Real estate websites have a firm grasp of how social media and SEO works, according to a recent Business.com article. The article, “What Real Estate Websites Can Teach Your Business About SEO & Social Media,” touts the social media savvy of real estate agents and lessons they teach that other professions can use to better their social media presence.
With insight and information from David Walker, director at Spot Blue International Property, Hughes offers three key lessons for other businesses to keep in mind and actions they should take when preparing their digital strategy for 2016 —
Lesson #1: Be mobile-friendly. Real estate brokers know that most buyers will browse using mobile apps rather than use online desktop searches, Hughes reported. “Having a mobile-friendly website that makes mobile search easy is an absolute must, so would-be buyers continually come back to your site,” Walker said.
Hughes’ tip: Now is the time to get busy increasing your mobile load time, making your mobile search process easier, and streamlining mobile eCommerce options for check-out.
Lesson #2: Get visual. “From Instagram to Vine, social media has officially gone visual,” Hughes wrote. “Real estate agents know that virtual property tours are key for capturing a would-be buyer’s attention.”
Hughes’ tip: Visual content matters. A lot. Businesses should increase their presence by using image-centric networks. “For B2B companies, this means increasing your presence on visual networks like Instagram and using infographics rather than lengthy white papers to connect with potential buyers early in the buying cycle,” Hughes suggested.
Lesson #3: Don’t discount local search — Real estate agents know that local hashtags are the way to go to target buyers in their selling area. “When posting on social media, it’s critical to include relevant hashtags for a property’s location,” Walker said. “By using relevant location hashtags, an Instagram user can simply click on a hashtag and see all the relevant properties for that specific region.”
Hughes’ tip: Incorporate search terms that are relevant to your business. Hughes suggests using a platform like the Google AdWords Keyword Planner to identify geo-search terms that pertain to your products or services and integrate easily into your existing website content.
Hughes’ bottom line? Social media sites are changing continually, and if businesses want to remain in the know, they should follow the lead real estate websites have. “With SEO and social media search trends constantly evolving, the competitive world of real estate is a great reminder that it’s absolutely critical to stay up-to-date on the latest digital trends,” he wrote.
