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Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC) - Worth The Investment?

By Dean Moss

Real Estate Agent with Dean's Team - Keller Williams Realty Partners Chicago IL

November 23, 2008 12:24 PM

Hey, hey, everyone! Server trouble today, I guess - but our Chicago Bears actually won a football game. So I'll refrain from complaining.

Search Engine Optimization! Pay Per Click! Is the often-significant investment in these traffic-building strategies paying dividends for you? Or, do you develop and implement YOUR OWN STRATEGIES for maximizing organic placement on your blog, and on your main website? If you do them yourself - how do you find the time, or are you naturally a genius?

I've heard pro and con here. One thousand experts say you can't achieve the results you want without these two elements today. This is especially true, they contend, as Google changes its methodology for "scoring" websites - based on "conversion or inquiries" rather than simply keywords. (See Robert and Carol Clay's Active Rain Post, with a link to a very relevant Inman Blog Post, explaining the coming Google changes.)

For about six months, I tested minimal PPC - about $100/month budget - and got some leads. I've been doing SEO through the highly-respected Compass Internet Systems - about a $290/month investment, and get leads weekly.

Problem is - most of these leads are of poor quality - many buyers are talking to a number of Realtors, and few have turned into paying clients, let alone show up for our first Intro Office Meeting.

Am I doing something wrong here? Perhaps, not doing enough?

And, please, keep in mind - like you, I don't have unlimited resources here. It's easy to solve a problem by attempting to throw money at it - but often times, that approach is like firing a shotgun off in the dark: you might hit something, but, more than likely, you'll miss your target.

Would very much appreciate your shares!

DEAN & DEAN'S TEAM CHICAGO

BTW . . . Finally, I've customized our Team Chicago Real Estate Blog. It wasn't as difficult as I had feared! Your thoughts and suggestions? Please click, and let me know.

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Judy Greenberg

Compass - Long Grove, IL

Compass- Long Grove -Buffalo Grove

Dean, I love your new custom blog... Hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! I'm not trying to avoid the question about leads, but I tend to agree that these type of leads are harder to stick...

Nov 23, 2008 03:17 PM

Karen Anne Stone

New Home Hunters of Fort Worth and Tarrant County - Fort Worth, TX

Fort Worth Real Estate

Dean... I have never heard of anyone who did pay per click and got enough out of it to make sense of keeping it going. That is the main criteria... enough leads to at least pay for itself... and obviously the leads need to be of such quality that they can be converted into listings or sales, and then into closings. Never did it myself... it never had much appeal to me. Good luck.

Nov 23, 2008 04:29 PM

Dee Nofziger

|Key Realty | Maumee Toledo Real Estate Blog - Toledo, OH

Maumee Real Estate, Toledo Homes, Key Realty

Dean,

I use PPC, not a huge expenditure, but I vary from $100-$300 per month. Sometimes I get 8 a day, other times 8 a week, other times none for what seems like forever. I tweak it all the time depending on my mood and pocketbook. I have worked with a number of people because of it, but no official "closings" yet, thanks to the craziness out there right now. PPC leads are a breed of their own for sure. The key I THINK is immediate response, a game plan (juggling act) to keep the cultivation going, and of course PATIENCE. The patience is needed in more than one area - patience in waiting for them to actually be READY to buy, and patience with the juggling act.

There are three degrees of internet buyers. 1. Those that are a year (or more) out who are just doing research (therein the juggling act), 2. Those ready to actually start a serious search for a home (these are IMPORTANT leads, because most buyers choose their agent online and end up working with the first one they contact), and 3. those READY TO BUY.

So, you can see where the priority lies. The juggling act part is hardest for me.

Hope this helps a little bit.

Dee

(see you in Chicago in January!)

Nov 23, 2008 11:16 PM

Mike Parker

Blackwater Consulting - International, IT

Hi, Dean;

We've been tinkering with some new ideas that are helping many of our clients do better, and I am going to have Sean Hogan call you to discuss them. Our goal will be to get between 5-15% of your visitors to convert to registrations, and there will have to be plenty of pearls in higher registrations.

Sean will call you today or tomorrow. Happy Thanksgiving to the Team and to you. Go Bears!

Nov 24, 2008 03:40 AM

Search Engine Optimization (SEO), Pay-Per-Click (PPC) - Worth The Investment?

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