Real Estate Web Marketing Blog

Spice Up Your Post With Sub Headlines!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 05 May 2009 13:47:02 -0500

In my previous Active Rain post, many of you voiced your desire to know "a little HTML code" so you could add those uber important h3 tagged sub headlines I mentioned on several occcassions. I confess, I'm a novice at HTML code, but I can wip out some code when I need to and sub headlines beg to be coded with h3 tags. With that said, here are some quick, and easy to follow instructions on using and adding HTML code to your AR post.

Tips to Adding H3 Tags in Your Sub Headlines

To make it easy, write your post first, then save it as a draft
Click the edit button and click the "HTML" code view tab. You'll need to locate the sub headlines you created previously in visual view and substitute the "p" in code with an "h3"
You will also need to close the tag. Again, substituting the "p" with the "h3"in the closing tag (</h3>.
Next save the draft again, and take a look at the saved draft post. You should see a "bolded, larger text" of the sub headline.
Once you have designated all your sub headlines with the h3 tag, you are ready to change the visibility from "draft" to "public" for your AR post. You may have toggle back and forth several times to get the post the way you want it.
BTW-Don't forget to also include your hyper-local keyword references in your sub headlines. It has tremendous impact when your post is indexed by Google.

Add Interest & Some SEO Pop!

Taking these extra steps will help make your post not only more interesting but it will make them easier to read, and even add a little SEO POP to the post as well.

If you have a question, do leave a comment. I'll do my best to help. :)

Bobby Carroll - Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Connect with Me on Twitter: @rewebcoach

P.S. If you own a WordPress blog, be sure to take advantage of the h3 tag in the dropdown in your WP blog dashboard. Most bloggers using WordPress are clueless and never use it!

Is Your Web Copy Reader Friendly? Copywriting School is Now in Session!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Mon, 04 May 2009 20:47:01 -0500

Do you find yourself being asked by blog and website owners to read “War and Peace” novel articles with forever scrolling content? I call these novels a "Wall of Words". The sheer thought of reading it sends me in search for the big red X or the back button. Admittedly, I have written my fair share of terribly long articles in the past, but no more.

Are You a Tease?

Plus, most real estate web sites fail to use proper structure. Failing to use sub headlines (designated with a Headline tag-h3) to help tease the site visitor to what the paragraph will say is a missed opportunity on so many levels. Your website backend editor should allow you to designate your sub headlines with an h3 "tag". If your current website editor prevents you from having the ability to designate sub headlines in this fashion, you are handicapped and it may leave you on the “long end of the search engine results“. Having the ability to easily edit your headlines, sub headlines and body content really is important if you want to be near the top of the search results.

Format Your Copy to be Scanner-Friendly

I also strongly recommend you format your copy with the following structure (when practical). You might be asking why? Your website copy must be scanner-friendly! Site visitors all have a terrible case of ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder). Consider using this format for your content:

Page Name=Headline (h1)
Short intro paragraph
Sub headline (h3)
Short content paragraph with complimenting image (images give the reader's eyes time to rest plus it adds interest to the page)
Use bullet points so the reader can scan and easily find the information they are looking for
Sub headline (h3)
Concluding paragraph containing a "call to action"

Avoid Using Multiple Font Styles, Colors and Sizes

If you long for your website or blog to look like it stepped out of the 1990's, go ahead add all the weird font styles, colors, words bolded and underlined! Just know that you will probably be the only site visitor who hangs around long enough to read your content. Using these tactics to format your copy is so unprofessional. Now add spelling mistakes and you'll get an "A" for making your site and it's information look less than reliable.

Ask the Site Visitor to Take Action! (this is an example of a Sub headline with an h3 tag)

In your concluding paragraph, always include a strong call to action (request this information, read this article, search homes now....). When should the reader take action….NOW!

Don't Forget Those Geographic Keywords!

So the next time you write copy or have real estate web copy written for you, think “geography” and then add the geography identification to the copy. Once you have written the copy 21 times using these techniques, it will become a habit and you’ll write great, reader-friendly, SEO-rich copy formatted properly without missing a beat!

What's Stopping You Now?

Be sure to leave a comment now (I practice what I preach!! - call to action) and let me know what is preventing you from taking action (and control) of your website (and its content). Implementing these best practices TODAY, you will begin to see better results.

Bobby Carroll - Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Follow Bobby Carroll on Twitter (@rewebcoach)

P.S. Have you visited Dakno.tv? You really should!

Update!

See my next AR post on easy instructions to adding h3 tagged sub headlines to your AR post!

Free Real Estate Blogging Webinar 2-12-09 @ 2PM EST

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 21:03:25 -0600

You have probably been told that you need to maintain at least one real estate blog, a Facebook Fan page, maybe you have a Twitter account plus you have to manage several profiles scattered all over social media, but are you really getting the most from your efforts? Utilized correctly, your blog and all those portals can work in your favor. Hang in there help is on the way!

Learn & Achieve Greater Results with this FREE Dakno Real Estate Blogging Webinar!

During this hour-long live streaming video training session Brad and I will show you ways how to help you truly benefit from what you have started and how to maximize your efforts. You will also discover how to drive more traffic to your blog plus you will gain incredible insight how to increase your Search Engine Optimization.

For more information about this free streaming webinar. Visit www.bloggingbootcamp.com/free

If you will be unable to attend this FREE Live Streaming Webinar but want to ask a question, just leave it in a comment below.

To your blogging success,

Bobby

@rewebcoach

Visit the Crystal Coast Blog

P.S. Checkout our new Dakno studio in Brad's promo video below. It's pretty sweet if I do say so myself!

FREE Coffee Marketing!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Wed, 28 Jan 2009 15:04:37 -0600

As Monday's go, mine was going really well. I had even updated my Facebook status to say "Bobby is having a great day!" Why was this Monday such an awesome day. Life is all about how you view it, and I made a conscious decision to don my "rose colored glasses" and make it a great day. Plus, the fact that Brad and I had completed our mission to build a TV studio provided a dose of satisfaction. Why build a TV studio? To stream live video webinars like our Blogging BootCamp, a Social Media BootCamp (in the planning stages) as well as some FREE live streaming real estate marketing webinars. Life was (and is) GOOD!

