The Google+ experiment, launched as a dip into the world dominated by Facebook, and has had some kinks to work out. But leave it to Google to continually improve and evolve.
There are many components to Google+ and it is literally changing faster than I can type this blog. We are finding success, from an SEO standpoint, using Google+ and Blogger in conjunction to get localized content out there on the web in a way that can be shared and searched.
Posting in Blogger and then sharing it "Public" on Google+ will get your post noticed in the search engines. Of course it needs to be optimized, tagged and have good content too.
Google+ has options to post to certain circles or publicly - if you haven't built any circles and you are just using it for blogging to start, post Publicly and it will be viewable by anyone who wants to see it and also may appear in search results - if properly optimized.
Find local businesses in the area and +1 them. (Similar to the Like on Facebook). It's a great networking tool.
You should also add +1 to your website and blogs so people can share your info too!
For Real Estate Agents especially, this is an amazing tool for honing in on your Hyperlocal Marketing and getting noticed online.
We suggest getting on board with it now, even in a small way. It will pay off.
We can help you set up a Google+ profile and a Blogger site and start blogging for you. CONTACT US TODAY
Thursday, December 20, 2012
Monday, December 17, 2012
What is Hyperlocal Marketing for Real Estate?
If you have attended any real estate webinars lately or sat in on any classes in your office, I'm sure you have heard this term a lot. But what exactly does it mean? Obviously Real Estate is a very local business.
So how can you make it more local? Think about a map search on Google. Here is a map of your service area. Now zoom in to a neighborhood or area. What "key words" can you use to describe just the area you see on the map? Think about every detail. What businesses serve that area, schools, style of homes, size of homes, size of yards, lifestyle, parks, restaurants, hotels, and so on. Spend some time researching and taking your own pictures and video.
OK, now that you have that concept. What do you do with all that information? This is where the Internet is your best friend. Gone are the old days of farming; spending money on postcards that hit the circular file before they even get read. Instead of blanketing an area with information to everyone who may or may not be immediately interested in your services, the Internet allows you to put information out there to people who are SPECIFICALLY interested in the "key words" you are marketing about that area. Think of it as Internet Farming or eFarming.
For example, say someone is interested in "4 bedroom homes near downtown Apex" and they type that into a Google search. This would be considered a "long tail key word phrase." If you write a Blog or create a page on your website, well optimized with that exact key word phrase, guaranteed your post or page will rise to the top. You can write lifestyle blogs too. This will keep your website, Facebook page, Tweets and blog more interesting. Try a post on the "10 best restaurants in downtown Apex" or "Best parks for a birthday party near downtown Apex".
Sounds easy doesn't it? Well, it is and it isn't. It takes time and a little know how. Searching keyword phrases and composing the post or page in such a way that the search engines will rank is key to the success. Incorporating relevant information, appropriate links, video and pictures (named and tagged with corresponding key words), and adding relevant IDX searches (links) to homes also is important. Always have a call to action in each post too. Once the post or page is out there, the next step is marketing it virally though Social Media. Get the link out there to as many places as possible and ask people to like and share. You could even do paid advertising on Google or Facebook if you have the budget. Cheaper than postcards!
Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar we will be hosting with guest speaker Jake Bentz , IDX Pro with Wolfnet Technologies. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to hear about upcoming webinars and learn more great real estate technology tips. Contact Us today if you would like us to handle your Hyper Local Marketing and get you on the first page of Google.
So how can you make it more local? Think about a map search on Google. Here is a map of your service area. Now zoom in to a neighborhood or area. What "key words" can you use to describe just the area you see on the map? Think about every detail. What businesses serve that area, schools, style of homes, size of homes, size of yards, lifestyle, parks, restaurants, hotels, and so on. Spend some time researching and taking your own pictures and video.
OK, now that you have that concept. What do you do with all that information? This is where the Internet is your best friend. Gone are the old days of farming; spending money on postcards that hit the circular file before they even get read. Instead of blanketing an area with information to everyone who may or may not be immediately interested in your services, the Internet allows you to put information out there to people who are SPECIFICALLY interested in the "key words" you are marketing about that area. Think of it as Internet Farming or eFarming.
For example, say someone is interested in "4 bedroom homes near downtown Apex" and they type that into a Google search. This would be considered a "long tail key word phrase." If you write a Blog or create a page on your website, well optimized with that exact key word phrase, guaranteed your post or page will rise to the top. You can write lifestyle blogs too. This will keep your website, Facebook page, Tweets and blog more interesting. Try a post on the "10 best restaurants in downtown Apex" or "Best parks for a birthday party near downtown Apex".
