It can be easy to get discouraged with online activities like blogging or tweeting when you don't see the direct effect on your bottom line.
You might ask yourself,"Why do I even bother?" You may be temped to stop, especially if you're not seeing increased business since starting your blog.
But blogging can provide an opportunity to set yourself apart from more "old school agents" who don't take the time to interact with potential clients on the internet. Before long, those real estate professionals who refuse to adapt to the internet will go from being old school agents to unemployed agents. (Learn more about Digitally Oblivious Agents here.)
Blogging can also help your search engine rankings when people look for local real estate agents.
Be sure to keep your blog focused on your niche market. For example, let's say you're a newer agent trying to get into the business in the Fort Myers, Florida area.
Even the phrase "Fort Myers real estate agent" will be a highly saught after on search engines. In other words, there will already be a lot of real estate professionals who call themselves a Fort Myers real estate agent, meaning it will be difficult for you to differentiate yourself from them in Google's search results.
You may want to get even more specific with your blog's keywords, such as "Fort Myers waterfront real estate agent."
Let's look at one agent who is doing it right.
Shane "Waterfront" Wilson has implemented part of his searchphrase ("Waterfont," as in waterfront property) into his website name (shanewaterfrontwilson.com) and, yes, even in his own name.
By implementing this keyword into his website, he will ensure that his name will show up at the top of the list when people search for "Fort Myers waterfront real estate agent" on Google. If he wants to improve his ranking even more, he'll continue to use that keyword in his regular blogging.
Trying to dominate a search phrase like "Florida real estate agent" will be too competitive for a new agent.
For example, there are more than 220,000 real estate agents in Florida (According to the Tampa Bay Times). If even half of those agents are fighting for the "Florida real estate agent" search phrase, that's about 7 times more competitors than you'd have for a search phrase like "Fort Myers real estate agent."
By comparison, there are more than 15,000 sales associates in Fort Myers, Florida.
That's a lot fewer agents to compete with. And, again, not every one of them is going to be actively using SEO to target prospects.
It's hard to put a specific price on improving your site's page rank on Google, which is why a lot of people ignore it.
When you start a blog, you may be fighting against a lot of fear and anxiety: Is this professional enough? Is my information correct? Is that comma in the right place?
But here's the thing: nobody may be reading your blog at first. You may not get so much as a comment or like, let alone an email or phone call with a lead. But what you are doing is improving your SEO (read more about it here).
An you know what? It doesnt matter, so long as you keep posting relevant and interesting content on a consistent basis. The readers will come, as well as the improved search rankings.
We leave you with this final piece of advice from Fahrenheit 451 author Ray Bradbury:
"You fail only if you stop writing." --Ray Bradbury
About Larson Educational Services:
Utilizing 30 years of real estate training and professional education experience, Florida real estate school Larson Educational Services is the premier provider of Florida real estate licensing, exam preparation, post-licensing, CAM licensing, mortgage loan originator licensing, and continuing education in Southwest Florida. Classes are available in Fort Myers, Naples, Sarasota, and online.
Brad Larson
Larson Educational Services
13040 Livingston Rd. #12
Naples, FL 34105
info@LarsonEd.com
239-344-7510
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