To help determine where you show up in search results, Google looks at the number of incoming links to your website. Why? Well, think of it this way: If a lot of sites link to you, it shows Google that others consider your site relevant and informative, so Google will want to put you ahead of similar websites that don’t have as many incoming links and/or aren’t as optimized. While Realzi real estate websites are optimized to rank highly for long-tail keyphrases (505 Blackberry Ridge Aurora, Illinois 60506) — research shows most home buyers search this way — we encourage everyone to build links for faster, better results.

First things first: Know what a good link is. Stay away from “bad neighborhood” websites and spammy sites. When a link comes from a site that Google doesn’t trust, it doesn’t reflect well on you. Aim for links on popular, trusted sites. When you link to your site, don’t use “click here” as the linked text. This is a missed opportunity, and we see it happen all the time. Instead, use a relevant keyphrase to help Google know what your site is about. If you’re an Austin Realtor, you’d probably want to use “Austin Homes For Sale,” or “Austin Real Estate Search” as your linked text. So the link would look like this: Austin Homes For Sale.

On to the link building tips…

1. Just about every social networking site has a place for users to fill out a profile with a link to their homepage. We’ve already written about search-friendly links on LinkedIn, but popular sites like Twitter, Facebook and Last.fm also allow a link.

2. Link within your blog posts. For example, if you’re writing about one of your listings, link the address to its listing page. It’d look like this: “Don’t miss 6735 S Sundown Dr Indianapolis, IN 46254…” On a related note: Blog often. Shoot for at least one post per week. Need some inspiration? Check out our 7 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Real Estate Blog.

3. Do you read other real estate blogs? If you ever comment on a post, don’t forget to include a link to your site.

4. Write an article about real estate — anything from an overview of your city’s neighborhoods to a list of things to look for when buying a home — and submit it to article syndication sites like EzineArticles.com and A1articles.com. ActiveRain is another good place (and it’s all about real estate).

5. Write a solid press release and submit it to a PR syndicate. We love PRLeap because they let you include a few links in the body of the press release, which is a great opportunity to deep-link to more pages on your Realzi site. We’ve seen impressive results from this.

6. Use social bookmarking sites like Delicious and StumbleUpon to bookmark pages on your site. Don’t forget to use appropriate tags like the name of your city, the Zip code of the listing, etc.

Dan Price is the first Realzi client to get more than 1,000 unique visitors per day. Congratulations, Dan! Broker and owner at Team Price Real Estate in Austin, Texas, Dan recently sat down with us to chat about his Realzi experience so far…

What made you decide to get Realzi?

Results. I knew another Realtor who was using Realzi, and I noticed that his website ranked extremely high for specific real estate keywords and addresses. I had the opportunity to meet with Realzi June/July of 2009 and understood why their sites rank so high. It was easy to make the decision and transition once I realized that if I didn’t, I would never compete with everyone who was launching a Realzi website.

How many leads were you getting before you got Realzi?

About 5 per month without using PPC (pay per click) and 10 or so per month with a $350 per month PPC campaign. I am no longer using PPC – all incoming leads are generated from organic search results.

How many leads are you getting now?

We’re averaging 7 to 10 leads per week, and about half of those are resulting in appointments. These are the best results I have ever experienced with any other website.

How has Realzi changed your business?

More leads = more business. As a broker, I assign all my website leads to my agents. It has changed their business dramatically. My goal is to assign one to two leads that will result in a closing per agent per month. So far, we are exceeding those goals.

Have you gotten any feedback from clients who searched for a home using your Realzi site? What did they think of it?

I tell all my clients to use my Realzi site, and they love it. The site allows them to save listings and searches, perform map searches, keyword searches, etc. I often see users email listings from my Realzi site to their agents.

Tell us about your daily schedule as a Realtor. How does Realzi fit into your schedule?

