Real Estate Advertising Tips

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Use Other Online Resources to Help Your Website Rank (Series Part 2)

Create backlinks and Google juice to your website by using other online resources.

First things first – before you start focusing on creating backlinks to your website, I would highly suggest focusing on your website’s content.  Links that point to your website should be relevant to your website’s content.  Why are links to your website important?  Links enable the search engine robots to find and index your website pages.  Search engine robots follow links, and the more relevant links you have pointing to your pages, the more often they will get read and indexed by the search engines.  When you have relevant, related backlinks pointing to your site, it also shows the search engines that your website is considered important.

Okay, so now let’s get started.

You can instantly create three (3) backlinks to your own website by creating one (1) post on ActiveRain. Choose to have it sent to Localism and your AR Outside Blog, and make sure that somewhere in the body of your post is a hyperlink to your website.  It's best to name the link with a search phrase. That’s three instant backlinks to your website; one from ActiveRain, one from Localism, and one from your Outside Blog (it’s best to have a custom domain name for your outside blog).

activerain, localism, classifiedflyerads.com, real estate wiki

Want more than 3 backlinks? Sure you do! Here are a few other resources you can use to create backlinks:

If you want to learn about a ton of other online resources for backlinking, I highly suggest reading Bill Gassett's blog at http://activerain.com/blogs/metrowesthomes.  Bill often posts about resources that can help you in search engines.  Following are a few of his posts I suggest you check out.

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32 commentsReal Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie • November 07 2008 01:31PM

Comments

Thats great information. Thanks for it. I am going to check out your link.

Posted by Chuck Carstensen (Re/max Associates Plus/The Discovery Coach) about 1 year ago

Great advise, I always put a link in my blogs, adds up to big google juice!

Posted by Robert Rauf (REMN The Real Estate Mortgage Network) about 1 year ago

Thank you! This is very useful information! I will have to sit down over the weekend and follow your instructions! I like it!

Orlando Title Company

Posted by Melissa Devitt "Your Right-Hand Girl" (MDevitt Services) about 1 year ago

I haven't been as effective as I could be by putting links in my blogs posts and other areas.  By incorporating this into everything I write, this should help my website get more juice.

Posted by Troy Erickson - Your Chandler, Gilbert, Queen Creek Realtor (Terra Solis Realty, LLC) about 1 year ago

Thanks for the reminder.  Just when I think I'm doing it all right, I get reminded that I missed step.

Posted by Connie Watts - Omaha Homes for Sale / Offutt AFB Homes, 402-880-9027 (Keller Williams Realty) about 1 year ago

Hi Misty, I have a question for you. Does a hyperlinked "button" count as a back link? And if so should I make the text on the button key word rich?

Posted by Bryant Tutas-Tutas Towne Realty, Inc about 1 year ago

Hmm, I only understood part of your question Bryant.  "Word rich" button?  Guess I better check back for the answer! 

I'm anxious to explore some of these suggestions.  Thanks Misty!

Posted by Terri Visser,CRS - Selling Central Oregon Real Estate (Desert Sky Real Estate, LLC) about 1 year ago

Misty of course you are on the money with your advice. I am amazed how often people do not use proper keyword anchor text or even a have a link to their website for that matter. Thanks for mentioning my posts. I just found out something really cool about Associated Content. If you make an article there about a neighborhood (like a localism post) it will send it to the appropriate town in Topix! That is pretty darn cool.

I would highly recommend Topix and Associated content as they both do really well in the search engines.

Posted by Bill Gassett Metrowest Massachusetts Real Estate (RE/MAX Executive Realty) about 1 year ago

Hello Bryant - as far as I know, hyperlinked buttons to pages cannot be indexed (followed) by search engines.  There is a way around this though by setting your image graphic as a background image and then add an actual text link on top.  For example, one of your buttons is added to your blog like below.

<a href="http://www.buypoinciana.com/" target="_blank"><img src="http://www.brokerbryant.com/s/realtyblog135/r/img/buy_poinciana.jpg" height="34" alt="Buy Poinciana Real Estate" width="172" /></a>

A work around would be to create a button with no text on the actual button graphic and then set the HTML like below.

<div style="width:172;height:34; background:url(http://www.classifiedflyerads.com/ar_images/bryants-button.jpg); background-repeat:no-repeat; text-align:center; padding-top:8px;text-decoration: none; color:#0000FF"><a href="http://www.buypoinciana.com/" target="_blank" title="Buy Poinciana Real Estate">Buy Poinciana</a></div> 

The above sample sets the button graphic as a background with hyperlink text on top of the background, giving it a button look.  Search engines should then be able to follow the link <a href="http://www.buypoinciana.com/" target="_blank" title="Buy Poinciana Real Estate">Buy Poinciana</a>

Hope that isn't too confusing.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Hey Bill - Candis took your advice and is publishing to Topix.  She really likes it.  I posted a couple of things to Associated Content and so far I like it.  That's cool about Associated Content syndicating to Topix.  That saves time and gives you twice the juice.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Great advice, Bill!  I almost always add one or more links to my AR posts, but I haven't tried Topix or realestatewiki.com -- that's one my list for the weekend.  Thanks again...

Posted by KERRY LUCASSE - Your Intown Atlanta Real Estate Consultant (Keller Williams Peachtree Rd) about 1 year ago

Hi Misty

Always good advice... thanks

So if I understnd this, a hyperlink is not as effective?

