Local SEO for Real Estate

Local real estate SEO is about helping real estate companies be found by potential clients who are looking for houses or apartments. This is important because many people start their search online.

46% of searches have local intent. Nearly half of people search for goods, services, and real estate nearby. This shows how important real estate SEO is for professionals.

This article will provide you with practical tips to improve online visibility, attract more clients, and stand out in local property searches.

What is Local SEO for Real Estate?

Local real estate SEO is a targeted approach that helps real estate professionals improve their visibility in search results.

For example, when potential clients search for phrases like "top realtors near me," "apartments for rent in [city]," or "leading real estate agency in [neighborhood]," local real estate SEO techniques make sure your business ranks higher in those search results, increasing the chances that clients will find and choose your services over competitors.

People use various search methods to find exactly what they're looking for. Local SEO allows you to rank for each of these different search variations, ensuring your business appears in front of the right audience.

For example, if you're a real estate agent in Austin, you want to be on the first page of location-specific search results for "homes for sale in Austin" and "top real estate agent in Austin." To achieve this, it is vital to understand how people in your city or neighborhood search for real estate online.

Why Prioritize Local SEO Over Any Other Marketing Strategy?

Google's algorithm gives priority to local businesses when users search with location-based relevant keywords. This often results in a "local pack" appearing at the top of the search results page. In the real estate SEO industry, where location is crucial, this visibility can make a significant difference.

Local SEO targets people actively looking for real estate services, which makes it more efficient and cost-effective compared to other strategies that may target a broader audience.

Today, the internet is the showcase of your business. The better you optimize your website for local search terms, the stronger your brand will be in the eyes of potential clients. You're not just offering services; you're becoming the local real estate expert that people turn to first.

When someone is looking to buy or sell a property, they start their search locally. Local SEO for real estate agents ensures that your business shows up in these searches, making you more visible to potential clients in your area.

Without strong SEO for real estate, you risk being overshadowed by competitors who have optimized their online presence better.

Journey maps provide insights into customer behavior, helping you engage with them more effectively and improve your business efficiency, leading to a higher return on investment.

While a traditional marketing strategy (like social media, flyers, and billboards) can still be useful, it doesn't offer the same targeted approach to potential clients as local SEO. Traditional methods often cast a wider net, reaching a broader audience, whereas local real estate SEO specifically targets individuals actively searching for real estate services in your area.

Local SEO for Real Estate VS Traditional SEO

The key difference between local SEO and traditional SEO lies in their focus. Traditional SEO is primarily aimed at improving a website’s search engine rankings, often on a national or global scale.

In contrast, local real estate SEO is centered around boosting a business’s visibility in search results, specifically for location-based queries.

For example, while an e-commerce company may focus on ranking for its website globally, a real estate company or agent must also compete for visibility in the "local pack."

The local pack is a special section that appears at the top of Google search results for location-based queries. It includes a map and a list of local businesses, typically displayed along with key details such as the business name, ratings, and contact information.

These businesses are featured based on their Google Business Profile (GBP), and surprisingly, you can rank in the local pack even without having a dedicated website.

This makes it crucial for real estate companies to optimize not only for the local pack but also for local organic search results. Both play an important role in capturing potential clients who are searching for real estate services in your specific area.

Tactics for Real Estate SEO Strategy

In order to master real estate SEO you need to dive into every small aspect. A regular website audit is crucial for identifying areas of improvement and enhancing your online promotion efforts. It helps identify areas that need optimization and allows you to increase not only your visibility in search engines but also the effectiveness of your site as a whole.

By putting these strategies into action, real estate professionals can drive more traffic to their real estate websites and turn visitors into potential clients. This not only helps them stay ahead of local competitors but also positions them as the go-to expert for anyone in the area looking to buy, sell, or rent property online.

Website Audit

Having a real estate website is absolutely essential for local real estate SEO. While it’s possible to show up in location search results without one, a well-optimized website gives you a significant advantage by expanding your reach and enhancing your online presence.

Before diving into any search engine optimization strategy, it’s crucial to conduct a thorough audit of your real estate website.

