Jun 14, 2019
Agents atop
We all know the hugely powerful role that Google plays in modern business, and the world of estate agency is no different.
Sure, Rightmove and Zoopla are huge search engines in their own right, but when vendors are looking for representation, Google comes into its own.
As a result, agents have placed a lot of focus on getting to the top of the Google rankings, using a combination of pay-per-click and search engine optimization to get there.
And, don’t get me wrong, both of these tactics are smart ways of getting found by your target customer, and you should be doing at least one (and probably both).
But there’s another, simpler and cheaper way to ensure that you’ve got a presence on page one of Google, and it comes in the form of your own agency listing on the ‘Google My Business’ platform.
If you’re not familiar with ‘Google My Business’, then fire up Google and type in something like ‘estate agent Cambridge’.
The first results you’ll see will be Google Ads, with the green ‘Ad’ box showing you that these are paid for.
And next, before we come onto the ‘organic’ results, you’ll see a map with a number of agents underneath it – these are Google My Business results, and they’re highly coveted, for good reason.
So how do you get your agency to show up in these results, grabbing yourself free traffic and exposure in the process?
The answer isn’t that simple, but via a combination of hard work and the right tactics, it can be done.
Here are three pointers to get you started:
1. Get yourself verified
Without verifying your agency in Google and confirming that you’re the owner, the rest of this is a non-starter, so get that done first and foremost.
2. Add as much information as you can
This is not a case of doing the bare minimum and hoping for the best. The more information you give, and the more content rich your profile, the more Google will see your listing as something worth showing.
3. Generate as many reviews as possible
The more Google positive reviews you’ve got, the more Google will see your agency as a ‘go to’ agency in your area, and the better chance you’ve got of getting prime position in the Google My Business section.
These three foundational things will stand your agency in good stead with Google, paving your way for free traffic, but don’t rest on your laurels – the reality is that the more you optimise, refine and tweak your listing, the better your chances.
And if you found this content useful, then you’d definitely benefit from joining us next month at our free event, Strength in Numbers.
To secure your free place, email us now on dave@propertystream.co or give us a call on 0161 6727820
