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Are You Playing Hide & Seek With Your Real Estate Site?

If 2007 was the year I really became engaged by the blogosphere, then 2008 ranks as the year I began to understand the power of connectivity. And..No, they're not the same thing. Although, I must admit, I used to think they were.

playing hide and seek When I first started blogging about two years ago, it was all about communicating my message and getting a handle on commenting.

Active Rain provided the perfect platform and I embraced everything the community had to offer, rarely venturing out to the wider world.

Initially, it was hard to understand how videos, podcasts, pictures and a short 140 bit sentence bite on Twitter could be an integral aspect of relationship building. Afterall, wasn't that what blogging was all about?

Well, it is...but, it's not the whole picture. My experiences within the past 12 months have opened up a whole new comprehension of what Social Media and blogging can be about. Effective Relationship Building requires Exposure as well as Connectivity. If you have a great message, but no one understands it or sees it, the Value of the message is greatly diminished. Far too many bloggers in the real estate community are making this mistake. They're not investing the time and effort to ensure that their well crafted messages are seen.

For instance, when I started blogging, I totally underestimated the importance of labeling my pictures. In fact, it wasn't until I became an active member of Flickr that I truly began to appreciate the importance of a little identifier known as a tag. I've been amazed to see how properly tagged pictures can land on the first page of an indexed search on Google. I've learned that tagging can be as effective as a blog post in gaining better Search Engine positioning.

The next step for me is geotagging my pictures by location. I'll admit that this still presents a little bit of a mental challenge for me as geography was not one of my favorite subjects. But at least I'm getting it. Search Engines don't want to play Hide & Seek to find our data. They want it clearly identified and labeled so that they can do their job which is to provide FOLKS WITH THE INFORMATION they are searching for.

Many of us are playing the game of Hide & Seek and don't even know it.

We fail to tag our pictures, don't tag our blog posts and give our articles very hard to understand titles. In addition, we have different avatars and sometimes even names for different sites and often forget to complete our profiles when we are instructed to. To compound our evasion tactics, our blogs fail to link to other blogs with a similar focus and our articles don't provide additional related links within our own websites or blogs. Did you know that this type of activity makes it difficult for the Search Engines to give you credit for all the hard work that you're doing?

Here are a few simple steps you can take TODAY to stop Playing Hide & Seek With the Search Engines and make it easier for them to find you:

1. Create Relevant Titles!

The operative word is Relevant. Cute and funny may be entertaining, but they won't give you much traction. Cute and funny may give you tons of comments on Active Rain but if they're so irrelevant to your topic that the Search Engine Spider has to try to decipher your meaning...expect to be dumped into the heap of forgettable entries sooner rather than later.

2. Create Links to Your Stuff!

This is so easy to do. Every expert on SEO here on Active Rain has told us to do this, but most of us never do. It's simply a matter of heading over to your sidebar, clicking on a relevant tag and copying 1,2 or more links to the bottom of your post. It's better to revive your older posts if possible. This gives additional relevance to your material. You should also do this on your website which normally gets even less love than your blog. Internal Linking can be extremely effective in helping Search Engine Spiders to weave your material into the world wide web.

3. Tag, Tag, TAG!

Take a second to tag your pictures, your blog posts, your Utterz etc. Anything that allows you to tag should be tagged. No exceptions. Failing to do this is like doing a ton of work and walking away without your payoff! Tagging identifies what you are saying. And no, the Search Engines don't just automatically get it. If you're comfortable with it, I'd highly recommend you begin to Geotag or at least place your ZIP Code in the tag line if you're blogging about something which is real estate related.

4. Build on Consistency!

You loose a lot of cache online when you appear as a variety of different persons online. Now, if you're trying to hide the fact that you work in real estate, that's not necessarily a bad thing. But, if on the other hand, you would like to take full advantage of this medium to do more business...the more easily recognizable you are, the better for you. This year, I have been even more impressed by the number of people who are connecting with us online. It's not the wave of the future...this is business today and into the future.