This audit helps you assess the current state of your site, identify any problems, and uncover areas for improvement. Think of it as a deep dive into the mechanics of your site, revealing where you need to focus your efforts.

Technical SEO Audit for Real Estate Companies

During the technical SEO audit, we focus on several key areas to ensure your website is not only search engine-friendly but also provides a smooth experience for users. These include:

• Site Structure. Ensuring your XML sitemap, robots.txt file, and redirects are properly set up.
• Page Elements. Analyzing titles, meta descriptions, headings, alt tags, and URLs to ensure they’re optimized for both users and search engines.
• Content Quality. Checking if your content is well-organized, relevant, and engaging.
• Keyword Usage. Reviewing how keywords are implemented, including internal linking and their placement in key areas.
• Link Health. Examining both incoming and outgoing links, along with internal linking structure and fixing any broken links.
• User Experience. Ensuring your site is fast-loading, mobile-friendly, and accessible to all users.

By addressing these technical SEO areas, you can dramatically boost your site’s visibility and improve user experience, which in turn increases your chances of converting visitors into clients.

Tools like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, and PageSpeed Insights are invaluable here. They help pinpoint problem areas like slow load times or underperforming pages, 1and offer actionable insights for improvement.

The best part? These tools are free and packed with the features you need to perform a comprehensive real estate website audit. No need to get overwhelmed with other complicated programs—these will more than meet your needs at this stage.

Local Real Estate SEO Tips

In today’s competitive real estate market, having a strong local online presence is critical for attracting clients who are actively searching for properties in your area. Whether you're an independent real estate agent or part of a larger firm, mastering local SEO for real estate can give you a huge advantage.

These essential real estate SEO tips will help you boost your visibility in local results, making it easier for potential buyers and sellers to find and trust your services.

By applying these useful real estate SEO tips, you can significantly strengthen your online presence and attract more customers from your local area.

In fact, businesses that focus on local SEO are 28% more likely to appear in local search results and are twice as effective at turning those searches into sales.

Target Local Real Estate SEO Keywords

Keyword research is the foundation of successful local real estate SEO. To stand out, focus on long-tail keywords—specific phrases that potential clients are likely to use. Generic terms like “realtor” are too broad.

Instead, prioritize more specific and location-based keywords, such as “luxury homes for sale in Chicago” or “affordable apartments in [neighborhood].” Analyzing the popularity and competition for these terms will help you choose the most effective ones. Keyword research takes some time to find different options!

Incorporating local jargon into your keywords can also give you an edge. Include nicknames for neighborhoods, local landmarks, or even events unique to your area. You can gather this information from clients, local knowledge, or platforms like Reddit.

Leveraging these hyper-local keywords will boost your search engine visibility and draw more traffic to your site. A great starting point is Google Keyword Planner, a free and powerful tool for keyword research.

Understanding exactly what a user is searching for in a search engine is the foundation of any successful real estate SEO strategy. Search intent is generally categorized into four types:

• Informational: The user is looking for information, such as how to get a mortgage or which neighborhood is the best place to buy a home.
• Navigational: The user knows they are looking for a specific site or agency and uses a search engine to get there quickly.
• Transactional: The user is ready to make a purchase and is looking for specific offers, such as “one-bedroom apartment downtown.”
• Commercial: The user is comparing different options and is about to make a decision.

For real estate SEO, it’s crucial to focus on local keywords that align with your potential clients’ search intent. For instance, a realtor in Seattle could write a blog post titled "Best Areas to Find an Apartment in Seattle" and naturally incorporate terms like “Seattle apartments” and “Seattle real estate” throughout the content.

One interesting aspect of local real estate SEO is that even when users don’t explicitly mention a location in their query, Google and other search engines can still infer local context based on factors like geolocation.

For example, if someone in Chicago searches “How to choose a real estate agent,” Google may prioritize results related to Chicago real estate, such as local blogs or agency websites.

When users ask more specific questions like “How much does a square foot of housing cost in downtown Chicago?”, Google’s search engine algorithms use geolocation and search data to deliver even more relevant results based on the user's location.

Why Does This Happen?