Hanging with the Boss!

Little did I know Brad's invitation to grab some lunch and go with him to the post office to process his passport request would take a really cool twist. I always relish hanging out with my boss! I hope you can say the samething about yours.

Brad Headed North of the Border

A passport is required for Brad to travel to Canada next month when he speaks with Coach Ken at a RE/MAX conference. Anytime you mix the Federal Government (passport request) and the post office, you face a lengthy wait and the height of inefficiency. After lunch, we headed to the post office to submit Brad's passport application. Brad called me from inside to say "I'm number six in line and the line is going nowhere". With that, I headed for the nearest Starbucks in Cameron Village.

FREE Coffee Marketing Changes My Day!

Here is where my Monday really takes off. So head over to the Dakno Marketing Real Estate Blog for the rest of the story.

5 Powerful Tips to Optimizing Your AR Profile Page!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 30 Dec 2008 13:59:44 -0600

Each time we receive a Dakno Real Estate Marketing website inquiry before returning a call I go through my usual "drill" and Google the name of the party interested in our Dakno real estate website & blog products and services. (Do you go through that drill when someone contacts you about your services? - Maybe you should.) Because of the awesome SEO-power of Active Rain, many times a profile will appear at the top of the search results of an agent who has invested considerable time blogging at AR. Why not take advantage of this Google power and really make your Active Rain profile work for you. Here are 5 recommendations you might want to consider:

I see way too many AR profiles written with a 8 point font. Unless you target an alien audience under 35 years old with perfect eye sight make sure your profile font size is large enough to be reader-friendly.
Avoid using multiple font colors, font styles, font sizes and words underlined for no apparent reason (underlined words normally cue the site visitor that the word is a "link"). BTW - a few bolded words are ok, just don't go overboard and make everything bold and in all caps. IT GIVES THE APPEARANCE YOU ARE SCREAMING AT YOUR AUDIENCE! See what I mean.
Many profiles are written in third person making the profile cold and impersonal. I recommend profile owners write their "bio" in first person. It's far more casual and makes you more "approachable". Isn't that the objective to connect with people? Although this isn't a "AR About Me page" I think it ranks up there with one of the all-time best "About Me" pages! Take a look at AR member Elena Thurston's About Me page!
Because AR offers you some serious SEO backlink power, I suggest you link your target market keywords from your AR profile to your website and your blog and don't forget to use superior anchor text when linking. When I say link to your website I'm not just talking about linking to your homepage but to interior pages of your blog or website. I also suggest you "deep" link to interior pages like buyers articles, sellers tools especially your area information and your MLS property search tool.
Because the Internet Empowered Consumer is far more concerned with their needs than a real estate agent's desire to "capture" them, they are always asking the "what's in it for me question." If your AR profile fails to answer that critical question WIIFM, chances are you're missing opportunities to connect with your target audience. Maybe you should consider adding more value to your profile by offering some area information and do a little less "self promotion". To the consumer, it's mostly "noise" anyway.

Where's My AR Profile Example?

By now you are probably asking yourself Bobby where can I find a good example of an optimized AR profile page? I love examples and this one is a really good one (IMHO). Take a look at the profile page for Mr. Miami Beach Real Estate himself, Kevin Tomlinson's Active Rain Profile page.

A Great Way to Start Your New Year - Edit Your Active Rain Profile Page!

Start with those tips and you will experience greater SEO power and possibly stand a better chance of starting a conversation with a new prospect too.

Feel free to add this list. It's not comprehensive by any means!

Happy New Year!
Bobby Carroll - Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Twitter me: @Realestatecoach

Websites by Ron Popeil - Is that Yours?

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 08:09:35 -0600

Now that you have gone through the challenging birth process of your cherished online baby, it's time to begin to help your real estate website begin to grow. Remember, a website should be considered a "living document" and that means growing your baby into a toddler, then an adolescent and maybe even someday a full grown adult website.

Do You Take the "Set it and Forget it" Approach?

Then again, some many real estate agents have the Ron Popeil mentality when it comes to their websites. You know what I'm talking about - Set it (or in this case - launch it) and Forget It! If you adhere to this philosophy with your website, good luck attracting many visitors and benefiting from any potential ROI from your website.

Does Your Real Estate Website Have Good SEO Bones?

I wrote a couple of posts over at the Dakno Real Estate Marketing Blog that offers a few basic tips to help your website be organically sound so it can "support" your business. Consider it baby formula to give your website strong SEO "bones".

Here is a sneak preview of the topics covered in my post:

Title tags
Does your website leak?
How to add keywords for search engines
Fatal font mistakes!
Do I write my copy in first or third person?

Checkout the Dakno Real Estate Marketing Blog post on Website Launch Tips and More Website Launch Tips now!

Helping you build stronger website bones!

Bobby Carroll - The Crystal Coast Blogger

Follow me at Twitter: @Realestatecoach

Giving is Contagious - Cast Your Vote for a Kid!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Fri, 21 Nov 2008 21:22:47 -0600

If you read my previous Active Rain post or Brad's post, you probably know that there is a big brawl happening in Virginia. From Active Rain to Utterli, this Virginia blogging event is spreding like wildfire! Talk about creating a real “buzz”. What's the Buzz all about? Be sure read our client's post at his Charlottesville Real Estate Blog or you can checkout the VAR Buzz Blog for the recap.

The Twitter Version

Here is a Twitter version recap of Round #2. Dakno client and Brian Chase's Charlottesville Real Estate Blog advanced to round #3 as a result of offering to donate $1 for every vote his blog received ($200 Max) in round #2. His blog advanced into round #3! Ok, that was obviously more than 140 characters but hey, I can get away with it here!

Dakno Gets in the Giving Spirit!

We were so impressed with Brian Chase’s commitment to give $1 per vote last round, that the team here at Dakno Marketing decided to match his contribution for round #3. For each vote cast for the Brian Chase C’ville Real Estate Blog, Dakno will give $1 to Toys For Tots (max of $200)! Deadline for voting is 2pm Tuesday November 25th so hurry and cast your vote ASAP. You can visit the VAR Buzz blog or vote using the form below. Thanks for making this holiday season a little brighter for those less fortunate!

