The vast majority of real estate agents and brokers are quite aware of the importance of search engine position to their long term success. There's no argument here about that. But, when the decisions about content for the site begin with SEO strategy, you're biting the wrong end of the elephant. It's not difficult to plan and execute a successful site, just get the "Intent" right before you build the "Content."
Open any ten real estate websites, and the home page of at least half of them will have a big picture of the brokerage, agent, or team. There will also be a great deal of text about why the visitor should choose that Realtor® for their home purchase or sale. You'll see "Area's Top Producer" and numbers to prove it. There's only one problem with all of this...."It's Not All About You." See what the site visitor is looking for and when it's appropriate to talk about you.
The print media, particularly newspapers, have used the term "above the fold" for many years. In print, it's the content that a reader can see without opening the piece or unfolding it. If you think it's important there, pay particular attention to it for a website. Above the fold is crucial to your internet marketing success.
Learn why SEO isn't the most important factor in determining the ideal content length for a web page. Put it second behind a much more important consideration - your site visitor. Learn how to determine the ideal content length for your visitor first and the search engines second.
For an exercise in planning website content, we'll look at the desire to build a page to educate our visitors in title insurance, the closing process, escrow, etc. See how planning with the intention of informing the visitor determines the content and word counts for us.
