How real estate agents can use Google Alerts for SEO

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Google alerts are just like the “daily email updates” your IDX system sends out to people searching for homes. Except instead of emailing new real estate listings, Google will email you the latest relevant Google search results that match your search criteria. This includes web, news, blog posts etc.

Pretty cool right? You get the latest relevant Google results on any topic, keyword phrase, a persons name, whatever your interest, automatically emailed to you, once a day, as it happens or once a week. Your choice.

Some of the Google Alerts you may want to consider setting up:

  • Your name
  • Your website name
  • Your latest industry news
  • Your competitors
  • Your market area
  • The keyword phrases you would expect people use to find your web site

The last item on the list is the one I most want to discuss. Most realtors I speak with want to be found this way in a Google search: city state real estate

example: westport ct real estate

Google Alert for Westport CT Real Estate

Google Alert for Westport CT Real Estate

Using Google Alerts will make the concept crystal clear about two things I explain to clients on an almost daily basis:

  1. The old fashioned marketing strategy of static content is no longer performing for real estate web sites.
  2. If you don’t have relevant content including your keyword phrases you can not expect to be found for that particular search.

Another important thing to remember, and creating Google Alerts will remind you, is this: People don’t necessarily come to your web site to read your content. Specific headlines and including your market area (city and state) and topic in your copy is essential for search engines and for understanding what your content is about outside the context of your web site.

Create a Google Alert and improve your web marketing strategy now! www.google.com/alerts

The price of economic pessimism

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Optimists see the world as a benevolent place.
Image via Wikipedia

We have a responsibility to be optimistic about the economy. The truth is ‘thoughts become things” and if we focus on the bad economy, worry constantly about not having enough money, losing jobs, clients, etc. then that is what we manifest in our lives.

Below is a short optimistic story you may already be familiar with and below that are links to post that may help you feel more inclined to optimism. I hope!

The story goes that two shoe salesman are sent to a new teritory to set up shop and discover that people there don’t wear shoes at all. One salesman calls the home office to say, “Don’t ship any shoes! I’m returning to headquarters immediately. This trip is a waste, nobody here wears shoes.”

The other salesman calls headquarters to say, “Send as many shoes as you can! This place is a goldmine – nobody here has any shoes!”

How Are We Doing
The American economy is in a rough patch. But the long-term trends are good—and there is a price to economic pessimism.

Here’s the Good News
Forget headlines – the world economy has never been better.

The Good news of Economic Collapse
The best and the brightest minds of the world will use their skills to replace the oil based economy that presently exists because of the tremendous monopoly profits that come from a 19th century technology.

Why I’m optimistic even now
As a Chapel Hill attorney, a member of the community of real estate professionals, a small business owner, a longtime local citizen and a parent, I have experienced firsthand the struggles and challenges we have all been faced with of late. And yet I find myself, like so many others, filled with gratitude for what we have, and sincerely optimistic about what we will achieve going forward.

When your Thoughts Become Things
Yogi Gupta: When your thoughts become creative psychically they will bring results in your life which at first will appear to you just unbelievable, startling, miraculous and supernatural. But really there is nothing miraculous and supernatural in the results which come purely by the use of the higher forces of Nature, known as psychic powers. Every move of the process which transforms your thoughts into things is made in accordance with natural law and order of Nature.

Your Positive Thoughts Can Make a Difference
Life Coach Barbara Scala reminds us how we are all connected, gives practical advice and shares her “game” on how to develop and maintain a positive attitude.

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Lie to Me. Your brochure says you are lying!

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I’ve recently been sucked in to a new TV drama called “Lie to Me”. If you haven’t seen it, it’s about a guy who is supposed to be the world’s leading deception expert. He can read you like a book using your facial expressions and body language. They cut in real footage of well known liars in the act of lying and show you how the facial expression or gesture is exactly the same. Fascinating!

While most people don’t have PHD’s in this field they are intuitive and can detect lies or sense that someone is saying one thing but telling another with their non-verbal language. We call it intuition but an expert will tell you it is not intuition, it’s a scientific fact – the difference is that you and I can’t name what it is or why we know it. We aren’t trained – we just know.

This same concept is true with your marketing materials. Website, brochures, fliers, postcards, newsletters, etc. The personal computer has given everyone the tools to make cool stuff. The problem is that not everyone has the design training or the intuition to use design to effectively support their message. Your brochure copy may be saying you are a waterfront luxury homes specialist while the actual brochure is telling people you are a used car salesman. Or maybe your marketing materials are saying you are lazy, unorganized, downmarket – whatever. The point is your brochure is NOT supporting your message.

An example of this would be a brochure about Home Stageing & Decluttering. This brochure tells us that decluttering will make our home more attractive to buyers. We should agree it’s absolutely a good investment to hire an expert to declutter and showcase our home BUT this brochure is putting doubt in our minds and we are not fully sold. Why? Because the clutter and mess on this brochure is even worse than our most neglected spare room! We don’t have the design degree or training to name it – we’re just not sold.

Consider that having your admininistrative assistant design your marketing pieces may not be in your best interest. Their time could be better spent performing tasks they are proficient with. Designing brochures and ads will likely take them longer than a professional and with sub par results. A more cost effective solution would be to hire a professional to provide you with templates that you can re-use for new brochures, newsletters and so forth. This will cut down costs and give you the added benefit of all marketing materials being professional and consistent.

If you are a die hard DIY person then I would suggest purchasing a professionally designed template or use one that comes with your publishing program which you can modify. There are resources available that will help you improve your layouts by helping you learn to identify what needs improvement and to call out many of the usual amateur pitfalls:

Non-Designer’s Design Book, The (3rd Edition) (Non Designer’s Design Book)
The Non-Designer’s Design and Type Books, Deluxe Edition

Realtors choose to be inspired and successful

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I recently came across two quotes from Abraham Lincoln that remind me of how I approach my own work:

“Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be.”
“If I had eight hours to chop down a tree, I’d spend six sharpening my axe.”

My creativity and enjoyment for my work sometimes requires a jump start. No matter how busy I am with work, I incorporate time for what I call “building my toolbox”.

This involves researching new technologies, checking out what’s new in my field (web development, marketing & seo) and in yours (real estate technology and marketing). I do this not only to keep on top of the latest trends but because it inspires me. I love learning new things and I love sharpening my skills and challenging myself.

Enough about me. My intention is to share some ideas that may help inspire you. Listening to news about the economy and the mortgage crisis could leave even the most enthusiastic Realtor somewhat discouraged. If you are feeling discouraged or disheartened about real estate, your profession, your marketing efforts etc. This would be a great time to do some axe sharpening. Times are changing, the way we market our services and do business are changing. This can be frightening for some but others who are willing to embrace change will surely benefit.

Spend some time on the internet looking outward, not just at other Realtors but also other industries to see how they are embracing social media, blogs and other technologies. Think about ways to connect with clients and industry peers in terms of your ability to fulfill their needs and answer their questions. Realize that in the tough times your services are even more precious to home buyers and sellers. Anyone can sell a house in a seller’s market.

Do you need to sharpen your skills by learning more about short sales? Are you attracting and can you be of service to first time home buyers? Their number will be increasing due to low interest rates, higher inventory, tax credits and FHA loan programs. Does your website have any information for foreign buyers? I have read that international investors are interested in US real estate.
See how successful real estate blogs are evolving, shifting their focus as the real estate market changes:

What is a blog?

Star Position Search & Navigation Solutions

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Everyone who has a website receives these types of messages sooner or later. If you receive an email offering a service from a company or person that you do not know, it’s called spam. Delete it. Read more