1. Technical SEO

Analysis of technical factors that effects rankings.

Code Efficiency

When we optimize the content of your real estate website, it produces better ranking on Google and other search engines when the website code is minimized.  Google more readily understands the semantic meaning of a page when there is less code.

Page Speed

Page speed is often confused with “site speed,” which is actually the page speed for a sample of page views on a site. Page speed can be described in either “page load time” (the time it takes to fully display the content on a specific page) or “time to first byte” (how long it takes for your browser to receive the first byte of information from the webserver).  >> read more

Mobile Responsiveness (Google Mobile First)

2. On-Page SEO

Optimization of visible page elements that affect rankings.

Page Title & Meta Description

Your real estate web page’s title tag and meta description are critical to SEO rankings.  By submitting your primary keyword(s) Google will understand the semantic meaning of your page.  Rather than keyword stuffing (old school SEO), rather use a variation of keywords reflecting the content.

Google announced in September of 2009 that neither meta descriptions nor meta keywords factor into Google’s ranking algorithms for web search.

Meta descriptions will impact a page’s CTR (click-through-rate) on Google which can positively impact a page’s ability to rank.

For that reason, among others, we put a lot of effort into meta descriptions.

Headings (H1/H2/H3)

Google recommends and gives priority to web pages that are structured intuitively.  The use of headings helps to organize the content on your real estate website.  The proper use of header tags in our opinion very important to rankings.

On-Page SEO

On-page SEO is the practice of optimizing individual web pages in order to rank higher and earn more relevant traffic in search engines. On-page refers to both the content and HTML source code of a page that can be optimized, as opposed to off-page SEO which refers to links and other external signals.

The content of your web pages is critical to the ranking for that page.  Google tracks visitor usage metrics like time on page and bounce-rate (visitors leaving your website immediately).  >> read more

3. Off-Page SEO

Implementation of optimization elements not related to the page itself.

Off-page SEO techniques help increase a website’s domain authority, which is a measure of a website’s credibility and “ability” to rank well.  While on-page SEO positions a website to rank for search terms well by helping search engines understand the semantic meaning of a website and its web pages, off-page SEO helps increase the authority of a website and Google’s interpretation of what websites should rank ahead of others.

Social Media

The use of social media helps to create brand awareness and the potential for website visitors.  The more a website participates in social media, the greater the likelihood of social media users visiting the website.  As it relates to off-page SEO, Google’s priority is to deliver quality content to its users.  Among the best indicators of quality content, is the frequency with which content is shared online.  Social media marketing is an excellent way to encourage the sharing of a website’s content.

Backlinks

At the heart of Google’s ranking algorithm are backlinks.  To Google, backlinks from one website to another is similar to word-of-mouth referrals.  The more referrals (backlinks) a website receives, the more Google deems the website as relevant and, subsequently, the greater a website’s rankings.  Because backlinks are critical to domain authority and ranking well, it tends to also be the area with the greatest abuse in terms of spam.

If an SEO agency is not using SEO best practices for link building, they may be focusing simply on the quantity of backlinks.  More important to improving rankings, is the quality of backlinks.  One good quality backlink from a trusted, authoritative website is better than 10 and, perhaps, even 100 poor quality links.  The key to acquiring good-quality backlinks is to provide valuable content on your website that others may reference and wish to share with their website visitors.

4. Organic SEO

Improving rankings for the main “organic” area within search engines.

SEO focuses on improving rankings within the organic search results by optimizing a website for Google’s search engine algorithm.  Organic SEO is the traditional or classical search engine optimization, which starts with keyword research.  The internet is flooded with articles on how to perform organic SEO to improve Google rankings.  Techniques within this form of SEO services include on-page optimization and off-page optimization, including things like meta tag and page title optimization, on-page content optimization, building backlinks and utilizing social media.

Google provides more information about organic SEO in their article “Do you need an SEO?“

5. Local SEO

Improving rankings for the “local-pack” area within search engines.

The Local Pack is a section of Google’s search results that shows the local business related to your query. Whenever your query has local intent, Google will show three local businesses that might answer your query. Local SEO services are important to businesses relying on local/regional customers.  Location targeted SEO is more recent than general organic search optimization.  Optimizing for local rankings focuses on being found within the local-pack, the area within Google results that shows a map with a listing of 3 local businesses.  The local listings area is a huge opportunity for smaller businesses relying on localized customers.  The SEO techniques used for local website optimization are different than those of organic SEO.  >> read more

6. Voice SEO

Improving rankings for voice search.

Voice search optimization is the newest form of search engine optimization. The majority of people would rather use voice search than typing, which is why voice search is projected to be greater than 50% of all searches by 2020. Voice search optimization priorities include having a fast website (page load time under 4 seconds), SSL security website encryption, and clearly defined question and an answer of approximately 30 words or less.

7. Reputation Management

The majority of internet users find online reviews helpful in making the decision whether or not to contact your real estate company. These types of reviews can both help and hurt an organization.  Estate Agents with favourable reviews will have a greater likelihood of being hired than those with poor reviews.  Reputation management services help promote positive reviews while mitigating negative reviews.