• Geolocation: Google uses data about a user’s location to determine which results are most relevant.
• Search History: By analyzing previous searches, Google tailors results to match a user’s interests and preferences.
• Page Context: If a user is browsing a site related to a specific city, such as a local news site, Google skews results toward that location.

To gain deeper insights into your local real estate market and refine your search engine optimization strategy, consider using tools like Google Trends, which allows you to track search interest over time and spot emerging trends in specific areas.

Analyze Local Real Estate Companies

A key part of improving your local real estate SEO is understanding what your competitors are doing — and doing it better. When you notice a competitor ranking at the top for keywords you want to target, it's a clear sign that their SEO strategies are working.

But don’t stop at just observing. To achieve similar or better results, you need to dig deeper by thoroughly analyzing their approach. Better keyword research. Better usage. Try to be better in everything.

Start by looking at their real estate website structure, content, and Google Business Profile (GBP). Pay attention to the keywords they are targeting, the type of content they publish, and how often they update it.

Examine their GBP to see how they are optimizing for local searches, how many reviews they have, and how they engage with their audience. This will give you a clear picture of their strengths and help you identify opportunities where you can outperform them.

But copying isn’t enough. Once you’ve identified what your competitors are doing well, go a step further. Develop unique strategies that will allow you to stand out.

For example, if a competitor has detailed neighborhood guides, you could create more interactive content, like video tours or infographics, to engage users in a different way. If they're focusing on high-competition keywords, you could target long-tail keywords they’ve overlooked, giving you a chance to rank for terms with less competition.

What to Look for When Analyzing Real Estate Agents and Companies

• Keyword Targeting. What local keywords are they focusing on? Are they going after specific neighborhoods or types of property that you can target as well, or perhaps improve upon with more detailed content?
• Content SEO Strategy. Do they have in-depth blog posts, market reports, or local guides? Analyze their content length, format, and frequency. What topics are they covering that seem to perform well?
• User Engagement. Look at how they interact with their audience. Are they active in responding to reviews, comments, or social media interactions? This can provide insights into how they’re building trust with interested customers.
• Backlink Profile. Use SEO tools to check where their backlinks are coming from. Are they getting links from local news outlets, community websites, or other real estate-related sources? Do they have broken links? This can give you ideas on how to build your own local backlinks.
• Website Speed and UX. Is their website fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate? Compare their user experience with yours to see where you can make improvements.

Identify Gaps and Opportunities

As you analyze your competitors, don't just focus on what they're doing well — look for gaps in their real estate search engine optimization strategy. Maybe one real estate company is missing important content that potential clients are searching for, or perhaps another one hasn’t optimized its site for mobile users.

These gaps represent opportunities for you to fill in the blanks and offer more value to your target audience.

If a competitor doesn’t have detailed property listings or lacks in-depth descriptions of local neighborhoods, you can step in by creating more comprehensive and engaging content. This is just an example and there are more ways and opportunities.

Get To the Local Pack

The introduction of the Local Pack has completely changed how businesses appear in search results. When someone searches for “real estate agents near me,” the Local Pack is the block of real estate listings that shows up right at the top, above the standard search results.

This special section includes a map, a list of local businesses, and key details like names, ratings, and contact information. Any real estate company wants to be in those 3 top listings.

For real estate agents, getting your business into the Local Pack is a game changer. Here’s why:

• Your business is one of the first things potential clients see, giving you prime exposure.
• Ratings and reviews appear directly in the Local Pack, helping you create a positive impression before visitors even click on your real estate website.
• The Local Pack highlights businesses close to the searcher’s location, making it ideal for attracting clients in your area who are actively searching for real estate services.

Fill out your company's Google profile with complete and accurate information, encourage customers to leave reviews, optimize your site for local search queries, and be active on social media - these actions will help you get into the Local Pack and hold your position there.

Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Let’s take a closer look at how to properly fill out and optimize your Google Business Profile (GBP). This profile is your real estate SEO online storefront and often the first impression potential clients will get of your company. To strengthen your online presence and attract more clients, it’s essential to create and fully optimize your GBP as soon as possible.

