Finding "Riches in Niches" by Streamlining Your Web Content

By Jennifer Ryan
07/20/2005

When marketing online it's crucial to remember the old business adage, "There are riches in niches." Niche marketing is the process of filling a small, distinguishable segment of the marketplace in a way competitors are not. Finding your niche online is about zooming into the nitty-gritty of your web site's purpose and communicating your message clearly. Here's just a few reasons why:

Search Engine Optimization

The most important reason your web site should have a narrowed focus is for SEO. Your web content must be sprinkled with keywords that people will use to find what your business offers. Proximity, totality and location of your keywords play a part in the optimization of your web site. Each page, and every word of your web site must be carefully chosen to specifically address what people are searching to find. Get down to the brass tax of your business purpose and cut out everything that doesn't deal with your core competencies.

Web Usability

Your web visitors are zooming by at the same rate as drivers viewing a billboard at 70 mph. This is no Sunday stroll. They are going fast. Let them know right away that they've found what they're looking for. By communicating your niche in the marketplace clearly and succinctly, you won't waste a second. Telling them straight-up what your company does and helps them do what you want them to without making them think. Keeping your message narrowed and simple helps take the guesswork out of what they are supposed to do on your web site.

Good Business Principals

There is a tendency for new online businesses to try to do everything all at once. That's natural because building a web site is so darn easy. But, it is not feasible that you will be able to do all things well. Finding one niche and marketing it like crazy, and meeting your customers needs will be more effective than doing a zillion things in a mediocrity. You can't do it all. So choose to do a few things well. That's what your web site niche is all about.

Your web site should be a crystal clear glass of niche marketing concentrate. Give it to us straight. Make each page specific, addressing one thing and make your message undeniably clear. Trim the confusion that plagues so many web sites with watered down messages. One idea communicated clearly with a dash of personality causes people to respond and register, download, call or buy. Best wishes finding the riches in your own web niches.

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Jenna Ryan of The Marketing Shop is a web promotions and sales expert specializing in Realtor Websites.

Writing for People and Search Engines

Writing for the search engines is much different than writing in any other medium. Search engines are finicky, but they love text, so you're talking thier language. When writing your web content, it's important to to keep the following three things in mind.

1. What You Want the Reader to Do: While writing your content, keep the overall objective of the page in view. Think about what you want the reader to do. Do you want them to sign up for something? Click to another page? Buy something? Visit your store? Download an e-book? Whatever it is you want them to do, keep that in mind as you write.

2. Search Engine Optimization: Remember the search engines as you write too. Usually it's better to do a quick draft without thinking of the search engines first, then later, come back and optimize the writing of the page. We will get into the details of how to make your web content friendly to search engines later. For now, just remember that it's one of those things you have to keep in mind as you write your web content.

3. How people use the web. Know that people do not use the web like we sometimes think they do. People are more likely to briefly scan your writing rather than to dig-in and read it. Keep your content should be relevant and informational and conversational. People don't want to read a book, they want to be informed. Give them the information they crave and they'll keep coming back for more.

Now that you know what to keep in mind as you write your classic web content, we are going to discuss the different elements of search engine optimization. The good thing about SEO is that your page will show up at the top of search engines so that people--lots of people--will actually be able to read what you've written. What a concept!

The SEO Lowdown

Keywords

Keywords are what drives search engines optimization. Here's how it works:

• People type words into the search boxes at Google.
• Google goes through all the pages it already knows about...these pages are in its database because they've been crawled and indexed beforehand.
• Google delivers webpages that match the keywords the searcher uses to find what they're looking for.

When Google comes to your page, the only way they know it's good for the search is by keywords--period.

More About Keywords

We've already established that you need keywords woven throughout the content of the page, right? You also need keywords in your title. Here's a few other things to know about keyword placement in your webpage.

• Do not overdo it. Don't gross people out by sticking keywords everywhere. That's not good business. Be discreet when inserting keywords in your website content (hint, hint).
  
