People use Google for research and reviews more than they use Yahoo, Bing, AOL or ASK.  In the United States Google is reaching over 65% of all Search Results!  It’s important to remember, however that Google is not just a search engine!  It also has powerful tools including YouTube, Gmail, Google Docs, Google Adwords (pay per click), Picnik and Picassa.

Top 2011 Google Tools for Real Estate Agents in 2012

• Google Keyword Tool:  Use the Keyword Tool to find the 2 and 3 word Phrases that you want to be found under.  Also, check out your competition, and see what terms your competitor’s sites are using!
• Google Analytics:  Use the Analytics to see who is coming to your site, what is referring them to the site and how long they are staying.  (Okay – it’s not going to really tell you the name of the people who come to the site, but it does give you some great intel!)
• Google Places and Google Local Business Listings:  You should be showing up on local listings, especially mobile searches, be sure you’ve added yourself to your business location!
• Picnik: Real Estate Agents who do not take “perfect” pictures (like one that might be slightly crooked?) should definitely check out Picnik.  Works like a charm!
• Google Real Estate Search:  There’s not a Google Real Estate Search at this point, and though there’s been some rumors that Google is testing something for 2012, I can’t find any real support for that theory.
• Google + Business pages:  Google allows you to create 10 different pages per Google Account, so if you are the ambitious type and just WANT to have one page for First Time Home Buyers, One for Green Homes (for instance), and another on Avoiding Foreclosure, you could! They’ve only been out for about 4 weeks – but it’s been proven already that content shared by businesses and brands via Google+ is becoming more and more prevalent in search results.
• Custom Google Maps:  This is probably one of the least used, best features available to Agents. Most locals, like Atlanta, have “common” terms for certain areas we’ve all heard of – like “Buckhead.”  If you think that might be an interested in living in… wouldn’t you like to know what general area that is on a map?  Draw it out!  Add your favorite coffee shops, and parks.  Include a video of the area on the map, and then refer folks to the map at the bottom of each post about Buckhead!  Live in a more Rural Setting?  You can create a map that shows which homes near by qualify for USDA financing… or Create a Map of a Golf Course.
• You Tube: Don’t think you are ready for Video?  Look at Jing and learn how to do a quick video from that CMA you just finished!

Internet users watched an all-time high of 42.6 billion videos during October, with YouTube accounting for 20.9 billion of those views — 49.1% of the total. ComScore credits YouTube/Google with an audience of just under 161 million unique viewers, almost triple the reach of Facebook, which was second with a little less than 60 million unique viewers.

If you need more help working on your Keyword List, or you have questions about creating Great Blog Content, let me know!  I love helping agents who are trying to improve their search, and generate Internet Leads!  I’d love to help you and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

If you’ve seen an iPhone or iPad or Droid, even if you haven’t used one…  you’ve no doubt noticed the massive conversion away from a traditional keyboard, as more people would rather interact with their computer via the touch screen.  The NEXT NEW THING shipped out with the latest iPhone 4S and a headline recently read:

The algorithm is no longer king, the interface is.

What does that mean?  There’s a new voice command application (interface) on the iPhone that allows you to ask almost any question, and get an answer. On the Apple device, it’s called Siri.  It was developed by a defense research group before Apple bought it in April 2010.

If you have an iPhone4, you know by now that Siri doesn’t “do” Knock-Knock Jokes, but she can help us find things or places or people!  Just like search engines (Google)!  The big difference?  “Contemporary search engines are funded by all those ads sprinkled among the results. Where would Siri put those ads? “I’ll tell you when the next train leaves just after this commercial break.” No, I don’t think that’s how it will work.”

The Android has a similar tool, Jeannie which is mostly based upon Pandorabot a free API.  Because of the positive reception from the public for Siri and Jeannie tools – we can expect new apps to be created in the coming months that combine Geo Location tools and Voice Commands.

What does this mean for Real Estate?

Siri gets a ton of it’s information regarding where Real Estate Companies are located from Yelp!, so obviously you want to have a complete Business Listing there (it’s free).  You also want to continue to watch for other opportunities to maximize your mobile search results.  We know that Google has a different search algorithm for mobile search.

In desktop SEO, experts encourage organic, keyword-heavy pages, along with Social Interaction.  However, with mobile search, it is imperative to push for less text, as the general focus of a mobile user is on speed, relevance and simplicity.  Because of this difference, I would also suggest maximizing your Google Map placement, and creating your Google+ Branded Business Page.

For me, the next step is to find a Web application that is Voice Activated.  “Siri, are there any 4 bedroom houses for sale near me?,” can’t be too far off!