Start by verifying your business quickly — Google offers easy methods like phone or video verification. Once verified, ensure your profile is always up-to-date and filled with the right details.

Why is GBP Optimization Important?

First, businesses with well-optimized profiles are more likely to appear at the top of local search results. Profiles that are fully complete, active, and rich in relevant information (such as accurate contact details, operating hours, and photos) are given priority by Google, significantly increasing your chances of being seen by interested customers.

This high placement in local search engine results can dramatically improve your business's visibility and credibility.

Second, a well-optimized Google Business Profile boosts your visibility even if your website already ranks well. While having a high-ranking website is important, appearing in the Local Pack provides additional exposure that often complements organic search results.

Even when your website is performing well, a GBP puts your business in front of local customers who might not click through traditional web search engine results. It also allows interested customers to quickly access your contact information, read online reviews, and see photos, helping them make quicker decisions about contacting you.

How to Create an Effective GBP for Real Estate Business

1. Include essential details like your business name, address, phone number (NAP), and operating hours. Ensure the information is consistent across all platforms.
2. Use relevant keywords in your business description, such as “real estate agency,” “homes for sale in [your city],” or “buying apartments in [your neighborhood].” This improves your chances of appearing in searches for those terms.
3. Choose accurate categories like “real estate agency,” “real estate commercial,” and “home sales” to make it easier for interested customers to find you.
4. Upload professional photos of your properties, team, and successful transactions. Quality visuals attract attention and make a strong impression.
5. Regularly update your profile with news, offers, and new real estate listings. Use the posts feature to keep your profile active and relevant.
6. Encourage satisfied clients to leave reviews. Positive reviews help build trust and can improve your search engine rankings in search results.

Build High-Quality Real Estate Backlinks

Backlinks are one of the most powerful ranking factors for SEO. They are part of off-page SEO. When reputable websites link to your site, it signals to search engines that your business is trustworthy and authoritative. In the eyes of Google, backlinks are like votes of confidence — if other well-regarded sites are linking to you, it means your content is valuable.

The more quality backlinks you have, the higher your site is likely to rank in search engine results.

However, not all backlinks are created equal. The goal is to build high-quality backlinks, meaning links from trustworthy, relevant, and authoritative websites. A few high-quality backlinks from credible sources can have a much greater impact on your rankings than a large number of low-quality links.

How to Build Backlinks

1. Partner with local companies like home improvement or moving services to exchange backlinks, boosting visibility for both parties and improving local real estate SEO.
2. Work with mortgage brokers, home inspectors, or property management firms to exchange links, ensuring relevance to the real estate industry.
3. Write guest articles for local news outlets, real estate blogs, or home improvement websites. Include a backlink to your site to reach a broader audience.
4. Produce high-quality content, such as neighborhood guides or market reports, that naturally attracts backlinks from other sites and social media.
5. Get involved in community events and ask to be featured on their website with a backlink.
6. List your business on reputable real estate local directories like Zillow, Trulia, and Yelp, which often allow backlinks and improve credibility.

Manage Your Online Reputation

Encouraging your clients to leave positive reviews is key to building a strong online reputation for your real estate business. Each positive review acts as social proof of the quality and reliability of your services, helping to attract more interested customers.

Be sure to respond to all reviews, whether they are positive or negative. This shows you’re engaged and committed to customer satisfaction, which builds trust and credibility. Actively managing feedback in this way is crucial to maintaining a positive reputation.

Create a clear process for requesting feedback once a transaction is complete. Reach out to all clients — regardless of how smoothly the process went — to ask for reviews. Avoid shortcuts like artificially inflating positive feedback, as review platforms can easily detect and penalize such practices.

Use social media and email campaigns to gently remind clients to leave reviews. Regularly monitor review platforms to stay on top of new comments or questions and respond promptly.

Positive reviews also give your SEO a boost, making reputation management a vital part of your overall online marketing SEO strategy. Positive online reviews significantly improve your client's SEO performance, making this process an integral part of your online marketing search engine optimization strategy.