5. Study the Pro Game!

I am not an SEO expert, but there are many who are here on Active Rain. I've learned so much from reading their blogs; it has literally transformed my understanding of my profession. Here are some of my Favorite bloggers: Mary McNight, Justin Smith, Jim Cronin, Jeff Turner, Brad Anderson, Barry Hurd, Laurie Manny & Karen Jason, whose extraordinary contribution to this network remains as a well spring of knowledge and insight.

Not all these individuals are technical folks; some of them have simply done a remarkable job of translating their success for the rest of us. In every case, I've found their contributions helpful. Check them out!

Search Engines really want to know what you're talking about in your articles and online content. Remember, you're the expert. Let's do our own little part to make it easier for them to do their job. This is a case in which a little due diligence can truly go a long way.

Other Related Posts about Blogging & Marketing Real Estate...

blogging: Sometimes...A little Grazin' is Great forYour Appetite and Your blog.

blogging: On Squid, Squeegees & Squidoos...3 Ways to Squeeze More Money From Your Online Content!

blogging: Blog Prospecting....Optimizing the Reach of your Local Real Estate Blog!

blogging: What to Do When Google Shows Up for The Interview Before You do!

Picture courtesy of: chris runoff's photostream

Lola Audu, CRS, GRI e-Pro ~ Audu Real Estate

Lola Audu, is the Designated Broker & Owner of Audu Real Estate. Our company specializes in helping people buy and sell homes in the greater Grand Rapids, West Michigan area. We've had the privilege of helping hundreds of clients succeed in their goals of purchasing and selling property including demonstrated success in the negotiation of Short Sale Transactions. You can contact us via e-mail @ info@auduhomes.com or by phone at 616-791-0511.

Posted by Lola Audu~Real Estate Broker/Owner Grand Rapids, Michigan Real Estate on 09/24/2008 12:54 PM

Comments (68)

Search Engines in the Online Marketing Channel

blogging, blogging content, blogging audience, audu real estate, seo, search engine optimization

Post is included in group: Bloggers Choice Selections
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Post is included in group: The Art Of Marketing You

68 Comments on Are You Playing Hide & Seek With Your Real Estate Site?

SEP

2008

Great post Lola! I too began to understand the power of connectivity this year and it is HUGE. Thanks for the tips too that will extend our blogging efforts. Take care!

...and one of my favorite, on topic, insightful bloggers does it again... Lola your posts are always so well thought out & well presented, this is another great example of quality over quantity, when I see your posts I know there will be something here worth reading!

Re "Create Relevant Titles!... Cute and funny may give you tons of comments on Active Rain but if they're so irrelevant to your topic that the Search Engine Spider has to try to decipher your meaning...expect to be dumped into the heap of forgettable entries sooner rather than later"...

Anyone who skims over posts, read that paragraph again!!! FYI Lola, you'll be receiving an invite from me for an interview re The Art Of Marketing You on Active Rain, you've been warned! ;-)

We all have learned the value of tags and SEO from some of the best in the business. Thanks for the post.

Lola,

Thanks for the post. Blogging is a journey of ongoing growth experiences. I'm trying to master the art!

SEP

2008

Lola ya, wow - that post was packed with info... I stoped doing anything on AR for about a year. Reading your post kinda brings me a little more up-to-date. I hope all of your hard work pays off.

Lola- Amazing isn't it how we have been told over and over what to do, but we don't follow through :( This is another good reminder of how to do things the right way. Enjoyed this well written Post, thanks.

Teresa, Thanks for stopping by. 'Connectivity' is a separate skill set which is also important and enhances our exposure online. Sometimes, being involved in a social network can undermine our understanding of what truly needs to be done to make sure that our data/content is exposed properly. We can get lazy and rely on kudos from our online friends while loosing site of the wider world on the blogosphere to our own detriment.

Hi Marti...Thanks for visiting my blog! I appreciate the compliment. It means a lot to me. I look forward to connecting regarding an interview. Your contributions to Active Rain continue to inspire and educate me and a whole lot of other people. Thanks again...