One of the nicest things about Realzi is that it’s designed to take care of itself — it updates every evening so when new listings are submitted it will automatically show up next day. When I want to email a client a property, I no longer email them from the MLS — I email them the property URL from my Realzi site. I do this for two reasons: 1. I want them to use my site and hopefully forward that link to their friends and family members. They’re excited about buying a home, so why not have them share a link to my site instead of the MLS listing link which does not drive traffic and visibility to my site? 2. The URL is easy to copy and paste — most Realtor IDX websites will generate a long and meaningless URL, but Realzi does not do that. Realzi generates a URL based on the State/City/Zip and address. It’s a clean URL and easy to email, upload to social networking sites, etc. It’s a URL that people feel comfortable clicking on.

What advice do you have for agents and brokers who are just getting started with Realzi?

Understand that it might take Google a few months to index your site. It took Google about 4 months to “notice and tag” my Realzi site. Not that much happened during that time, but after those 4 months I was very pleased with the number of leads the site started generating. I also make sure to send all my clients and contacts a press release that talks about the new site. Not only is Realzi a search-engine friendly site, but it’s also a great site for consumers and clients. They really like the map search and the keyword search.

Thanks, Dan! We’re thrilled to see just how much Realzi has helped your business.

We can’t wait to see who will be our next user to top 1,000 unique visitors. If you’re an agent or broker who’s ready to start getting more traffic and leads to your real estate website, don’t hesitate to contact us.

Link building from social media sites can be confusing. They all allow or disallow different things . . . some make links do-follow, some no-follow and others use redirects. Use of any of these can and will impact how valuable the link is. However, the #1 rule of link building always applies: Make sure you link to your site with good, search-optimized anchor text. Don’t link the word “click here”. Don’t link your URL. Link your target keywords to your website any and every time you can.

Link Building from LinkedIn

So, how do you get search-friendly links from your LinkedIn profile? It’s simple! When you’re logged into LinkedIn, hover over “Profile” and choose “Edit Profile”.

When you edit your profile, LinkedIn offers you a location to post links to your website, your blog, etc. If you choose the obvious selections they offer (My Website, My Blog, My Company) LinkedIn uses those words as the anchor text and doesn’t give you the option of writing search-friendly anchor text. The solution? Choose “Other”.

When you choose “Other”, LinkedIn adds a new field that lets you make the anchor text anything you want. Yay! Now, choose your most important keyphrase and type it in the box by the target URL. Note how I used all three links they give me to link to my SEO blog, my SEO website and my Yellow Lab’s website with search-friendly keyphrases.  Oh, and I just did it again there. Sorry, I can’t help myself. As I said, NEVER pass up a chance to link to your website with your targeted keyphrase as the anchor text.

Value of a Search-Friendly from LinkedIn

The value of a search-friendly link from LinkedIn can definitely be debated. LinkedIn adds the previously mentioned “nofollow” tag to the link. See below (the strike through is from a Firefox SEO plugin I use that shows a nofollow tag has been placed on the link).

Some people say this makes the link worthless, while others say that it still increases the relevancy of the target page even if it doesn’t pass any PageRank. I say, regardless of whether it passes any “Google Juice” today, it might tomorrow. So you can never go wrong by following a policy of always using search-friendly anchor text.

Happy linking!

Name: Brian

Web Site: http://www.realzi.com

Bio: Brian Rutledge is Managing Partner at Real Estate Search Marketing Company Realzi, which he co-founded in 2006. Realzi specializes in lead generating Search Engine Optimized Real Estate Websites. Based in Austin, Texas, Realzi helps Real Estate Brokers and Agents worldwide with internet marketing campaigns focused on lead generation and home sales.

We can’t say it enough: Blogging is a great way to interact with your site visitors, easily create fresh content and increase your search engine rankings. Realzi real estate websites are already designed to rank highly and generate leads, but blogging will give you even more of an edge over your competition. Here are some tips for getting the most out of your real estate blog:

