I am relatively new to the blogging world and ActiveRain but am getting my feet under me and am finding that I almost enjoy the blogging process which comes as a total suprise. I find that I am constantly on the search for ways and topics to blog about both for Localism events and Realtor issues. I realize more and more that my writing must answer questions that someone somewhere is asking and hopefully the end result will be that the answers will land in a ranked part of the SEO world as well.
If I think about what questions buyers are asking in my area then I have to think predominately about people from out-of-town. They want to know the obvious: what hotel or motel to stay in?, can I afford a B&B?, what restaurants are great?, is there anything to do when I get to town?, and are there areas I should avoid?, can I rent a boat or PWC?, etc. My mission now that I have decided to accept it is to provide the answers to those questions and become the resident expert in all things "local". Here are some Ideas for where I am going to look in my area for all that is going on "right now".
1. LivingSocial.com
I have bought several "coupons" from this site to restaurants and enjoyed the savings and the new experiences that followed but as I was checking the website I realized what a great resource it could be for ideas for blogging about my area and what it going on now. There are ideas for family groups, things to do at home, adventure suggestions which can be local and a great folder called 365 things to do in Fort Worth or whatever city you are looking in. Great----I needed 365 ideas!!
2. Groupon.com
This site can also be a source of ideas in your area for new restaurants to write about or new businesses you didn't know existed. Just don't do what I have done and buy more Groupons than you can possibly use because they sound like such a good deal. I have had to go on a 60 day fast from buying these kinds of deals--is there a care group for this??
3. TripAdvisor.com
This has been my go-to site whenever I have traveled myself for where to stay and what to do and now I plan on using it to find out in my area what people are searching for and what they are rating well. I realize that some the information posted on this sited is artificial but it still is a great resource for blogging ideas in your area.
4. CitySearch.com
Citysearch can be a wealth of ideas for topics in any city or area as visitors and locals alike use this site to find out what is happening in their city at any given moment. One of the best areas for blogging ideas is a folder called "Best Of" which gives you the winner of the best in every category imaginable. You can have a field day with this idea alone writing about all the winners in this Best Of. Thanks--CitySearch.
4. http://www.city-data.com/forum/#u-s-forums
This site is a great source of topics that potential buyers are currently searching for answers. Most of the active forums are positioned to educate travelers, visitors and relocators all around the United States.
5. Google Maps.com
When you search your general location at http://maps.google.com you will find results to the left of your local map that can yield a few possibilities for topics that you might not have realized people are searching for. When you zoom in closer you will see the sidebar results change to offer more local content.
4. Topix.com
This site features content built around local news stories that are current and in the news now. But, who is to say that a well written blog about what is happening now in your area wouldn't do well with the search engines and for your own website's traffic count.
6. Outside.in
Outside.in is a site that is something like a combination of Topix and City-Data. It consists of links and conversations about current news events as wells as questions and announcements posted by its users. It is not as popular or well used as the other two sites but has a lot of potential for the future.
6. Yahoo! Aswers
Another website that compiles millions of questions and answers and can be a little difficult to narrow down to your specific topic. You might try travel topics or travel forums, or location specific real estate searches and hopefully these will offer up areas of searches to an audience looking for answers.
Our hyper-local blogs should be designed to reach out to the person looking for more information about events and locations in our place of residence. We are in a unique position to answer those questions and add personal comments that will add a warmth and closeness and personal experience lacking in so many other forms of information for the consumer.
I so look forward to all the new friends I will make as I teach myself about my area and pass that information on. As our economy rebounds and new homes and communities are built it will be so exciting to send the word out to everyone about all the wonderful news that is happening in our community. We at Gardner Real Estate are dedicated to keeping ourselves informed so that we can be of service to others. We always are available if we can help in any way--so please call on us today or check us out at http://www.granbury-real-estate.com
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