Terry...isn't Active Rain remarkable in that regard. I am so thankful to have come across the site when I did & I'm also thankful to see that so many from Kent County in Michigan, including you & Bonnie embraced the opportunity as well. I continue to grow and gain insight daily...

William...Thanks for stopping by. You are mastering the art and leading the way for so many. I'll never forget the impact on me that one of the first blog posts that I read that was written by you had on me. Continue, Continuing....

Keith, Appreciate your visit. I stopped by your blog and I'm glad to see that you are reactivating here on Active Rain. This hard work is paying off. Blogging works if you'll work it. Within the past week, we received several New Leads which were directly related to our blogging efforts. It is no longer strange to hear..."I found you online."

Kathy...Thank you for stopping by to read and comment. You're right about the fact that the bulk of our failure lies in the reluctance to follow through and simply DO what we know we should do. True in life...True in blogging. In this case, a little consistency in doing the right things has enormous benefit. I've seen it.

Lola, excellent advice and observation. I think you are so right on on properly tagging posts, both in photos and titles. I was reading so many localism posts here, with no mention of the city, or state.

I see it on web sites too, a name, URL and where is it.

Fortunatley for me there is only one Ann Arbor, but so many other cities that are located in differnt states.

Lola - you are always a consummate professional that shares valuable information. Your presentations never cease to amaze me.

Thank you so much for sharing these tips.

Hi Missy, Thanks for stopping by. I was not logged in when I read your excellent post about Transparency. I'll be going back to post a comment....it's worth re-reading. I've been really impressed by the difference that proper tagging and linking can make in the life of a blog post or online contribution of any sort. Many of us in the real estate community are missing it...it's about LOCATION, LOCATION, LOCATION...Translated into geek speak, it's tags, URL's, links. :) You definitely get it & your results speak for themselves. :)

Hi Carol, Thanks for stopping by. I'm glad that this was helpful to you.

That is a great point Lola. It doesn't really matter what you write if it is not being read. With that said it is not all that easy to get in front of the masses. I would imagine that most blogs on agent's individual websites are hardly ever read. Presuming that you are writing something of value, I think that syndicating your outside blogs is the most important thing an agent can do to increase readership.

Lola, Great tips. The Internet can be a powerful tool when properly used. The more we move up on a goole search, and make it easier for Buyers/Borrowers to find us the more business we will see.

Thanks for your advise.

Forgive me for I am somewhat of a newbie and I still have a few questions.

So when it comes to linking on my blog entries....I would guess this is something that could help my business - to link people to my web site, etc. I think I will go back and revise my old blogs and add links.

Also.....does this give more points!!! On the Points Summary page of AR, there is a place that tallies Linking Points. Is this what that means???????

(I have recently added links to my blog posts but have not gotten any linking points for it and I don't know why).

Lola, great tips for making the blog pull in interest from readers and business deals alike.

Great advice! I've bookmarked your post which is loaded with so many valuable tips. I do need to review these again and be reminded to stay on top of this stuff regularly.

I think I'm at the point where you were in 2007, but with your post - I believe you'll help more than a few of us catch-up to where you are now. Thanks for sharing and for pulling together all of these resources - you saved me a lot of work! Emma

Lola - Wonderful advice. Reading this post is yet further proof that I have so much left to learn... and implement.

Okay...this is a little bit too much for my non-techie brain to comprehend the first time through; however, I'm a committed learner. I've bookmarked so that I can study and apply what I learn. This is amazing 'stuff', and I know that it will make the hard work pay off even more. Thanks so much for sharing! GBU!

Lola

Your blog puts it out there in clear langauge. I did not know the difference either.

Either

Tom BRaatz

Thanks Lola,

I am still muddling through the meta tags, tags and SEO. Your post clarified a lot for me and I'll pay more attention to how I tag my pictures and blogs in the future. Hopefully I will one day have it all linked together for prime SEO!

Hi Ryan, Thanks for your comment. I think that in some ways, blogging is like selling a house. If it's priced right...you can't keep it a secret. This also applies to writing good content. If a blog delivers what the readers and subscribers want...it will be found unless the blog author is doing some of the things mentioned in this article which make the job more difficult for the Search Engines.