• Post at least once per week.
• Your blog posts should be around 300-600 words, and they should focus on one thing at a time, for SEO and readability reasons. For instance, you could do one blog post on Downtown Austin condos. Other topic ideas: Westlake real estate, a new and exciting listing, and even a quick story about how you got started as a real estate agent.
• Related to the tip above, choose one keyphrase (like “downtown Austin condos” or “Austin real estate”). Use it a few times throughout your post and link one instance of it to a relevant page of your site.
• When possible, use that keyphrase in the title of the blog post (“The 5 Coolest Downtown Austin Condos”). This is great for Google, since you’ll not only have the keyphrase in your title, but it will become the post’s URL. These are two important factors in determining relevance when it comes to SEO.
• Create and use relevant categories for your posts. The URL of each of your blog post should be set up to include the category of the post. Ever seen a blog post URL that looks something like examplesite.com/Uncategorized/name-of-post? You don’t want that “Uncategorized” in there — it’s a missed opportunity for site organization and SEO. Be sure to create and use good categories. For example, you may want to choose the category “Austin Condos,” “78701,” or “Downtown Austin” for that downtown Austin condos post. Each post should only have one category.
• Make it easy for leads to get in contact with you. This is especially important if you’re writing about a new listing. You may want to include a sentence at the end of your post that tells your readers how to best get in contact with you. Link to your Contact page and/or provide your phone number (“Want to see this home? Contact me online, or call me at…”).
• Spread the word! Once your post is up, tell people about it. You can use social media sites like Digg, Delicious, Facebook and Twitter.

We hope this helps you get the most out of your real estate blog. Good luck!

If you’re a Realtor, you have to make sure you have a solid web presence. And that means getting a powerful real estate website that allows your clients to easily search for homes and view listings. A Realzi real estate website will do this — and it’ll make your website easily found by people searching for homes online.

There are so many buyers using the internet to search for homes. Think about it: When you buy a car, a new television or want to go see a movie, do you go online first to check reviews and find out more information? Chances are that you do every time because it’s just so fast and easy, and there’s a ton of information. Home buyers are using the internet to search for homes, and if they can’t find your website, that’s a missed opportunity for you.

So get competitive and get a real estate website that does it all. Realzi real estate websites are branded with your logo, name, contact information, company colors and more. They enable users to search MLS listings for free, even allowing them to search by keyword like “oak trees” and “boat dock.” Map Search, keyword search and other features are all very user-friendly. Since Realzi real estate websites are search engine optimized, that means they’re made to rank highly in search engines. So when someone searches an MLS number or address of a home for sale, they’ll be able to find your site.

In today’s competitive market, a powerful online presence is key to success and is absolutely necessary for getting a consistent stream of new leads. With a Realzi search engine optimized real estate website, you get more clients and sell more homes. Find out more information about how you can take your web presence to the next level with a Realzi site: contact us. Also, feel free to view live implementations to get an idea of what Realzi can do for you.

Realzi is proud to announce the rollout of its new 1.5 release. Bigger and better than before, this release allows Realzi real estate websites to rank highly for MLS numbers, giving them even more of an edge over competing real estate websites.

What’s so important about ranking highly for MLS numbers? Simple: With more and more people using Smart phones like Blackberrys and iPhones — phones that can connect to the Internet — this means that should a prospective home buyer with a Smart phone drive by a home for sale, they could use their phone to quickly search Google for the MLS number.

While high search engine rankings are essential when it comes to staying competitive in the real estate market, it’s even more important for people search the Internet on their phones, as they are likely not going to continue looking at more than the first page of search results.

This is yet another powerful aspect of Realzi, your secret weapon in building a consistent stream of new business. Other things that make Realzi so impressive are the user-friendly Map Search, Quick Search and the ability to search by keyword. Home buyers can actually type in a keyword like “elevator,” “oak trees” or “dock” and will see relevant listings.

If you’re a broker or agent who is interested in getting a well-constructed, search engine optimized MLS website, contact Realzi.

The stimulus package has been in the headlines quite a bit for the last week or so, and the Senate is expected to vote on it by the end of this week. An article at CNNMoney.com recently pointed out a provision in the proposed stimulus package: First time home buyers would get a $7,500 tax credit. This could possibly have a huge effect on the real estate industry.