• If you are optimizing for a certain keyphrase, you must keep the entire phrase in tact throughout the page content for the keyword phrase to have any affect on SEO.
  
• The keywords you should use should be carefully picked out and are always industry and subject specific.
  
• Optimize for one to two keywords or phrases per page, with the exception of the homepage. Your homepage contains everything but the kitchen sink, but that's another article.
  
• Putting your keywords in bold gives your site a boost.

Headers

There are up to six levels of headers in an html document. Usually as a web content writer you won't be going beyond the third or fourth header. Headers are very important to search engines. They use them to decipher page relevancy for searches. When you include keywords about your subject your article's headers, you are scoring points with the search engine crawlers. Here is an example of the different header tags.

This is an H1 header

This is an H2 header

This is an H3 header

This is an H4 header

There is a really good explanation for why headers exist, but I don't have time to tell you. For your purposes of writing for the search engines, just know they are mega important for optimization.

H1 - This is the title of your article.
H2 - This is the sub-title of your article.

Keyword Proximity in Headers

As if it couldn't get any worse, would you believe that where you place the keywords in your title is bigtime important? It is true. To score more points with search engines, place keywords and phrases at the beginning of your titles and paragraphs. Keep unnecessary words out of the titles. This is a very delicate issue, especially when you consider that keywords aren't always good for the human palate. Therein lies our dilemma. Who do we write the title for? People or search engines?

Well, the answer my friend ... is BOTH. Yes. If you don't write for both, you're defeating your purpose. Why would you write something that repulses people, but that search engines love? Some SEO people do this. Gross. First, write a title that search engines love. Then, use your noggin to write enticing words drawing the reader into your copy. Here's how I do it.

SEO Tips | Search Engine Optimization Techniques

10 Ways to Make a Lot of Money with Your Website

See? Don't give up having a compelling title for the sake of the search engines. (God help us all.) What good is having alot of traffic to your site if no one can stand to read your copy. To see an example of this on a live site, look here: http://www.internationalbcs.com/ibcs-payment-performance-guarantees.htm.

Compelling Titles and Headlines

According to John Caples, there are five rules for writing headlines:

Self Interest. Your titles need to speak to the self-interest of the reader. People just want to know what's in it for them.

News. If you have news, get it in your headline.

Curiosity. Don't let curiosity drive alone. Pair it up with other headline writing techniques.

No bad news. Avoid the urge to paint the negative picture in the headline. Be positive.

Quick and easy. Show the reader how there is a quick and easy way to get something that they want.

Links on the Page

The whole web is made up of links. Links help humans get around the web, but search engines use links too. Since both search engines and people use the web differently, you need different types of links for both.

General Search Engine Links: Search engines only index those pages on your site that are linked together. They use your internal links, such as your navigation bars to find their way around your site and make record of your pages. That's why it's important that your navigation be 100% text.

Anchor Text Links: The anchor text link is a different animal. Anchor text effects the page that it is linking to, not necessarily the page that it is on. Your anchor text should consist of keywords. So, instead of making "click here" a link, you would make, get keyword here a link.

Now, be careful here. Remember when a search engine zooms on your page, it follows the links. So, if you want it to read all your content, don't stick links arbitrarily in the page. Be strategic. If you want it to read the whole page, put your anchor text and any other links at the end. Usually, you can put anchor text links anywhere because it is the page you're optimizing for in the first place, so you don't care if the search engine goes for a visit there.

People Links: Make your links for people clear, concise and accurate. Don't just put a link on your page. You need a description of what's behind door number three. By being consistent and having the correct link descriptions, you build trust with the people on your site.

Contact Jenna Ryan with The Marketing Shop.com
today to discuss your website marketing strategy!

Types of Links

Links are "the currency of the web." Without them, your website is a stand-alone entity. Think about it... how do people get around on the Internet? LINKS!!! They are the highways, roads, streets and avenues leading to your website's door. You need plenty of them, and you need them in a variety of ways in order to be effective. There is so much good stuff to tell you about links, I can hardly stand it. But for now, I'll just share a bit at a time so you don't get overwhelmed with mumbo jumbo. Here's some basic terminology to help you know more about links .

