Local SEO for Real Estate Agents: How It Works, Why You Need It

What is local SEO for real estate agents? How does the optimization process work? And what can you do to make sure local home buyers or sellers can find you through Google?

Real estate agents often ask these questions relating to local search engine optimization — and with good reason. Local SEO can help you connect with potential clients within your market area. But the optimization and ranking process works differently from “regular” SEO, which causes confusion.

In this article, we will explain the process and benefits of local SEO for real estate agents.

What Is Local SEO?

Let’s start with a basic definition, just so we’re on the same page:

Local search engine optimization (SEO) is when you optimize your website so that it ranks higher than local search results. In other words, it’s the practice of optimizing your website for a specific local area and audience.

If you’ve ever done a Google search for businesses in your area (auto shops, spas, etc.), you’ve probably seen local SEO at work. Maybe the search engine offered you a map with locations for those providers. Maybe it created a listing of local businesses, embedded within the regular search results. These are examples of local SEO.

The screenshot image below shows the local results I got when doing a Google search for “real estate agents Atlanta.” As you can see, the agents who have optimized their local SEO have excellent visibility that could bring them new clients. This is what you’re striving for. You want to show up in these results, for your particular market area.

This is an important concept for real estate agents to understand, because real estate is a local business. An agent in Phoenix, Arizona, for example, will want to connect with home buyers and sellers doing Google searches relating to the Phoenix area. And local SEO is one way to make it happen.

Benefits for Real Estate Agents

The main benefit of local SEO for real estate agents is somewhat obvious. By optimizing your website for localized searches, you can connect with potential clients who are buying or selling homes in your service area. So it can help you generate leads and grow your business over time.

Here is a more complete list of benefits for local real estate SEO:

• Better visibility in local search results. If someone does a Google search for “real estate agents” in your local area, you want to make sure you appear in those results. You can do this through both organic and local SEO. The idea is to increase the number of ways people can find you online. And local search engine optimization is one way to accomplish that.
• No-cost marketing. Real estate agents can use local SEO techniques with zero money out-of-pocket. We’ll talk about some of those techniques in a moment. For now, just know that local search engine optimization can deliver big benefits with no monetary cost whatsoever. It takes a bit of time and effort on your part, but that’s about it.
• Better rankings in mobile search. By using local SEO, your real estate business could become more visible to people doing searches on mobile devices. Again, this gives people one more way to find you through Google and other search engines.

The common thread with all of these benefits is the same. Local real estate SEO can help agents connect with the types of people who need their services. It’s a no-cost and fairly straightforward process. In other words, it’s a no-brainer! Every real estate agent can benefit from localized search engine optimization.

How It Works, At a Glance

Okay, I’ve convinced you that local SEO for real estate agents it is worth your time and effort. But how you go about it? What is the process for getting yourself ranked and appearing within local search results?

Here are some steps you can take to increase your local search engine visibility:

• Claim and optimize your “Google My Business” listing
• Include your location in your website’s title tags and meta descriptions
• Use local keywords on your real estate website and in your content
• Get listed in local directories and online business listings
• Encourage customer reviews and ratings
• Use social media to connect with and engage local customers
• Participate in local events and sponsorships
• Partner with other local businesses to cross-promote and earn local links
• Optimize your website for mobile devices with responsive design
• Regularly update your website and online profiles to keep them accurate

How to Create a ‘Google My Business’ Listing

One of the first things you can do to start your local real estate SEO process is to create a listing on “Google My Business.” This tool allows you to manage and optimize your business profile on Google.

Here are some of the steps you’ll need to take: 

1. Start by visiting https://www.google.com/business/.
2. Log in and click on the “Start Now” button (or whatever they call it these days).
3. Enter your business name and address in the search bar. If your business is already listed, it should appear in the search results.
4. If your business doesn’t show up, click on the “Add your business” button.
5. Verify your business information. This can be done by postcard or phone calls.
6. Once you’ve been verified, you can optimize and expand your listing with business hours, contact info, categories, etc.
7. You can also add photos and other information to help your business stand out in search results.
8. Be sure to monitor your listing and respond to any customer reviews.

We Offer Local Real Estate Blog Content

Local SEO can help you grow your real estate business by attracting potential clients who are buying and selling homes in your area. But there are other ways to attract a local audience as well, and blogging is one of them.

We help our clients attract buyers and sellers online by publishing high-quality, local real estate information. We use public and proprietary tools to identify keyword topics, and produce in-depth blog posts based on that research. Depending on the client, we might write about local real estate market trends, new construction in the area, home prices, etc.

So, if you want to beef up your local SEO with some high-quality blog content, just let us know. We can schedule a call to explain our services work and how they might benefit you.