How to Rank #1 on Google: Top Local SEO Strategies for Real Estate Businesses

How can local SEO help me attract more homebuyers to my city?

By optimising your website and online profiles for location-specific keywords, you can:

• Rank Higher: When potential buyers search for homes in your city, they’ll appear at the top.
• Reach Qualified Leads: You will be able to communicate directly with people actively searching for residences in your area.

Why Local SEO is Crucial for Real Estate Businesses

• Increased Visibility: Local search results have the power to create more visibility for your real estate services in front of active searchers in your area.
• Higher Conversion Rates: Local search traffic is very qualified. Real searchers are ready to engage, increasing your conversion potential vastly over the typical non-local search.
• Mobile-First: With 60% of Google searches happening on mobile devices, it’s more important than ever to optimise yourself both for mobile and for local searches that help you connect with buyers and sellers on the move.

How long does it take to see results from Local SEO efforts?

Local SEO is a long-term strategy, and results can take anywhere from 3 to 6 months depending on:

• The competition in your area.
• The quality of your content.
• Optimisation efforts that are consistent.

Is it possible for me to optimise my own real estate business SEO, or should I get an expert to do it?

• DIY Local SEO: You can do the basics like setting up your Google My Business, optimizing your website, or even begin the process of simply getting reviews.
• Hire an Expert: Being an ongoing process that always needs to stay updated on trends and algorithm changes, SEO is quite tough work. Hiring an expert comes with faster rankings and optimised strategies according to your market.

Pro Tip: If you’re looking to boost your visibility and improve Google rankings for real estate, consider hiring a digital marketing services for real estate websites company that specializes in local SEO.

They can guide you through the latest techniques to get your business ranking higher in Google’s local search results

Optimize Your Google My Business (GMB) Profile for Local Visibility

Claim and Complete Your Google My Business for Real Estate Listing

One of the most effective SEO strategies for real estate websites is optimizing your Google My Business for real estate profile. This is a crucial aspect of local SEO strategies for real estate businesses, as it helps your business rank prominently in local search results and appear on Google Maps.

Steps to Get Started:

• Claim Your Listing: Claiming your GMB listing enables you to manage your business information.
• NAP Consistency: Make sure your Name, Address, and Phone Number (NAP) are the same on all directories, social media, and your website. The details should be consistent to prevent confusion among customers and tarnishing the credibility of your business.
• Complete All Fields:
  • Business Hours: You add the hours you’re available, including holidays.
  • Office Address and Phone Number: For local customers, keep these accurate.
  • Business Description: Make your real estate services stand out more with location specific keywords like “homes for sale in [City]”.
  • Website URL: Point to a section of your homepage or a page dedicated to website development for real estate, highlighting the services you offer and how they can help improve your business’s online presence.

Tip: Increasing your chances of ranking in the Google Local Pack (Top 3 local results) with SEO services for US real estate agents comes with a fully completed GMB profile.

Add High-Quality Photos and Videos

(Image courtesy: Google)

Engagement and building of trust with potential clients can’t happen without visual content.

• Photos to Include:
  • Exterior and interior of your office.
  • Ideally, your team is actually in action (open house, for example).
  • These feature attractive visuals of the listings.
• Virtual Tours: Provide 360-degree virtual tours or walkthroughs of the featured properties to stand out.

Why Videos Matter:

Profiles with dynamic content hold a higher priority for Google. Display property walkthrough videos, neighborhood guides, or a short introduction about you, introducing you as a local USPM (how I always refer to myself).

Solicit and Respond to Reviews

Local clients’ reviews do much more than improve your local SEO performance and paint a better picture of your reputation.

• Why Reviews Matter: High volume of positive reviews (positive reviews to negative ratios as high as 10:1) indicate trust and credibility to Google, and to potential clients. Local search rankings depend on reviews.
• How to Get More Reviews:
  • After a sale or showing, they can send up feedback from contented clients.
  • Personalised follow-ups via Gmb’s email and text with a link to the profile.

Engage with Reviews:

• Positive Reviews: Thank reviewers. Example: I thank you so much for the kind words you sent me. It’s lovely hearing we’ve been able to help you find your dream home.”
• Negative Reviews: Respond with a professional address to deal with the issue. Example: “We know how you’ve felt.” To resolve this, please reach out to us.”

Pro Tip: Review engagement means an activity that Google will notice, boosting your ranking.

Optimize Your Website for Local SEO

SEO strategies for real estate business: Keyword Research for Location-Specific Terms

Finding the right location-specific keywords is a vital part of local SEO success. Consider the phrases that potential homebuyers or sellers in your area might use, like ‘best real estate agents in [city].

How to Find Location-Specific SEO Keywords for Real Estate:

• Identifying location-based keywords for real estate use tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs or Moz.
• In analyzing the keywords competitors rank for on their sites, you’ll be able to determine which location based keywords they are truly ranking for.

Example Location-Specific Keywords for Real Estate in Miami:

• “Homes for sale in Miami”
• “Miami’s best real estate agent”
• “Trends in Miami real estate market”

Integrating Keywords Effectively:

(Image courtesy: Google)

Place keywords in strategic on-page locations to maximise visibility and ranking potential:

• Page Titles: Include location + services. Example: [miami Agency Name Luxury Home — Your Agency Name]
• Meta Descriptions: Write a succinct and exciting summary. Example: “How To [Do It] with [Your Name] in the top Real Estate Opportunities in Miami.” … find homes, condos, and more!
• Headings (H1, H2): Your headings should be descriptive and include keyword-optimized terms. Example: “So why Miami is the Best Place to Buy Your Next Home.”
• Alt Text for Images: Keyword your visuals. Example: “Find Luxury condos for sale in Downtown Miami.”

Create location-specific landing pages for more targeted real estate leads

If you serve multiple areas, creating custom pages for each location can do wonders for your local rankings.

What to Include on Location Pages:

Local Market Insights:

Write about property prices, details on neighbourhood trends, and buying and selling tips for the area.

• Example: On popular neighbourhoods such as Beverly Hills or Santa Monica for Los Angeles.

Local Listings:

• Show real-time property listings in an area with IDX feeds.
• Or, create a featured homes or properties list you curated for that neighbourhood.

Neighbourhood Guides:

It can offer comprehensive details about local schools, parks, restaurants and public services as a value to visitors.

Pro Tip: Make each page unique to avoid duplication penalties. Focus on hyper-localized content to target specific buyers and sellers.

Here’s a Quick Comparison of neighbourhood features