Ten years ago all anyone wanted to do is get to that number 1 spot on the Google search results page and while that still may be the goal for a lot of businesses, that time for individual agents and even some brokerages has long since past. Today we are competing with Zillow, Redfin, Trulia, House, and Realtor plus some of the big dogs that pay boo koo bucks for that spot. I'm not talking about pay per click either (PPC) but the organic rankings, the ones just under the paid, sponsored content, that coveted spot that everyone wants. But there are only 10 spots and depending on the number of ads, maybe less than that. So how is Joe Blow over here in Beaverton Oregon suppose to compete? 

Well, ranking is dead. Sort of. SEO experts have been touting this mantra for at least the past 5 years or so and in some respects it's true. Depending on the business, you could have a lot of competition or none. The more competition you have, obviously, the harder it will be to show up on that first page. But you have to ask yourself, is that where my customers are coming from?

With the invention of social media, people are hundreds of different places on the web, not just on the Google search results page. You have to go where your clients are and if none are just randomly searching for your business, they may never find you. We now have thousands of options and avenues to track down potential customers yet some are still dead set on coming up on that first page. Ask yourself this, do you want the ranking or the lead? Does it matter where your next lead comes from?

Today, with the onslaught of social media and other ways to attract customers, we should be so bogged down for not showing up for Columbus real estate. These larger, broader key phrases are almost impossible to rank for in a world of Zillows and Trulias where they spend millions on advertising, backlinks, content, etc. How in the world can the little guy compete?

Well, it's good to know they don't have to and neither do you. You literally have hundreds of options now and don't have to get stuck on the Google SERP results. (Search Engine Results Page). So what do I mean? Well, more than just social media, you can try several outlets but I will strongly offer this one major tip... whatever you do, GO FOR IT ALL THE WAY. Don't water down your efforts by trying to be on every social media platform or blogging platform out there. You will burn yourself out and probably not get any results. So let's go through just a couple and I'll tell you what I mean.

Social Media

There are hundreds, probably thousands of social media platforms today so knowing which one will work for you is tricky. There are few top ones like Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter but there are hundreds of others that can be utilized as well. The key is finding your demographic and the one that works best for you.

Facebook - Good for those 35+, Seniors, you know, grandparents and parents keeping up with their kids online. Those sharing political viewpoints, memes, and what they had for dinner last night. This is all well and good but you need to also know how to work it. Facebook has a great marketing platform where you can spend as little as $1.00 a day marketing to your prime demographic. You have to know who you want to target and go with those people are. You can target people within 25 miles of St. George Utah and then the ad will only run for those in that area or those that may have triggered a search in that area. No need to market to India if that's not where you sell. 

Instagram - Good for those 20 - 40. Looking for Millenials? This may be a great place to promote images of listings, funny real estate memes and info about an area. You can do videos and images but don't forget those hashtags. Hashtags are key on Instagram. If you sell real estate in San Ramon you'll want to use about 20+ hashtags that have to do with real estate AND San Ramon such as #sanramonhomes #sanramon #sanramonca #sanramonrealestate - you get the idea. Every combination plus even a few #buyersagent #listingagent #sellyourhome, etc...

Pinterest - Pinterest is a great source for a variety of demographics. You may have young people planning their wedding on Pinterest, and in that case, offering some great starter homes in their area could be lead just waiting to happen. You may find crafters and cooks looking for an amazing kitchen or craft room so promoting a 'Pin' to a listing with those features may be prime marketing. Pinterest is just images but those images directly back to the source so not only is it a great place to get a backlink, you can promote directly to those looking for what you're featuring. The average age of Pinterest users is 40 - great home buyers and sellers! You can learn more about the demographics of users by Googling it so you know how to market to that audience. 

SnapChat - This unique and sometimes confusing social media is really for those 20 and under even though many companies are using it to promote quick videos, tutorials and basically a link back to their site. If you sell Colorado Springs real estate, you might do a quick video on events coming up, promotions, incentives or coupons clients could use if they call you, go to your site or even buy or sell a house with you. Your demographic is Generation Z those born between the mid-1990s and early 2000s. These folks are just now coming into home buying agent so for younger agents, this can be a great avenue to snag a few leads. But as with any social media, make sure you understand how it works so you're not just spinning your wheels.