If you have questions about creating leads from your real estate blog, or how to get your Listing seen by more eyeballs – contact me.  I’d love to help you and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

Activerain recently encouraged everyone to be a “local” reporter for their area.  This is a great idea for several reasons… it shows a wider audience that you are a Hyper Local Expert, it gives you exposure to a potential new audience…

Google is all about rewarding sites that have Great Content - but more than that, they are looking for sites that have strong links pointing back to the site, and they are especially looking for sites that have “Social Interaction” or Social Proof.  Having an article in an online newspaper, or in print, is one of the ways you will get other people to Tweet, like and share the content!

Sweet – so how do you find these opportunities?

One of the easiest ways to find other sites (not just newsletters and newspapers) is to search for them!  You can do specific searches using some basic code to find people in your area, your state, that are accepting guest posts.

Exact Phrase Search (Homeowner’s Insurance TX “Guest post” / Homeowner’s Insurance “Write for us”)

If you use the speech marks to find the exact text, it will help you find sites that are looking for guest bloggers of accept guest blog posts.  The phrases to search for are pretty specific for your area – we’re having fires, and tons of people are interested in what kind of coverage they need and have.  Your area might have opportunities with Divorce Attorneys (Who Get’s The House Now?), or moving companies.

Intitle Search (Homeowner’s Insurance TX Intitle:Guest Post – Homeowner’s Insurance TX Intitle: Advertise)

If you do a search for specific content within the title area, it’s going to let you find sites that have accepted guest posts, and are looking for those who might advertise.  Our experience is that someone who will advertise, will allow you to create content – you might have to pay them $20 bucks – but depending on the site, it might be worth it!

Wildcard Search (Homeowners Insurance TX “Guest *” blog)

Using the wildcard (*) filters results that contain the exact words within your query and an additional word in the position of the wildcard. This will give you a site that has Homeowners Insurance and Guest, but might not have Texas… it’s a wildcard!  But, you can still use this to Search for Opportunities to create links back to your site, and improve your SEO Rankings!

If you have questions about your creating leads from your real estate blog, or how to get your Listing seen by more eyeballs – call Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301.  I”d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

First you create a Google Profile with a link back to your ABOUT ME Page or Bio Page on your website.  Then add a link from EACH PAGE on your site back to your Google Profile. with a “rel=author” notation.

Why do this?  Well, Matt Cutts (AKA The Man) says it might help with rankings in the video… and that’s pretty much reason enough for me!

In the future, authorship markup may actually mean that Google begins to assign ranking value to your profile, and uses it to influence the ranking authority of an individual piece you’ve created.  

They won’t say how or how much, but the idea may be that authors can achieve a level of credibility on the web through these attributions, and that the sum total of your credited work will play a role in boosting the calculated relevancy of an individual piece, when compared to the work of other authors in the index.

This is what Google Says You should do to link a webpage to your Google Profile

To link to your Google Profile from the webpage containing your content, create a link like this:

<a href="https://plus.google.com/109412257237874861202?
  rel=author">Google+</a>

In this example, 109412257237874861202 is YOUR Google Profile ID.  Note that the + Character needs to be part of this “equation.” Once you’ve done all of this for EACH SITE YOU CONTRIBUTE TO (like AR, Trulia, Your Blog) you need to complete the Request Form.

There’s a WordPress Plugin for adding Author Bios if you need it.  The problem is that WordPress usually strips the HTML from Author Bios.  The reason WordPress strips code out of the author box is so that your authors cannot sneak in some spammy or dangerous code when you are not looking.

Remember, any code added in the Author Bio “Box” will  populate all articles written by an author and you do not get an alert when they change something.

So someone could write 20 very nice posts for you, and then come back a month later and drop their links and ads in their box. So only use this on sites where you trust your writers! (which is probably why they said in the Video that it was great for single writer sites).

If you find that the code is getting stripped (and not working) you might want to also add this WordPress plugin.

This is all part of a bigger SEO move that Google started earlier this year.  As you see how the changes are affecting your Page Rank – LMK!

Think about this story:

Once, walking into a home on office tour and getting emotional, I thought it had more to offer than our current home. I called Bishop (my wife). She came over and we got emotional together, which activated the decision making process. We shook off the habitual feeling to stay where we where and figured out how to make it work. Wham, in less than 24 hours, we bought a new home.

How do you create content that creates this emotion ?  That’s easy.  I think the answer is Video.You have houses to sell.  No one is walking in, driving by, or calling on the ads (let alone reading the newspaper). REALTOR showings are down, brochure boxes are so 1900’s, flyers are a waste of paper and so un-green. Open houses are lifeless or, if you do get people, they may just be looking for prescription meds or casing the house!  So what you need to do is create emotional interest online!