Ensure NAP Consistency in Local Citations

Keeping your business’s Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) consistent across all online platforms and business listings is critical for local real estate SEO success. Search engines rely on this consistency to verify that your business information is accurate and trustworthy. This is an important part of off-page SEO.

Double-check that your NAP details match exactly on your GBP, website, and all local citations, and directories where your business is listed. Even small discrepancies in business listings can confuse search engines and impact your visibility. Make it a habit to regularly review and update this information to ensure everything stays aligned across the web.

Create Valuable Content

To truly connect with your target audience, you need to understand their specific needs, concerns, and questions within the real estate market. Tailor your content to address those directly. Here are some effective content formats to consider:

• Blogs. Share practical tips, market updates, and insights that are relevant to both buyers and sellers.
• Infographics. Simplify complex real estate data and trends through easy-to-digest visuals.
• Videos. Create engaging tutorials, property tours, or real estate market reviews that capture your target audience’s attention.

The focus should always be on quality over quantity. Don’t feel pressured to master all formats at once. Start with what feels most natural to you—if you’re comfortable with writing, begin with informative blogs. You can add videos or other formats as you go. The key is consistency and maintaining high-quality content that adds value.

Make sure to include important on-page SEO elements like titles, meta descriptions, headings, and keyword-rich URLs.

Solve Your Audience’s Problems

Your content should answer real questions your audience is asking. Consider topics that speak to both first-time buyers and seasoned sellers. For example:

• Write articles on preparing a home for sale or how to choose a first home.
• Use local market data to craft analytical reports or reviews that position you as a knowledgeable expert in your area.

One effective tool is the “People Also Ask” feature in Google searches. By typing in search queries something like “Chicago real estate prices,” you can find out what specific questions people are asking in your market. Use these questions as inspiration for your blog topics to ensure you're answering what people want to know.

E-E-A-T Factors in Google

In the real estate industry, success hinges on demonstrating Expertise, Experience, Authority, and Trustworthiness — a concept known as E-E-A-T.

These factors are crucial not only for ranking well on Google but also for building client trust.

People want to work with real estate professionals who understand the market deeply and have a proven track record. Let's break down how to establish and showcase E-E-A-T effectively in your real estate business:

• Expertise. Create neighborhood guides with key details on schools, transportation, and local amenities to show your in-depth knowledge of the area.
• Analytical Content. Publish articles on real estate business trends, market forecasts, and property insights to position yourself as a market expert.
• Success Stories. Share client success stories to showcase your ability to deliver results and build trust.
• Case Studies. Highlight complex transactions you’ve handled, detailing the challenges and your solutions to demonstrate problem-solving skills.
• Real Estate Industry Participation. Speak at events or webinars to establish authority and gain credibility within the real estate industry.
• Collaborate with Experts. Partner with other professionals for joint content, boosting your authority through association with other experts.

Developing your E-E-A-T is a long-term SEO strategy that doesn’t just help you rank higher on Google — it builds your entire brand reputation. Over time, by consistently demonstrating expertise, authority, and trustworthiness, you’ll not only attract more clients but also foster stronger relationships with existing ones. This creates a foundation of trust that keeps clients coming back and recommending you to others.

Utilize Social Media for Local Engagement

Social media is a powerful off-page SEO tool for connecting with your local audience and building a strong online presence. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow you to reach possible clients where they spend a significant amount of time.

To effectively engage with your community, focus on sharing content that resonates with locals—whether it's about the real estate market, neighborhood updates, or upcoming events.

Promote your real estate listings, post behind-the-scenes content, and offer insights into the local market. Showcasing your involvement in the local community by sharing news about local events or supporting local companies can make your profile more relatable and trustworthy.

Respond to comments, answer questions, and participate in conversations with your followers. The more you interact, the more visible and credible your business will become in the local market.

Consistent social media activity can drive organic traffic to your website, boost your visibility in search engines, and solidify your presence as a trusted local real estate business or expert.

