Search Engine Optimization - Tipsdocs.rlpnetwork.com/RLPN/Realtors/GYB/CC/SearchEngineOptimizati… · Identify important keywords: Finding good keywords is the most important step

Royal LePage ClientClick – 2010

Contents

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

What is Search Engine Optimization?

Where to Begin Optimizing a Website

Best Practices for Search Engine Optimization

Keywords ................................................................

Links ................................................................

Think Locally ................................................................

Refresh the Content ................................

An Optimized Page ................................

SEO and Social Media ................................

Integrate, Don’t Separate ................................

Put the Customer First ................................

Tools and Resources for your SEO

Optimizing your ClientClick website for SEO

Getting Started ................................

Site Statistics ................................................................

Site Content ................................................................

Header ................................................................

Keywords ................................................................

Site Description ................................

Editing Content ................................

Other Optimizations ................................

Domain Name ................................

Things to remember… ................................

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

Being located near the top of the search results is important

because people do not search multiple pages to find your

page. Your website is a portal into your listings, and the easier it

is for someone to find your site, the easier it is for them to find

your listings.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) ................................................................................................

What is Search Engine Optimization? ................................................................................................

Where to Begin Optimizing a Website ................................................................................................

r Search Engine Optimization ................................................................

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Tools and Resources for your SEO ................................................................................................

Optimizing your ClientClick website for SEO ................................................................................................

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Being located near the top of the search results is important

because people do not search multiple pages to find your

page. Your website is a portal into your listings, and the easier it

site, the easier it is for them to find

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What is Search Engine Optimization?Simply stated, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the placement of

your website during searches on websites such as Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc. This placement

results in an increased volume of traffic to your site from search engin

achieved either through Organic SEO,

site drives its ranking, or Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

“sponsored” search result that appears near the top

To ensure that your website is found during a search, we must think about

“decide” what content fits what words (ex. What kind of website should associate with

for “Real Estate”?). We must also consider that users may use search sites to find your website

two, three, even four times before they bookmark your page (they may even rely on searching

for your site every time). So designing a website with th

incredibly valuable.

Organic

SEO

What is Search Engine Optimization? Simply stated, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the placement of


results in an increased volume of traffic to your site from search engines. Top ranking can be

Organic SEO, a process through which the content and quality of your

Search Engine Marketing (SEM), whereby people pay to have a

“sponsored” search result that appears near the top of the results page.

To ensure that your website is found during a search, we must think about how search engines

“decide” what content fits what words (ex. What kind of website should associate with



for your site every time). So designing a website with the search engine results in mind is

Search Engine Marketing (SEM)

Simply stated, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the process of improving the placement of


es. Top ranking can be

a process through which the content and quality of your

, whereby people pay to have a

search engines

“decide” what content fits what words (ex. What kind of website should associate with a search



e search engine results in mind is



Optimizing a website involves editing its content and code to increase its association with

certain words (these are called keywords) and to better allow search

site (i.e. scan your site to see what is on it). SEO techniques fall into two categories:

• White Hat SEO refers to techniques that search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing)

recommend as part of good website design. It involves

ensuring that the content a search engine finds and ranks is the same content a user will

see (i.e. not hidden).

• Black Hat SEO refers to techniques that are not approved by search engines

techniques involves tricking search engines into finding more content on your site and

thus making the search engine believe your site is more relevant. This can be achieved

through hidden text (text coloured the same colour as the background so as

invisible) or text positioned off screen. Black Hat SEO poses a major risk: Once a search

engine discovers you are using Black Hat techniques they will severely penalize your

website and rank it significantly

We will focus on White Hat SEO techniques and the number one rule for proper SEO is:

Customer First!



certain words (these are called keywords) and to better allow search engines to “index” your


refers to techniques that search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing)

recommend as part of good website design. It involves following the guidelines and


refers to techniques that are not approved by search engines



through hidden text (text coloured the same colour as the background so as



significantly lower than others.

on White Hat SEO techniques and the number one rule for proper SEO is:


engines to “index” your


refers to techniques that search engines (like Google, Yahoo and Bing)

following the guidelines and


refers to techniques that are not approved by search engines. These



through hidden text (text coloured the same colour as the background so as to make it



on White Hat SEO techniques and the number one rule for proper SEO is: Put the


Best Practices for Search Engine Optimization

The benefits of incorporating proper SEO go beyond simply having your website ranked first in

search results; it means that your website users will find more relevant content to them. They

may come back more often, keeping you top of mind, and they may even refer others to your

website.

Keywords Simply stated, keywords are the words people use in their searches. For example, while

searching for a Royal LePage office in Medicine Hat, Alberta, users might search for “Royal

LePage Medicine Hat” thus, the keywords would be: Royal LePage and Medicine Hat.

Identify important keywords: Finding good keywords is the most important step in optimizing your

website. Keywords should be used throughout your site and each page should include a short

article around 300 to 1000 words long that uses the keywords as a natural part of the language.

There is a long list of keywords that you could use, so focus on your Target Audience: Perhaps

specific keywords to them (e.g. Buying a First House), to their area (e.g. Montreal) or to their

neighbourhood (e.g. Anjou).

