Many businesses know the importance of ranking well for specific keywords. To reap the rewards, they have optimized their websites accordingly.
As a real estate agent, it is imperative to jump on this keyword bandwagon. Not only will ranking well for specific keywords get your agency out there, but it will help you build your following and acquire more clientele.
But what exactly is a keyword? Keywords are two things simultaneously. They describe what your content is about, and they are the words and phrases users search for (and ultimately find you with) on search engines such as Google.
In essence, well-ranking keywords are the force that drives quality traffic to your website. This traffic is both relevant to your site and organic in nature.
Step One: Start with the Basics
When it comes to ranking for a certain keyword, there are important guidelines that you should follow. These guidelines begin with Google’s own list of keyword do’s and don’ts.
According to Google’s Webmaster Guidelines, you want to:
- Create content with keywords woven in naturally so that they read well for users. Craft content with the user in mind – not search engines.
- Be honest with the keywords you rank for. This means choosing keywords that are relevant to your business and webpage.
- Create content that stands out from the crowd. Incorporate your desired keyword in content that is helpful, fresh, and one-of-a-kind.
You don’t want to:
- Include automatically generated content on your website
- Publish webpages with thin (little to no) content
- Partake in shady activities, such as hidden text
- Publish content featuring keywords that are irrelevant to the page
Step Two: Decide Which Keyword You Would Like to Rank For
Now that you have a solid foundation from which to build, you want to decide which keyword you would like to rank for. There are two ways you can go about this.
Choose a Keyword You Rank for Already
If your website has been around for a while, you likely rank for a variety of keywords already. You can use helpful Internet-based tools such as Google’s Keyword Planner or SEMrush to determine what these keywords are.
Once you know your current rankings, you can take the keywords you rank in position 1-10 for and use at least one in your content. This is referred to as harvesting low-hanging fruit.
Choose a New Keyword to Rank For
If you would like to go after a keyword you do not yet rank for, you can also utilize the aforementioned keyword research tools. Think about words or phrases that best describe the page you want to create content for or optimize, and research them.
Try to choose a keyword that has a not too high yet not too low search volume. You want to be sure that your keyword choices are realistic. If you are brand new in the real estate business, you are not likely going to find success in ranking for a super high-volume keyword, such as “real estate.”
Consider Your Competition
If you want to rank for a new keyword but are not sure where to start, take your competition into consideration. See what they are doing with their content and blogs, and find out which keywords they are ranking for. You can determine your competition’s keyword rankings in a few different ways, such as:
- Screaming Frog Spider software
- Google Keyword Planner (online tool)
- SEMrush (online tool)
- Ahrefs Keyword Explorer (online tool)
- Performing a Google search on a keyword of interest and seeing whether your competitor’s title tags, description, and even URLs incorporate the said keyword
Step Three: Think About User Intent
User intent is another important consideration when choosing a keyword to rank for. Put yourself in a searcher’s shoes. What would you type into Google when you are ready to begin browsing the local real estate market, hire a real estate agent, or sell your home?
Although specific keywords (such as the ones you likely thought of a moment ago) tend to have a lower search volume, they prove to be much more successful in quenching a searcher’s intent. In turn, these keywords drive the right kind of traffic to your website.
Step Four: Determine How You Will Incorporate Your Keyword
Once you have your keyword of choice, your next step toward ranking well is figuring out how you will incorporate the keyword into your content. There are a variety of paths you can take to rank for a keyword. You can weave your keyword (in a natural and non-spammy way) into:
- Educational resource pages
- Informational articles or blog posts
- Thoughtful content on each page of your website
- Creative infographics
Step Five: Weave Your Keyword into Your Content
Now that you have your keyword and a plan to implement it, you can set sail on your quest to rank for the specific keyword.
Take time to generate content that is fresh, helpful, and unique. Remember that users enjoy content that is easy to read, sounds natural, and satisfies their search intent. If your copy piles up into a large block of text, try to break it up into multiple paragraphs. Use headers to keep your writing organized and easy to follow. Check over your work to ensure that there are no spelling or grammatical errors, and be careful not to stuff your keyword.
Once your content is complete, do not forget about titles and descriptions. It is good practice to incorporate your keyword once in your title and once in your description.
Step Six: Upload Your Content to the Web
Your tastefully keyword-infused copy is complete – congratulations! Your next big step is to publish your content on the web. This is where search engines begin the work of crawling through your copy and indexing it on search engines. You are now well on your way to ranking for your specific keyword.
Step Seven: Market Your Work
After your content is indexed on the web, your next step is to promote your work. You can do this by sharing your post on social media and linking back to your content in a fresh blog post or article.
Step Eight: Check on Your Keywords
Yes, your keyword-infused content is successfully crawled by search engines, is indexed on the web, and is circulating through social media feeds. But it is not time to put your feet up yet! Your next step is to put on your analyzing hat and see how your website is performing. Online tools such as Google Analytics will help you determine whether you are ranking, which keyword(s) you are ranking for, and what you can do to improve your rankings.
Conclusion
The process of ranking for a specific keyword is a journey, and journeys take time. In the world of SEO, it is important to remember that ranking for a keyword – especially ranking well – is a marathon, not a sprint. It takes time for a search engine’s crawlers to sift through your content and index them on the web. This means it also takes time for users to find your content. But, once they do, you will likely reap your reward if you followed the guidelines listed above.