Best wishes Brian,

Happy Thanksgiving,

Bobby Carroll
Dakno Real Estate Marketing

Fill out my Wufoo form!

Jumping into a Fight to Benefit Kids!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 20:22:29 -0600

I know you've heard this joke; "I went to a fight and a hockey game broke out." Well, during the VAR Buzz Blog Brawl 2 competition our Dakno client went from combatant to giver. Talk about reverse engineering on a grand scale! Don't get me wrong, Charlottesville Real Estate Blogger Brian Chase remains very competitive but now with a different agenda.

In Case You Missed It!

Charlottesville real estate agent Brian Chase has his real estate blog entered in the Virginia Real Estate Blog Brawl 2 sponsored by the Virginia Association of REALTORS®. Brian made it through round 1 in a tightly contested competition. Shrewd use of bribery was the ticket to advance to round 2. You must read Brian's post on Picking a Fight with fellow Virginia Bloggers. With Round 2 voting quickly coming to a close at 11:59PM on Thursday, November 20, time is of the essence.

Make Your Vote Count!

So here is the new strategy. Every person who votes and let's Brian know by commenting on his Charlottesville real estate blog, he will donate $1 per vote for Toys for Tots (up to a max of $200). We ask that you take a minute from your day (hurry!) and help a deserving child this holiday season. 100% of the proceeds go directly to Toys for Tots. Please vote for the Brian Chase Charlottesville Real Estate Blog in the VarBuzz Blog Brawl. After you have voted, we also ask you head over to Brian's Blog and leave a comment.

It's the Giving Season!

I know Brian would love to win the competition. Ultimately, this is now all about the kids! In closing, I find it facinating that during a blog competition Brian turns it on its head and thinks about how others can benefit. Just like Brad said, Nice People Do Still Exist!

Please Go Vote Now!

Best wishes Brian, we're pulling for you!

Happy Thanksgiving,

Bobby Carroll
Dakno Real Estate Marketing

140 Characters Lands Me in a Blog!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Fri, 31 Oct 2008 08:45:59 -0500

I get it. Like many people, when I first heard about twitter, I thought it was "mindless babble". Who cares if you need more coffee in the morning or you're sitting at a closing waiting for the buyer to show up. The true believers justified it by saying it is "micro blogging". Others said it's another way to be part of the "online conversation". Those concepts I could relate to. At first I thought it was "Instant Messenger meets the web". And I guess you could say that's still true. Overcoming my doubts, I gave it a try. The fact that it's so easy what with my twitterrific APP for my iPhone. I guess you could say I'm hooked..... I'm at 873 Updates ... and counting!

In Social Media - Variety is the Spice of Life!

For social media junkies, variety is the spice of life. Not limiting ourselves to LinkedIn, Facebook, Active Rain, the plethora of other industry-related blogs or the social bookmarking sites, we tend to "take a hit" or "get our quick fix" at ADD afflicted communities like twitter and Brightkite. Oh yes, there are more like those too.

A Quick "tweet" and I'm Part of a Blog!

Recently I began following a bright young mind at an Internet Marketing Company in Boston called Hubspot. Mike Volpe is the VP of Marketing at Hubspot and I suggest you "follow" him on twitter @mvolpe. Mike wrote on his marketing blog an interesting piece about how his twitter following had recently changed and people Mike had never met began interacting with him on twitter as a result of a simple tweet with a twitpic. It so happened that I was "one of those people" who tweeted Mike. You can read this post by clicking on this link to Mike's post about twitter.

That's the "viral nature" of twitter and the web. It allows you to have interesting (and sometimes very beneficial) meetups in the digital world.

Join the Mindless Babble at twitter

It may take a while to grow on you but I say at least give it a try. Who knows, the person you follow and twit with just might write a blog post about you. Have you been the subject of a post as a result of a simple "twit"?

To your online success,

Bobby Carroll

Bobby Carroll - Connect with me at LinkedIn

Bobby Carroll - Crystal Coast Blogger

Twitter Bobby Carroll @Realestatecoach

Real Estate Marketing Blogger and Copy Writer for Dakno Marketing

Does Your Link Say "My Website" or "Click Here"?

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 18:03:31 -0500

If you're using these phrases to describe your link to your website or blog you're missing a golden opportunity to call out to the search engines your website identity. Why you ask? Unless your website name is MyWebsite.com or ClickHere.com, you're promoting the wrong URL with your choice of "text". The text you insert to identify your website or blog is called the "anchor text".

What is Anchor Text?

Anchor text is defined as the underlined hyperlinked words that identify your website or blog URL. As I stated above, the (Key)words you choose to identify your link is very important to search engines and it is an important ranking factor. Many believe (myself included) that Google pays particular attention to the text you choose when you hyperlink. The image to the right is an example from a LinkedIn profile of missing anchor text left in the default setting of my website and my blog.

Update: Dakno client and Las Vegas Real Estate Agent Terri White is updating her links. :)

Identify the Missing Opportunities!

In addition to the opportunities you link from your content in your AR post to other pages to your website or blog, the same smart use of anchor text should be a best practice when you create a LinkedIn profile, Active Rain profile or profile at any other website or blog.

Link Right at LinkedIn

In the case of LinkedIn, this site allows you to "edit" the default settings of "my website" and/or blog by selecting solid keywords to properly gain recognition by the search engines. My profile below offers you the correct use of anchor text.

You're Not Alone!

I'm a big proponent of LinkedIn and almost 99% of the persons I "connect" with have the same default "My Website" set for their anchor text. When I send a "connection request" I usually offer a tip to change the default for better recognition and branding for your blog or website.

Create Good Linking Habits

It's been said you have to make a decision to use a best practice for 21 days to make it a habit. Once the habit is established it will be a second thought for you when you write a post or create a new profile.

Connect with Me at LinkedIn

I trust this tip is easy to understand and even easier to implement. If we are not connected at LinkedIn, I'd love to be apart of your network!

Comment and let me know what you think!

To your online success,

Bobby Carroll

Read my previous Active Rain Post on The World's Youngest Blogger!

Bobby Carroll - Connect with me at LinkedIn

Bobby Carroll - Crystal Coast Blogger

Twitter Bobby Carroll @Realestatecoach

Real Estate Marketing Blogger and Copy Writer for Dakno Marketing

UPDATE! For those of you who want to edit your anchor text at your LinkedIn profile, you will need to click the dropdown menu where it says "My Website" and select the "Other" setting. When you select the "other" setting it allows you to type whatever keyword-rich anchor text you want. FYI...there is a character limit so be wise what you select for your anchor text.

The World's Youngest Blogger!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Fri, 24 Oct 2008 22:14:59 -0500

You Can Never Start Them To Young!

Being a real estate blogging maniac that I am, I asked my five year old grandson, Taylor Cookman of Waxahachie, TX to write a post for me for my Crystal Coast Blog. I told him to write a post about his favorite things about North Carolina.

This 5 Year Old Blogger Has Some Mad Skills!

When you read Taylor's guest post at my Crystal Coast Blog checkout his blogging skills. You will notice:

His consistent use of geographic keywords for superior keyword density and organic SEO (Raleigh homes and Emerald Isle)
How he positions himself as an "area expert" identifying "kid-friendly" championship caliber Emerald Isle putt-putt tracts. This kid has chops!
He "speaks" the language of his target audience using an excellent "blog voice" tugging at the heart strings of his readers-his Papa and his Nana!
Taylor even offers a couple of area restaurant reviews with his assessments of his favorite delicacies of "chicken nuggets" and "hush-puppies" showing sophisticated flair!
With the able assistance of his blog coach, Taylor wisely uses clever internal and external linking strategies to help build superior SEO in his post!
Taylor also trust his Papa to integrate h3 sub headlines in his post for better SEO. Now that's trusting in the experts!
And because pictures say a thousand words, with the assistance of Taylor's Papa, complimentary photos are selected and wisely used to cleverly connect words with the post. Pure genius!

This Kid is a Protege'

Should Taylor decide to secure his Texas real estate license in 13 years, everyone in his hometown better watch out. This young man will offer some serious online competition! He might even know a pretty good blog designer and real estate marketing consultant too!

There's More Where That Came From!

Lest you think Taylor is the only junior blogger in the family, my grandson Ethan (Brad's son) is sitting under the tutelage of one of the sharpest blogging and marketing minds in the business! Look out bloggersphere!

By, the way, when you go over to my blog on the Crystal Coast, please leave Taylor a comment. You will make his day and his Papa's too!

Yes - please leave a comment here too!

The Crystal Coast Blogger - Bobby Carroll

Twitter-@Realestatecoach

Dr. Leo Marvin's 10 Baby Steps to Better SEO

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 10:17:11 -0500

If you've read any of my previous AR or Dakno Marketing blog post, you know I'm a bit of a movie buff. Yes, I'm prone to using one of my favorite lines from a movie from time to time. One of my personal favorite movies is the Bill Murray classic "What About Bob?". Also starring in the comedy is another outstanding actor Richard Dreyfuss. Playing the part of a slightly quirky, egotistical psychiatrist, Dr. Leo Marvin, Dreyfuss has written a book about taking "Baby Steps to better mental health. Take heart, this post includes no recommendations for Dr. Marvin's "Death Therapy". It does however include a dose of the basic precepts to improving your website or your blog in the search engines.

Be a Big Fish in a Small Lake!

As many of you already know, obtaining page one search results can be a difficult task. This is especially true for larger, more competitive real estate markets where keyword search terms can be in the millions of results. Achieving reasonable search results and site traffic requires many strategies working in concert to your benefit. Want make the climb up the search ladder more obtainable? Select keywords that are easier to rank well for. Now I don't recommend you pick obscure keywords for better search results. But, doesn't it make sense to be a "big fish in a small lake" than a "minnow in the ocean" of search results?

There is No Magic SEO Bullet!

Wouldn't it be wonderful to have a secret potion or a "magic bullet" that would enable you to obtain instant page one search results? Folks, this takes work and discipline. Obtaining page one search results can be achieved if you implement sound SEO disciplines. If you happen to work in one of the larger, more competitive real estate markets where keyword search terms can count in the millions of results, the climb will be more of a challenge. Plus, your competition could always be moving that "line in the sand" of search results. Achieving reasonable search results and site traffic requires many strategies working in concert to your benefit.

SEO Baby Steps

1. Remember the old saying "Content is King". The first step to better SEO is obviously offering unique, keyword-rich content. It is a critical component to helping your website/blog obtain stronger search results and acquiring that much sought after traffic. Look at your site's keyword density and also evaluate your relational keywords (e.i. listings, brokers, property, buyers, sellers, homes, agents, waterfront, oceanfront, mortgage and other typical related keywords for your market).

So What Are the Other 9 Baby Steps to Better Search Results?

Other strategies needed to drive better results for your online presence (websites and blogs) include:

2. Superior, aged domain name. Remember the rules...make it short, memorible and free of ambiguity.

3. Your website must be coded free of errors. This means your site should meet WC3 compliance for superior indexing by search engines. If your website incorporates the use of "frames" when developed, your website might as well be invisible to the Googles and Yahoos of the web world.

3. A website built to allow you to edit/update your title tags. Most agent websites have the same title tag for every page of their website. Unfortunately, that’s a missed opportunity! Just in case you’re not sure what I’m talking about, simply look in the “blue bar” of your Internet browser. If the same keyword phrase is being used for every page in your title tags on your website, you're missing a golden opportunity for better search results. Ask yourself this question, "does every page of my website contain the same content?" Probably not, so why not rewrite your title tags to identify the content to work better for you. If your goal is to only optimize for a particular keyword search term like "Duck real estate", congratulations, you could probably achieve some reasonable search results and traffic given the lower search results for this term.

4. A Properly Structured and Coded Website. Search engines are all about "hierachy of content".Coded properly, a user-friendly website should allow you to include sub headlines (H3 tags) so you can utilize headline 3 tags for increased searchability. Plus, sub headlines help site visitors as well. Sub headlines allow you to "tease each paragraph" by letting the reader know what information lies beyond.

5. Superior back links from real estate related authority websites. Quality backlinks are the name of the game. Just ask our buddy Kevin Tomlinson. Mr. South Beach Real Estate even had a t-shirt made to solicit backlinks. No wonder. BTW - in a hugely competitive Miami real estate market , Kevin's South Beach real estate blog and website ranks at the top of the search engines. No doubt he has backlinks from authority websites like Zillow, Trulia, Inman, Squidoo, Topix, flickr, Outside.In, Active Rain, Real Town Blog and many other real estate industry related authority websites. Kevin gets it. Quality "one-way" backlinks are an absolute must!

Baby Step Your Way To Better SEO

For the 5 remaining baby steps to better Search Engine Optimization, go to the Dakno Real Estate Marketing Blog NOW!

Helping your website rank higher in the search engines,

Bobby Carroll - Your Crystal Coast Blogger

5 Useless Phrases You Must Omit in Your Emails

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 07 Oct 2008 09:28:10 -0500

We are all guilty of it. Those powerless, ineffective emails that litter the digital landscape and fill our email sent folders. It's a common malady in every industry what with our casual use of email communication. It’s gotten to the point everyone considers the medium of email like text messaging and instant messages.

Lackadaisical Emails

Too often our emails go out filled with spelling errors, lack of capitalization, poor or no punctuation and cryptic abbreviations. Remember, emails are permanent digital opportunities to confidently demonstrate your value to you potential prospect or client. To send out emails in this manner is a wasted opportunity. Consider this, a consumer has taken a bold step to communicate with you and provide their "treasured" name and email address (and if you’re fortunate - a phone number too). In your response you begin your email with "I appreciate you ...." and conclude your email with, “I look forward to hearing from you soon.” Surely we can do better than that!

People Judge Us By Our Communication Skills

We live in a cold, cruel world and people judge us by the words we choose - yes even in our emails. Think of your follow up email like your resume "cover letter". In fact, that’s what you are really doing - you are interviewing for a job, to be their agent! I’m convinced we miss opportunities by using tired, lifeless, ineffective phrases in our email correspondence (and in letters too).

Be Positive and Take Control!

Are you ready to come across more positive and in control? If so, take a look at these 5 ineffective email phrases and be ready to omit them from your correspondence. Go to the Dakno Real Estate Marketing Blog NOW!

Helping you communicate more effectively,

Bobby Carroll - Your Crystal Coast Blogger

5 Weeks of Free & Easy Blog Post Ideas!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 15:21:06 -0500

With so many resources available to RE professionals writing post should be easier than ever. We all encounter an occassional case of writer's block. If you are suffering from a case of "what do I write about", try these creative blogging ideas on for size. In addition to your market stats for blog post, here are a few more post ideas to keep you busy for the next month:

Week 1: Interview the local Chamber of Commerce President - ask questions like - “Why the area is so attractive to new businesses?” or

Interview your mortgage partner - “Ask them to talk about the state of the mortgage industry - or ask them to guest post on a topic like - "Is it more difficult to qualify for a loan in light of the credit market mess?” or

Interview the home inspector - “What is the most reoccurring “condition” found during your inspections and how can home sellers avoid them?”

Week 2: Use your RE License text book for many great post ideas - “Why it is important to have a survey performed” or “What does it mean to enter a fiduciary relationship with a Realtor?” FYI - more post to come on this topic in the near future!

Week 3: Conduct a local photo/writing contest on “write/photograph on 3 qualities of your area”. Coordinate this contest with the school principal and the appropriate faculty members. Ask students at your local elementary-middle school-high school to compete for prizes for the top 3 entrants and publish their work on your blog. This blogging idea has been tried and it works wonderfully!

Week 4: Interview a past client. Ask them what lesson they learned about the process of buying or selling their home? Ask your client to provide a “golden nugget" they uncovered during their transaction. Even better, video tape the interview and syndicate the video to Tubemogul.com

Week 5: Use your own blog comments and write a post from them. I "seed post" all the time with comments that scream for agents to blog about. Here is a AR post written by Dakno client Debbie Summers. Debbie describes a situation every agent dreads - showing a vacant home. In this case, Debbie shows a vacant home where a vagrant has "moved-in". I commented that many vacant homes left uninhabitated for 60 days or more may not be covered for damages by a standard HO3 homeowner's insurance policy. Now that's blogging material waiting to happen!

Bonus post idea: Take a look at your email sent folder. I’ll bet there are at least (2) two post waiting to be written from your sent email folder.

Still at a Loss What to Write?

Last but not least, read-read-read. Be inspired by others!

Stay tuned for more blogging tips,

Bobby Carroll - Dakno Real Estate Marketing Consultant

YouCanFollow.Me
Dakno Real Estate Marketing
Visit the Corporate Real Estate Marketing Blog for Dakno
Visit the Crystal Coast Blog
Blog More Effectively - Sign-up for Blogging BootCamp

What's Going On with the Active Rain Customizer?

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Thu, 25 Sep 2008 08:16:10 -0500

As many of you know, Brad and Dakno Real Estate Marketing created the Active Rain Customizer many months ago to allow one and all the opportuinity to brand your blog. With the subsequent blessing from Active Rain, we worked together with AR to make it available to everyone here in the "Rain Forest". Of course, with the recent enhancement and new look and feel of the Active Rain website, things have been a bit of a mess. Needless to say, Active Rain asked Dakno to "pull down" the customizer until they could roll this feature into their systems.

So When Will the Customizer Be Back Up?

I wish we could answer that question. It really is in the hands of the staff of Active Rain. So if you have emailed Brad or I or even left a comment on our Dakno Real Estate Marketing website, we wish we could help. Unfortunately, we can not speak for AR when the customizer will be available again.

Stay tuned for more updates as they become available.

Bobby

YouCanFollow.Me
Dakno Real Estate Marketing
Visit the Corporate Real Estate Marketing Blog for Dakno
Visit the Crystal Coast Blog
Blog More Effectively - Sign-up for Blogging BootCamp

Dominate Your Area Using an iPhone APP!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 26 Aug 2008 22:50:35 -0500

Do You Own an iPhone? Even if you don't, I suggest you become familiar with the iPhone application called "Nearby".

The other day I was reading Joel's FOREM post on the "5 APPS Every Real Estate Agent Should Have on Their iPhone" and thought I would give each of the 5 APPS a test drive. One of the more appealing iPhone APPS of the 5 mentioned by Joel was the one called "Nearby". Powered by the website Platial.com, Nearby offers real estate professionals a groundfloor opportunity.

Take Dominion over Your Nearby City Map!

By simply creating yourself a quick profile on Platial.com (arrrg - yes - the list keeps getting longer), you can begin creating plotpoint locations for all kinds of local resources for iPhone users who have the Nearby APP. Platial.com gives you the opportunity to map the location, add a description of the location, upload a photo of location and include a link a post or page from your blog or website where additional information can be found.

Use Platial.com to Increase Your Search Rankings

This image above illustrates the power of the Platial website. After creating one mapped location in my area of Emerald Isle, NC , I achieved page 2 search results with one simple mapped location of an Emerald Isle condo complex on Platial. Not to shabby. Now granted, my area doesn't poss a mountainous SEO hill to climb (170K returned search results for the keyword Emerald Isle real estate) but that kind of immediate search result tells me I can rank even higher if I populate the rest of the Emerald Isle condo developments using the same tactic on Platial.com.

Like to See Live Examples How This Cool iPhone APP Works?

For the rest of this story, take a cruise over to the Dakno Real Estate Marketing Blog to see the examples of what a Platial.com mapped location looks like.

Have You Used Platial.com?

Leave me a comment and tell if you have tried out Platial.com/Nearby.

Helping you take dominion of your area,

Bobby Carroll - Your Crystal Coast Blogger

You're Not Going to Want to Read This But....

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 18:53:31 -0500

Yes, I have found yet another online social community for you to join. Let the whining begin. The site is called "Entrepreneur Connect" by the publishers of Entrepreneur magazine. This community is in its infancy (beta), so it's going to take a while for it to get its "legs". Entrepreneur Connect has all the traits of a successful community with the ability for you to create a profile and write an occasional post. Be sure to read my first post on the 10 Traits of a Successful RE Blogger!

Not Another Place to Blog!

I know, I can hear all the moans and groans from the masses saying when will the madness ever end. Well, it's not. Vertical online social networks predicated on niches are here to stay. And they are growing in numbers. As it has been stated over and over again, you must get social or die!

Pick Your Online Social Communities and Be Loyal

Now I'm not telling all 100K of you to run as fast as you can to Entrepreneur Connect and create a profile there and start blogging. In fact, the site has a ZERO page rank. In fact, I would recommend you "cherry pick" the top industry-related sites that pass the highest PR/Google juice and be loyal to those first. Then in time, go back and begin setting up profiles at a few of the lesser sites in your spare time (notice I'm now covering my ears as you scream - WHAT SPARE TIME?).

Last Minute Addition - Yes Another Portal Comes to Life!

For those of you who have taken the bait - bought the pre-release of Seth Godin's book, you had the opportunity to join his by-invitation only social network called Triiibes. Many of you suckers RE professionals were hooked and landed by that incredibly ingenuous marketing ploy ( yes - I ordered the book and joined the Triibal fun too). It was fun friending all you guys and gals at Triiibes. If you haven't "friended" me, I'm Realestatemarketingcoach.

Helping you keep track of all the online social communities,

Bobby Carroll - Your Crystal Coast Blogger

Twitter like You've Never Ever Seen It!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Mon, 21 Jul 2008 18:44:13 -0500

Yes - This Post is All About .Me!

Just call this a gratuitous solicitation of Twitter followers on a grand scale but this is all about .me! I'm not prone to recommend you go out and begin buying up all kinds of .me's but given the right scenario I say go for it especially if it were .me.

BTW - My Twitter username is Realestatecoach and you can Twitter .me!

In our preparation to attend the Inman Connect conference, Brad and .me (bad grammer!) decided to pull out all the stops to make it easy for people to connect with .us. No wait, that's a different extension. Armed with our new iPhones, Brad and I set about creating the following portals to make it easier for our "connected friends" to connect with .us, I mean contact .me.

So whether you are headed out to San Francisco for the Inman Connect or staying back at home doing what you do best, youcanfollow.me!

See .me in SFO!

Bobby

Your Crystal Coast Blogger

8 Reasons Why a Home Buyer or Seller Should Hire a Real Estate Agent Who Blogs

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Sun, 20 Jul 2008 15:20:56 -0500

Want to separate the men from the boys and the women from the little girls? Show your potential clients the myriad of reasons why they should hire you, the high-powered real estate blogger instead of an agent who knows nothing of blogging. In my experience training, consulting and building blogs and websites, real estate professionals who blog stand head and shoulders above the crowd for many reasons. It's time you leveraged that fact and differentiated yourself from your peers.

How Are You Different You Ask?

Real estate bloggers possess unique qualifications, knowledge and abilities other agents who don't blog seldom if ever grasp. Below are a few of the many qualities I have observed as we work with real estate agent bloggers:

RE Bloggers have a better understanding of the basic principals of SEO. Why? Because a really good RE blogger reads and devours information in an effort to push the envelop of their on-line identity. That means they are constantly seeking wisdom and implementing discovered SEO best practices.
Most RE bloggers are really good marketers! Besides their AR/Localism blog, and numerous other online social media sites, sharp RE bloggers utilize national sites like Trulia, Zillow, and many other sites to syndicate their listings offering even greater value over their competitors.
Some RE bloggers are even wired into to micro-bloggging at Twitter to gain an "instant" feed of content in hopes of picking up a SEO nugget or pearl of wisdom along the way. This is a prime example that many RE bloggers have an in-depth knowledge of blogging technology and use it to their full advantage.

For the Rest of the Story - Go to the Crystal Coast Blog

Head over to the informational resource for the Crystal Coast now!

Helping you articulate your value to your market with your real estate websites and blogs,

Bobby

Your Emerald Isle Real Estate Resource

Domain Names as We Know Them Will Never Be The Same!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Fri, 27 Jun 2008 08:49:02 -0500

Frustrated by the lack of good .com domain names? What if you could purchase MLS.search or Raleigh.realestate. In a ground shaking move, 1500 members of the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) organization meeting in Paris this week annouced a sweeping expansion to the naming convention of domains. This domain extension expansion most likely will radically alter the way users navigate the web.

The Current Standards for Domains

As you know all web addresses currently in use today fall under one of 21 top-level domain names. They are:

.country
.territory domains

And some generic ones in current use include:

.com (the most popular and prefered)
.net
.org
.gov
.edu
.aero

What Could New Domains Look like?

So what would the new extensions look like? Try .realestate as in CrystalCoastBlog.realestate or Raleigh.realestate or DrinkPepsiProducts.Pepsi for your favorite soft drink or DrinkBud.Budweiser or BuyF150.Ford. You get the picture. Of course, ICAAN stated it would consider preserving the integrity of trademarked names through what they call an "objection process". Implementation of the new extensions is slated for the second quarter of 2009.

I Hear the Domain Squatters Coming Out of the Woodwork!

So if this happens, all you domain squatters get your wallets ready. The race will be on for the prized new .RealEstate domains with this possible extension.

Helping you stay informed on the latest happenings in the world of domains,

Bobby

Your Crystal Coast Blogger

More Google Juice for Your Online Presence!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 07:57:54 -0500

I am always "on the prowl" for new websites, and online social communities to create SEO-rich profiles for our clients so they can take advantage of the "Google Juice" and "Link Endorsement" opportunities these powerful websites provide. Ureaka! I struck the mother load last night. It was all because of a Google Alert I had set up for my keyword "Crystal Coast real estate".

I Feel the Love!

This new one I found last night is the online social community of writers, reporters and photoraphers called NowPublic. Just to make sure this portal passes some serious Google juice, I checked with Brad and he said "I feel the link love!"

Strictly News!

With the NowPublic site, it is purely a news reporting website so anything that smells faintly “spammy” will be red flagged by the moderators. So I strongly urge you to keep your post all about real “news” about your market to the readers and you will be just fine.

The Link Hound

Because I tend to be just as much of a link "hound" as my buddy Kevin Tomlinson (Kev uses a much stronger word for "hound"), I always want to "sample" the love too and make sure the portal is safe for our clients! Here is what I started at Now Public with my profile at NowPublic. Notice I didn't use my name in the username. Instead, I choose to follow Brad's advice for setting up an SEO-rich profile.

Running in Fast Company!

While it's been the subject of a few posts here at AR, no one has actually discussed setting up an SEO keyword-rich profile, and adding your website link at the online social community of Fast Company. Joe Manausa took my advice and created himself a profile plus Joe wrote a post at Fast Company as well. Now Joe enjoys more visibility for his website and it adds another endorsement link to his long list of backlinks to his Tallahassee real estate website and his blog.

Do you want more traffic going to your blogs and your websites? If so, be sure to set up your SEO-rich profiles at Fast Company and at NowPublic and start enjoying the power of the juice - the Google Juice!

UPDATE: Mary makes a valid point in her comment below. These online endorsement sites must be maintained and updated with fresh content on a fairly consistent basis if you're to maximize the link opportunity. When structuring your blogging time, it's important you keep that in mind.

Helping you attract more traffic and more SEO power for your real estate websites and blogs,

Bobby

P.S. BTW - If you found this post interesting, I encourage you to visit the Crystal Coast Blog and read my post on If You Build It Will They Come?

Why I Admire Ray Kinsella - He's a Dream Builder!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 10 Jun 2008 07:54:10 -0500

And you thought I was going to use - If You Build It They Will Come as my title. More on that later!

The Harmonic Convergence - A Good Movie About Baseball (or just about any other sport for that matter)!

There are two things in this life I really enjoy - baseball and a good movie. When these two elements come together, it's magic. The stars and the planets come into alignment - there is a harmonic convergence!

Personal Favorites!

My personal favorites include sports movie's like beautifully made - Field of Dreams, even zanny Major League, equally zanny A League of Their Own, the heart-warming movie The Rookie with Dennis Quade, the magical movie The Natural starring Robert Redford are many of my all-time favorites. I also love other sports movies including Remember the Titans with Denzel Washington and Will Patton, the inspiring movie Hoosiers with Gene Hackman and Dennis Hopper, and many more.

Lessons Learned From Ray Kinsella

If you recall the movie Field of Dreams, the main character Ray Kinsella, played by Kevin Costner (and all the ladies went aaah!), hears voices. People thought he was crazy. I happen to believe Ray was a visionary. Other Kinsella qualities I admire include:

His tenacity
His risk-taker mentality
His zeal and belief in his dream
His refusal to listen to his negative naysayers

Ray followed through with his dream and we know the end of the story.

The Story Continues - Building Field of Dreams Websites and Blogs

Of course, many real estate website developers have blogged the movie title Field of Dreams - If You Build It They Will Come. I've taken a slightly different approach on this theme and recommend you check it out on my Crystal Coast Blog.

Be sure to leave a comment over at my Crystal Coast Blog too!

Helping You Build Your "Field of Dreams" website!

Bobby

10 Ways to Ensure Failure with Your Online Presence!

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Tue, 03 Jun 2008 08:02:53 -0500

I realize I'm "preachin to the choir" here at Active Rain, but for a few agents out there, this post outlines the way you will approach your online strategy. Of course failure can be defined in many ways when it comes to creating real estate websites and blogs. For the sake of this post, I'll be discussing fundamental strategies that many real estate professionals experience when building, then launching a website/blog and waiting for the first interaction to appear in your inbox from your website/blog. For many, you're in for a long wait if you use these strategies.