Incoming Links:Incoming links are the way Google judges the value of your website. The more incoming links you have from viable sources that are relevant to your website's theme, the higher rankings you will get in Google. It's that simple.

Deep Links:Deep links are links coming into the interior pages (pages that aren't the home page). These can include links within your site pointing to one-another. Deep links are important for getting your website indexed or cached by Google. Deep Links will also help a particular web-page rank well for it's main keyword phrase.

Reciprocal Links: Reciprocal links are no longer as valuable as they once were because the Google Algorithms now deduct points for traded links. These types of links are still okay, but not nearly as good as one-way in bound links.

Directory Links: As of now, one-way paid directory links are absolutely the best way to get the attention of Google and turn your website into a "search engine sponge." Submitting to directories is not what you think. It's not about getting found in the directories by your prospects. The true value in paid directory submissions is the attention it will get you from Google, so don't be duped into paying a high price for something you don't need. You're only in it for the link.

High PR Links: We focus on links with the highest PR possible, although it's best to get a variety of links so as to appear more natural for the search engine algorithms.

Text Links: Keyword phrases should be used as anchors for the hyper-links you create, wherever you create them.

Article Links: You can sprinkle keyword text links throughout articles and then submit them to article submission and syndication sites for long-standing links from relevant sources.

Content Links: Keyword rich links throughout the website have a substantial bearing on rankings, so long as your site is built correctly.

Ad Links: You can get incoming links in a variety of ways, including paying for them through Paid Text Link Services, however, Google frowns on such services so if used, they should be used sparingly.

Local Links: In my book, I consider local links to be links which contain the geo-target keyword phrasing that mirrors that of prospects and home searchers in your local area.

Keywords + Links = Search Engine Optimization

This article is for those of you interested in writing web content and blogs that link back to your website to help the optimization of your website. Everyone who will be blogging needs to know these basic facts.

Links are the currency of the web, without them, you would not be able to traverse from website to website. Some links are built on images and others are built on plain-ole-text. It's the text links that are devoured ravenously by search engine crawlers; and interestingly enough, it's the text links that are most often clicked by website surfers.

Keywords (Anchor Text)

It's imperative that you use keywords for as many links as possible, from as many different websites as you can muster. Such text used in links is called "Anchor Text." The search engine crawlers will follow these links from wherever they are on the web. In fact, the anchor text is what search engines use to determine what a page it is about. Yes, it's that simple! The more links coming into a website with keyword- rich anchor text, the higher the site will rise in the search engine rankings.

Links

Links that are attached to text are called, Anchor Text Links, which is another way of saying "hyperlink on text." Links are what makes up the entire web, so you better get used to them. You'll find links on websites, blogs and social networking sites. Anywhere you can edit on the web, you'll have the option of creating a Anchor Text Link. Such a link is crucial for SEO as it tells search crawlers what the page it is traveling to will be about.

Proper Anchor Text Link for SEO looks like this:

Correct: Real Estate Websites

Correct: Dallas Real Estate

Not so Good Anchor Text for SEO looks like this:

The tendency when linking to a website is to use the name of the website, for example, in my
case it would make sense to link like this:

Incorrect: TheMarketingShop.com

Incorrect: Keith Dobbs

The above incorrect way is not the ideal way to link for SEO. The incorrect version above is essentially optimizing the website for the keywords of the hyperlink anchor: "The Marketing Shop" and "Keith Dobbs." But, our site is already showing up #1 on Google for "The Marketing Shop and Keith Dobbs is already #1 on Google for "Keith Dobbs." Using those terms as anchor texts results in a wasted link. You must use keyword phrases with which you want to rank on top.