Some believe this could do a lot to “jump start the moribund housing market,” says the article, with a 10% increase in home sales possible, as predicted by economists at the National Association of Realtors. This is great news for real estate, as the $7,500 tax credit may help home buyers who are on the fence decide to buy something. That 10% increase in home sales means a half million more sales.

However, not everyone would qualify for the $7,500 tax credit. There are some stipulations, such as the new home must be the primary residence of the buyer, the buyer can’t have owned  home for the past three years. There are some income limits to it as well, and the home can’t be sold for at least 36 months. To claim the credit is actually pretty simple: Buyers just have to claim in on their income tax return.

Of course, the effect this would have on the real estate industry won’t be known until it actually happens, and economists and those in the industry have opinions about whether it’ll help or do nothing.

Either way, this is a good reminder that real estate agents and brokers need to get competitive in their markets. If first time home buyers who are on the fence about buying have something like this tax credit that will convince them to act, real estate agents and brokers need more than just word-of-mouth to get those leads. And the best way to do that is by having a search engine optimized MLS website that will dominate their market.

Get competitive and get leads with an outstanding real estate website. Realzi provides IDX websites that seamlessly integrate with your existing real estate website, giving you a consistent stream of leads even when times are tough. Affordable, smart, and powerful lead-generating: That’s Realzi.

Why Improving Your Real Estate Website Isn’t Optional

Real estate websites are not once-and-you’re-done kinds of projects. Just like your business, your real estate website should be constantly evolving and improving, reflecting your growth and the way your real estate business is adapting to market conditions.

Your real estate website is the public face of your business. As more and more home buyers and sellers turn to the internet for real estate information – leaving classified ads and other media behind – you should be aware of the potential of your website to catalyze and attract new clients.

Our friend, an Austin realtor, was satisfied with using his real estate website solely as a fancy brochure. “My clients know how to find my real estate office,” he told us. “And my website is the first listing I see when I Google my name!”

We had a few real estate website questions for him, though:

• Do you want to attract clients who haven’t heard of you?
• Do you know that your competitors are at the top of the Google listings for things like MLS numbers, house addresses and “buy an Austin home”?
• Did you know that 87% of home buyers use the internet to search for a home – more than use a real estate agent?*
• Did you know that Google positions are affected by seniority – that, once a real estate website ranks well for something, it will continue to rank better than an identical but newer real estate website?
• Are you happy with relying solely on word of mouth for the growth of your real estate business?
• Are you happy with your real estate website being a sunk cost instead of a revenue generator?
• Did you know that local metropolitan MLS websites – also called IDX websites – are used by 60% of internet home buyers, easily beating Realtor.com (48%)?

* Source: 2008 National Association of Realtors® Profile of Home Buyers and Sellers.

Why Improving Your Real Estate Website Isn’t Hopeless

We thought he’d be happy to get some straight talk about his website, but our realtor friend’s first reaction was despair.

“This is horrible!” he said. “I can’t compete with those other guys. They already have a head start.

“And I can’t spend that much on my real estate website! Building an IDX or RETS website will cost a fortune!”

We calmed him down as best we could. We told him a few soothing real estate website facts:

• We already have a fully-functioning IDX solution called Realzi. There’s no need to hire a battalion of programmers and web producers. Our real estate website clients just sign up and bang, their clients suddenly can search up-to-date MLS listings right from the website.
• Since our real estate website technology is already functioning, you don’t have to risk thousands of dollars on programming a new IDX system. Realzi is affordable.
• Realzi is a real estate website designed for real estate SEO. That means that it beats most of the competition for search engine optimization right out of the box. Realzi real estate websites are built specifically to rocket to the top of the search listings in Google, Yahoo and MSN.
• We can match your existing design perfectly, using your current logo and look.
• And if you don’t already have a real estate website, it’s no problem.

Evolve Your Real Estate Website

Wondering how a Realzi MLS website might help your business?

Get in touch with us and talk to our real estate website experts. No charge, no hard sell. We’ve been building websites for years.

Based on our experience building SEO websites for major clients like HealthCheckUSA, CORT Furniture and ApartmentSearch.com, we’ve developed best practices and proprietary technology that help us beat the pants off competing websites. Other real estate websites aren’t designed to show up in search engines. Realzi real estate sites are!

