Introduction
The journey from a mere click on a property to a finalised sale is no mean feat. With the vast landscape of digital marketing tools available, it’s crucial for estate agents to optimise every touchpoint to ensure maximum conversions, whether for landlord or vendor instructions.
In this blog, we’ll look into three key areas that play a pivotal role in the process of bringing new customers to your agency and converting them from clicks into long term customers: having a robust website, leveraging pay-per-click (PPC) advertising, and mastering search engine optimisation (SEO).
Digital Shopfront
Your website is often the first point of contact for potential clients. It’s not just a digital brochure but your digital shopfront, where visitors should feel compelled to explore, engage, and take action. A confusing or poorly designed site can leave users feeling unsure of your brand or direction they should take.
User-Friendly Design:
A visually appealing, intuitive design is essential. Ensure easy navigation, clear calls-to-action (CTAs), and responsive layout across all devices. Remember, a frustrated visitor is a lost opportunity, as we saw in our blog on tips for improving user experience for some examples of good UX outside of the property market too.
Interactive Features:
Incorporate interactive tools such as mortgage calculators, virtual tours, and live chat support to enhance user experience and encourage engagement.
Leveraging Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Advertising
PPC advertising allows you to target potential clients who are actively searching for properties or property services, such as house valuations or mortgage advice.
Strategic Keyword Targeting:
Identify high-intent keywords relevant to your market and offerings using the Google Keyword planner tool and split your ads into groups and campaigns to keep your account organised. This also allows you to experiment with different ad types, copy and scheduling. Craft compelling ad copy that highlights unique selling points and drives clicks to your website.
Geo-Targeting:
Narrow down your audience based on your specific branch locations to ensure your ads are reaching prospects within your operating area. This helps in maximising relevancy and minimising wasted ad spend. You don’t want your Chelsea and Westminster office advertising to Glasgow!
Ad Extensions:
Take advantage of ad extensions such as location extensions, call extensions, and site link extensions to provide additional information and increase ad visibility. This can be automatically generated by Google but it’s best to set them up yourself. Your agency will take up more space on the page and offer users more options to get in touch rather than being sent straight to your website.
Mastering Search Engine Optimisation (SEO)
SEO plays a crucial role in driving organic traffic to your website. It doesn’t incur a cost like PPC and can serve long term results if done well. Here’s how to optimise your estate agency content for search engines:
On-Page Optimisation:
Optimisation is crucial for improving online visibility and attracting potential clients. Start by optimising title tags, meta descriptions, and headers with relevant keywords related to property types and locations. Craft informative and engaging content that showcases your expertise and addresses the needs/concerns of your target audience.
Incorporate local keywords and phrases to enhance your visibility in regional searches, ensuring your website appears prominently in local listings. Additionally, optimise images with descriptive alt text and filenames, and ensure fast page loading speeds to provide a seamless user experience.
Local SEO:
Claim and optimise your Google My Business listing to improve visibility in local search results. Encourage satisfied clients to leave positive reviews to boost credibility and trust. Create location specific content about living in certain areas, key changes in infrastructure or travel opportunities.
Not only does this show the search engines that your agency is knowledgeable about the area but is also valuable content for users searching for a property. Potential buyers or sellers will see your brand multiple times during their search and this builds trust. Meaning when they are ready to sell, they come to you first.
Content for Estate Agents:
Content for estate agents refers to the written, visual, or multimedia material created specifically to showcase properties, provide valuable information about the property market, and engage potential clients.
This content encompasses property descriptions, blog posts, virtual tours, videos, and market reports. It’s crucial for SEO because it helps estate agents improve their online visibility and attract more qualified leads. By incorporating relevant keywords and optimising for search engines, estate agents can enhance their website’s Google rankings, increase organic traffic, and generate more sales. Effective content not only informs and educates potential clients but also establishes trust, positioning estate agents as knowledgeable experts in their field.
Digital Marketing Ideas for estate agents
Social Media Content Ideas for estate agents:
- Property Showcase Posts: Regularly feature properties in your inventory with high-quality images or videos on platforms like Instagram, Facebook, and Pinterest. Use compelling captions highlighting unique features and benefits.
- Local Community Engagement: Share content about local events, neighbourhood spotlights, and community initiatives to position yourself as a knowledgeable and involved agent within the community.
- Client Testimonials: Share testimonials from satisfied clients on social media platforms to build trust and credibility among your audience. You can also create video testimonials for added impact.
- Behind-the-Scenes Content: Offer a glimpse into the behind-the-scenes of your agency, showcasing your team, office culture, and the process of listing and selling homes to add a personal touch.
- Interactive Content: Create polls, quizzes, and interactive Q&A sessions on platforms like Instagram Stories or Facebook Live to engage your audience and gather insights about their preferences and needs.
Other Content Ideas for Estate Agents:
- Educational Blog Posts: Write informative blog posts answering common questions about the property market, home buying/selling process, mortgage tips, etc. This positions you as an authority in your field and can attract organic traffic to your website.
- Virtual Tours and Videos: Produce high-quality virtual tours or video walkthroughs of properties and feature them on your website and social media channels. This helps potential buyers get a better sense of the property before scheduling a physical viewing.
- Neighbourhood Guides: Create comprehensive guides about different neighbourhoods in your area, covering topics like amenities, schools, transportation, and local attractions. This content can attract both buyers and sellers who are interested in specific areas.
- Email Newsletters: Send out regular email newsletters to your subscribers with updates on market trends, industry tips, and events. Personalise the content based on the interests and preferences of your audience.
- Infographics and Visual Content: Design infographics or slideshows that highlight key statistics, market trends, or tips for buyers and sellers. Visual content tends to perform well on social media and can help you stand out from competitors.
Conclusion: Digital Marketing for Estate Agents
Digital marketing for estate agents is not a one size fits all. You may need to focus on one or two of the areas listed here. Building a robust website, leveraging PPC advertising, and mastering SEO, you can effectively guide potential clients from clicks to conversions, whether that’s valuation requests, property brochure downloads or simply getting in touch.
Remember, each step of the journey matters and is an opportunity to win potential customers, and continuous refinement based on data and insights is key to staying ahead.
If optimising your digital marketing strategy seems like too big a challenge, simply leave your details below and we can take a look together. Through our unique benchmarking tool, websites, lead management and bespoke PPC/SEO services we can boost your digital visibility and turn more of your views into valuations.