Will Your Agent's Website Provide Google "Page 1" Exposure For Your Home?
TODAY, IT IS ESTIMATED THAT OVER 80% OF HOME BUYERS USE THE INTERNET TO FIND THEIR DREAM HOME!
So unless your agent's website is on Page 1 (or at least page 2) for relevant Google search phrases for your home, you will not be getting the maximum internet exposure that you need for your home.
MOST HOME SHOPPERS MAY NOT GO BEYOND PAGE 1 OR 2 WHEN DOING GOOGLE SEARCHES FOR A HOME! Ask yourself, "Do I usually search beyond Page 1 or 2 when doing Google Searches?"
While there are hundreds of Realtors with personal real estate websites in our area, there are usually no more than 3 Realtor websites that consistently make it to Page 1!
If you want your home to be seen as a FEATURED HOME on your Realtor's website, then your agent will need a high search engine ranking when buyers type in popular Google search phrases for homes in your area. This is called (SEO) Search Engine Optimization. (If you are curious, this link will take you to hundreds of websites that will explain why this subject is so critical when advertising on the internet.) Basically, search engine optimization (SEO) is when special strategies and techniques are used to make a website appear on the first page of a search engine such as Google for certain search words or phrases that are used by internet surfers... or home shoppers in this case.
For example, try doing a Google or Yahoo search for something like "Homes for sale in Metairie". If you click on that search you will see on page 1 my website "Metairie Real Estate - Homes For Sale in Metairie, and New Orleans"... the bottom tag will be "donnabergeron.com". It might be the only other personal real estate agent's website that you see on page 1! My website's heading is right in the middle of the big national search engine websites such as Yahoo.com, Trulia.com, Homefinder.com, Zillow.com etc. As a result of my website's PRIME location on page 1, it is usually clicked on by serious home shoppers. Once there, my client's homes are seen as "Featured Homes" up front on my website's homepage! (And don't worry, your home would still be somewhere on those other national real estate websites and search engines found on page 1 near my personal website, BUT not as a FEATURED HOME)
If the Realtor you choose is fortunate enough to have Page 1 exposure for the above search, or a similar search, then you can expect your home to have a much better chance of getting noticed as a FEATURED HOME, and not being lost in the shuffle. Unfortunately only 2 or 3 Realtor's personal websites consistently make it there. It takes a lot of work to get a local real estate website to make it to page 1, and quite frankly a degree of luck is needed too!
My website has been lucky for about 7 years so far! I hope that you will consider allowing your home to share in this good fortune as a "FEATURED HOME" on donnabergeron.com.
Bottom line... There are several things to consider when choosing a Realtor, but one thing is for sure... you want your home to be noticed by those 80% that are searching for homes on the internet. Remember, More Exposure = a better chance of getting a higher offer and a faster sale!
QUESTIONS TO ASK AN AGENT BEFORE LISTING YOUR HOME:
1. Will my home be advertised in printed media, and online until sold?
DONNA'S ANSWER: Yes. I advertise your home in Homes and Land Magazine. This is a free bi-monthly real estate magazine distributed in many grocery stores and retail outlets. In addition, your home would also be featured on my Homes and Land Magazine website, and on donnabergeron.com, as well as many many other associated Realtor websites and real estate search engines that I have business associations with.
2. What search engine ranking does your website have when a buyer is searching for a home in my area? And why is that so important to me?
Much of this answer was explained above already...
DONNA'S ANSWER: There are hundreds of local Realtors with websites, however usually no more than a handful of Realtor websites are consistently found on page 1 or page 2 for relevant search phrases for Metairie and other cities and locations in our area.
My website, "donnabergeron.com", has a "Page 1" ranking for most relevant key phrase searches in Metairie and surrounding areas. You can do the below searches and look for my tag (donnabergeron.com) at the bottom of the search results. It will usually be one of the very few websites shown on page 1 that is personally owned and controlled directly by a Realtor, and not perhaps lost on a national real estate website. This is important to you because if your home is listed with me, it will usually be found on PAGE 1 of the big search engines such as Google. Once my website title on page 1 is clicked, your home would be seen on my website's homepage as a "FEATURED HOME" by many serious qualified buyers.
For example, if a serious homebuyer does a Google search for "Homes for sale in Metairie", my personal website will usually be found on Page 1. What about "Homes for sale in OLD METAIRIE" or "Homes for sale in JEFFERSON PARISH". What about a key search phrase such as "Metairie Real Estate" or "Metairie homes for sale with pools". What about "Katrina homes for sale". Most all relevant searches will find my website (and your FEATURED HOME) on page 1 or page 2.
YOUR HOME needs to be seen as a FEATURED HOME on your Realtor's PERSONAL WEBPAGE ON PAGE 1, AND ALSO seen on the slick national real estate websites and search engines. Because of my website's page 1 exposure, homes listed with me are seen in BOTH places! This is a huge advantage in maximizing your home's exposure!
NOTE: Please do not confuse a slick looking professional website as being the best website. My "homemade" local website is definitely NOT in that class! Simple having a real estate website is NOT enough. Unless the agent's slick personal website is found on page 1 of Google or Yahoo for KEY SEARCH PHRASES, that website is almost useless for marketing your home! (Do you usually go to page 3 for your google searches?)
3. Knowing that online home buyers are looking for detailed descriptions, tons of colorful photos, and virtual tours... Do you offer that on multiple websites at no additional cost?
DONNA'S ANSWER: Yes. Your home will appear on many real estate websites with full descriptions, big colorful inside and outside photos, and fun virtual tours showing your home's best features... it's all included.
4. How many local and national websites do you advertise on?
DONNA'S ANSWER: Lots! In addition to the excellent exposure your home would receive on my personal websites, I would also advertise your home on many other websites. Some of these websites are owned by other top agents (both local and national) that I have developed special real estate internet associations with over the years. I also subscribe my listings to many nationally syndicated websites and real estate search. Some are found below
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