How to Create an Anchor Text Link

1. In a web-edit screen type a line of keyword-rich text. (Don't get greedy! Use three words max to avoid penalties)

2. Select / highlight the text that will be the Anchor.

3. While the text is still highlighted, click on the Link Button in the edit controls area

4. Type in the ENTIRE URL of your website, web-page, blog or other web medium.

ie: http://www.the-marketing-shop.com/

5. Select "Okay"

Voila! You've created an Anchor Text Linkthat will do wonders for the SEO of your website.

The Law of Reciprocity

Have you ever clicked on a Web site with great expectation, only to find a contact form shoved in your face? Obviously the site owner is a little over-zealous to get your information. Did you, like me, exclaim: "How rude, they didn't even break the ice!" Such sites violate the "Law of Reciprocity." Simple give and take.

Building Rapport

Contact forms and pay-per-click campaigns may generate leads, but not good ones. Quality leads are quality people who are increasingly Web savvy and skeptical. People aren't stupid. They can tell if you've taken time to figure out who they are and what they want. As with face-to-face sales, you've got to prove yourself first. Creating a useful, informative Web site that's non-salesy is a sure-fire way to build trust, establish rapport and foster loyalty.

Give Freely

If you give freely, without asking for anything in return, you trigger feelings of obligation. After all, if someone does something nice for you, it's the least you can do to return the favor, right? Trustworthy and confident people aren't afraid to give things away. I'll take a Web site that's generous and open over one that's greedy and hording info any day. Wouldn't you?

To Have a Friend, Be a Friend

Its human nature to repay others based on how they treat us. The world gives us what we give to the world. A few well-known axioms come to mind:

* I'll scratch your back if you scratch mine
* You reap what you sow
* You get what you give

What to Give

What you give online depends on what your market wants. It's a good bet that your people want to be informed about what you know best. We're in the information age where "Search engines have become answer engines." If you have unique data, insights and perspective that your target demographic needs, be generous. Put it on the Web. If you're not sure what folks want, use keyword tools to study the search habits of your target market to determine your slant. Brainstorm ways to bring value to those you serve.

Mutuality in Action

Internet marketing is a virtual face-to-face sales encounter. The same principals apply. The thought of exchanging favors creates feelings of obligation between you and potential leads. This powerful and psychologically binding expectation creates a bond between those you're trying to reach. Use the Law of Reciprocity to capture leads online, and open doors to many happy returns.

Social Networking - Time to Get Started

Social Networking is the new buzz term for networking online through the various social networks. Many new social websites are popping up all the time, but like any other web phenomenon, only a few will rise to the top of popularity. I believe FaceBook and Twitter are two potential players in the social networking arena, among many others.

Your Social Networking efforts will supplement and eventually replace the efforts of search engine optimization in the near future. Why? Because getting connected socially on the web is an extension of getting your website to the top of search engines. When you are networked socially, it is more like YOU are at the top of search engines.

Forget having just a static website, with a strong Social Network in your real estate service area, people should be able to ask questions and find YOU answering them on top of Google. I know this all sounds strange, but bare with me. It's GOING to happen whether you like getting online or not. Social networking will be all the rage--and the people on top are going to be those who got in first.

Facebook and similar social networking sites will become the new place to find stuff. Search brings you flat websites; social networking brings you to life. ~Jenna Ryan

STEPS TO GETTING STARTED NOW

• Get your head out of your everyday processes and broaden to include networking on the net.


• Get signed up for various social sites such as Facebook & Twitter


• Start communicating with other people on the web through such sites


• Make a commitment to spend so much time EVERY DAY on the web networking


• Network with people in your area.


• Don't focus on selling anything yet. Just get to know people.


• Remember that everything you do will increase your web presence, so no time is wasted.


• If you need training or assistance, please contact us at TheMarketingShop.com.


• Friend me on Facebook and review my free tips.


• Follow me on Twitter and review my free tips.

Social networking is not going away. Your prospects and clients are going online. Why not meet them where they are? There is no more efficient way to market yourself than through online web marketing. Start learning. Get savvy.

There is no time to waste!

