The West Country is rich in history and culture, known for its ancient landmarks like Stonehenge and the prehistoric Tintagel Castle, steeped in Arthurian legend. It also boasts a vibrant cultural scene, from traditional folk music in Devon to the world-renowned arts festivals in cities like Bath and Bristol.
Achieving top search engine rankings is crucial for estate agents across the South West, but it's no easy task. Climbing the rankings requires time, strategic effort, and a well-crafted plan. The first step is thorough research into your local market, identifying the keywords your competitors rank for and the postcodes they dominate.
In partnership with Roar, a digital marketing agency specialising in data-driven, location-based marketing, we've been closely monitoring an extensive range of paid and organic search results across postcodes, towns, and villages throughout the West Country. Over the past few years, we’ve carefully tracked which estate agencies appear in search results for various keyword searches, such as "estate agent in Exeter," "value my house in Bath," or "how much is my house worth in Truro?"
This comprehensive data collection has allowed us to create a detailed picture of how different estate agencies are discovered on Google across the West Country, providing insights into specific areas like Plymouth, Taunton, or Falmouth.
In the West Country, the property market flourishes amidst the rolling countryside and historic towns. With a steady demand for housing and a competitive landscape, it’s clear that having a strong organic search presence is crucial for estate agents in the region. The data shows that there are significant opportunities for agencies to capture localised search traffic and grow their visibility.
While national estate agents are often present, there’s plenty of room for local agencies to build a strong reputation through focused SEO strategies. Companies like Cross Keys Estates and Webbers are examples of those that have achieved visibility through organic search, appearing in competitive rankings across their local markets. For instance, Cross Keys Estates holds an average position of 5th for their key searches, demonstrating the potential for smaller, more regional players to rank well.
Interestingly, some of the larger national brands such as Fine & Country and Hunters also maintain a presence, though they tend to rank lower in certain areas, like Totnes, with average positions around 10. This highlights the advantage that local agencies have when it comes to tailoring their digital presence to specific communities and areas.
For estate agents across the West Country, understanding these dynamics is essential. Competing with larger, national brands across the region can seem daunting, but by implementing a hyper-local SEO strategy that focuses on niche keywords and local expertise, smaller agencies can thrive. By creating content that speaks directly to the needs of buyers and sellers in towns like Totnes, Exeter, and beyond, agencies can establish themselves as trusted, community-focused leaders.
Using the data collected, we can offer your agency a detailed, personalised report to help you understand where you currently stand compared to your competitors. Whether it’s across the entire region or down to specific postcodes, these insights can help you refine your SEO strategy and enhance your visibility in the areas most relevant to your business.
Please just get in touch and we'll show you how your agency performs compared to your competitors.
Your domain authority is a score ranging from 1 to 100 that indicates how reliable and trustworthy search engines perceive your website to be. It's a key factor in determining how well your agency ranks on platforms like Google.
Tools such as Moz, Ahrefs, and SEMRush can help you assess this score, which is primarily influenced by the quantity and quality of backlinks to your site. The higher your domain authority, the more likely search engines will view your website as credible, leading to better rankings and greater visibility.
Several factors contribute to improving domain authority: building a robust backlink profile, producing high-quality, relevant content that naturally attracts links, maintaining an active social media presence, optimising on-page elements like meta descriptions and title tags, and ensuring your site is user-friendly, with quick load times and mobile responsiveness.
Local agencies may find it challenging to compete with national firms, but they can improve their standing in local search results by enhancing their domain authority and focusing on local SEO.
By optimising their homepage and core service pages, smaller agencies can secure high rankings for location-specific searches, driving targeted traffic and generating valuable leads.
Websites with strong domain authority are more likely to perform well for competitive local keywords, even if they have fewer backlinks, as search engines recognise their credibility. Therefore, improving your domain authority is a critical first step in boosting your organic search performance.
Nestled in the heart of Devon, Totnes is a charming and historic market town known for its vibrant arts scene, independent shops, and beautiful riverside setting. We see some independent agencies starting to compete with the big players at this highly localised level.
For a free evaluation of your localised SEO performance in the South West - just get in touch!
Fundamental SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) techniques are essential, and we cover these in detail in other dedicated articles. Once you’ve mastered the basics — such as content marketing, crafting compelling meta descriptions, and setting relevant page titles — it's time to focus on long-tail SEO to attract more specific, targeted traffic. This means optimising for niche, less competitive keywords that closely align with your services and the needs of your potential customers.
For example, optimising for a term like “3-bedroom house in Totnes” can significantly increase traffic when done effectively. You can achieve this through blog posts, local area guides, or detailed content that performs well in on-page search results. This is often referred to as 'local SEO'.
At the same time, it's important to fine-tune technical SEO elements, including site speed and mobile responsiveness, while also working on building a strong backlink profile. These efforts signal to Google that your content is both relevant and high-quality, which helps improve your domain authority and boost your overall rankings.
The simple answer is that SEO should be an ongoing process. Regular optimisation is essential to stay in line with algorithm changes, but knowing where to start can be overwhelming. Experts often recommend working with an SEO agency to continuously develop and implement a strategy, especially when launching a new website.
Homeflow websites come equipped with all the tools needed to help your site rank well and support optimised content. If your site is already live, making incremental changes to improve SEO is still a highly effective approach.
Request a Company Report: Evaluate your agency’s performance by reviewing both strengths and areas for improvement in your business intelligence report. Gain valuable insights into how your competitors are performing in your market as well. (Simply fill in the form below to request a detailed analysis of your agency).
Check Your Domain Authority: Use tools to assess your current standing and identify how feasible it is to improve your rankings.
Optimise Technical SEO: Ensure your meta titles and URL structures are fully optimised for search engines.
Consult with Experts: Book a free consultation with Homeflow for a comprehensive review of your paid and organic rankings. Receive tailored recommendations to boost your digital marketing efforts, whether you need a website revamp, performance marketing strategies, or a custom plan aligned with your goals.
By taking these steps, you can enhance your visibility on Google in your key areas and start driving more traffic to your website.