Local Search Optimization

Creating separate pages for each neighborhood you serve is an effective local SEO strategy to attract local traffic. These pages shouldn't just list properties — they should paint a vivid picture of the neighborhood, giving potential buyers a sense of what it's like to live there. Here’s what to include on each neighborhood page:

• Detailed Neighborhood Descriptions. Highlight the area’s unique features, history, and atmosphere to help buyers visualize their future home.
• Property Types and Demographics. Describe the typical homes in the area, their price range, and the demographics—whether it’s families, young professionals, or retirees.
• Infrastructure and Amenities. List important amenities such as schools, parks, shops, restaurants, and public transportation. Regularly update these pages to ensure all information is current.
• Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). Address common questions buyers have, such as school quality, crime rates, and transportation options.

For better SEO, use neighborhood-specific names and keyword phrases in the meta titles and descriptions. Applying Schema.org markup (such as LocalBusiness and FAQPage) also helps search engines understand the content more accurately, increasing your chances of ranking higher in local searches.

You should optimize various on-page SEO elements, such as meta tags. Here is an example:

• Title: Homes for sale in [neighborhood] | [your city] | [your company]
• Description: Looking for a home in a cozy neighborhood in [neighborhood]? We have a wide selection of homes at affordable prices. Great schools, parks and shopping nearby.

As Google continuously updates its algorithms, it’s important to stay up-to-date with the latest SEO practices (be it on-page SEO or any other part) and regularly analyze your page performance to ensure your local pages remain effective.

Content Clustering

A content clustering strategy is key to optimizing real estate websites by creating a well-organized structure that search engines can easily navigate and understand. This method involves using anchor (or pillar) pages that cover broad topics and linking them to related, more detailed content pages, known as content clusters.

• Landmark Web Page. This is the foundation of your website’s content structure, covering a broad, comprehensive topic. For example, a pillar page could be "The Complete Guide to Buying a Home," providing an overview of the home-buying process and engaging users with valuable information.
• Content Clusters. These are a series of in-depth pages that cover specific aspects of the broader topic. For a "Complete Home Buying Guide" pillar page, content clusters might include articles on topics such as "Understanding Mortgages," "Home Inspections: What to Watch For," or "Navigating Closing Costs."

By linking the landmark page with the content clusters, you create a clear structure that not only enhances the user experience but also makes it easier for search engines to understand the subject matter of your website. This boosts the real estate site’s relevance and improves its rankings for targeted queries.

Real Estate Businesses with Multiple Locations

If your real estate business operates in more than one location, it’s important to ensure that each location is visible online. Here are some key steps to help your business stand out:

1. Set up a separate GBP for every office or branch you have. This will help each location appear in local search results and the Google Maps listing.
2. If your locations are close to each other, create individual landing pages for each area. These pages should include local information, property listings, and details about the team members in that specific location.
3. If your locations are spread across different states or provinces, creating separate real estate websites for each region may make sense. This allows you to tailor content, SEO, and services more specifically to the needs of each market.

For example, HTR Southern Properties has created dedicated pages for various cities, each featuring a brief introduction to the area, key statistics, current listings, and information relevant to potential buyers. This kind of localized approach helps to build trust and better connect with your audience.

Prohibited Real Estate SEO Techniques: What Can Harm Your Real Estate Website

In the past, some less-than-ethical SEO techniques were quite common. However, search engines have become much more sophisticated and can easily detect these manipulative practices. Using such tactics today can result in serious penalties and a drop in your website’s rankings.

What to avoid:

Search engines prioritize providing users with the most relevant and high-quality content. Using any of the above techniques goes against this goal and can result in penalties, lower rankings, and a loss of trust from users.

Local SEO Optimization for Real Estate Agents

In the competitive real estate market, optimizing your online presence through effective SEO strategies is essential. From targeting local real estate keywords to optimizing your GBP and building high-quality backlinks, every element plays a critical role in helping your business rank higher in real estate search engine results pages and attract more clients.

It’s important to stay informed about best practices, avoid outdated or harmful SEO techniques, and consistently deliver high-quality content that resonates with your audience. By focusing on the right strategies, you’ll not only increase your website traffic but also build trust and credibility with possible clients.

If you need any help navigating these SEO strategies or want to improve your online presence, our SEO digital agency is here to assist. We specialize in real estate SEO and are ready to help you take your business to the next level.