Sounds easy doesn't it? Well, it is and it isn't. It takes time and a little know how. Searching keyword phrases and composing the post or page in such a way that the search engines will rank is key to the success. Incorporating relevant information, appropriate links, video and pictures (named and tagged with corresponding key words), and adding relevant IDX searches (links) to homes also is important. Always have a call to action in each post too. Once the post or page is out there, the next step is marketing it virally though Social Media. Get the link out there to as many places as possible and ask people to like and share. You could even do paid advertising on Google or Facebook if you have the budget. Cheaper than postcards!
Stay tuned for an upcoming webinar we will be hosting with guest speaker Jake Bentz , IDX Pro with Wolfnet Technologies. Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter to hear about upcoming webinars and learn more great real estate technology tips. Contact Us today if you would like us to handle your Hyper Local Marketing and get you on the first page of Google.
Is Active Rain Worth Upgrading to a RainMaker Account?
We have clients ask us all the time if it's worth getting a RainMaker account on Active Rain. Our answer is YES - IF you are actually going to Blog and Blog with purpose. Otherwise it's just $49.00 down the drain. That's the simple answer.
Now the questions is, "How do I blog with purpose?" In order for an Active Rain Blog - or any Blog for that matter - to be ranked and noticed, it must be purposeful and provide specific information. We have found that the most successful Blog posts are those that are neighborhood specific. Again, as we have said before - Hyperlocal Marketing is key.
Here is a Blog post we did for a client in October. It is now on Page 1 of Google and it actually was on Page 1 rather quickly. Key Word Search "Alyson Pond Homes for Sale". He has a paid RainMaker account, meaning that his posts can be viewed by the public. A free Active Rain account can only be seen by members of Active Rain.
Click on the picture above to see the actual Blog Post. Notice in the post we repeated the title of the Blog several times. We also included links to his website, social media sites, the neighborhood HOA, and other local links to create relevancy and legitimacy. We also created a search in Wolfnet to link visitors to homes for sale in that neighborhood. We also created a short video and inserted it into the post.
This is just one example of creating a Hyperlocal Blog Post. We have many techniques to get your Blog and website noticed. Active Rain is a great tool - if you use it. Posting one or two posts every once in a while is not going to give you a return on your monthly investment. You need to be consistent, purposeful and provide good content.
It may sound easy, but the reality is that the days and the weeks get away from you and all good intentions go out the window. It is time consuming and tedious, but it works. Let us do this for you and you will see results.
March 2014 - Update since this post as published. We are having great success with Blog posts in Blogger that are being shared on Google+ and Google Communities. Although Active Rain does rank well - Blogger is free, with great results. Either way, adding key word friendly content consistently is key.
CONTACT US TODAY TO GET STARTED!
Now the questions is, "How do I blog with purpose?" In order for an Active Rain Blog - or any Blog for that matter - to be ranked and noticed, it must be purposeful and provide specific information. We have found that the most successful Blog posts are those that are neighborhood specific. Again, as we have said before - Hyperlocal Marketing is key.
Here is a Blog post we did for a client in October. It is now on Page 1 of Google and it actually was on Page 1 rather quickly. Key Word Search "Alyson Pond Homes for Sale". He has a paid RainMaker account, meaning that his posts can be viewed by the public. A free Active Rain account can only be seen by members of Active Rain.
Click on the picture above to see the actual Blog Post. Notice in the post we repeated the title of the Blog several times. We also included links to his website, social media sites, the neighborhood HOA, and other local links to create relevancy and legitimacy. We also created a search in Wolfnet to link visitors to homes for sale in that neighborhood. We also created a short video and inserted it into the post.
This is just one example of creating a Hyperlocal Blog Post. We have many techniques to get your Blog and website noticed. Active Rain is a great tool - if you use it. Posting one or two posts every once in a while is not going to give you a return on your monthly investment. You need to be consistent, purposeful and provide good content.
It may sound easy, but the reality is that the days and the weeks get away from you and all good intentions go out the window. It is time consuming and tedious, but it works. Let us do this for you and you will see results.
March 2014 - Update since this post as published. We are having great success with Blog posts in Blogger that are being shared on Google+ and Google Communities. Although Active Rain does rank well - Blogger is free, with great results. Either way, adding key word friendly content consistently is key.
CONTACT US TODAY TO GET STARTED!
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