Real Estate Digital Marketing: The N.1 Lead Generation tool

A Real Estate Digital Marketing Killer tip to find more Property Leads

Today we are going to look into the N. 1 Lead Generation tool that any Real Estate Online Marketing plan should include. We all know it, but not everyone use it efficiently: Google.

If you are a property agent looking to find new buyers online, you definitely don’t want to miss this.

I will lay down the basics, explain how you could find more property leads through SEO (Search Engine Optimization). Most of all and at the end of the article, I will share something of incredible value for you:

An actionable Real Estate Digital Marketing Killer tip that no one is applying in Sri Lanka and that will definitely help to drive quality traffic to your website and generate property leads

Let’s get started…

Google is still the undiscussed N.1

Google is still the main place where your potential buyers are looking for information of any kind, including properties. If for any reason you don’t believe this, then probably this read is not for you.

To be found on Google you need to work on SEO (Search Engine Optimization). SEO can help you to rank high for relevant keywords. Keywords are simply words or sentences that are searched on Google.

If your website pages are ranking high on Google you get more traffic and more traffic means more leads.

When I talk about relevant keywords, I don’t mean the keywords that you think that are good, but keywords that your potential buyers are searching on Google.

There are several tools both paid and free to find the right keywords based on where from these are searched (location), the number of times that a specific keyword is searched every month (search volume) and other useful information such as the language that the users are using in their device or the difficulty to rank based on competition.

It’s important to choose keywords strategically by keeping in consideration your “fire power”: your availability of time and SEO budget to invest.

In fact, another fundamental aspect to keep in consideration when selecting the right keywords for your property business is your Competition. The higher the difficulty, the higher resources you would need to invest to compete.

When I talk about competition, I am not talking about the other real estate agent that you personally know, but those real estate agencies that are already ranking in high positions on Google.

You and them are competing in Google to rank high for specific keywords that potential buyers are regularly searching every month.

After selecting the keywords to target you need to optimize your pages for Google to understand that your piece of content is all about that keyword.

To optimize your pages, you need to follow a series of On Page SEO best practices. For example placing your keywords in specific places of your page, such as title and subtitles. Here’s an useful infographics (click to read more on new tab):

If you don’t have existing pages that are ideal for a specific keyword then you could build a dedicate static page or a blog post.

Make sure that you don’t have more than one page for each keyword or they will basically compete with each other leaving gaps for your competition to fill.

Most importantly you need to have a proper SEO structure that follows a precise map to guide your users and make it easy for them to browse and get in touch.

At the same time, assuming that your pages are optimized and targeting a specific keyword, they need to be connected in a logical and functional way.

How you use your keywords in your website is how you make your website easy to understand and browse by both Visitors and the Search Engine.

If you go to one of the leading property websites in Sri Lanka, Lankapropertyweb.lk, you can see a perfect example of a SEO optimized website. Each link of the navigation menu is part of an exact map of the website sections. Each name is related to a keyword (eg. “Sale” or “Rentals).

So far I have talked about selecting and targeting keywords and optimize existing pages or create new ones. I have also explained that your website pages should be mapped into a proper structure.

There is one more big problem to solve…

The main obstacle in trying to rank high on Google for properties related keywords, is that every major real estate website is using the same type of structure and targeting the same keywords.

As explained in my previous easy SEO guide for non-techies, there are many ranking factors. Some weigh more, others less.

Google evaluates your Content

By content we refer to any textual or graphic material published online. For example property listings. If you follow a simple logic, a property website with more listings than you have by definition more content, so more chances to rank high.

Now, we know without any professional analysis that there is competition out there so you need an extra kick to stand out of the crowd. Especially if your website is rather new or if you have never really had an online marketing strategy.

There is something that so far no Real Estate Agency have done in the right way and that I call: parallel keyword targeting.

With parallel keyword targeting, you generate content to target keywords that are not directly related to the sale of your property but that answers other related questions.

Here is a practical example:

You have a villa for sale in a specific area and there is a potential buyer. Now think about what would he need or want to know about that specific area.

Your potential buyer is an expat looking to retire in Sri Lanka and he has already images of the villa but doesn’t know much about the area.

What other correlated information could he need?

Here are a few generic thoughts:

• Amenities in the area (supermarkets, pharmacies, etc.)
• Social life related information (bars, restaurants, clubs)
• Leisure & Sports venues (fitness centers, cinemas, beaches)

These are correlated topics very close to the main topic: the property.

This can be taken even to a broader level with valuable information for anyone interested to buy a property in Sri Lanka:

• Legal requirements to purchase a property in Sri Lanka
• Tax information
• Healthcare information

With a targeted keyword selection, this strategy will help you to intercept potential buyers. In time you could become an authority in your industry. One of the most influencing ranking factors on Google.

What’s next?

You have got a head start advantage but the clock is ticking. Most of the information found online is confusing and outdated so there is a gap that you could fill.

Sooner or later your competitors will look into that so use your advantage now and start applying this strategy today!

Any questions? Leave a comment below.