Recommended: Get someone who is not in real estate (a friend, neighbour,

relative etc,) sit them down in front of the computer and ask them to search (via

Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc...) for Real Estate in your area. Take the keywords they

typed and use them on your website and Social Media.


Links There are two types of links you can have on your website:

1. External Links: Links to websites other than yours but that are still related.

2. Internal Links: Links to pages within your own website.

Never copy content: Finding great content on-line can be good for your website. But if you

copy and paste that good content in your website, you will split the SEO for both sites in half!

Instead, paraphrase and add your own spin to the piece, then link to the original article. That

will greatly benefit the SEO of both websites.

Keep in mind that inbound links to your website from other reputable sites will help your SEO too.

1. Make sure your website is displayed on your Royal LePage Profile (as

on the right). To do so:

a. Log in to RLPNetwork.com and click on the REALTORS tab >

Manage your business (just below the REALTORS tab) >

Manage your profile (left side). Make changes and click

Save near the bottom.

b. Customer Care (1-877-757-4545) can also help you with this.

2. Great content may lead to other sites linking to your website which, again, increases

your SEO.

Also make sure that your links, whether internal or external, complement the article or

information that you are linking from.

Think Locally Search engines want users to find relevant content. As such, search engines generally try to find

local results before looking elsewhere. That’s why having rich local keywords and a local flavour

can really help with your SEO.

1. Keywords: When evaluating keyword options think about the local area and

neighbourhoods.

2. Links: Think not just of local Real Estate websites, but local websites that you can link to.

a. Many cities have their own website with a lot of information that could be useful

as an external link on your website.

b. Local events and attractions also make great external links to your website.

Refresh the Content The way search engines look through sites is constantly changing as they search for new and

fresh material. Changing the content of your site is important to do from time to time (which is

why blogs are so popular). This doesn’t mean you have to redesign the whole site every few

months, but the content or articles on the site should be brought up to date on occasion.


An Optimized Page

Utilizing keywords, links and local content is integral to a properly optimized webpage. In this

example, Mike works in AnyTown. He has identified industry related keywords such as: Buyers,

Real Estate, first time buyer, etc… Mike has also identified local keywords: AnyTown, Downtown

and Uptown. He then used those keywords in the titles, headings, and content of each page on

his website. He also includes links to internal and external sites when possible and makes sure the

content is up to date.

Extra Notes on the use of keywords:

• The most important keywords should be near the beginning of the title/heading/content.

• Keywords should be used throughout the site, and use different keywords depending on

the topic of each specific page.

Page URL

Title with Keywords

Main Page Headline has Keywords

Related,

Keyword

Rich Content

Internal Link to a page

about AnyTown

Neighbourhoods


SEO and Social Media

A question that is often asked in regards to Social Media is “How will

people find my Facebook fan page, LinkedIn profile or Twitter account?”

Social Media and SEO work hand in hand to get you more page visits and

more fans, connections or followers.

they will also visit your Social Media profiles and vice versa.

Integrate, Don’t SeparateIt is often the case that people do not lin

though they have a link to their website from Social Media.

profiles into your website will encourage potential clients to join your Social Media networks and

will can open communication channels with them.

At the same time, being involved with Social Media can assist you in

“owning the first page.” When someone searches your name, the results

could include your website, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter account an

your Facebook Fan Page, thus letting them decide how they want to

connect with you.

Put the Customer First Having a customer first attitude is beneficial to your Search Engine

Optimization and it can also help with Social Media. With your Target

Market in mind, it is important to think about what kind of information

they want to read. With Social Media, your posts are being displayed

adjacent to posts from the user’s parents, siblings and friends. So,

having a customer first attitude and thinking abou

to read can help you build your following on Social Media. Of course,

this same attitude is vital for White Hat SEO.

A question that is often asked in regards to Social Media is “How will

people find my Facebook fan page, LinkedIn profile or Twitter account?”

k hand in hand to get you more page visits and

more fans, connections or followers. As more people visit your website,

they will also visit your Social Media profiles and vice versa.

Integrate, Don’t Separate It is often the case that people do not link their website with their Social Media profiles, even

though they have a link to their website from Social Media. Integrating your Social Media


open communication channels with them.



could include your website, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter account an


connect with you.

Having a customer first attitude is beneficial to your Search Engine

Optimization and it can also help with Social Media. With your Target

in mind, it is important to think about what kind of information

they want to read. With Social Media, your posts are being displayed

adjacent to posts from the user’s parents, siblings and friends. So,

having a customer first attitude and thinking about what the user wants

to read can help you build your following on Social Media. Of course,

this same attitude is vital for White Hat SEO.

k their website with their Social Media profiles, even

your Social Media




could include your website, your LinkedIn profile, your Twitter account and



Tools and Resources for your SEO

Search Engine Optimization is an organic process, it is not something that can be done once

and forgotten about. As search engines update their methods of indexing sites, it is important to

try and reflect those changes. However, having a website with good and useful content is what

search engines always want to find. Keeping your Target Audience in mind will go a long way to

maintaining that coveted #1 spot.

Client Click Websites

All of the SEO tips discussed in this section are easily done with

Client Click websites. Client Click websites allow for simple

customisation and will soon automatically update with your

listings. Client Click sites start from $169 (for a 1 year Agent Pro

Site).

For More information, visit: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors >

Client Click or Call Patrick Rioux at 1-877-757-4545

Google Adwords Keyword tool

https://adwords.google.com/select/KeywordToolExternal

(Note that this web address is case sensitive, you can also find

it by searching for “Google Adwords Keyword Tool.”)

Try different keywords or see what keywords your website

associates with. Compare keywords by search volume and

generate ideas for further keywords.

Google Analytics Introductory How-to

Google Analytics is a free tool that allows you to see a number

of statistics about your web page, including how long

someone is on your page, how they found your page, etc...

In order to help you get started with Google Analytics, we

have created an introductory how-to document that will help

you leverage the benefits of Google Analytics.

Visit: www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Increase Your Skills >

Staying Current > 2010 Workshop Resources

SEO: A need to know game

The indexing processes that websites like Google, Yahoo and Bing use are closely

guarded secrets and these processes are constantly being revised (For example,

Google’s indexing process went through 4 major changes in 2009 and minor changes

occurred every few weeks.) As such, SEO is not written in stone, it is an organic process.

We must remember however that search engines want their users to find valuable and

relevant information to them.


Optimizing your ClientClick website for SEO

To find out if your ClientClick website is optimized, you can do a search on the Internet and see

where you stand in the results. If you cannot find your website, you will more than likely have to

spend some time refreshing your content.

ClientClick websites comes with lots of great articles and content. However, this content is

shared with hundreds of other ClientClick users that may have not personalized their site too.

Getting Started

If you have a ClientClick site, logon to www.rlpnetwork.com > Realtors > Grow your business >

ClientClick. Select ClientClick Agent or Team depending on your subscription. Click on "Manage

your Agent or Team site". Once there, you should see the 3 tabs below.

Site Statistics

The Site Statistics feature allow you to see how times your pages have been viewed. Use this info

to help you decide where to concentrate your content writing efforts.

For example, if your "About Me" page has only 2 views in the last month, you are maybe not

capturing people's attention. You may think about reviewing the content on this page.


Site Content

The site content section allows you to edit all aspects of your website. To get started, simply click

on the "Edit" option.

By clicking on "Edit", you will be automatically on "Step 3 – Edit Content".

What we want to do first is go to "Step 1 – General Info".

In the section, we will see how we can improve SEO by adding a Header, keywords and a site

description.

Header

The Header allows you to personalize the top section of your website. This section will help with

SEO, so enter either a slogan or something about where you work. This can be something like

"Call Mike to all your Anytown Real Estate Needs." Or "Helping YOU buy or sell in Anytown".

Keywords

This section allows you to enter words terms that you think people will use when searching the

Internet. These words or terms should be about you, your area of service and include terms that

you think Internet users will use when searching on the Web. Separate these with commas.


Site Description

The site description is also important for SEO. This will show in search results. Here, you want

Internet users to see the result and know what the website should be about before entering it.

Google Search Results Example:

Editing Content

This section will highlight how you can change the content of your site to improve SEO. This is

done through "Step 3 – Edit Content".

Once in Step 3, you can change not only the content of your pages, but also change Section

Name, Sub-Section Names, and Page Titles. You will see this option at the top of all your pages

(except the homepage). Changing these will help with SEO.


Other Optimizations

Although ClientClick websites come loaded with lots of content and articles that make things a

little easier to get your web presence started, it is important for you to spend a bit of time and

replace some of this content with your own. Without these personalizations, you will be sharing

your SEO with all other ClientClick users who have not personalized their website. Go through all

the pages and make sure you put in your personal touch!

Header from "Step 1"

Page Title

Sub-Section Name

Section Name


Example of Personalized content:

Domain Name

Although it may sound cool to get your name on the Internet, www.johnsmith.com may not

mean much to someone doing a search for Real Estate on the web. Think of getting a name

that highlights what your site is about and try to include your area of service in there. For

example: www.anytownrealestate.com or www.anytownhomes.com.

Tips: Think short! Search Engines, just like people, tend to remember shorter words.

www.anytownhomes.com will be easier to remember and type than

www.buyandsellhomeinanytownrealestate.com (It will also fit better on your business cards!)

For some Search Engines, domain name age is also important, so try to purchase your domain

for a long period of time.

Don’t forget to link your website on all the things you have access to, such as your RLP Network

profile, Brokerage website, email signature, Feature Sheets, Real Estate Board profile, business

cards, etc…

Things to remember…

Don’t be alarmed if you have spent some time optimizing your site and see SEO improvements

right away! It can take search engines weeks or months before they discover your website.

Site age, traffic, content and links are all important factors to remember.

Documents

Search Engine Optimization - Tipsdocs.rlpnetwork.com/RLPN/Realtors/GYB/CC/SearchEngineOptimizati… · Identify important keywords: Finding good keywords is the most important step