Rich

Charlotte NC

Posted by Rich Ferretti ABR QSC Realtor/Broker Charlotte NC Mint Hill NC Relocation (Keller Williams Realty) about 1 year ago

Great post, Misty.  I am always looking for services to use that allow me to backlink to my site.  I use a Google alerts tool to notify me when I have a new link on their site and this really works.

Posted by Kris Kombrink ~ The Kombrink Team (RE/MAX Excels - Chicago's Western Suburbs) about 1 year ago

Thanks Matt for stopping by.  Yes Google alerts is a great tool to help keep track of who is linking to and discussing your site.

Hi Rich - a text based hyperlink is what you will want to use.  As far as I know, image links cannot be followed.  A text based hyperlink looks like the below HTML.

<a href="http://www.richferretti.com" title="Charlotte NC Real Estate">Charlotte North Carolina Real Estate</a>

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Misty,

Awesome post !! We are learning more and more about how to generate more traffic to our site and blog.  Is great.  There is so much useful info on here - is awesome.  Am already doing some of the things that you mentioned but need to step up here and there and set up more accounts with other sites as well !

Posted by Christopher and Stephanie Somers - Realtors - Philadelphia Real Estate (Owner - RE/MAX Access) about 1 year ago

Great advice!  Do you recommend a tool that will allow you to see backlinks from the competition? Fred

Posted by Fred Doleac - Virtual Homes, Inc. about 1 year ago

Misty - The timing of yoru post couldn't be better.  Over the past two days I've gone back through every one of my posts and created the backlinks you have suggested and that Bill was kind enough to make be aware of.  Thanks so much for sharing this valuable information!

Posted by Donna Bigda, REALTOR®, CDPE, e-PRO Branford Connecticut Homes and Condos (RE/MAX Alliance) about 1 year ago

Great post....there are so many things to learn, that its great to have posts such as this to come back to!

Posted by Sonja Adams (Samson Realty, LLC) about 1 year ago

Misty

Great ideas, someof which I am doing, but a question. If I add a new domain name to my outside blog is that going to mess up it seo now. I have 100 posts or so.

Richard

Posted by Richard Stabile Bergen County New Homes Builder Realtor (REMAX real estate associates) about 1 year ago

It looks like I have a bunch more reading to do.  Thank you for the links and additional info.

Posted by Christine Donovan Costa Mesa Real Estate Broker/Attorney 800-610-7253 DRE01267479 (Donovan Blatt Team - Donovan Group Realty) about 1 year ago

Hello Fred- I use Google Alerts.  I know there are other fancy tools out there but Google Alerts usually gives me what I need.

Hello Richard- I looked at your outside AR blog sub-domain url and it doesn't appear as though Google has even cached it yet.  I would suggest setting up a domain for it, and then add links pointing to it from relevant places so Google can find and index it.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Hi Misty

Could you please look at my outside AR? I'm not sure if I linked it correctly to my outside blog from my web site www.RichFerretti.com. I have a link to my blog on the front page of my site. Is this right?

Thanks

Rich

Charlotte NC

 

Posted by Rich Ferretti ABR QSC Realtor/Broker Charlotte NC Mint Hill NC Relocation (Keller Williams Realty) about 1 year ago

Hi Rich - You have it opening within an iframe in your site, which is not good for SEO.  Rather then having it display within an iframe, I would suggest setting the link to open a new window to your blog.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

I was told you if put the same blog on more than one site, the blog will not be picked up by search engines.  So how does this work....  Don't you post the link and not the blog?

Posted by Jean Groesbeck Broker, e-PRO, ABR, ASP, CRS, IMS (Coldwell Banker Island Living) about 1 year ago

great info thanks for sharing:)

Posted by Tucson Real Estate Experts Anne and Eddie McKechnie (Coldwell Banker Residential Brokerage) about 1 year ago

Excellent suggestions.

 

Thanks

Posted by Rob Wagoner (Referral Builder LLC dba URBaCS) about 1 year ago

I can't go to Bill's blog!  Everytime I do, I find about 10 more things I have to do!  Now, you are telling me to go there too?????  Guess I have more work to do.

Tina in Virginia

Posted by Tina Merritt - Virginia Beach Real Estate (Long and Foster Real Estate) about 1 year ago

I am sorry Tina :)  Yes Bill gives us more to do but its good "to do" stuff.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Hi Jean- from what I understand, Google will mark one of them as the dominate and not rank the other.  There is conflicting stories about this though so I can't say for sure.  I personally would love the ability to modify (control) the posts content that gets sent to my ActiveRain outside blog.  I am hoping that is a future release in the AR outside blogs.

Posted by Real Estate Advertising - Misty Lackie (Go Smart Solutions, LLC) about 1 year ago

Hi Misty;  Thanks for the info and for reblogging Bill's posts! (I went to school in SLO -long time back though)

Posted by Eileen Begley, Monterey Real Estate (Coldwell Banker, DelMonte) about 1 year ago

Great article Misty thanks for posting.

Posted by Shuki Haiminis (Lofts.com) about 1 year ago

I have heard that localism.com is really gaining traction with consumers.  Does anyone have any similar thoughts?

Why does having your own URL for a blog better than http://www.olsenziegler.com/blog/ on your own company website?

Posted by Chris Olsen Broker Owner Cleveland Ohio Real Estate (Olsen Ziegler Realty) about 1 year ago

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