Do's & Don'ts for Facebook Marketing for Real Estate

Web Marketing through social networking is a different beast from any other type of sales & marketing. If you want to increase your influence online, you can't use the same tactics you use in networking face-to-face. Facebook is definitely a place to market yourself online, however, you must do it carefully. You don't want to turn people off. If you market yourself with skill and class, you won't come across like a cheesy car sales person or a "self-absorbed "Slick Willy." You will get more respect and more clients by following this proven web marketing protocol.


This article won't discuss the psychological reasons it's a turn off to be sold on the web, but it will show you in a nut shell how to build rapport with people and make them like you well enough to eventually do business with you.


Direct Sales Jargon is Nauseating

Our culture is so bombarded with advertisements everywhere. It's nice to get away from all the ad deluge and just relax talking to friends or learning about things that interest and intrigue us online. Our brains are so overloaded with ads that we now just tune them out. It’s too easy for people to de-friend you or click away on the web if you’re overly pushy. Be part of the solution, not the problem.


Don't be a commercial. Be a friend.

Who goes online to their favorite social networking haunt to be sold something? Nobody. When marketing your real estate practice online, you'll need to lose your aggressive, shark-like sales tactics and get back to the basics of relationship building. I'm talking about a different kind of friend here--not bosom buddies. You've got to be a friend in the web-marketing kind of way.


Do's for Marketing on Facebook

• Determine what is important to your target market.


• Keep your network informed in areas of importance TO THEM.


• Find a niche angle to discuss, blog and provide data about. (ie: schools, neighborhoods, government, parks, families, nightlife, highrises, investment properties, etc... If you’re not interested in your area, no one else will be either.)


• Provide personal information along with business info to keep it real.


• Give interesting tidbits about yourself, your market and other news daily.


• Brainstorm ways to keep others informed.


• Make yourself valuable to your network. Bring value and it will come back to you!


• Get to know others in your real estate service area: (ie: merchants, other agents, stay-at-home moms, dads, other business people)

Don'ts for Marketing on Facebook

• Do not sell in an obvious way.


• Do not limit yourself to only speaking about how you want leads, or how you want to sell houses, or how you want to make money. This will turn most prospects off.


• Send out massive emails to people on Facebook regarding something that doesn't interest them.


• Think about your network more than yourself.


• Don't become fake-friends with people. Be sincere.


• Think of Facebook as a route to making deals, not the be-all-and-end-all.


• Think of Facebook as a way to gain popularity and get your name out there, not to sell a house tomorrow.


• Think of social networking as a way to add value to the community which will in turn increase your value and cause people
  to flock to you.


• Be patient. Don't try to get immediate results. Build your network one sound relationship at a time.


• When discussing what you're doing, try to form it in a way that shows a potential client that you're the agent for them. Do this sporadically or it will seem obvious.


• Do not use a lot of exclamation points or they will become meaningless.

Facebook is an online place for you to expand your business off-line. All of your clients and prospects are on the web and will continue coming in droves. The people who are positioned on the web properly in the beginning will be the ones to benefit from the influx of users in the future. Trying to shove your services down their necks when they get there will ruin their image of you, and cause Facebook to be a gross place to visit. Building relationships and making friends by bringing value to the table is the best way to experience success with web marketing. Selling should be done matter-of-factly, only AFTER you've given something worthwhile first.

What is Twitter?

Twitter is a social networking medium that allows you to log in and keep other people informed about what you are doing. On first glance, it seems that Twitter is just a dumb, stupid website aimed and wasting your time. If you're new to the game, you'll think Twitter is for people who have nothing better to do than to tell others about what they're eating for lunch, or other boring data on trivial matters that don't pertain to you. Once you're past the newbie stage--if you have a little vision and imagination--you'll begin to Twitter as a whole new way to market your real estate practice online.

Twitter only has about 2 Million users at this time, compared to Facebook's 90 million users, however, this will change as people become more aware of social network marketing. I believe this is the beginning of something--what the web is becoming; so it's important to get on board now if you want to be effective later. Learn the social networking ropes at the ground-floor so you'll be on the higher floors when the elevator goes up.