Realzi announced three new Search Engine Optimized IDX Solutions today. These new IDX solutions make it possible for average realtors to compete with even the largest real estate websites such as Trulia.com or Zooven.com.

In the past, the monetary barrier for a single realtor to do Search Engine Optimization was just too high. Now Realzi has leveled the playing field. The Realzi Search Engine Optimized IDX Solution comes in three versions to make it easy for realtors to adopt the technology into their existing web presence.

custom Realzi

If you want a powerful real estate website with the ultimate in flexibility, design and search engine optimization, consider Realzi’s premium Search Engine Optimized Real Estate Website with Realzi IDX solution. Our Custom MLS customers receive the best of both worlds on both the website design and the domain fronts. Custom MLS real estate websites are designed to your specifications, either to match your current site seamlessly, or built entirely from scratch.

plus Realzi

When you first examine your new Integrated MLS real estate website, it’s like a new search-optimized section of your website just appeared out of thin air. But it’s not a real estate website mirage. It looks just like your website, but you didn’t have to pay a legion of programmers and database developers to get it. It’s a full-fledged Search Engine Optimized IDX solution that allows visitors to search MLS listings for free. And any visitor who wants to contact you for questions only has to press a button. Integrated IDX solutions are hosted by Realzi at a subdomain of your site, like detroit.giantdetroithomes.com or homes.littlerealtormom.com, and your visitors move back and forth between the subdomain and main site seamlessly.

easy Realzi

Our most economical solution for real estate websites gets you a quick and easy web presence that lets visitors search current MLS listings for free, like any other Search Engine Optimized IDX website. You don’t have to hire any programmers or pay any web hosting fees. Just pick one of the attractive, dynamic designs in our exclusive design gallery, add your personal information, and receive your own individual web presence at Realzi.com – a place where your clients can find you, request guidance and best of all, search live MLS data.

What is RETS?

RETS is Real Estate Transaction Standard created to facilitate data transfer real estate industry partners. RETS is created as a collaborative effort to make it easier to move real estate information between systems. Basically, RETS is a common language making it easier for a Realtor’s computer or website to access the MLS database.

Why RETS?

The RETS standard was created so that all computers dealing with real estate, or MLS data “speak” the same language. RETS means that providers of IDX services and software developers can write applications in a single, compatible language that will work with all MLS systems.

More information is available at the RETS website.

Realtors, Brokers, Agents: Who is RETS for?

RETS is for everyone! RETS simply is a standard language that developers like Realzi can use to provide software for you to easily access data through a RETS compliant MLS. Whether your an agent or a broker, RETS is the reason our MLS solution is compatible with all RETS compliant MLS systems.

Getting Started with SEO, MLS and RETS

Getting started with Realzi RETS SEO for MLS is easy. If already have a website and you have access to the MLS database, but want a better solution than the free IDX solution provided by the your local MLS, you might consider beginning with our plusRealzi SEO MLS software.

plusRealzi

Our RETS compliant software easily integrates into your existing site and allows you to immediately begin serving up Search Engine Optimized MLS listings to your clients.

easyRealzi

If you an agent using a “free” site provided by your Broker, you are probably not getting any leads, and you definitely aren’t showing up in search results. Our templated, turnkey real estate websites include Realzi SEO MLS software built in and ready to go. The sites are cost efficient, professional looking and quick to roll out. Most importantly, Realzi SEO MLS software is built in from the start. With easyRealzi SEO MLS software, you are just days away from instant Google traffic.

fullRealzi

If you are an agent looking for the ultimate increase in business, or if you’re a brokerage looking to grow your brand, fullRealzi is for you. We custom design a fully Search Engine Optimized website around our Realzi SEO MLS software. It’s the best of both worlds, and the ultimate traffic driving machine.

Realzi SEO MLS Software

Contact us today to discuss our RETS compliant MLS client, Realzi. We would love to discuss your needs and help you grow your business through our Search Engine Optimized MLS Software. Thanks!