Twitter - Twitter is the political playground. If you like news feeds, magazine articles, local and national information, this is where you should play. There are millions of users and most are on mobile devices so you better be sure your links and site are mobile-friendly. 46% are on Twitter daily and more than 55% of users make more than $50,000 a year. (Great home buying stats there) 62% of users are between the ages of 18 and 49. You can't post a lot but you can post links to your content, hashtags, and search for those looking to buy or sell. Do a hashtag search for Orlando buyers agents and see what comes up. You may end up contacting a lead directly! Shorten the URL if you are posting links so you can get more on there and promote your content by paying for it. Again, just a couple bucks a day can get you more traffic, more followers and statistically a lead here or there. 

Off-Site Blogs - This is where you can gain notoriety and your site can really get some heavy validity. Think of it, if you sell real estate in Palm Beach Gardens and a potential seller or buyer finds your name coming up every for that area, they will probably be pretty impressed with you. If your name or brand is synonymous with your business and/or area, you'll probably but the only obvious one to call.  There are literally thousands of places to blog - ActiveRain is one of the biggest among real estate agents but you do have to pay to play. RealtyTimes, Real Connex, and about 10,000 others offer great blogging platforms to get your name out there, your link out there and become THE EXPERT for what you do.  You can ask other agents that are not in competition with you to allow a guest post on their site so long as it's reputable and appropriate or start up a new blog on Tumblr, Wordpress, Blogger or other free blogging platforms. But again, whatever you do, go at it full steam. 

Google My Business - If you haven't claimed your business listing yet do it now.. I'll wait. Seriously, go now! Don't let someone else take it. Google your business or address and see if the location is taken. Claim it then perfect it. Google My Business is the map or search results page like a phone book, you know, those old modes of connecting with people? This is the long, rectangular box that shows up on the Google SERP when you Google something. It usually has a map location, phone number, and images but it can also have reviews from Zillow, Facebook, and Google Reviews if you've set it up right.  This is a great tutorial on how to set one up. And the cool this is, you can post content right on your GMB page! You can create a post, promotion, coupon, deal or just information and it will show up on the SERPs in a little snippet. You could get a lead just from posting a bit of content on your GMB page and not even fiddle with social media or a website. 

Reviews - We live in an age of testimonials and reviews. People go to social media now to ask their friends for recommendations now rather than playing crapshoot with the results. People want to know how good you are and they don't want to waste time or money on a bad product or service. This is why reviews are so important! Garner Google reviews by simple asking - Here's how to get more Google Reviews and remember, these show up on the SERPs so the more the better, as long as they're good! Ask Facebook people for a review, for agents, get a quick Zillow review, etc... Reviews are huge and if 50 people in Panama City Beach Florida think you are the bomb, new clients will want to pick up that phone! 

Don't spread yourself too thin. You don't need 18 websites doing all the same thing. You need one, at most 2 working really hard for you. Why 2? You may want to create a backlink source with great information linking to your main site but I suggest this cautiously. You don't want to just have 2 sites linking back and forth. Google sees this as an underhanded way to gain notoriety. So use it cautiously and I would suggest going to other platforms instead, not one you've created to link back. Maybe you have two killer domains that you want to use, you can simply redirect them to the main source or create another page that focuses on something different. For instance, BruceSimonSaysSOLD.com is the site that he tells people about because it's catchy but he's owned WestBloomfieldhomes.com for much longer and so the first just redirects to the second so he gathers the authority from the long-standing URL. 

But if you want to focus on several things, perhaps you could have a site that is just information about Miami real estate and another that focuses on Miami events. You could have the two together or you could link back and forth and build up two somewhat related but different sites. Maybe create a Facebook page talking about the Best Things to Do in Miami and then use that page to promote not only your main site but things in your area and then connect with other businesses to promote their deals, businesses, and offers. Connect with new businesses in the area and let them know who you are and that you'd like to write a blog about them. New, small businesses are tickled pink when they get shared and talked about so this not only helps you out but others get to know who you are and can recommend you. Let others do the promoting for you. For instance, let's say a new ice cream shop just opened in McCormick Ranch Arizona. Seek them out on their social media and do a little promotional blog post or snippet about them then tell them. Most are very grateful for the free publicity and now they know who YOU are as well! 

Maybe you focus on snowbirds and those looking for active 55+ communities. Promote on the social media platforms they congregate on and talk about events, social calendars or promote businesses that are related on your own social sites and websites. 

There are so many ways to go about this but again, whatever you choose to do, go at it full steam and don't fizzle out. Slow and steady win the race. You don't have to put $1000 a month on ads but go with whatever your budget allows. Take classes or online webinars on the best was to utilize a social media platform for real estate. Once you have it down and you've put in the time and effort, you'll realize that those Google rankings don't mean as much anymore.