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In this guide, you’ll learn how to create a hyperlocal marketing blog for real estate websites. Hi. I’m Lori Ballen and I am a real estate agent in Las Vegas, NV. I created Ballen Academy to share my methods in real estate marketing.
This blog includes links to the tools I use in my marketing stack. While not necessary to blog, they are tools that improve the process. As an affiliate marketer, I benefit when purchases are made through my links. [Affiliate Disclosure]
Tutorial Video
Step 1: Get a Website
- In this video, I use WordPress Gutenberg
- Get your Real Estate Website from Ballen Brands or Do It Yourself with WP Engine and the Agentpress Pro Theme
- I use IDX Broker on my Las Vegas Website
Step 2: Determine Content
- Your blog could be about one thing: Egg Hunts, Brunches, or Bunnies or include all 3.
- You can hire a ghostwriter from a place like Ballen Brands, Crowd Content, or Hire Writer.
Step 3: Format the Blog
- Title (include focus keyword).
- Do not include a date or title in the URL as you will update this same page each year
- Intro (about the size of a tweet)
- Copy intro to excerpt and Meta description
- Add a video or featured image
- Include a call to action under the image or video
- Layout Paragraph Headings and select H2 for the titles
- Add a Featured Image in the right column to the blog
- Use Social Snap to add a default Pinterest image and tweet
Step 4: Create the Content
- Find events using Facebook, NextDoor, Youtube, Google Search, Eventbrite, and any other social channels
- In your own words, add each event to the list. Include the name of the event, short description, date, time, and location
- Use separators to break up blocks of text (as I do in this blog)
- Use images and embed video where appropriate
- Create a table of contents from your H2 paragraph titles (Plugins like TOC + and Easy Table of Contents create these automatically)
Step 5: Search Engine Optimize
- The YOAST Plugin provides best practices in SEO
- Be sure your images have descriptions and an alt image description and are titled with your focus keyword where appropriate
- Use your focus keyword in the title, intro paragraph, URL Slug (Permalink) in image attributes, and in the H2 Titles where appropriate
- Include internal links to other pages on your website where it makes sense to do so. I use Link Whisper for internal linking suggestions.
- Include external links where it is natural to do so. Have all links open in a new tab or window.
Step 6: Call to Action
- Create a Lead Magnet (List, Map, Ebook, Coupon etc.)
- Use software like Optinmonster, or Convert Kit to make the offer and capture lead info. Convert Kit can do both while Optinmonster offers more advanced lead capture options. They can also work together.
Step 7: Publish and Promote
- Publish your blog. Update each year so that it stays a ranking web page on Google.
- Publish to all Social Channels
- Consider making a coordinating video
- Create a Pinterest Pin and Post on Pinterest. I like CreativeMarket and Lady Boss Studios for Pinterest templates that work in Canva.
- Share in hyperlocal groups like Facebook and NextDoor
- Consider SocialSnap for social Shares.
- Missinglettr is also a great tool for prescheduling posts that are designed by Missinglettr in a set it and forget it format.
