Don’t be killed by SEO

SEO for Estate Agents is an ever changing process with Google changing their algorithm on almost a daily basis. Most changes are minor but every once and a while a big one comes along that can really mess up your rankings if you aren’t careful.

The last major algorithm change was Penguin which aimed to penalise websites using bad SEO techniques and since it was released last year Google have constantly be updated Penguin to be more effective.

What is Penguin?

The Penguin update was put in place to penalise websites that adopt black hat techniques to rank highly within the search engine. Penguin scans through websites identifying if they have published poor content, create low quality backlinks, purchased links or have used any other bad SEO techniques.

If you have put in place certain SEO practices that go against Google’s guidelines, your rankings could drop significantly.

The quality of your links are very important, if you have low quality links pointing at your website you may find you will suffer. Improving the quality of your links is crucial if you want to maintain or achieve high rankings.

You also have to be wary of your content. Your content needs to be relevant to your industry, have depth and be unique. Your content is your chance to demonstrate your expertise within the industry so don’t waste the opportunity. If Google thinks you have poor content your rankings will suffer.

Surviving Penguin

Content is king

As always content is king, make sure you are producing great, unique content. Be careful not to use too many keywords within anchor text as Google could misinterpret this as a black hat technique.

Earn your links

Buying links is no longer an option. The risks are too high and the consequence could destroy your website. Earn your links by creating high quality content.

Influence your audience through social media

Social media likes, retweets and shares are the new backlinks. By achieving these it will help Google see that you are producing high quality content for your audience. Aim to post your content on at least these 3 social networks, Twitter, Google+ and Facebook.

Be an authoritative figure

Be the expert in your industry. Produce a wide variety of content relating to your business, this will show your audience that you are experienced within the industry. If Google believes you have an authoritative website than you will be ranked higher. To do this you will have to provide fresh content on a regular basis.