Search engine optimization is vital to increasing organic traffic to your website. Some important, easily improved areas for optimization include keyword research and tracking, image optimization, and relevant content. Get started with the following actionable steps to SEO success.

Step 1: Research Keywords

Keywords are simple words or phrases that define your website. They tell search engines what your audience can expect when they click on your content.

Common keywords (think “homes for sale” or “Texas real estate”) are highly competitive and not very useful for ranking higher on search engines. The more specific your keywords, the more likely you are to reach your intended audience.

Determine who you want to attract to your website, research keywords relevant to that audience, and select around 10 keywords to use in your content. A real estate agent specializing in selling farms and ranches in the Dallas, Texas, area might choose “horse property near Frisco, Texas” as a keyword. Or a real estate agent in the DC suburbs with a Seniors Real Estate Specialist® (SRES®) designation might pick “selling homes to seniors in northern Virginia.”

Create content around the 10 keywords you chose to represent your brand and track their performance using free tools like Google Analytics or a paid service like Semrush.

Step 2: Optimize images on your website

Image optimization is vital to helping your website rank higher in search. Remember to optimize the images on your website with relevant file names, descriptions, and alt text.

Keep file names brief and descriptive—search engines like Google understand “texas-real-estate-blog” much better than “IMG223985.jpg.”

Use the real estate keywords you decided on in Step 1 in your descriptions and alt text as much as possible. Alt text is used to describe the image to search engines and screen readers, so it should be detailed and full of relevant keywords.

It takes a bit more work to create original images for your website, but it’s a technique that can help you stand out from the competition. Don’t rely on generic stock images to sell your website to search engines and your audience. Take high-quality images yourself or hire a photographer to assist you.

Step 3: Create and distribute relevant real estate content

Once your website is well-optimized for search engines, keep your audience engaged with relevant content.

Hyper-local real estate content customized to your specific audience is key to attracting organic traffic to your website. Create a blog with articles targeted to your dream client with topics like trendy staging techniques in your neighborhood, a current analysis of your city’s housing market and what it means for home buyers and sellers, or a list of your favorite local things to do.

Using these actionable steps to edit your real estate website for SEO can help you attract more organic leads, increase brand awareness, and create a more enjoyable experience for site visitors.

If you want to learn more about SEO, check out Google’s SEO Starter Guide for an overview of best practices straight from the source!

Reference to any specific brand, product, or service does not constitute an endorsement by ORHP. ORHP does not receive compensation for providing third-party links.