If the Internet is a library, then search engines are card catalogs and librarians.   80% of people use the internet today for home searches and 85% of internet users use search engines.  People typically search by category or product/service, not by website URL, so it’s important your website is ranked highly in search engines when people search real estate in your area.  It’s the most targeted and inexpensive advertising available.

Here’s how people find web sites:

-    Links From Other Web Sites – 88%
-    Search Engines – 85%
-    Friends – 65%

- Social Media – 50%

-    Print Publications – 63%
-    Directories – 58%
-    Signature Files – 36%
-    Television – 32%
-     Other – 29%
-    Books – 28%

Most web sites lack the criteria search engines use for analyzing, categorizing and ranking web sites.  They’re like library books without an ISBN number or bar code.

When these elements are hidden or missing from your web pages, search engines can’t properly index these websites.  The result: your website ranks poorly within search engines.  So your website won’t attract the 85% of internet users who use search engines.

I’ve evaluated many attractive, professional looking web sites designed solely with graphics.  Unfortunately, search engines won’t index graphic heavy sites because most designers don’t understand search engines’ indexing process.

Search engines rank websites by analyzing words and hidden elements on each web page.  They can’t see any text embedded in graphics.  So if graphics aren’t properly setup on web pages, graphics should always have alt tags inserted with “keyword phrases“; the search engines won’t index pages that are not properly search engine ready.  This makes these websites invisible on the web since almost everyone uses search engines.  If a search engine can’t read a web page, it guesses the page’s content.  However, if it guesses wrong, your page will be indexed wrongly.  That’s as bad as no indexing at all.

Home seekers want two things from your website:

-    Pictures of Homes For Sale
-    Real Estate Information

So ensure your listing information is prominent on your main page.  Navigating most real estate representatives’ websites is difficult.  Often, their websites don’t even have listings!  When your website doesn’t have listings nor useful real estate information, visitors quickly leave and never come back.

So try splitting your main page into two areas:

- Home Buyer area
- Home Seller area

In the seller area, answer common questions from home sellers, making this area a comprehensive guide on the selling process.

Here are a few more website pointers:

-    ensure consistency between your online and offline corporate image

-    ensure your site is easy to read and navigate

-    Google doesn’t index pages with less than 350 words.  So ensure your pages have at least this much information.

-    Have a consistent layout on your pages

-    Ensure listing pages look correct on paper when printed

-    Have a “News” section, informing visitors about site updates.  This is a great place for asking them about joining your mailing list.

-    Don’t use scrolling marquee text.  They’re difficult to read and incompatible with many search engines

My Moneymaker website is a turn-key website for real estate sales people incorporating all of the above and much more.  Try it free for 10 days with no risk or obligation!

Watch for upcoming articles on creating a LINKING strategy crucial to search engine ranking.