10 Can't Miss Ways to Set Yourself Up for Failure in the Online World

Base your website on some obscure brand new domain name that includes no reference to your target market. Don't forget to use dashes, numbers and cryptic spellings in your domain name to make it a greater challenge for anyone to ever find you on Google, Yahoo or MSN. If all else fails, simply use a vanity domain name especially if no one has ever heard of you in your area!
Launch your website with the same bland content used by thousands of other real estate agents. You won't be penalized, but your site will never receive much attention from the search engines. Why should they? Your website doesn't contribute to the greater good of the WWW.
Never add any new, original keyword-rich content to your website. If you must add content, just add a link to your local chamber of commerce website in your community links page. Just remember, your too busy to write content or have someone else write it for you.
Never create an original, SEO keyword-rich profile on any authority site and link it to your website. Besides, it takes to long to create keyword-rich profiles and links from authority sites like AR, Squidoo, Zillow, Trulia, Inman Wiki and many other authority websites to your website. Always stay away from online social communities to link back to your website or blog. You can always say you're much too busy to do it anyway!
Speaking of blogs, never create a personal blog! If you must create a blog, build it and never write a post there. If you must post, by all means just post your listings and/or rip-off articles from other media outlets and post those to your blog.
Never drive traffic to your website via your email signature by including your web address.
Speaking of driving traffic to your website, never include your website address on any postcard, letterhead, or other marketing material. If you must add your website address on a marketing piece, do your best to hide it or the minimum make it really, really small so no one will ever find it!
Never use a pay-per-click strategy to increase traffic to your site. If you must use PPC, have the link from your poorly written ad go to some page on your website that is devoid of a site interaction opportunity. That way, the lead will simply leave your site to never be seen again.
If by some miracle, a consumer completes a form on your website or leaves a comment on your blog, ignore it. You can always call it a bogus lead or spam.
Launch your blog and/or website and do absolutely nothing with it! Then go back to your web or real estate marketing partner and ask how come your website/blog never generates any business for you. If they ask you what you do to market your website or blog, you can always say you're too busy to do any of that stuff!

There are many other online marketing strategies agents never use to enhance their online presence. What others come to your mind?

Helping you attract, keep and encourage your site visitors to engage with you,

Bobby

P.S. BTW - If you found this post interesting, I encourage you to visit the Crystal Coast Blog and read my post on Real Estate SEO 101!

If the Internet Went Away Could You Still Sell a House?

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Thu, 29 May 2008 23:10:19 -0500

Years ago before Al Gore invented the Internet, as a Raleigh real estate agent for Merrill Lynch, I rode around with a trunk full of MLS books. When "I found a buyer", I would "ask probing questions" to my home buyers of what they were looking for in their next home. We would cover the "basic stuff" like their budget, the number of bedrooms, baths they needed, and high priority items like location, schools and so forth. From there I would slowly identify their other "needs" (got to have it - can't buy a home without it) as well as their "wants" (I want it but if I can't have it that's ok). If a buyer came to me with their needs and wants list, I was in heaven! In those days that seldom happened. Armed with my answers, I "hit the books" for my clients to find them the home that best fit their needs.

The Age of the Internet

In this age of the Internet, buyers "come to RE professionals" via the agent website with their list of homes they want to see eliminating the need for the agent to "ask the probing questions". So have agents lost the art of looking deep into the needs (and wants) of a prospect and asking all the right questions? I wonder.

Helping you attract, keep and encourage your site visitors to engage with you,

Bobby

P.S. BTW - If you found this post interesting, I encourage you to visit the Crystal Coast Blog and read my post on Real Estate SEO 101!

What does Copywriting Have to do with SEO?

Bobby Carroll - Real Estate Marketing (Dakno Marketing) — Wed, 28 May 2008 07:58:44 -0500

Everything! You've heard it mentioned here at Active Rain before, CONTENT IS KING! If copywriting is so important to SEO why is it the very last thing real estate professionals think about, if they even think about it at all? I know the reason why. It takes time, effort, resources and action for organically sound SEO copy to be written. And that doesn't happen by accident. Yes, there is actually a thought process that should occur when organically sound SEO copy is written for a real estate website (or any website for that matter).

What the Experts Have to Say About Copywriting Skills

Because of the driving need among search engine optimization companies, one of the much sought after skillsets in the world of search engine marketing today is copywriters. Remember, this requires the copywriter understand how to write for search engines and at the same time attract, keep and compell online consumers to take action. Last year in a reader poll conducted by Top Rank Marketing the question was asked "What type of SEO skill is most important?" The #1 response on the reader poll was copywriting at 32% followed by keyword analyst at 14%. For a complete breakdown of the reader's poll, check it out.

So What is the Process to Writing Sound SEO Web Copy?

Remember, writing solid, SEO-rich copy is a tap-dance. It's a delicate balance between pleasing the search engines with proper keyword usage and offering appealing copy that "speaks" to the wants, needs and fears of your target audience all without sounding "spammy". Remember, the goal here is to show value and encourage interaction.

Copywriting with a Purpose!

Copywriting for maximized SEO also includes using relational keywords that "attract" the search engines as well. For our industry, it means including traditional industry-related words like listings, buyers, sellers, property, area, attorney, information, homes among many others. So is it a stab in the dark to just "stuff" your copy with these relational keywords or is there some "rhyme or reason" to it? Believe it or not, smart copywriters use a tool I've written about before called Quintura. Quintura tells me the related keywords often used as part of a search. Yes, these relational keywords very from area to area based on the particular search phrase. That way I know I'm giving my client's websites the very best opportunity to attract the search engines. That's copywriting with a purpose! Among the other tools smart SEO-centric copywriters use daily are Wordtracker, Keyword Density tool and last but most important - our two ears. Excellent copywriters must possess superior listening skills and know the right probing questions to ask about you and your market. That way your website gives a flavor of the value you provide to consumers!

Gotcha You Thinking Now!

So the next time you think about building a real estate website, or adding more content to your website, maybe you will give careful consideration to the value of your content. Yes - I'm a firm believer CONTENT IS KING! What about you?

Helping you attract, keep and encourage your site visitors to engage with you,

Bobby

P.S. BTW - If you found this post interesting, I encourage you to visit the Crystal Coast Blog and read my post on Real Estate SEO 101!