Home > Blogs > Kristal Kraft > Denver Real Estate & Relocation

Are You Guilty? If so there is redemption...

By Kristal Kraft

Real Estate Agent with Novella Real Estate

December 17, 2012 01:07 PM

I've never understood why agents are so willing to help other websites outrank them. Then one day it occurred to me that these agents didn't actually understand what they were doing!

No agent in their right mind would ever link to a competitor, they didn't know that by placing those pretty little widget on their sites they are actually sending "Google Link Love" to their competitor. Yes, Zillow, Trulia and Realtor.com are competitors. They take our information and sell it back to us for a price. Worse yet they offer widgets that link back to their sites and tempt us to use them but never really disclose that they are using them against us.

Look at this widget, published today on Agent Genius. Once you understand the meaning of widget spam, I bet you will think twice about using those pretty little widgets. Even if you decide to go ahead and use them, it least you will know they can be Hazardous to your SEO Health!

How You're Helping Zillow and Trulia to Outrank You was created by: Real Geeks IDX Solutions

Re-Blog

Featured

Comments(48)

Comment

Show All Comments Sort:

Marilyn Wier

RE/MAX Space Center - League City, TX

Your League City & Surrounding Areas REALTOR!

Thanks for sharing this! I had no idea. Sometimes back linking etc., can be overwhelming and I often get confused about these things. Thanks so much!

May 23, 2013 03:50 AM

Ronald DiLalla

Century 21 Discovery DRE 01813824 - Anaheim, CA

No. Orange Cty Real Estate

We have enough competitors.....Thanks for sharing with us..

May 23, 2013 04:44 AM

Jimmy Faulkner

Florida. Homes Realty & Mortgage - Wantagh, NY

The Best Of St. Augustine

What a great blog & the illustrateions you use are magnificent. I am meeting with my web site people tomorrow & I will bring this subject up. Thank you very much.

May 23, 2013 05:01 AM

Aaron Hofmann

Atlanta Communities - Smyrna, GA

aka Mr. Smyrna Vinings

Excellent infographic and definitely true that agents all around the country are providing wonderful SEO services to the national websites so they can higher, capture more leads and then sell them back.

May 23, 2013 05:56 AM

Kevin Ray

Resident Realty - Aurora, CO

REALTOR & U.K. Real Estate Consultant

Great point and great information! Thanks Kristal :)

May 23, 2013 06:13 AM

Jon Karlen

Finish Line Realty - Louisville Ky Real Estate - Metropolitan Service Area - Louisville, KY

Louisville Kentucky real estate - Metro Area

Great post!!! Many persons simply are oblivious to what is happening, and why. They claim the like the Google juice that Activerain provides....yet, many things they do actually hurt their strength in showing up in google, by pushing strength & presence toward Z&T to show above them.

May 23, 2013 06:16 AM

Tom Jansson

Acuity Home Inspections - Chicago, IL

Chicago Area Home Inspector - InterNACHI Certified

Wow, Kirstal. This is incredible. Thank you for sharing.

May 23, 2013 06:25 AM

Mike Cooper, Broker VA,WV

Cornerstone Business Group Inc - Winchester, VA

Your Neighborhood Real Estate Sales Pro

Great graphic, Kristal. It was fun to read, and it made a lot of sense. I will have to pay more attention to the widgets I pick.

May 23, 2013 06:42 AM

A. Kothe

Re/max Preferred Choice - Goodyear, AZ

The Kothe Team - SFR, CDPE, CIAS

Great information Kristal. Thanks for sharing.

May 23, 2013 07:09 AM

Jeffrey Smith

Author of 'Realtors Guide To Short Sale Success - Eustis, FL

Short Sale Education

I hate when some real estate agents use legal "tricks" on unsuspecting buyers or sellers.

I hate it even more when we as agents are taken advantage of. Thank you.

May 23, 2013 07:24 AM

Michael Blue

Home Smart Realty West - Encinitas, CA

REALTOR - 760-889-8877, Encinitas/Carlsbad

The guy that helps me with my wordpress trys to stick Zillow and other crap on my page but I don't let him. I did notice my realbird.com account sends my info on listings to Zillow etc. In the MLS we can opt out of the listing going to those sites, I did opt out a couple times only to find my info on their sites due to Realbird.com. I havn't used it as much since.

May 23, 2013 08:16 AM

Gary Frimann CRS, GRI, SRES, ABR, SFR

Eagle Ridge Realty / Signature Homes & Estates - Gilroy, CA

REALTOR and Broker, Notary

Mine are coming off soon. I knew there was a catch.

May 23, 2013 11:10 AM

Mark Delgado

houses for rent, Solano County & Glen Cove - Benicia, CA

Benicia and Vallejo, Property Management, rental h

Wonderful infographic and it makes sense to me. All links may to be equal but a link is still taking people away from your site And to theirs- perhaps never to return.

May 23, 2013 12:04 PM

Andrew Mooers | 207.532.6573

MOOERS REALTY - Houlton, ME

Northern Maine Real Estate-Aroostook County Broker

The sport of SEO bores some, but not those that realize every snippet of code, link, and that careful creation of images, embedded videos is important. Being helpful, time and money saving for your buyer is too.

May 23, 2013 12:36 PM

Joan Whitebook

BHG The Masiello Group - Nashua, NH

Consumer Focused Real Estate Services

I saw several post on this topic. Fortunately, I have never linked to these sites. Thanks for the post and I am sure that it will be very beneficial to our Active Rain family to know the consequences of linking to these types of site/widgets.

May 23, 2013 01:10 PM

Royce Dean Vanderpool

Devan Realty & Development Corporation - Lake Mary, FL

GKC, RMC, REOS, CIAS, BPOR - Principal Broker

Wow. Great post. Widgets no! Won't do them. Pretty and fun looking but not good.

May 23, 2013 02:08 PM

Jane Chaulklin-Schott

TEAMCONNECT REALTY - (407) 394-9766 - Orlando, FL

TeamConnect Luxury Homes - Orlando, Florida, 32836

Kristal, unbelievable information. Those of us that have registered for Zillow webinars and covered the subject of widgets, never realized the full consequence of placing these widgets on our websites. Great post! Thank you!! Guess I am fortunate because I never put any on my websites yet.

May 23, 2013 02:32 PM

Margaret Woda

Long & Foster Real Estate, Inc. - Crofton, MD

Maryland Real Estate & Military Relocation

I don't use a Widget for any of the 3rd party sites, but I love spending those commissions from Zillow leads. If they get business from their higher ranking, I'm okay with that because some of it comes to me!

May 23, 2013 08:58 PM

Gary L. Waters Broker Associate, Bucci Realty

Bucci Realty, Inc. - Melbourne, FL

Eighteen Years Experience in Brevard County

Interesting information. I think I have one of these Zillow widgets on one of my other blogs.

May 23, 2013 09:45 PM

Sandy Padula & Norm Padula, JD, GRI

HomeSmart Realty West & Florida Realty Investments - , CA

Presence, Persistence & Perseverance

Kristal, timeless blog and I thank you for your share with us. This is really diluting the efforts of independent agents spending lots of time and money, and putting high SEO rankings right in the 'laps' of the national real estate companies linked with corporate agreements to the big three. Just think about it and insulate your activities from becoming a lackey for these conglomerates. Thank you!

May 23, 2013 10:00 PM