4.0 SEARCH ENGINES

There was a time when search engines could be ignored but today, they must be taken very seriously. Search engines are the single most used function of the internet second only to email. More traffic is directed by search engines then any other online means and real estate websites are no exception. 22% percent of visits to real estate websites were referred through search engines. Further, about 5.5 percent of individuals who leave a real estate website go to a search engine as their next online destination. This makes having a search engine friendly site vitally important.

The next question is, what makes a search engine friendly site? Search engines prosper because they list sites that accurately correspond to what people are searching for. Search Engines would cease to function if they listed websites that dealt with telephones when the client was searching for puppies. Their sole existence is based on being able to give people exactly what they are looking for. Being a search engine friendly site is about giving search engines everything they need to determine that the site provides the best and comprehensive information in that category.

Simply showing up in their rankings is not enough. To have a performance real estate website, it must be configured properly to allow it to rise quickly through the search engine ranks. Effective search engine optimization (SEO) is now a critical component of real estate websites. The reality is that the vast majority of traffic gets snapped up by the first ten listings found on the first page. First page of search listings garner more attention then any and all subsequent pages combined. Even on the first page of search results, the traffic distribution is uneven. It is estimated that the second listing receives 40% less traffic than the main listing however, after that point the decrease gets less dramatic losing online 5%-10% of traffic all the way down to the 10th listing.