondents (80 percent) spend less than $500 per year on SEO tools, and 85 percent use SEO tools and tactics less than 10 hours per month.

Aleagha pointed out that 75 percent of survey respondents said they don’t know how to create content that encouraged SEO. And few would feel comfortable hiring an SEO expert: 75 percent said they want to manage SEO themselves.

“Let’s face it,” Aleagha said, “Most real estate agents aren’t SEO experts. They don’t write code. They don’t know how to find viable keywords, and they don’t blog. So, they drum up leads the old-school way, and miss out on the gold.”

Aleagha said the survey helped WebsiteBox product developers create easy-to-use, low-cost SEO add-on tools that integrate seamlessly with WebsiteBox websites. The company recently introduced an SEO app that offers WebsiteBox users SEO keyword, coding and content help.

WebsiteBox has presented an infographic with its findings that can be seen here.

Mike Wheatley is the senior editor at Realty Biz News. Got a real estate related news article you wish to share, contact Mike at [email protected].
  • 3 comments on “Most Realtors Struggle to Master SEO”

    1. Yes, many do not actually click past the first page of search results and so, competition among many businesses worldwide is becoming tighter than ever. Well, this is a constant struggle that we must all work on.

    2. Realtors do not have to invest a large chunk of their finances into SEO. Hiring a professional SEO firm that will implement an effective strategy will help produce organic search results for your business while staying at an affordable price. SEO can be a tricky thing. It seems to be a live entity that is always changing, growing and contradicting itself at times. I would highly suggest finding SEO experts that will focus their efforts in helping you create a strong local presence. It will take time but there are many benefits that are worth your time and efforts.

    3. And you know what they say: "once on the internet, stays on the internet".
      If a person is interested in what they see on your Facebook page,
      it's crucial that they have your contact information to learn more.
      I mean, you can get a commission check anywhere, and even of you don't think this could happen; your company could
      shut down in a heartbeat and leave you stranded.

  • Sign up to Realty Biz Buzz
    Get Digital Marketing Training
    right to your inbox
    All Contents © Copyright RealtyBizNews · All Rights Reserved. 2016-2024
    Website Designed by Swaydesign.
    linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram