A Note on SEO - Top 7 List

The world of Organic Search Engine Optimization is as cosmic as the heavens. Mainly because the search engine companies want it that way. If you could cheat the system (and some people try), they couldn’t give the most relevant results (which is what they are supposed to do).

Also, unless you have tons of time to spend on keyword optimization, tracking your competition, massaging your keywords every week/month it may not be the highest and best use of your time. So here is my “focus on the things that matter” tip for you in the form of a top 7 list (in no particular order):

1. Title Tag - This is what displays at the top of the IE7 browser window (All the way at the top). Make this meaningful and include words that you might like to get searched for.
2. Description Tag - This is not (always) displayed on your page, but is used by some search engines to catalog your site and sometimes it is used as the short description in the search results page.
3. Keywords Tag - Come up with about 20 good keywords (3-5 word phrases are keywords too). Eliminate prepositional phrases like “for” and “of” as well as conjunctions like “and.”
4. Large Type - The type that is the largest on the page (referred to as “<h1> Text”) is important to your users as well as search engines. Try to include things you would like to be searched for in these.
5. Body Copy - The actual text on the page…oh…your site is all flash and pictures…oops…not good.
6. Links - Having links to other websites is good. Don’t use “click here” to link. Try to make keyword phrases in the body copy links to good sites.
7. Navigation - you should have a site map of some sort on your homepage. On a blog this is often a “categories” list, but a user (and a search engine) should be able to find every other page on your website from the first page.

Again, these are in no particular order because each search engine operates (a little) differently.

Enjoy!

Rob the Tech Guy

Who Is Your Blogging Audience?

Who Is Your Blogging Audience?

I get emails often from agents asking me if I could look at their blog and tell them why they are not getting any listings from their blog. Over 90% of the time, it is because they are not speaking to an audience. There is no conversation going on. When you just post listings and market reports, well, for most readers online that is quite boring.

The most important tip I can ever give a new or veteran blogger is to know who your audience is. Who do you want to be having a conversation with? Who do you want to be contacting you?

• Do you want sellers or buyers to be contacting you?

• What age group do you want these people to be?

• What income levels are these people in?

• What do you want these people to do? Call you, email you?

Next, it is vital that you do your keyword research. You will not be getting the calls and inquiries about your services if your are not attracting the people you intend if you do not know and do not use the very keywords that they are typing into the search engine search box.

This is not about guessing or assuming that the keywords you are using are going to be typed into the search box.  Go to the Google Keyword Tool and spend time there figuring out what keywords will be great for you to use because people are actually searching those terms. Many of the agents I coach are shocked to discover that the keywords they have been using which they thought were so popular are actually not even searched for.

Once you have discovered and decided on who your audience is going to be then the next action is to speak to that audience. Write on their level in their voice. Make your blog one of transparency and polarization.  When the calls start coming in, you know you have done your job!