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For a new real estate website or a website that doesn’t have a lot of authority, you’ll want to start by creating topics that are based on low competition keyword phrases.
If you write content based on popular topics related to the real estate niche, without researching the competition, you are likely to bite off more than you can chew, and won’t rank on Google.
At first, you are picking the low-hanging fruit. Here’s Why. [Watch the Video: https://youtu.be/VMJ7AnaJo5Y]
Domain Authority
The more authoritative a website is, generally based on the quantity and quality of backlinks, the easier it is to rank. We see a direct correlation between high-ranking pages and their domain authority score, or backlink status.
While the number of results that the search engine shows on page 1 can vary, most visitors click the links above the fold (or scroll). This means you want to rank at the top of page one for a keyword.
If you are competing with large real estate niche websites like Zillow, Realtor.com, and others like those, the odds that you will be able to compete are slim.
Start by locating keywords with lower keyword difficulty, and lower competition, even if the search volume is low. As your website gains authority, and backlinks, you’ll be able to write on the more competitive topics.
In most cases, you’ll spend a couple of years picking low-hanging fruit as you climb the “authority” ladder.
Various SEO tools have a domain score or domain authority score that is unique to them. You can download the Moz Premium toolbar to evaluate domain authority for a webpage and domain.
I use SEMrush for my complete SEO strategy and it offers an Authority score for each domain, total backlink reports, keyword difficulty scores, and the competition level for each.
Gaining Backlinks
A Backlinks is when another website references a page on your website with a link.
For example, if you publish an article on your real estate website about selling a house during a divorce, and a website like Inman refers to your page in their article, you now have a quality backlink.
The more authoritative the domain is that is linking back to you, the “better” that link is.
To gain backlinks, create great content that people want to reference. Use stats wherever possible, case studies, trends, newsworthy content, guides, and so forth.
Over time, links will build naturally. If you have a lot of time, and patience on your hands, you can also launch a backlink strategy.
A backlink campaign is when you “pitch” websites, generally by email, asking them to link to you.
Conversion rates are ridiculously low, but they do work with discipline and consistency.
While you don’t want to pay someone for a link, there are companies like Fat Joe that offer backlink outreach as a service.
Creating Great Content
Once you have built a great list of real estate SEO keywords, then you can begin creating content. Your content will generally consist of the following types:
- Neighborhood Pages (all about a particular neighborhood + homes)
- IDX Property Pages (a list of homes displayed by feature, price, size, etc.)
- Hyperlocal Blog Posts: (Things to do, Best of lists. These can go Viral)
- Real Estate Market Reports (Stats and Expertise. Video add is a plus)
- Buyer and Seller Info Posts (Generally about 1500-2000 words)
- Response Posts (These are Question and Answer style posts)
- Skyscraper or Pillar Posts. (3000 – 5000 word comprehensive guides)
- Listicles: These are lists like “best pools in X, best bakeries in X”, etc. and go along with your hyperlocal blog posts.
Your local pages will generally be lower competition in nature, but don’t spend all of your time creating neighborhood pages out of the gate.
Shuffle it so you can build more strategically.
- Week 1: Neighborhood Page, or IDX Property Page
- Week 2: Hyperlocal blog post
- Week 3: Buyer Info or Response Post
- Week 4: Seller Info or Response Post
- Every Month: Real Estate Market Report
- Every Quarter: Skyscraper or Pillar Post
Real Estate SEO Keywords List
This list of real estate SEO keywords consists of lower competition phrases with keyword difficulty in the easy to possible range. If you would like to dive into your own keyword research like this, I highly recommend SEMrush.
You’ll notice that these keywords are not singular. They are longtail keywords which means they contain multiple words to make a phrase. These allow you to cover a more focused topic in the real estate niche, often with a laser-targeted audience.
These don’t include your local property pages, neighborhood pages, or hyperlocal pages. They are more “general”, that you can make as local as possible.
In no particular order:
- Real Estate Market
- What Does Contingent Mean in Real Estate?
- What Does Pending Mean in Real Estate?
- What is Wholesale Real Estate?
- Preforeclosure homes for sale by owner
- Do FHA loans require PMI?
- How to Sell a House Fast
- How to Buy a Piece of Land
- What Tax do you pay when buying a house?
- How to determine the square footage of a room
- Average Cost of New Home Construction
- Rural Development Homes For Sale
- What Fees are associated with selling a house?
- Can I sell my house without a REALTOR?
- What is the average mortgage for a 300K House?
- What is the difference between a real estate agent and a real estate broker?
- How much does it cost to sell your house?
- What is the current VA Home Loan rate?
- What does it cost to build a new home?
- How do I apply for a home loan?
- What is Checked in a home inspection?
- How much is the downpayment for a condo?
- First Time Buyer programs with 0 down payment
- How much house can I afford on 60K?
- Things first time home buyers need to buy
- What is the cheapest way to remodel a bathroom?
- How much is the downpayment for a 300K House?
- What is the capital gains on a primary residence?
- What do real estate agents do?
- Home staging tips for sellers
- How much earnest money is required?
- What is a Mid Century Home?
- What are the qualifications for buying a home?
- How do I sell my house without a REALTOR?
- Does it cost money to refinance a house?
- Fixer Upper houses fo rsale
- Can I sell my house online?
- What are escrow property taxes at closing?
- How is Capital Gaines calculated on selling a property?
- How much is a real estate agent commission?
- What taxes are paid when buying a house?
- What is a buyers agent in real estate
- Should I buy a house with eitf stucco?
- Should I buy a house with an underground oil tank?
- How much is a tiny house?
- How much house can I afford Dave Ramsay
- Is it cheaper to build a house or buy a house?
- What is subsidized housing?
- What to look for when buying a house
- How to Make an Offer on a house
Find more details on these and many more like them at SEMrush.com
Lori Ballen is a real estate agent in Las Vegas. She’s a digital marketing specialist, speaker, and marketing coach and loves to share her “Ballen Method” to generate website traffic and leads online. Lori’s specialties are SEO content writing (ranking on the search engines), social media strategies, and affiliate marketing. Need a website? Contact Lori’s brothers Jeff and Paul Helvin at Ballen Brands.
