Trying to increase traffic to your website with targeted keywords, but don’t know how to select the right words? We recommend using Google’s keyword search tool to quickly determine what keyword phrases to focus on. There are many different tools available on the Internet, but we like Google’s keyword search tool because it is easy to use, gives accurate results, and it’s free!
What’s the point?
It is important to determine the popular keyword phrases that people are using when looking up real estate using an online search engine like Bing, Google or Yahoo. You have heard the term Search Engine Optimization (SEO) before, and we are going to show you how come up with your own SEO phrases. Google AdWords keyword tool can give you insight on what keyword phrases to focus on, how competitive that keyword phrase is, and what combinations of words are used the most.
Get Results in 3 Easy Steps
1) Create a list of real estate terms that you think people might search for, i.e., Lake Tahoe condos for sale, Lake Tahoe luxury estates, Miami ocean view condos, or Nevada foreclosures. Be sure that you take into consideration how your clients speak about real estate. Pay attention when they ask questions about properties and types of real estate to determine how they describe it. Most people looking for real estate will be specific about their desired location, so it’s a good idea to include an exact geographic location in your phrases.
2) Go to Google’s AdWords Keyword Tool. Enter each keyword or phrase into the “Word or phrase” section. Make sure to separate each phrase on its own line by hitting “Enter” on your keyboard. There is no limit to the number of phrases you can search for at a time.
3) Now you get to play around with the different search options:
- “Advanced Options and Filters” will allow you to choose a specific country, plus other filter ideas.
- The “Tools” menu (left-hand side) allows you to choose specific words to include or exclude.
- “Match Types” (left-side menu) allows you to choose three search types: Broad, [Exact], or “Phrase.”
- Broad brings up related words and phrases that you may not have thought about; [Exact] brings up results that match your search terms exactly; and “Phrase” brings up your exact phrase as well as other phrases that are a close match.
Interpreting and Using Your Results
As you search through the results you will be able see which phrases are searched for the most. Take notes while you try out different real estate phrases and decide which keywords and phrases are most frequently used. From this you will be able to determine which ones describe your real estate area the best. You might even consider a keyword phrase that isn’t the most popular, but still widely searched. By doing so you go after the keyword phrases that have less competition, but still sought after.
Once you have a solid list of phrases you can incorporate them into your website. Use them in your titles, website copy, and photo captions. Don’t feel like you have to rewrite everything. In most cases you will be able to easily add it to your existing copy. Then moving forward focus blog topics on your select keyword phrases. Let’s say your keyword phrase is “reno foreclosures” then write several blog topics with those keyword phrases in the title and in the body copy. Your blog topics might be The Current Reno Foreclosure Market, Top Reno Foreclosure Picks, Why Buy a Reno Foreclosure Property etc. The more you focus on a keyword phrase the more the search engines will likely interpret your site as being an expert in that topic. Writing each blog posts is like casting little nets out into the worldwide web, letting people to find them and bite!
Keep in mind that although SEO keywords and phrases are important, it is equally important to have interesting and original content as well as attractive photos or stock photos if possible. Using Google AdWords keyword tool is an excellent way to help increase website traffic, but you must make sure that you retain those viewers by giving them a reason to stick around.
Try Google AdWords Keyword Tool and tell us what you think about it! For some creative real estate blog topics visit our What to Write About section of our blog.
If the competition on the keyword is “high”, should you still choose the keyword?
Hi Jared,
Typically if there is a lot of competition for a key word phrase and if you feel you don’t have the time/resources to focus on ranking your site for that phrase we suggest going for a similar phrase that has less competition. For example “Augusta Homes for Sales” is a competitive phrase so you might target a different key word phrase like “Homes for sale in Augusta.” I did notice your blog http://bhgaugusta.wordpress.com is hosted by WordPress so you won’t get any SEO benefit from the your blog if you are trying to rank your main site http://www.epaugusta.com in the search engines. You need your blog to be hosted along with your main site’s URL.