I agree SEO is an investment for the long term future. But Realtors don't need SEO. They rather invest in PPC where spending can be generally less than SEO; and they only need 1-2 leads to make sales. Do they really need SEO?
It can be hugely competitive in the real estate arena but I would never neglect putting some effort into SEO'ing a website in order that the realtor at least has "all the boxes ticked" for at least all the on-page SEO. The organic link-building can be done over time and will definitely help for any niche or neglected (by other realtor) search terms. PPC, as you say, is certainly to be considered but, as with any SEO strategy, it needs to be monitored to ensure the client is getting a genuine ROI.
I would really feel that realtors should do seo rather then PPC this will help to grow and remain top for all time. This will gain them more benefits and will get more deals also. PPC can be for some time. But then it depends for which place is there and how much competition is there.
I have to agree with Lever in a sense, SEO for Real Estate matters is rough stuff. I don't care if you live a 4 block town, it is still a brutal demographic. Which leads me to believe that someone is spending some cash in that demographic Nigel
At the start they need to use the PPC but they should start SEO.At one stage they will not need to run PPC campaign.
I don't think it should be an either-or situation with PCC/SEO. At the start you should use about 20/80 PPC to SEO moving to about 50/50 after the first few months. We had a client, where, after some research, we found that most people we searching for "Home Sales Ryde" in their area, even though they were not really in the Ryde area. So we shifted focus and changed our keywords and increased traffic by a considerable amount. Also good SEO can give you better ideas of what to do with your PPC.
as far as i think , the sEO is really an important thing to do along with the PPc. the SEO is very important in making your site visible to a level of positions for long time , as far as the PPC is concerned it is also effective until you select proper keywords.
Don't you think PPC is more advantageous than SEO? I can start as low as $50 per month or less; good SEO work takes at least 10 times more than that or significantly more. At what criteria should this be a clear cut? createdevelop - can't we gather the info from Google keyword tool or such, not necessarily by on-page SEO? Please do enlighten if I am missing your point. P.S. Lever - I can't stop scrolling up to see your profile pic, eye-catching.
Real estate SEO is a war. WE do it, and its an all out brawl with other seo's. Alot of fun And yes of course they need it! one lead can mean $50k or MORE. And MOST people start on the web when doing RE research..
SEO can make you look like an expert in your niche, which can be invaluable in something as competitive as real estate. Think about it - if you see a realtor who's cranking out great articles/blogs that make them look knowledgable about the market, you would probably think they were one of the best out there. Personally, I'm more inclined to click on a site that's at the top of the search engine results, rather than click on an ad that anyone can buy and put at the top of the page. Best bet? Do both. PPC may give you more immediate results, but that success stops as soon as you stop paying for the ad. You can reap the benefits of good SEO for months or even years.
Real estate agents are already on the ball in most cities.. almost every city you search for real estate or realtor, the top 20 you can tell all have had some seo firm put work into.. Long term, SEO kills PPC as the ROI is at least 5x better..
The organic link-building can be done over time and will definitely help for any niche or neglected (by other realtor) search terms.Best bet? Do both. PPC may give you more immediate results, but that success stops as soon as you stop paying for the ad. You can reap the benefits of good SEO for months or even years.
Like you said, SEO is good for long term goal. So if you want to stay on top and establish a good name in real estate industry then it is needed.
Not really..ppc isnt a direct trade off for organic listings. Research shows a majority of surfers choose organics over ppc. Sure you can get something being on page one immed..but organic in the long run is best..