SEO is the acronym for search engine optimization a.k.a.. get yourself found on Google by the people you WANT to work with. 

I know most of you know this. 

There are many different ways to go about your SEO and many different methods, but if you want to do it yourself and stick to the basics, here they are:

QUALITY CONTENT=KING

QUALITY BACKLINKS=QUEEN

Focusing mostly on the Queen has been my preferred method, but the King will be better in the long run so a good mix is recommended...

I read an interesting article on SEO trends for 2013.  Seems like things are always changing and those of you out there that are writing awesome articles will really benefit this year and beyond.   My goal for 2013 is to be better at getting relevant and quality content out there for all markets because content on your blog is still and always will be KING and mine has been lacking in many places.  

If content is King, then links to your site - quality links are QUEEN.  I do pretty well just focusing on my Queen with quality hyper local links back to relevant pages of listings and information, but until I seriousy listen to my own advice and improve content and make my KING stronger, I will not reach my full potential for incoming traffic. 

Part of making the content stronger is paying attention to keywords. 

Do you have Google Analytics?  I always look at where my traffic is coming from to see how well my links are doing in bringing in guests to my main website.  This gives me a good idea of where I should focus most of my efforts.  Keywords help you determine what content you might want to be writing about not only for increased traffic, but also so that you are putting relevant information out there for the consumer.  You want to be able to give them what they want and you are the expert in your chosen area so share it with them! 

Google Analytics allows you to have X-RAY VISION into what your potential future clients are looking for so that they can actually find you and become your future client.  

It doesn't matter how great you are if the consumer can't find you.  You are not helping them be able to take advantage of your skills and expertise!!!  Being able to "spy" or get into the heads of a buyer or seller searching the internet is key to deciding what content you should be putting out there - for both increased traffic and also to satisfy what the user wants.  

What better way to get into their heads than to look at the very keywords that they search with to find you on the internet?

It is interesting to go in and look at what keywords are leading people to your site.  It also helps you to identify what's hot right now.  I personally do most of the marketing in my office and teach many of the marketing techniques to my Seattle real estate brokers if they are interested in it.  I promote them online in their chosen markets and help quality potential clients FIND THEM from my wiritngs online.  My own market expertise includes the Seattle floating homes market, Magnolia, Queen Anne, Downtown, Laurelhurst, Seattle waterfront, and Seattle luxury homes.  I keep a close eye on the keywords being used to find us in all of our chosen neighborhoods. 

For instance, here are some of the more recent houseboats searches on Google that led consumers to my site as determined by Google Analytics:

houseboats for sale seattle, seattle houseboats for sale, cooper jacobs, floating homes for sale in seattle, floating homes seattle, floating homes in washington state

If you look at the image at the top of the post you can see that we do rank high in Google - always on the first page and usually first or second for seattle houseboats for one or both of the two Seattle houseboats sites I have - either the main Cooper Jacobs Seattle houseboats page or my houseboats blog, SeattleAfloat.com.  This is because I have focused highly on BOTH my QUEEN and my KING as Seattle floating homes are my special baby....

I began writing about Seattle houseboats because there was very little information available to consumers on the internet besides listings and of course pictures from Sleepless in Seattle.  Some of the agents on the lake seemed to be actually guarding the info from the public and I subscribed to that theory in my past life as a broker at a different company.  My good online and in person friend ARDELL taught me that TRANSPARENCY is key and this was something that took myself and  many real estate brokers a long time to adjust to.  In the luxury homes market, they are still guarding their info, but I am now on a quest to get that info out to the consumer as well.  In order to get them the BEST info, you need to know what keywords they are putting in that GOOGLE search bar.  Using Google Analytics and The Google Keyword tool will help you be your best self online.  One additional tip:  Don't keyword stuff - use the keywords in real sentences and sound as natural as possible or Google will see that and penalize you. 

I hope this helps - I look forward to hearing what keywords your clients are finding you with and what is working for you in 2013 so far!

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