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How to Write the Best Community Pages in Your Marketplace

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Marte Cliff Copywriting

How to Write Community Pages that both Google and your site visitors will love... 

one of a kindDo your community pages stand out?

Or do they look like every other community page in your marketplace?

Do they bring you plenty of organic traffic from Google and the other search engines?

Or are they just "kind of there," adding a page to your website without bringing you much benefit?

I've seen plenty that were "just there." In fact, I am sometimes amazed by how many agents simply copy whatever Wikipedia has to say about a neighborhood or community and call it good.

If you want to attract visitors you need to stand out!

You've no doubt been reading about how Google favors long pages and blog posts, and is moving those pages up in the rankings. Search engine experts now recommend writing posts of 1,000, 2,000, and even 3,000 words.  

If you want the community pages on YOUR website to be the one searchers find on page 1, then you should consider following Google's wishes.

Can you write 1,000 – 2,000 words about a community? Of course – but it does take time.

Last month I agreed to write a series of these long community pages, estimating that each would take me about 3 hours. Boy was I wrong! To do it right took about 3 hours for research and another 3 to sort the data and turn it into something worth reading. I think the results were worth the time. Not only will Google favor those pages, the site visitors will learn something interesting about the communities they're considering. And… they'll see my client as the expert.

How is it done?

Begin with Wikipedia. If you're lucky that will give you basic information along with clues to follow to learn the "really good stuff," such as the history of the community. When there's a reference to some event that took place in the past or regularly takes place in the present, make a note and do more research. Google it!old barn

Find out who the first settlers were – and what brought them to the area. Is that industry still going strong today, or have most people forgotten about it? Has the city's name changed over the years? If so, what was the original name, and why was it changed? If the industry today is different from that of the past, find out why. What drives today's economy? Do most residents work there, or do they commute to another city?

From there, go to a site called "City data." That will give you demographics, cost of living, major employers, etc. Another good research site is www.areavibes.com/.

Follow every lead to learn about shopping, dining out, medical care, recreation, education, etc. Don't be surprised if one link leads you to several others. Follow them. Not every business has its own website, but many do, so go there and learn more.

main street Priest RiverWhen you take time to learn more about those places you'll sometimes run across interesting tidbits. For instance, the local steak house may have been there almost since the town was founded, and have a rich history to share.

The types of stores and dining establishments will give your readers clues about the makeup of the community. Is it filled with night spots for dining and dancing? Is there an abundance of family-oriented restaurants? Are there several crafts stores, bike shops, or fitness centers? Perhaps there are an unusual number of garden stores, farmers' markets, or health food stores.

When it comes to education, don't stop with public and private schools for children, colleges, universities, and trade schools. Look for private special-interest schools, such as those that teach wine making or chair caning.

Names can be interesting too. Who was that person whose name is on the town park, the high school, or one of the old buildings down town? Why was it named for him or her?

Learning about recreation can give you and your readers some good insight about the residents in the community. Are most of the activities centered around children? Is there a group of avid hikers, cyclists, or equestrian enthusiasts who maintain a series of trails?

Next go to your MLS and get real estate statistics. Note the average, high, and low prices. See how city homedetached single family homes compare to condos, townhomes, etc. Pay attention to days on the market and the number of months' worth of inventory you have. Note how much prices have increased since last year at this time.

Since I'm a copywriter and not a MLS member, I look at trends on Zillow. (I know, not totally accurate, but the best I have access to.) I also compare the median price to the high and low prices of homes currently for sale. Just because the median is $500,000 doesn't mean that there aren't nice homes for $200,000 or $300,000. It just means that there are areas in town where homes sell for $800,000 or even a million or more.

In some communities neighborhoods and Homeowner Associations have their own websites. Visit those sites to see if there's information you didn't find elsewhere. If you can find a forum where people are asking and answering questions about the community, go read it. Often these comments will tell you more than any "official" website.

Do potential new residents want to know about events such as annual community yard sales, Christmas tree lighting ceremonies, Halloween Haunted Houses, and neighborhood Barbecues?

Sure they do! So learn about them and write about them. 

Christmas ornament When I'm preparing to write one of these pages I do a lot of cutting and pasting, taking information from a variety of sites and putting it in a word document, which I can then sort into some kind of order that the piece will eventually follow. Naturally, some of the same information will pop up in a variety of places, so part of sorting is deleting the duplicate material.

Once I have things in order I read it, then read it again before I begin to write it in my own words. After I begin to write I often find holes in the information, so stop to do a bit more research.

It takes longer, but if what you wrote makes you ask the question "What about…" then you need to take time to answer it if you can.

You can do the research a little at a time, as you have a half hour or so to spare here and there. You can also do the sorting in small increments. But do try to set aside a couple of hours to do the actual writing all at one sitting. When you do it in 2 or 3 sittings, it can sound choppy. 

