According to many reports, the real estate market’s worst days may be behind it now. Many agents and brokers have been doing a lot better than they were four to eight years ago.
But that also means that scammers are seeking to take advantage of other people’s good fortune. SEO scammers have started to target real estate professionals by promising them high rankings on search engines such as Google.
Take a look at some of the more popular real estate SEO scams as well as tips for separating genuine real estate SEO professionals from their phony counterparts.
False promises
According to Outspoken Media’s guide to real estate SEO, fake SEO professionals will give real estate agents and brokers promises of #1 rankings on search engines such as Google, Yahoo!, and Bing. These scammers contact their prey by either cold calling or e-mailing potential targets about their “services.”
If any SEO professional reaches you by phone or email without any initial contact from you, it is probably a scammer. SEO companies and professionals who are good at what they do don’t need to cold-call strangers to drum up business. The business comes to them.
Questions for the real estate SEO professional
When you’re looking to hire an SEO company, don’t just hire the one with the slickest website, content, or promises. This blogger on Basic Blog Tips tells her readers to insist on seeing proof of the claims that SEO companies make in their marketing materials.
You’ll also want to do some research of your own. This helpful blog post from an SEO company advises readers to do a Google search to see where the company ranks. You can do this by typing the company name + geographical area into the search box.
Also search for the rankings of their clients. If you can’t easily find high rankings for the SEO company, move along. You’ll also want to pass on any company that won’t give you the names of some of its clients.
How to find a good SEO company for your real estate business
Look for an SEO company that has experience working with real estate agents and brokers. Specialists that have worked with real estate firms will be better able to help you come up with a effective keywords, social media posts, and web content strategy.
In addition to real estate experience, an SEO company should have a good track record of getting its clients high rankings for competitive keywords. Real estate is a field where it’s particularly challenging to rank for desirable keywords.
Hiring an SEO company that can navigate these waters is one of the best things you can do for your firm. While finding the perfect SEO company can feel like a disheartening task at times, practicing due diligence in your search is the best way to find the company or professional that will meet your needs.
You wouldn’t hire the first person who walked into your office asking for a job. If you approach the search for an SEO specialist the same way, your chances of finding a competent business or professional increases exponentially.
