Real Estate Blog - Is there TOO MUCH IN THIS PROFILE?

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Is there TOO MUCH IN THIS PROFILE?

I have been learning so many neat tricks to making my website look more attractive, captivate an audience through informative writing, and optimize search placement. When is it too much?

Many tricks have come from Brad Carroll - Real Estate Web Designer, including his blog on Optimizing Your Active Rain Profile for Search Engines and Visitors

Creating a slide show is effective for free classes while guests are entering. A slight distraction, a chance to show some creativity, an opportunity to display my talents to prospective FSBO clients, etc. Do you like the song playing in my profile?

The widget is my favorite by keeping an index of all the blogs I've written instead of scrolling through pages. I learned this from Pierre Calzadilla Brooklyn, NY Get your Widgets here, Voices Button, Free Map with YOUR listings for your site + More.

Insearting my logo is creating exposure and recognition. I've picked up this one from Jeff Belonger -- The FHA Expert.com. Does this look familiar? He leaves this name branding in his comments.

Site feeds to subscribe to my blog.

HOPE Lending LLC - Melissa Olson has invited you to Join Active Rain

I found a picture and obtained permission to use from Aurora Colorado Real Estate Ray Saenz, Colorado Realtor that allows readers to click to join Active Rain. I have this set up on my blog page.

My next project Embedding Anything In Your ActiveRain Blog Posts, written by Jeff Turner Santa Clarita, CA. I'm not sure how I will incorporate this into a blog written by a mortgage company. But I am trying to keep up with the experts here and show my dedication to writing for a purpose.

So please tell me, what do you like? What do you not like? What would you like to see or learn about for yourself?

Posted by Melissa Olson ~ HOPE Lending LLC on 07/29/2007 10:26 PM

Comments (18)

melissa olson, hope lending, mortgage consulting, internet search optimization

This post has been included in Washington Information King County, WA Information Bellevue, WA Information
Post is included in group: Online Referrals

18 Comments on Is there TOO MUCH IN THIS PROFILE?

JUL

2007

Melissa,

Your profile on AR can be very powerful. It is great to write for the search engines but our potential clients are the real audience. Brad has some great advice - I reworked some of my profile as I read his latest article.

As far as sound, I keep sound turned off by default in case people are browsing the web at work.

Melissa, very nice! You did your homework well! I even learn a tip or two! Thanks!

Producing a great profile will help you in SEO and in reaching the consumer. The balance is keeping it interesting without getting too busy. I'm with Rita on the sounds, but the other tools look great.

Rita - are you saying you keep your sound off? Or are you suggesting I turn my sound off?

David - This is all thanks to everyone here posting on AR. Glad you found something interesting. What did I share that was new for you?

Ryan - I agree. This really is about exposure and good content for my customers. I hope this also helps build some credibility by networking. We do get to know each other and get a good sense of our business practices. I'm am finding great mentors here.

Hey Melissa,

I love the song :) very neat, I will change my profile later, and yes, we always learn things new right ? I never stop learning.

take care and good blog !!

Ray Saenz

I don't think it should have music as well.

Ray - thanks for the thumbs up and stopping by.

Julie - thank you for sharing. Is it a bad song? Or do you just prefer no sound at all?

Current Song Vote:

NO - 3

YES - 1

Hello Again Melissa - Just no sound at all. Like someone else commented about folks surfing the internet at work which I keep hearing on the news is a big thing. They don't want their boss to know so any sound would be a giveaway that they are playing around on the internet.

JUL

2007

Hi Melissa

I liked the song, but agree if someone is at work the song is a dead giveaway they a playing on the net during working hours.

Sandra

I agree with some of the others who commented that they would not use sound.

Ok....I will go in and remove the sound. I guess if I was the boss and heard people surfing the net at work for "personal" use, I'd be curious to find out why they're not doing work-related things.

Hey Melissa,

I think the music idea is cool. Although, I would try an instumental instead.

Tina - That is a good idea on the instrumental. Something softer... Thank you.

Melissa,

I meant I turn the sound off by default. If the viewer wants to turn it on they can but I don't have it come on automatically.

Thanks for the link. I am glad you found the post helpful. I agree with the others. Keep the sound off by default. I am not sure that the slide show creates any additional value. I also noticed that you had the text "Please visit my blog" but did not link to it. Concerning SEO. Yes, your core audience is visitors and not spiders. But good copy should be SEO friendly and connect with visitors.

Thanks again!

JUL

2007

I am unable to turn the sound off by default. It is either included in the slide or not. And there really is no benefit from having this in my profile. The benefit will be used elsewhere.

The "Please visit my Blog" has a widget under it indexing every blog. I thought this was more helpful than sending someone to my blog page by link where they have to scroll through everything. And it wouldn't make sense to have both the link and the widget - I think it would only confuse how to get to which post they want to read.

Thank you for commenting.

AUG

2007

Melissa.... some good pointers. In regards to my signature here on AR, not everyone likes it. Some argument is that it's distracting to the readers. ?? And some think that person is just trying to get attention. Hey, there are two sides to everything, right. But thanks for the plug.

jeff belonger

Jeff - I think your signature helps manage comments, or at least it does when I use it. For some who think you're trying to get attention, just smile and say yes thank you. Why should that be a bad thing? My inbox gets so full from comments that it holds things up, including my Treo freezing. I go in and uncheck the box to update me when I've seen someone comment back. It makes it a lot easier to find my comment if I plug a picture in.

So my .02, you can use your signature anywhere you want - including my posts. Great job creating one and using it!

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