Do remember to go back the next day to proofread and make edits. Your expanded community pages will cost you six hours or more of your time, but when you're finished you'll have the best pages in your marketplace. I think it's worth the effort. 

 

 

 

Comments (59)

Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Nicole Doty - Gilbert Real Estate Expert I think so, and you learn a lot yourself in doing the research. I did ten pages on communities in the same general area, and by the time I finished I knew which of them I'd choose if I decided to move to that area. 

Sep 05, 2015 02:38 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

Hello Marte ... great post my friend, congrats on the feature from AR and your post has been featured to the group:

Addicted to Active Rain

Sep 05, 2015 03:54 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thanks so much Robert (Alaska Bob) Swetz. As always, I appreciate your support. 

Sep 05, 2015 03:57 AM
Robert Vegas Bob Swetz
Las Vegas, NV

You are very welcome my friend 

Sep 05, 2015 03:59 AM
Olympus Executive Realty Inc.
Olympus Executive Realty INC. - Orlando, FL
Home Of The Top Producers

Congrats Marte on your featured blog, hopefully you can keep them coming, topics that are featured take blogging talent!

Sep 05, 2015 04:13 PM
Debra Leisek
Bay Realty,Inc Homer Alaska - Homer, AK

This is a very well written informative post. I bookmarked it and will return to it and learn from it. Thank you for sharing such productive good information! We should pay you for this blueprint!

Sep 05, 2015 05:40 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Debra Leisek Thank you - I'm glad you find it useful. 

Sep 06, 2015 02:03 AM
Gene Mundt, IL/WI Mortgage Originator - FHA/VA/Conv/Jumbo/Portfolio/Refi
NMLS #216987, IL Lic. 031.0006220, WI Licensed. APMC NMLS #175656 - New Lenox, IL
708.921.6331 - 40+ yrs experience

Although in a different form than what an agent offers, I do provide local info and links on my website, Marte Cliff .  I have had a good response and feedback from it, as it's proven helpful to many potential buyers and current residents alike.  It took time to build the info .. but definitely worth it ... you're right, as usual ..

Gene 

Sep 07, 2015 06:56 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Gene Mundt, Chicago-area Mortgage Lender - www.genemundt.com I hadn't thought about it, but now that I do... it really is just as beneficial to you as to an agent to attract people who are going to be moving into the area. If they're going to buy, they NEED a local lender. 

Sep 07, 2015 07:24 AM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

It's really about finding your audience first and then finding the content that can be 3000 words.

Sep 08, 2015 03:56 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

It can be beneficial, I agree, but you can't lose of actual connection between humans and product, @marte

Sep 08, 2015 03:58 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

You seem ton all know this stuff pretty well and again, I wish all the commenters the best!

Sep 08, 2015 04:03 PM
Laura Cerrano
Feng Shui Manhattan Long Island - Locust Valley, NY
Certified Feng Shui Expert, Speaker & Researcher

Anyway I was trying to comment on previous blog and it wasn't letting me so I just wanted to say thank you again for all the hard work.

Sep 08, 2015 04:07 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Laura Cerrano Last night it appeared that I couldn't comment, but when I went back and refreshed the page, the comment was there. Very odd. 

After 19 years in real estate I sold my agency and in 2005 began writing for other agents - which means I've read a LOT of agent websites. The differences between good sites and "ho-hum" sites is striking. 

I always encourage adding a bit of history to community pages - perhaps because I like to know about the past myself. I do believe others are interested as well, and I do believe that knowing your community's history adds credibility to your status as the "local expert."

Sep 09, 2015 06:58 AM
Dana Hollish Hill
Hollish Hill Group, JPAR Stellar Living - Bethesda, MD
REALTOR * Broker * Coach

Wow! Thank you so much for sharing your process. It sure is a detailed one at that. I know that developing good content takes time. But having a plan of attack makes it a bit easier. 

Sep 09, 2015 08:31 PM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Dana Hollish Hill Yes, it is easier once you decide what kind of information you want to use and where to look for it. 

Sep 10, 2015 01:25 AM
Lyn Sims
Schaumburg, IL
Real Estate Broker Retired

Good post Marte. Once these posts are completed they will 'work' for you for a long time. Came over from Anita Clark's mention.

Sep 21, 2015 08:01 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thanks Lyn Sims I think so - you might only have to make changes to the real estate market information now and then. 

Sep 21, 2015 01:46 PM
Carol Williams
Although I'm retired, I love sharing my knowledge and learning from other real estate industry professionals. - Wenatchee, WA
Retired Agent / Broker / Prop. Mgr, Wenatchee, WA

Great article, Marte Cliff .  I missed it when it was posted so was glad to see it featured in a post by Anita Clark .  

Sep 22, 2015 11:06 AM
Marte Cliff
Marte Cliff Copywriting - Priest River, ID
Your real estate writer

Thanks Carol Williams - I appreciated that mention by Anita Clark. 

Sep 22, 2015 03:19 PM