What does the consumer want? INFORMATION! When do they want it? NOW! If they land on your site and don’t get ‘information now’… well, let’s just say your business success is just someone’s delete key away!   using Video is a way to both give the information some is looking for AND engage their emotion!

7 Tips:

VIDEO:

• Lighting is everything. Yes, you can go out and rent expensive lighting equipment, but don’t. A couple of portable floodlights with high watt bulbs are all you need. There is an easy lighting trick you can use – gels. Gels are colored transparencies that you place over the floodlight to temper the light. Go to the office supply company and buy a pack of colored transparencies. Pink or salmon work well for most inside shots. If one sheet doesn’t help, use several at a time.
• Another trick is to direct the lights up and be conscious of shadows. Needless to say, if natural light is too bright, close the shades, blinds, or drapes. Or, shoot in through the window from the outside for a different effect. Pick the best time of day (best light) to video the outside. If the house is well lit at night – that may be the best time.
• You can stand infront of the home and video the outside, let folks know why this is such a great area – then use pictures of the main highlights in the video.  Remember no more than 3 minutes
• I don’t suggest that you use loud music.  If you are looking for homes on the sofa at 10pm, and your spouse is next to you… the music comes on from a site, what are you likely to do?  Get off that site as quickly as possible!
• Pan slowly – take your time, it will show. Take care not to zoom in and out like a cartoon eye in an attempt to focus. Hold the camera low and shoot at a slight upward angle to give volume to the frame. Use reflection whenever possible by shooting countertops, mirrors, and window glass. Don’t forget the drive by and rolling shots. Placing the camera on an office chair gives a dolly effect, as will a child’s wagon.
• Here is a quote from a friend of mine, “Want to make a great video? Shoot lots of footage. Some of it will end up good and maybe a little will be great after editing.”
• Get a sound bite of kids playing and add it to the video of the yard. Have a sound bite of a football crowd when showing the bonus room. Sound bites are a great way to generate emotion and there are lots of Wav or MP3 files on the Internet for free.

Looking for a QUICK way to add video to your Blog on a regular basis, try Posterous.

If you have questions about your creating leads from your real estate blog, or how to get your Listing seen by more eyeballs – call Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301.  I”d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

Are You Getting It All Done???  It’s been a good year for lead generation – but it’s soooo time consuming!

Yelp, Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Geo Location… Is your head spinning? This commitment to Generate Leads Online could require a change in your routine.  It generally means you are going to get out of your comfort zone a bit… But it’s important, and working with all of these Social Media Tools WILL Generate Real Estate Leads!

You might be saying, “But I thought I was a Real Estate Agent?  If I’m checking Twitter, finding things to put on Facebook, writing a BLOG POST everyday – when am I Selling Real Estate?” Great Question!  There really IS a way to get this all done!

Let’s break it down.  The first thing to do is to get a plan, and create a system.

The Plan

I suggest starting a Spread Sheet that will become your lifeline.  On the first page of the Spreadsheet, write down the top 6 or 7 topics you think someone Buying a Home in your areas should know, and the top 6 or 7 things a Seller in your area should know.

Then consider other areas in your business where you might like to get more closings from.  For instance, if the New Home Builders in your area are paying a 4% commission rate – maybe you should concentrate some of your time on those builders and their neighborhoods.  If that’s the case, add the Builder and their neighborhoods to your List!

Once you write a blog post, put the URL, date and any important keywords (like the Geographic location) under that topic.  Do this every time you write a post.  Later, when you have 88 posts, and you need to link to a post about that Builder (for instance) you will be able to easily find it!

Add to your list of Blog topics based upon your Calendar

Get out a Calendar and think about Festivals, Holiday Celebrations, the First Day of School, Tax Assessments and any other special events in your area.  Now you can go back to your Spreadsheet and add a column for the MONTH – and know in advance what you want to write about during a given month. Keep writing from this Original List of topics, making sure that you have covered all of the topics in the original list before you add new topics.

TIP: Another great way to get ideas for Blog Posts is to read the questions consumers leave on Yahoo!, Zillow and Trulia.  Do you find yourself answering the same question over and over?  Write about it!

You are starting to have a PLAN!  Having a plan, and knowing what you need to write about next saves a TON of time!  PLUS… it’s smart.  Concentrating your efforts on specific Keywords will help your rankings.