Syndication is definitely one way to increase readership. Cross-posting is also very useful. The way in which an author chooses to enhance their exposure will be determined by their comfort level, but the bottom line is that exposure is vital to a blog's survival.

George, very true. A huge number of Internet users use a search engine to find the information they are looking for. Google has the biggest share of all those eyeballs currently, so it's important to pay attention to the obstacles that we may be creating unintentionally.

Hi Marlene, I'm not sure exactly what links you're referring to, but perhaps this might help in sorting things out.

Links on the blogroll/sidebar...Most blogs, including those available on Active Rain allow you to create links on the right hand side to other sites. This should include your website and other blogs as well as sites which are complementary to your interests, profession or blog material.

Links within a blog post/article...These types of links are useful for directing readers to additional items within your blog which may be of interest to them. This also can be valuable in helping search engines index pages which may have been lost in the shuffle. You will note that if you do a search on Active Rain, they include a link at the bottom which directs readers to additional information.

Links within a website: Search engines index your main page URL for the most part. Unless you provide some sort of site mapping, they are not necessarily aware of what else is on your website. If you have original content on a site, cross-linking between pages can be beneficial so long as it's done properly. The individuals who I referred to above are a great resource for more specifics.

With regards to points, Active Rain does give points if you place one of their customized links on your website. The points vary, so double check their guidelines. Best Wishes and continued success with your blogging efforts.

Thanks for your comment Gary

Jason...Thanks for stopping by. This blogging thing has all of us re-enrolled in school. :)

You're welcome Tom...

Emma...you're welcome. I'm glad that this was helpful to you. All this information has been communicated to us in different ways before, but unless we use it, we will not reap the benefits. Sometimes a little action can take you a long way, if it's the right action.

Elizabeth...That's the Key. Applying what we learn. I'm committed to doing a little bit each day. Over time, that 'little bit' has a way of building up into something significant. Some of the most profound changes and benefits I've ever received have been from doing just one little thing differently. Appreciate your comment. GBU

Thanks for answering my question Lola. I appreciated that you took the time to respond to my linking questions.

Hey, I have family in Grand Rapids, Michigan! Small world!

Cat, if ALL you do is simply begin to tag and label your pictures and create coherent blog titles...that will help a whole lot! I think you'll be surprised at the difference that consistency in those two areas can make.

Cat, if ALL you do is simply begin to tag and label your pictures and create coherent blog titles...that will haelp a whole lot! I think you'll be surprised at the difference that consistency in those two areas can make.

You're Welcome Marlene. Wow, it is a small world. Do you visit GR at all?

I am still trying to learn, so thank you for taking the time to explain and help.

Great information. Title, links and consistency are so important!

Thanks Lola for the great information and thanks Marlene for asking the linking question it was my question as well.

Aloha,

As someone new to Active Rain, I appreciate your insight and hearing about how you've optimized your site and experiences.

thanks for this - I am bookmarking this1

I have embarked on a project to update the tags on all of my old posts on my other blog. 100 down, 300+ to go... I have been working at cleaning up the SEO... and it is a LOT of work.

Titles & tags, you are so correct, this is imperative. In just about anything on the web. Looking at your website, you practice what you preach. Good For You!

HI LOLA!

All great advice!! I've got to get on board with that geo tagging. I think that might present a challenge for me too!! Thanks so much for sharing your expertise!

it look so cute!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge and information about it

Aloha

Stephanie

HI Lola! What a great and informational post! Always much to learn here on AR. Thanks for sharing and congratulations on the feature!

Good post. It is all those added "little" things that mean so much. All the best.

Lola - a well deserved feature. I am so guilty of not always tagging when I can, much of the time becuase I am rushing or don't want to take the time. I know I should, but consistency reigns. This got me inspired to get better at a number of things - titles, tags, Twittering and more.

