Solving the Mystery of the UnClaimed Listing Router Click

Recently, one of our members posed the following question regarding ActiveRain's Listing Router:

"If a 'click' that is generated from a consumer-initiated search using the Listing Router isn't claimed or routed to one of our members, what happens to that click?

Well, before I can answer that question, for those of you not familiar with this feature, let me first give some background on what ActiveRain's Listing Router is all about, and how it works.

Background

From the moment ActiveRain was first launched back in 2006, our talented members have been contributing high-quality content to their blogs. As a result, huge amounts of consumer traffic has flocked to the highly relevant and informative articles being posted here everyday (80% of ActiveRain's 2M+ unique visitors a month come from Google and other search engines).

Although we collectively did a phenomenal job of attracting visitors to our community, unless they initiated comments or contact through our blogs, many times their home-searching journey ended shortly after reading whatever content drew them to the platform, and they would move on to some other domain that would specifically assist them in the home searching process.

Enter, The ActiveRain Listing Router!

The ActiveRain Listing Router provides the next logical step in a consumer’s journey, after they find information on ActiveRain - a Search for Property Listings.

For those who visit our site, the Listing Router shows up as a header that resides at the top of every page within the ActiveRain network.  It displays a search box preceded with the phrase:

“Find Homes for Sale in: _________”. 

If the visitor is accessing the Listing Router on a respective ActiveRain member's profile, blog, or individual blog post, once they complete the search box and hit enter, the Listing Router sends them directly to that member's IDX landing page.

When accessing other pages of the Network, the Listing Router will direct the 'click' to whichever member is actively bidding on that particular geographic location being entered into the search box.

Mystery Solved

Now, to answer the question that inspired this post:

In the event that no one has claimed the particular search location, or is actively bidding on the location being specified, the click is routed and sold to a 3rd party 'remnant' buyer, such as MarketLeader. This is a fairly common practice among other similar platforms, and provides a relatively small revenue stream from clicks that otherwise would have been ignored.

"SAVE the UnClaimed Clicks!"

The key in all of this is to ensure that you are positioned to 'capture' as many of these potential 'clicks' as possible! At a minimum, you should access the Listing Router link on your 'My Home' page, and route potential clients to your sites for free when they search for home listings in your markets while viewing your profile, blog, or individual blog posts.

Additionally, you have the option of participating in a 'cost-per-click' (CPC) bidding campaign that will effectively direct search 'clicks' generated on other pages for market areas you have predetermined.

One other vital element you need to have in place is an effective IDX Landing Page that converts their search from a 'click' into the start of a meaningful client relationship.

The ActiveRain Listing Router is an easy, cost-effective way of directing more traffic to YOU, resulting in increased business revenue!

For more helpful information, check out the following articles:

The ActiveRain Listing Router by Jeff Corbett

Listing Router Whiteboard by Bob Stewart

Localism and Listing Router by Jorgen Hahn

How to Set-up and Save Your Own Traffic and How to Set-up Your Own Click Campaign by Brad Andersohn