Being in the Google Top 10 Means Nothing

That's right, for all that work you put in optimizing your pages over the most competitive keywords, it means absolutely nothing.  It doesn't matter if you are #1 and there are 3,000,000 more people behind you in the SERPs, it just doesn't mean anything at all.  In fact it may give you bragging rights around town and may even feel good to say, but what is it actually doing for you?

Before Matt Cutts and the other powers to be at Google stop reading (at least that is my wishful thinking that they are reading) here is what I am talking about.

What is your actual business?

I see post after post by misdirected bloggers and other real estate agents claiming they are #1 on this term or in the top 10 of that term.  But the last time I checked, you don't get any money for your placement in the search engines.  Neither Google, nor Yahoo, nor even MSN pay you for just showing up, but yet everyone keeps bragging about their positions.

Let's get real

The reality is that it doesn't matter how well you show up in the search engines if you can't show up at the closing table.  We have two main points of conversion that we really need to focus on.

1. Convert Traffic into Leads
2. Convert Leads into Commissions

Convert Traffic into Leads

This is a popular topic and one that warrants many posts, energy, and effort to truly master.  Whether you are running a blog or a website, it must convert that traffic into something of value.  For those in the real estate business, it is generally in the form of leads.  We need those visitors to volunteer their information so we can have the opportunity to connect with them.  You can have the great results in your market and even be flooded with traffic, but if you aren't getting people to give you their information you have a BIG problem.

Look at each and every page (or post) and make sure you are taking the opportunity to make a call to action so you can convert that traffic.  If each and every page has a lead capture opportunity you are headed in the right direction.  If you are just providing information then you are Wikipedia and they take donations, so you might want to rethink your strategy.

Convert Leads into Commissions

This is where the real rubber meets the roads.  Leads are nice, but they don't pay the bills.  You need to turn those leads into commissions and here is where most agents are failing.  In fact, especially for those bloggers out there, when you talk about your leads, why don't you talk about the appointments and escrows you are actually getting as that is more valuable than the lead count.

There is nothing "technical" about converting leads into appointments, it is the skill one has over e-mails and the phone.  Most of the companies out that pitch technology out there fail to mention that you might need to talk to a consumer to get their business (crazy thought).  The best way to improve this part of your business is through mastery of buyer scripts and objection handling.  A little bit of practice can ensure you aren't the one talking about leads, but the one that is talking about how many escrows you have going.

Keep the Focus

Being in the real estate business means largely that for your living you are helping people purchase and sell property.  Having a website or blog that is at the top of the search engines is great and should be a goal to shoot for, but don't lose your focus and think your work is done when you hit #1 in Google, Yahoo, or MSN. 

Make sure to focus on the practical results of how people you are actually helping to achieve their goals in real estate.  Track your appointments each and every month so you can make sure that hard work you are doing for your blog and real estate website are getting you to those numbers that you set at the beginning of the year.

Original post was posted at: http://www.internetrealestatesuccess.com