Simple SEO basics can help you improve your search results.

By Gwen Moran

Effective search engine optimization (SEO) is a moving target. Just when you think you’ve mastered what it takes to boost your rankings, search engine algorithms change and you’ve got to figure out what works all over again. And it’s important that you do so: According to the 2013 National Association of REALTORS^® Profile of Homebuyers and Sellers, 92 percent of homebuyers used the Internet as a source of information and 43 percent found their first home on the Internet. So, it’s critical that your online presence and listings are easily found.

The good news is that there are some tried-and-true SEO tactics and tools that will help boost your visibility online, says SEO expert Conrad O’Connell, search engine marketing director, InterCoastal Net Designs, Ocean Isle Beach, North Carolina, who works with REALTORS^®. Integrate some or all of these methods into your online marketing efforts and watch your results improve.

Use a Unique Domain

Brian Icenhower, CRS, CEO of Keller Williams Realty Kansas City North, says that one of the most important things REALTORS^® can do is to have their own website. While many brokerages offer free websites that are listed under their own domains, having your own URL that you own and host yourself and to which you drive traffic over time is an asset — and one that search engines will rank higher than if you have a subdomain.

Another benefit of owning your own URL is that if you move to another real estate company, you’re not starting all over in your SEO efforts with a brand new site. Icenhower also recommends that REALTORS^® build multiple websites, perhaps one for themselves and then one about the areas they serve. For example, one domain might be www.JohnSmithRealtor.com while the second site could be www.JerseyShoreEvents.com.

Create Content People Want to See and Read

Icenhower recommends posting little about real estate and more about the area. Make your website a valuable information resource about the area you serve. Video and images also help search engine rank.

“If you’re providing the public with information about the Lake Watson area, for example, you might include information about hiking trails, marinas — anything people who are interested in the area will click on. That makes you the expert,” Icenhower says.

Bob Leonard, CRS, an associate broker with RE/MAX Associates in San Antonio, Texas, updates his sites about three or four times a month. He says it’s also important to have a good IDX solution, which allows homebuyers to find listings on your site. By doing all of these things, his search engine rankings are impressive.

“If you search Google for ‘RE/MAX in San Antonio,’ even though I am not the broker/owner here and I’m not the owner of the office, you’ll get my website before you will get RE/MAX Associates,” Leonard says. “And I think that’s just because my website has been up for some time and I’ve been updating it regularly.”

Integrate with Social Media

In addition to linking your social media profiles back to your site, Icenhower recommends looking for social media groups on Facebook and LinkedIn that relate to your area. Participate there and include a link back to your website on your social media profile. This will help you reach people who are interested in the area you serve and drive them back to your website.

Write Good Meta Tags

Each page of your website layout has an area where you can write a title and description to indicate that page’s content. Leonard says these meta tags are an important and often-overlooked way to boost your search engine ranking. Write them to be specific to your real estate business. Leonard says his include words like “real estate,” “REALTOR^®,” “San Antonio” and “homes.” O’Connell recommends that your title tags not exceed 60 characters. Descriptions can be longer.

Know the Truth About Keywords

There’s a great deal of mythology around keywords, but they are still important, O’Connell says. While there’s no “magic number” when it comes to the number of times a keyword should appear in a blog post or in copy, it is important to include them. While good writing generally tends to avoid repetition, including your keywords — such as location, topic and general words like “real estate” or “REALTOR^®” — is a good idea, he says.

Stay Informed

Websites like SearchEngineLand.com, SearchEngineJournal.com and Moz.com are just a few good places to help you stay abreast of SEO trends, search engine algorithm changes and other important aspects of SEO. Bookmark them and check in two or three times a month to find out what’s new.

Gwen Moran is a writer based in Wall Township, New Jersey.

Check out Search Engine Optimization For Dummies by Peter Kent for more SEO strategies.