Jeff

Thanks for all the great info. As someone fairly new to blogging, I'm on brain overload! I've bookmarked lots of posts (yours inlcuded) that I need to go back and read again...hoping it will all come together soon!

SEP

2008

Yup, without those important SEO tips/tricks our websites would be nothing more then billboards in a desert! No one would see them! Thanks! I'm on the lazy side and my web designer/guru does that stuff for me. I stick to real estate but I'm glad I found someone who knows what they're doing! I wouldn't have a clue!

I have bookmarked this to make sure that I take advantage of all of your suggestions.

I actually have been here since 2007 myself and just learned yesterday about tagging pictures. I am in the process of going back through ALL of my blog posts and doing this. Boy it is going to take a while, but I can't wait to see the results! You are 100% right about really taking time to learn what and how you need to post your posts to get the most effective GOOGLE JUICE THAT YOU CAN!

Sandy, thanks for your comment. Active Rain is a great resource.

Absolutely Gabe!

Charles, that's the great thing about blogging, you can learn from the post and the comment. :)

Courtney, You're welcome. Best Wishes & continued success in your blogging efforts.

David...Thanks.

Lane, It is a lot of work if you have a backlog. That's why it's great for new bloggers to get into the habit of doing this from the start. When I started blogging, I had no clue about the importance of things like this.

Frank & Jodi, Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

Yvette, Geotagging...when you start talking longitude and latitude, I'm on shaky ground. But, we can all put in ZIP codes and addresses when relevant. These are all a type of geographical locator. And they do index!

Hi Therese, Thanks for stopping by to read and comment.

Carolin...it's the 'little' things which often have the most impact in life too.

Jeff, Thanks for stopping by. You make an important point about tags...it's not just about blogging. Just about every site now allows you to tag content. And we tend to ignore it, because it does take a little time. I've been shocked to see an Utterz indexed because it was tagged. When you understand this, it opens up a whole new dimension of options for marketing and branding.

Lola, Thanks for taking time to enlighten those of us who are somewhat new on this journey and still "groping" our way along! I have bookmarked this post for ongoing reference.

SEP

2008

Lola - what a great educational piece! Relevancy - consistency - tags - links. I still think it's all about the content!

SEP

2008

Lola, I am glad Marti featured this...what a great post...easy to read, well organized and makes very clear and important points. Go reminder for those of us that do tag photos etc. to think about how we tag them and what words we use. Well done!

SEP

2008

I've been going back and re-tagging all my pictures on Photobucket and I've been seeing more and more pictures show up in the searches. I never would have thought that it would of helped and the only reason I started tagging them, was so I could find them faster.

Lola, a great insightful message. Were you ever a teacher? You outllined your subject and then hit it head on. Well done. I am going to go back and reread and take action. Thanks alot.

Ok Lola, here is my question about Flicker. They say you cannot promote yourself or service, no commercial use. How do you get around that?

Hi Elkhart, Excellent question! Flickr is not a commercial site, yet you will find the work of many professional photographers on the site. Fickr is about COMMUNITY, getting to know people who share similar interests and contributing to the welfare of the community as a whole.

Tagging makes the content you contribute more relevant and helps people know where you are...Flickr does have a geotagging capability. I've had people visit my website who found me through Flickr. This is all about connecting with people and making it easier for the Search Engines to assist you in doing so. Thank you for your comments.

I do teach real estate agents in my company on a regular basis. I don't advertise on Flickr, but there are a number of other social networking sites which allow you to do so if you choose.

Hi Lola, Excellent post. I have read and applied some of the things you mention but I need to step up my efforts. Thanks for the reminder. God bless,

OCT

2008

I never heard of geotagging before...thanks for explaining it in your post. Very helpful, tagging is so important!

Cheryl, Thanks for your comment. Every little bit counts. :)

Patricia, Geotagging is a fairly new concept for most real estate bloggers. But since we deal with Location, Location, Location...it certainly makes sense.

OCT

2008

Lola I just came across this post and am bookmarking it for future reference... there is so much great information here that I'm making it my homework assignment. Thank you for sharing .

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