How does it work?

Twitter is very simple. All you do is sign-up, log in and type in the little box: "What are you doing right now?" That's it. Just describe what it is you are doing.

Why is what you are doing important?

What you are doing is important to people in your life. (If it's not, you need to get a life!) You can use Twitter for personal, business, hobbies, news info, and more. Since I'm a real estate web marketer, I'm going to discuss Twitter for marketing your real estate practice.

What should I do to market my real estate practice on Twitter?

The best way to market yourself on Twitter is to (again) provide valuable information that is interesting and informative to your target market. If you sell homes in McKinney, Texas--Twitter about McKinney. Twitter, Twitter, Twitter away. It may seem like you're getting no where, but in truth you are. You're discussing your service area and this will eventually tie into everything else you are doing. Use the same good web marketing acumen that I taught you in my Do's & Don'ts for Facebook Article.

Establish your credibility. Show your personality and style. Offer value. Don't just post ads saying, "Looking for real estate leads in Ten-Buck-Two. That's a total turn-off and you'll find no true followers. Be informative, snazzy, interesting, fun and sassy. Have a little personality please! And whatever you do, don't try to sell us anything.

Following Other People

The premise of Twitter is following people who are involved in the process of telling you what they are doing. Once the ball gets rolling and people start to come on board, you will be able to get pretty good insight from other top-real estate agents, and other people who share what they are doing to your advantage. You can pick and choose who to follow. The options are endless.

Getting Followers

Another aspect of Twitter is getting people to follow you. Ideally you want your target market to follow you, but they may or may not be online yet. In the meantime, you want to attract followers to your Twitter handle using the following methods:

• Letting people know you're tweeting on Twitter.


• Inviting people to follow you in person, via email and providing a link on your website.


• Doing a "Follower Push" by following a bunch of other people in hopes they'll reciprocate the follow.


• Have a very popular blog or website already and tell all your users you're on Twitter.


• Let people on Facebook know you're also found on Twitter.

How to Get More Out of Your SEO Campaign

SEO does not work in a vacuum. It takes a broad effort to push results to the top. Our successful lead generating websitesbelong to clients who were patient in waiting for results, and/or are supplementing our efforts with their own web traffic buildingstrategies.


Age of Domain: Newer domains take longer because of Google Sandbox / Trustbox

Web Marketing: The more traffic you have, the higher your rankings. Are you advertising your website online? Are you making use of alternative other web traffic generators?

• Realtor.com
• HomeGain
• Homes.com
• Trulia.com
• Craigslist.com
• Web Ads on other sites
• LuxuryRealEstate.com
• Move.com
• Yahoo.com
• Local Newspaper Ads (Online)
• PostYourListings.com

Email Newsletters: Are sending a regular, informative email newsletter to a relevant audience in effort to attractvisitors to your website? Do you have a Email Drip Campaign in place?

• Are you using the Lead Engine to contact existing clients and potential clients?
• Do you have a regular Email Newsletter going out to your clients and prospects?

Web Network: How strong is your local web network?

• Are you registered with local Chamber of Commerce?
• Do you donate to local causes and obtain web publicity and links back to your website?
• Are you networking within your community to create a buzz about your website?
• Have you offered to write a blog or column for your local newspaper?
• Do you have a compelling reason for anyone to visit your website?

Off-Line Marketing: What are you doing off-line to drive traffic to your website?

• How are you advertising your website off-line?
• Is your website set as the default home page for the internet use of everyone in your office?
• Do you send out postcards driving traffic to your website?
• Are you running off-line ads? Newspapers? Billboards? Flyers?

Who is accessing the website day-to-day? How can you increase the activity of your website?

Social Networking:

• Are you blogging regularly? (The more you blog, the higher your rankings)
• Are you engaging in online communication with others in your field?

