Is your LONG TAIL riding a Hydroplane?

Long TailIs your LONG TAIL riding a Hydroplane, or is it Running Deeper to give Better Results?

Want to sell more houses from your web site?  Of course you do!  That's why we are here, right?  Let me introduce you to the long tail and the hydroplane factor.

The power of the long tail can be seen on a graph in the image at left borrowed from blog.searchenginewatch.com. 

What it shows is that you can get more web site visitors from the "also ran" (or top 100) search terms than you can get by winning placement for the #1 or #2 most popular search terms.  For many web sites, the total web site visits from the bottom 95 search terms will win out in pure numbers over the visits from the top 5 terms.  If Real Estate is a numbers game then this is a hugely important fact!   

When I ask if your long tail is riding a Hydroplane, I refer to the boats that go fast but run very shallow....  This is term has come to be used in business to refer to any activity that just grazes the surface. 

My point is this...  If your SEO work goes too fast you just graze the surface. The Hydroplane factor causes you to miss the deeper opportunity.

How the LONG TAIL barely works...   Let's say you like to sell waterfront properties near a sailing marina.  If you add a page to your web site that has a few terms like waterfront, bay, sail, and sailing, that may help with your long tail search results... This would be a hydroplane effort.  Fast but not deep.   

HOWEVER, the long tail is really effective when it is DEEP and not just barely there...  You don't just want sailors to visit your web site.  You want real estate prospects with an interest in sailing.  Do you see the difference?  One is going to buy.  One is going to sail.  The latter can be converted to the former if you sell the benefits of doing so while getting all the right key words on the page.

There are a lot more real estate related phrases and sailor/boating interest keywords that might help you land a potential buyer or seller on your web site who is also a sailer.  You do this by by BENEFITIZING the connection between MyTown and sailing/boating...   

TRY THIS:  Make a new web page on your web site.  Title it (Sailing My Town) and write an article.

Sailing Into MyTown, Why Boaters, Sailors and Sailboats lovers are buying or will buy waterfront homes or condos and move to MyTown Marina District in record numbers. 

Perhaps you could make the focus about saving time and money on your sailing / boating passion by relocating to MyTown, moving to MyTown, buying in MyTown, Sailing From MyTown, Area Attractions for Sailors and boaters in MyTown.  

Add lots of sailing boating words like living in MyTown, sailors, boaters, sail, boat, sailing, boating, bay, beach, sail supply, boat dealers, sailing season events, sailboat trivia, boating trivia, dock rates and marina details, maps, annual regatta schedules and promotion, even add sailing/fishing/boating club promotion and contact info. etc..  Be sure to include singular and plural variations, add slang, nicknames, short and long versions of various phrases.

Throw in as many real estate words as you can, such as property, land, lot, condo, waterfront, house, buy, buying, buyer, home, sell, value, house values, real estate values, investment, property value, realtor, agent, real estate agent, etc... Add the names of the sections of town that are favored by boaters and the ones that have nautical connections or themes to architecture, etc...  Be sure to include singular and plural variations, add slang, nicknames, short and long versions of various phrases.  Maybe even give examples and first person stories from clients who have moved the area and LOVE IT!!!

Make good sentences out of all this and you will have a powerful long tail page! 

If WRITING is not your forte, and you need some help with the words, you can always hire a writing coach or a ghost writer. 

 

31 Comments on Is your LONG TAIL riding a Hydroplane?

Thank you for the information it was useful.  At all the detail later.

The "J" Team

04/14/2007 01:49 AM by Jason Vombaur (Keller Williams)


A very great blog by you and will help alot of people.  I enjoy going after real niche phrases...to me it is alot of fun!

04/14/2007 02:30 AM by Aaron Auxier "Hollywood's Connection to Vegas" (Luxury Realty Group)


It is always wise to have a ghost writer if you are not a good write; promotion yourself using the written work is one of the best way to expose yourself.

Charles Parrish - real estate mentor - http://www.investorsunited.com/

04/14/2007 02:51 AM by Charles Parrish (Auction Brokers, Charles Real Estate & Investors United)


Something for me to work on.  My partner is the better writer so I guess I have an inhouse ghostwriter hopefully with a long tail.

04/14/2007 06:10 AM by Denise Brophy ABR ePRO CERC (Re/Max Realty Specialists )


Very interesting!! To say the least.

04/14/2007 06:26 AM by Joseph Rasel (Northwood Realty Services)


Some basic words like "buy" and "sell" are missing from most agent's keyword repertoire. Go figure.

04/14/2007 06:52 AM by Greg Cremia (Shore Realty of the Outer Banks)


Psst, if you want help with writing......  I know a guy ; )

04/14/2007 07:51 AM by Lonn Dugan (BIG Marketing Solutions)


Great post.  I am currently re-building my site and this is very helpful information.  I already started adding pages like this, but I see where make it even better now.

04/14/2007 08:43 AM by Steve Scheer - Denver Real Estate - Highlands Ranch Real Estate (RE/MAX Masters, Inc.)


Great analogy, running fast and shallow only catches the eye of a few.  It's depth of knowledge not only on a website but personally too that provides lasting business.

kk 

04/14/2007 09:01 AM by Kristal Kraft ~ Denver Real Estate (The Berkshire Group Realtors)


Thanks for defining this in such an easy-to-understand way. I've heard "long tail" referred to quite a bit but didn't really have a full understanding.

04/14/2007 09:46 AM by Kelly Kilpatrick, Broker-Associate (Gold Coast Realty)


Lonn: really great information.  It is wonderful of you to share your expertise (like so many others at AR) when you could be selling it instead.  PS. I'm still trying to speak to you about your services.

