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No Time? Start a Photo Blog

By
Services for Real Estate Pros with Buzz Marketing Pros

An AR blogger asked the question - Why blog when you can just show pictures?

She makes a good point - let me tell you how to do that and reap SEO benefits from it.

First, start a privately hosted WordPress blog. See my blog post Give Your Web Site a Huge Boost in Google for tips.

The purpose of your photo blog is to show featured listings. Choose the home you want to feature, write up a little blurb about it using keywords, and pop photos of the home in the post. Link a couple of keyword phrases to your main web site.

Make sure the photos are named properly. For instance, "family-room-vaulted-ceilings.jpg." Get in the habit of naming the pictures this way when you upload them to your computer.

Add alt tags to each photo, with a few more keywords: "123-Main-4-bedroom-home."

Add a caption to each photo - this is a great place to put the address if you want to, for instance "Large master bedroom - 123 Main Street - Our Town, USA." 

Take care not to spam - don't use the same keywords over and over, and only 2-5 in each name and alt tag. 

I like WordPress because it is so easy to use, you can choose from hundreds of templates online, and there are hundreds of plugins available. Check out this great list of WordPress photo plugins

Once you set this blog up, it should be an easy matter to add new listings to it - you have to write something up and take pictures anyway. Do it at the same time you are preparing your MLS listing and voila - you've got a new blog posting in no time!

 

Bobby Carroll
Jaclyn Smith Properties - Clayton, NC
Clayton NC New Home Happiness Coordinator
Another alternative for the time-challenged blogger, why not add local event photos as an alternative to listings and invite readers to email you photos to add to the gallery! Personally, I find post with listings a bit boring, although I respect the benefits of SEO.
Oct 20, 2007 03:59 AM
Diane Adler
WeveMovedGifts.com - Marietta, GA
Thanks for the great info, Kay. I have only been blogging on AR and have been very pleased with the results after 3 months. I think I'll try WordPress. I sell closing gifts, and this sounds like a very good way to get more exposure! Before AR, I didn't know a thing about blogging, and now I see this as the best marketing idea I've seen going!
Oct 20, 2007 04:00 AM
Kay Frenzer-Zeeh
Buzz Marketing Pros - Chandler, AZ
Real Estate SEO
Bobby, that's a great tip! As a home buyer I like listings with photos, but the local events would be an excellent addition, especially if you've got others sending you the photos.
Oct 20, 2007 04:01 AM
Missy Caulk
Missy Caulk TEAM - Ann Arbor, MI
Savvy Realtor - Ann Arbor Real Estate
Can you use the plugins on a wordpress.org blog ? too ?
Oct 20, 2007 04:02 AM
Kay Frenzer-Zeeh
Buzz Marketing Pros - Chandler, AZ
Real Estate SEO
Missy, I don't think so. You can't import templates either. However, your own hosted blog will run you $11 or less per month, and you can get a free domain name at Dream Host when you sign up. To have the setup fee waived use the code DAZZLED0001. Their one-click WP install makes it simple, and the interface is exactly the same.
Oct 20, 2007 04:08 AM
Kay Frenzer-Zeeh
Buzz Marketing Pros - Chandler, AZ
Real Estate SEO
Diane, a WordPress blog would be ideal for you. Fact is, blogs are indexed and ranked much faster by Google - they don't have the sandbox period a regular site has.
Oct 20, 2007 04:16 AM
Sandi Bauman
Chico Homes Real Estate - Chico, CA
Chico CA Realtor

Kay,

Here is the first post I tried with my idea for photos...  let me know what  you think. 

Vallombrosa Avenue near Bidwell Park in Chico, CA

By the way, here is a link to my original post:

If a picture is worth a thousand words... why blog?

 

 

Oct 20, 2007 08:09 AM