LINKS & CONTENT

Right now your website needs inbound links and content. That’s our goal and we’re going about it as fast as we can, but it mighttake us a while to reach our goal. The more you help us by implementing the above, the faster you will achieve results.

New Website Leads

I can assure you that once your site achieves top rankings, you will begin to acquire more leads from your SEO, however, as I stress from day one, getting to the top is hard-as-can-be. This is why we stress that you may not see strong lead results for six months to one year. The length of time has to do with a number of factors such as:

SEO does not work in a vacuum. It takes a broad effort to push results to the top. Our successful lead generating websitesbelong to clients who were patient in waiting for results, and/or are supplementing our efforts with their own web traffic buildingstrategies.


Age of Domain: Newer domains take longer because of Google Sandbox / Trustbox (I’ll explain in another email)
Web Marketing: The more traffic you have, the higher your rankings. Are you advertising your website online? Are you making use of alternative other web traffic generators?- Realtor.com- HomeGain- Homes.com- Trulia.com- Craigslist.com- Web Ads on other sites- LuxuryRealEstate.com- Move.com- Yahoo.com- Local Newspaper Ads (Online)- PostYourListings.com
Email Newsletters: Are sending a regular, informative email newsletter to a relevant audience in effort to attractvisitors to your website? Do you have a Email Drip Campaign in place?
Web Network: How strong is your local web network? - Are you registered with local Chamber of Commerce?- Do you donate to local causes and obtain web publicity and links back to your website?- Are you networking within your community to create a buzz about your website?- Have you offered to write a blog or column for your local newspaper?- Do you have a compelling reason for anyone to visit your website?
Off-Line Marketing: What are you doing off-line to drive traffic to your website? - How are you advertising your website off-line? - Is your website set as the default home page for the internet use of everyone in your office?- Do you send out postcards driving traffic to your website?- Are you running off-line ads? Newspapers? Billboards? Flyers?
- Who is accessing the website day-to-day? How can you increase the activity of your website?
Social Networking:

- Are you blogging regularly? (The more you blog, the higher your rankings) - Are you engaging in online communication with others in your field?

LINKS & CONTENT

Right now your website needs inbound links and content. That’s our goal and we’re going about it as fast as we can, but it mighttake us a while to reach our goal. The more you help us by implementing the above, the faster you will achieve results.

More to come...

How to Help Us Get Your Website to the Top

Many of my clients are anxious to achieve top rankings and always interested in ways they can help us reach our goals of page #1 on Google and Yahoo. You can do much to help us optimize your website achieve top rankings, such as:

• Blogging everyday (See What to Blog About)
• Advertising on other websites such as local newspaper sites, Realtor.com, etc...
• Paying for submissions to higher-priced directories such as BBB Online ($800) and Yahoo Directory ($299)
• Becoming a member of your local Chamber of Commerce which gets you a link back.
• Donating money to a local cause, when it will get your name and website address on a local website.
• Writing news articles that get you a link back.
• Sending Email Newsletters.
• Optimizing your Lead Engine for sending auto email newsletters.
• Sending direct mail campaigns.
• Anything that increases your site's traffic / visitors, will increase your rankings.
• Putting your Web Address on all marketing materials.
• Making your website URL the default page on everyone's computer in your office.
• Networking with owners of other sites to include ads / banners from their site to yours.
• Sponsoring anything local to get a link back to your site.
• Write articles about your local real estate market and submit them to article submission sites with a proper anchor text bio.
• Create a marketing campaign or free offer that gets people to come onto your website.
• Increase the stickiness of your site by continuously adding content.
• Making sure your site is current, updated and correct.
• Adding fresh content and photos as often as possible.
• Market your blog by submitting to Blog Directories.
• Make sure your blog is syndicated by sending to ping sites.
• Submit all your listings to a listing submission service (more info later).

What to Blog About

Blogging is an important part of marketing yourself and your real estate practice online. Once you get started, it's impossible to stop. It is very fun for most of us, and I'm betting you enjoy it too since you're reading this now. So, here's a list of things to blog about I'm compiling for my readers.