TIP: I personally find that once I sit down to write, I write some REALLY long posts on the same topic that can be broken up into 3 or 4 “bite size” 250 to 300 word posts.  You can SCHEDULE them to go out over a period of time.  So you might do all of your writing for the week on Sunday afternoon, schedule those posts to go out and you won’t have to write again for a whole week!

The System

Once you’ve created content, you need to Optimize it. Just like you have a System (or Protocol) for each listing – you need a system for optimizing what to do each time you create a blog post.  Write that system down in a check list on the second page of your Spreadsheet!  Remember to include scheduling out the status updates / messages and campaigns on Social Media Channels using your TweetDeck, HootSuite or Seesmic account!

Have you ever been to a Chamber of Commerce meeting where people shake your hand and at the same time give you their business card and ask for business before really getting to know you?

LinkedIn is a great tool for expanding your Sphere of Influence, which is genuinely a form of Lead Generation.

You can connect to people you went to school with, people from your Country Club or Church AND people you’ve met at Chamber Meetings.  It’s a way to professionally deepen your relationships and get to know someone better, see who you have common connections with.  The more connections you have, the higher you will rank when someone searches your name.We’ve known people who do a TON of business with the people they are connected to on LinkedIn.  Most of those people have a very well defined Niche or Passion. They are WINE experts, and so they connect with people who are selling wine, collecting wine, growing vineyards, having wine tastings… or maybe they are CAR fanatics.  One friend is a part of every Car Conversation that is going on – from how to run a small mechanics business to collecting roadsters, to NASCAR teams and the business of racing.  This is really how you let people know about your passions, and grow your Sphere.

Complete your Profile!  LinkedIn gives you a TON of space to put information about yourself. You can connect your blog and your Website, connect your Status Updates to Twitter, high light past achievements and your favorite books.  You have the option of making your telephone number and email address public, and we would recommend that you do that so that people can contact you faster.

Give and receive recommendations on LinkedIn. Many agents are uncomfortable asking a past client to give them a Testimonial, even though they understand how important they can be for their business.  Connect with those clients, give THEM a recommendation… and then ask for one in return!  Look at all of those people you’ve been getting recommendations from on STIK (Facebook).  Make sure you are connected to them on LinkedIn!

You can update your status on LinkedIn, just like Facebook and Twitter – but it’s important to remember the “tone” of business that is being done on this Social Media Channel. Finding Investors, posting information about the Real Estate Investment Market and connecting to those who are moving to your area (and are looking for a job) will likely be some of the best leads you will get from LinkedIn.

Tip:  You can also post and promote events on LinkedIn. Depending upon the Geographic Area you are in, there are IRL (In Real Life) events of local LinkedIn groups, many of them meet every month.  If you don’t have these events going on in your area, start a group, and start meeting at a local coffee house!

Time Investment on LinkedIn varies depending upon your comfort level, who and how you are mining for leads.  Best practice is to login and contribute at least weekly to a conversation, add connections and make recommendations. This could be a 30 minute time commitment per week, or a 30 to 45 minute commitment each day.

If you have questions about building your real estate presence as you build your real estate business, give me a call!   Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!

But HOW do you get folks to give you the Nod?

One easy way is by using Yelp!  There’s an app for Yelp!, just like for Four Square – and just like Four Square, you can check into places, see who else is there, and look for recommendations!

Take a picture of the front of the Restaurant and then upload it as part of your review!  Give others compliments on their pictures, and be sure to make friends on the network (get connected!)!

I still don’t understand how that is getting ME anything!

Okay- so you might not see how giving someone else a recommendation can help your Real Estate Business.  First off, I’m not suggesting that you give ONE recommendation.  You should be doing this at least 2 or 3 times a week. That shows folks that you really know what’s going on in your market.

Next – consider this “recomendation” that I found on Yelp:

The owner’s motto,  is “A referral is my best compliment.” Well I guarantee you the way he does business he gets zero referrals.

This is a leasing company that will either lease your house for you, manage the lease only, or help the owners manage the rental properties. I am here to tell you that they don’t work for either the owners of the house or the potential renters because they have their own agenda.

Also I would pay close attention to those giving Pegasus 5 star reviews. They only started coming out of the woodwork after I posted my 1 star review. All of these people only have 1-2 reviews and are not from Texas. I would bet money that he is getting his friends to “review” him. So beware!!!

They are unethical and unprofessional. Without going into personal details just know not to deal with them and if you need more information prior to doing so please PM me. I will say that his comment to my review is totally inaccurate.

WOW!  If you have been giving out reviews on a regular basis, do you think you would have people in the Community Rallying around you? What if everytime you did a review, you printed it out, put it in a $3 frame and TOOK IT to the business Owner!  The Dry Cleaners, your Insurance Agent, your local Coffee Shop – your credibility goes WAY UP!  Those folks that you are getting to know, and referring will give you STARS!