04/14/2007 09:47 AM by Diana Corcoran - Rhinebeck Real Estate (Paul Hallenbeck Real Estate)


When I first started with my website I wondered how the heck people have real estate websites with more than 5 or 6 pages.  Now I wonder where I will find the time to write all the pages I need to.  I have over 150 pages now that I added neighborhood pages to my site.  These neighborhood pages allow me to rank well for searches of specific neighborhoods.

Rita 

04/14/2007 10:29 AM by Rita Taylor | Sanford NC Real Estate & Homes for Sale in Sanford North Carolina (Strother Real Estate)


You made a good point, Lonn - you want to combine interests so that you get boaters who want real estate, not just boaters who want boats.

04/14/2007 11:29 AM by Sharon Simms St Pete Florida CRS CIPS CLHMS (RE/MAX Metro)


You may also find some additional information about "Long Tail" on Michael Bergman's blog at ‘Long Tails’ Have ‘Teeny Heads’ (or is it vice versa?) as it relates to the type of things we are doing on AR.

04/14/2007 12:09 PM by John Wubbel


I just bookmarked this blog......

The SEO thing to do for ANY page of your website.....

And it works..... =-)

04/14/2007 12:44 PM by Central Florida real estate - Alexander Harb PSEMĀ®, E-AgentĀ® (Beach and Luxury Realty Inc.)


Rita- Good point about many pages that focus on specific areas of interest. It's hard to put so many keywords on one page to hit the long tails

04/14/2007 01:11 PM by Craig Smith, Frederick MD Real Estate (Keller Williams Realty)


I'm still not sure I understand what "longtail" is, although I've seen it mentioned a bit.  Your post does help somewhat, at least I think it does.  I need to do some more reading up on this to fully understand what you're writing about here.

Thanks for this info!
Ann

04/14/2007 06:20 PM by Portsmouth NH Real Estate ~ Ann Cummings (RE/MAX Coast to Coast - Portsmouth New Hampshire)


Great Post, I will be at it as soon as I can and get a few new pages up......

04/14/2007 06:21 PM by Michael Eisenberg, Bellingham Realtor (Fairhaven Realty)


Lonn-I will give it a shot also.  I have been debating on whether or not to increase my web pages from 5 to 10 and I guess I will just go ahead and do it.  Does it matter that all of the "real estate" and "boat words" are not on the first page?  Will they be found just as easily if they are on the 8th page?  Aloha!

 

 

04/14/2007 08:57 PM by 1SG (Ret) David J. Kucic Hawaii Relocation/VA Expert (Tropic Lightning Real Estate)


Lonn - great post.  I've got to work on this.  Thanks for the information.

04/14/2007 09:06 PM by Kay Van Kampen, Broker, Springfield Missouri Real Estate (RE/MAX Solutions)


Lonn Great post as usual!  This is a very effective way to deep SEO a site!  Placement is all about the right content, and can be measured by relevant terms as you shared!  Keep up the great work!

04/14/2007 10:15 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Wow!  I was just wondering this very thing today and then I hopped online and here is your blog!  Thank you for putting my random thoughts in order for me!  I will book mark your article and go to work on it!  Again, thank you!

 

R.B. "Bob" Mitchell

ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.

 

04/14/2007 10:47 PM by ValueList Real Estate Services, Inc.


Lonn,

     You use sailing as an example - I am thinking of doing pages for golf and lakes in the area.  Most of the golf courses and lakes around here have - you guessed it - homes around them.

Rita

04/14/2007 10:49 PM by Rita Taylor | Sanford NC Real Estate & Homes for Sale in Sanford North Carolina (Strother Real Estate)


It can easily be done either with a site or page.  If you use Google search for Atlanta Golf Homes for Sale  the top 4 results are #1 Atlanta Golf site, , #3 and Atlanta Golf Page, #4 Atlanta Golf Homes.  There are a lot of factors, url, words, links, density of the words or word phrases you use etc.

04/14/2007 11:44 PM by Jim Crawford ~ Atlanta Real Estate-ABR E-PRO (RE/MAX Greater Atlanta)


Lonn - great info - I'm just really doing more of this - thanks for such a well explained post on long tail. :-)

09/01/2007 12:54 AM by Clearwater Real Estate Clearwater Beach Condos & Homes for Sale- Cyndee Haydon (Belloise Realty)


Hi Cyndee:  Thank you for the kind words. 

For more specific help, see my free SEO eBook by searching AR for "SEO eBook" or see my SEO eBook site about Search Engine Optimization for Realtors, at www.7Days7Secrets.com

I also coach realtors and real estate agents on this topic and can provide support, encouragment, detailed steps, and accountability that will help you get page one at Google if that is what you want.  See www.MyRealCoach.com

09/01/2007 07:21 AM by Lonn Dugan (BIG Marketing Solutions)


Lonn - I just came across this post.  Thanks for sharing this information on AR!

01/20/2008 07:08 AM by Joseph Ellman (Realty Executives- Williams-Sykes Realty)


Great information, I really like the depth at which you explained the subject, sometimes it feels like French to me.

Take care!

RJH

01/20/2008 07:31 AM by Empire Realty


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Real Estate Agent: Lonn Dugan (BIG Marketing Solutions)
Lonn Dugan
Toledo, OH
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BIG Marketing Solutions

Office Phone: (419) 654-5666
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Former Licensed Agent turned Marketing & SEO Coach, FSBO Listing Coach is Active Rain Group Discussion Leader - "FSBO Killers". Webmaster, Trainer, Speaker, Blogging Junkie...

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