• Current events in the city
• Current real estate market
• Real estate trends
• Area suburbs as a group
• Area suburbs one-by-one
• Holiday events and attractions
• Theater and cultural events
• Your opinions about elections, votes, events
• Major events
• Weather
• Recipe for regional cuisine
• Reiterate an article of local interest
• Local sports teams
• Parks
• Listings
• Typical house
• Cost of living tidbits (gas price, gallon of milk, auto ins.)
• Local attractions
• Home sales - If you can obtain a list
• Police Blotter - If you can obtain a list
• Area commercial developments
• Local elections & votes
• School district news
• Individual School news
• Teacher of the Year
• Awards of the City in Money Mag, etc...
• Park Improvements
• Road Improvements
• New retail outlets & shopping
• New Construction
• Neighborhood Crime Watch
• Home Owners Associations
• Streets, Traffic & Traffic Lights
• Road construction
• Notable residents
• City History
• Local weather
• Golf tournaments
• Upcoming Developments
• Environmental Affairs - Green causes
• Gyms, atheletics, marathons
• List fire stations
• Dog Parks, Events & Contests
• Police department News
• Local utilities
• Local Book Clubs
• Local airport(s)
• Transportation
• Hotels in the area
• List of restaurants
• Restaurant Review
• Opinion article about city issue (editorial)
• Why is your city great?
• Neighborhood parties & concerns
• Water quality
• Trash pick-up data
• New Home Builders
• Custom Home Builders
• Map of the area
• Fun things to do

Sponsored by: Real Estate Websites

The Marketing Shop.com Active Rain Blogs

Check out our client blogs on Active Rain!

• Long Beach Real Estate - Shannon Jones, Shannon Jones Team
• Breckenridge Colorado Homes - Jason Long, The Long Group
• Chino Hills Homes for Sale California - Tricia Parido
• Dallas Real Estate Agents - Keith Dobbs, Re/Max Dallas Suburbs
• Arlington Texas Homes & Foreclosures - Margarita Leslie
• Southlake Real Estate - Judy M. Brooks
• Arlington TX Real Estate - Will & Deanna DeBose
• Plano Homes of North Dallas - Brenda Mancil
• McKinney TX Real Estate - Trey Teichelman
• Frisco TX Homes - Dale Corbett, Century 21 Frisco
• Colorado Springs Real Estate, Shawn Jardine, eSalehomes
• Richland Chambers Lake Homes - Stuart Smith, Harper Smith Team
• Salt Lake City Real Estate - Jen & Hannah
• Real Estate Websites - Jenna Ryan, The Marketing Shop.com
• Fort Worth Homes - Sharon Mays, Mays Realty
• Preston Hollow Real Estate - Bernice Edelman
• Houston TX Sienna Plantation - Team Riddle

Real Estate Websites by The Marketing Shop.com

Benefits of Active Rain

Active Rain is a social networking platform for Realtors that is extremely valuable for your website's optimization. A later article will discuss what to do once you get started, but for now, let's just consider the benefits of Blogging in general.

SEO Benefits of Active Rain Usage

• If you blog regularly about topics relevant to your website's geo-target area, you will boost your website's rankings.
  
• If you create links on your blogs that go back to your own website, you will boost your website's rankings.
  
• If you use keyword anchor text in your links (see below), you will boost your website's rankings.
  
• Blog articles are webpages that will show up in search results themselves, thus serving as a web lead generation tool.

JOIN ACTIVE RAIN NOW!!!

Here is my Real Estate Blog on Active Rain.

• Arlington TX Real Estate Blog
• Fort Worth Real Estate Blog
• Corsicana Lake Property

Should I register multiple domain names?

It is not beneficial to register more than one domain name. The only way it may help you is if you already have the domains listed on existing marketing collateral. It does not help one bit to have more than one domain name pointing to your website, in fact, Google considers it spam and could give you penalties.