PLUS… did you know that Trulia and Yelp! are connected?  Doesn’t that kind of make this more interesting?

People buy from and refer people they know and trust. So go out there and start connecting to other businesses and grow your credibility and referrals!

I encourage Real Estate agents to pick a Domain name that is GEO Specific.  So if you are in Central Texas, Texas Home Central might make sense.  The goal with any site is to build your brand, while also targeting the generic real estate searches that buyers type in search engines.  These days, many of the Real Estate SEO “experts” are suggesting that having the page or post TITLE reflecting the best keywords is almost as important as the content on the page.

It’s been proven that just having the best keyword rich domain NAME is not  going to draw thousands of people wanting to purchase Real Estate to the site – just consider  Zillow, or Trulia.  Both of those sites draw tens of thousands of people to their sites daily who want to purchase or sell homes… but their URL / domain name does not contain a specific reference to Real Estate!  They have great CONTENT!

I would also suggest that you have something that is easy to remember, and easy to spell… and despite what your Vendors might tell you… Having 200 URLs that all point to the same information is an “old school” Internet model. If you are purchasing those domains because you want to own a “miss spelling” of your name, or your area – and direct that to your site, good idea… otherwise, I’m not sure I see the benefit.

It’s also important to remember you will use the Domain name in your advertising offline.  It could be used to show up in TV and radio ads, newspaper and magazine ads, press releases, news stories, on invoices and packing slips, on the side of vans and fleet vehicles, on billboards and posters, and in potentially hundreds of other distinct types of location.

Selecting Your Domain Name

As you are looking for Keywords with high impact for your domain name - I suggest making a list.  You can use:

• Seobook keyword suggestion tool (free, but requires registration).
• Google adwords tool (free and simple to use)

When you are ready to purchase a domain name here are some places to purchase domain names:

• Godaddy.com : you can still find decent domains for $11, in low to medium competitive markets
• Discount Domains :$8.88 per -  I have not used them

• Buydomains.com : the names I looked up were costing $250

• DomainNameSales : I understand this is Most Expensive

AGE Matters

If you have a domain name that you’ve used for 2 or 3 years – and you’re ready for a new look, and want a more Geo-Targeted name that’s cool.  But don’t get rid of the name that has some legs on it! You can always point that “old” domain name to your new site!

One way to purchase an “aged” domain name is to go to folks who have been in the business for years and are ready to get out! Yes, you might pay $250 (or more) for the name – but it could be well worth it!  Because “older” keyword rich URLs will help you get to the top faster – assuming you have lots of GREAT content!

If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call!   Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter? Let’s Connect!

Last July Yahoo! Real Estate and Zillow announced a “partnership” that seemed like a pretty sweet deal for those in the Industry.

According to Hitwise -  a month after the announcement,  Yahoo! Real Estate beat Realtor.com in the battle for most website activity in August. This trend continued into September…

Yahoo Real Estate’s market share jumped to 6.95 percent from 5.87 percent in October. Realtor.com’s market share grew somewhat more slowly, to 6.28 percent from 5.99 percent in October.

Zillow uses Omniture statistics, and it announced in December that it received 13 million unique visitors in December… the December results for Yahoo! Real Estate and Realtor.com are not out yet.

And Then There’s Trulia

The number four seat in Real Estate Websites Rankings belongs to Trulia.com – a company that provides a free blogging platform for agents, and includes consumer questions and for agent interaction (like Zillow). Where do their services stand in the wake of numbers?

I thought the post by Trulia in November regarding the Rankings, and how it was presented in Inman News was really thought provoking.

And it made me think back to those December numbers for Zillow…  Could the Facebook  Movie, Oprah and the fascination with the Zuckerberg House contribute to the record number of hits?  I doubt that was the WHOLE reason, but I don’t doubt that it could have contributed.

This brings me to the real question of the Post:

Which PREMIUM account is going to generate the BEST leads and provide the BEST opportunity for lead conversion in 2011?

Should the strategy continue to be to spend your marketing dollars on Realtor.com if the consumer is looking at Yahoo! Real Estate?  What about Zillow?  Would you be better off purchasing an exclusive zipcode or two on their site.  Trula offers a solid package too.

I’m curious – what’s your 2011 strategy to generate leads?

If you have questions about building your real estate blog as you build your real estate business, give me a call!   Josh Harley, Fathom Realty, 214-228-0301. I’d love to help you, and learn more about what’s working in your market! Are you on Facebook and Twitter?  Let’s Connect!