Off-Line Internet Marketer Needs Help Case Study

by HowieG
18 replies
Fellow off-line consultant warriors - I need some advice and help. I am a full-time real estate agent by trade.I am trying get buyer leads on-line. After research, my findings are that someone looking to buy, only wants to search for homes in their early stages of purchasing homes. I have an effective IDX (search MLS portal) that will capture Name & Email and send buyer leads homes that met their search criteria and I can inter-act w/ them when they are ready to use a realtor and buy.) I created wordpress sniper type seo optimized websites and inter-linked them all.There are links and clickable banner buttons everywhere that encourage buyers to click the links to the web IDX portal for lead capture. I picked 22 major cities in my service location and the best search terms for buyers looking their are "city homes" or "city homes for sale". For example www.lansdalehomesforsale.com is one of those sites and on the right sidebar under popular homes are the interlinks to the other blog sites of mine. (All but one - who is a friend in the same biz that I was helping)

Anyway if you use google keyword tool, for exact and phrase match, there is approx 590 searches. About the same for most of my "cities homes" except large metro area and 2 counties which are harder to rank, but possible w/ more off page SEO. My google analytics show me that as I rank on page 1 spots 3 & 4 I am getting about 18 visits per site a month average x 18 = 324 views a month.

If I get to #1 organic spot will I get to 50 plus unique visitors or more per site?

At #1 will I get 900 uniques or better?

I need about 40 leads a month to close 1 deal ave $6000 per transaction.

Of the 900 uniques, in order to get 40 leads, I need 10% or more to click my links (90 clicks to my IDX portal) to get 1 in 4 click thru's as a lead to close 1 deal a month. (My math here may be a little off)

Right now, I have not used any article marketing for back-linking and traffic. And I am not certain that traffic from article linking would be targeted enough for such a narrow demographic like Ambler Homes or Bensalem Homes.

I am also paying google pay-per click at Lansdale Homes only directly to the portal and at 2.00 a click and $200 per month budget I get about 100 clicks thru to get 20 leads a month. Or for every click through 1 in 5 will sign up as a lead at $10 per lead. I really do not want to increase my ad spend for the extra leads and business, I would rather get free traffic from organic searches to get another 1-3 deals a month from this.

Anyone have any suggestions? or thoughts?

Real estate brokerage leads thru the internet seem to be very different than other off-line businesses looking for new customers or are they? If I was a roofer or a heating and air contractor, the internet leads for new business model maybe different.

Again any thoughts or suggestions??

Thanks Much fellow Warriors!
#case #internet #marketer #offline #study
  • Profile picture of the author GeorgeReed
    You just need more people searching for it on google.

    Try also bing and yahoo.

    You'll be better off using simple squeeze websites, you dont want too many calls to action around the place it will just confuse people.

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    • Profile picture of the author HowieG
      Hi George!
      I rank #3 on bing and 4 on yahoo, are you suggesting that I try pay per click on those search engines?
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  • Profile picture of the author John Pawlett
    Hi Howie

    You seem to be a blank page as far as getting started.

    I would set your own Google places page up (if you have already done it then it needs optimising!)

    A Facebook fan page also optimised would help.

    Also looking at the competition I would branch out further and go into the whole area of PA the competition isn't that great, the excessive leads you generate you could sell to other realtors if you can't service them.

    Hope this helps

    John
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    • Profile picture of the author HowieG
      Thanks John,

      I will look into it. I know I could rank for Philadelphia Homes Which gets 22,000 searches a month, but it would take a lot more work and time to do so as I am page #9 3 position for that city...

      Also, I will look into google places, but I belief I have that for my company HG Realty Services, Ltd at my office locations only.

      I am not sure if you can get more than one location on google places without a phsical location or can you????????
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  • Profile picture of the author John Pawlett
    You can only have one location with one address but that doesn't stop you getting pulled up for multiple search terms at that location.
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    • Profile picture of the author davechan
      Hello Howie: I used to run a real estate business for a number of years in California. Of course this was pre-real estate meltdown. I agree with John with the Google places listing. One idea that you can do for that is to set up a private mailbox, not a PO Box that is provided by the U.S. Postal Service. The private mailbox will show up on Google listings just make sure you optimize it with the right keywords that you are targeting.

      We are doing a similar strategy for medical doctor who is building a nationwide practice. You will take out private mailboxes in the major cities in which he is trying to build a network. Then our strategy is to optimize those Google listings with back links/citations as well as the normal things that you do to optimize the Google listing.

      Don't forget to also do article marketing which of course will help your SEO rankings.
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      • Profile picture of the author HowieG
        Dave, excellent advice, I will try it the private mailbox idea....may help! I'll let you know how I make out....... my next step is the article marketing, but I think it will only help SEO value via bank-links and have no traffic value......
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
    I created one site similar to what you're doing, and personally I think it's not the greatest idea. Ranking some of these sites is a lost cause because certain cities have massive authority sites ranking in the top 5-6 spots. All of the traffic goes to those sites, and unless you have a massive SEO budget you won't outrank them. Plus, unless your visitors are clueless, they're going to quickly realize they're on a wordpress blog and never visit your sponsor's site.

    People are visiting these types of sites to see real estate listings, so unless you have them featured prominently then I would imagine 99% of visitors are going to bounce within 5 seconds.

    p.s. Only use exact match to determine your searches potential. You may have enough authority and link juice to rank for other terms, but in my experience these local search terms get way less traffic than many people think unless you have like 5-10+ pages of content.
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    • Profile picture of the author HowieG
      Hey Ryan -

      Well, I outranked Trulia, I am now on a quest to outrank #1 and #2 both are Homes.com. We will see how hard and long it takes..... go to my Doylestown Homes For Sale and see the wordpress site. Most will either leave or click my "search for homes" or buttons and then I have a 1 in 5 to capture them..... let me know what you think..
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  • Profile picture of the author contentment1st
    Howie,
    Just a few observations.

    1. When I search Doylestown Homes For Sale, you are in the sixth position. A flurry of articles and videos linking back to your site with only 409,000 search results could get you much higher.

    2. Under the "Places" for the search term "Doylestown Realtor", I don't see HG Realty listed at all and the highest number of reviews for your competitors is only three. Your Google Places listing does not have pictures or videos. Do what's necessary to optimize it and 10 reviews or so would probably put you in that #1 position.

    3. On your site, I would clean up the pink graphic, make it more attractive, larger and centered. Very busy site, so a focused message on that main link would help.

    4. Your Facebook Fanpage could use a landing page. Go here https://www.facebook.com/add.php?api...90322544333196 and you can put together a nice landing page by first creating it within wordpress and then uploading the html code to this app.

    5. And finally, on both your Doylestown site and the one that your main graphic links to, would recommend a name/email capture placement for people who are looking for a local realtor to work with during their search. Aweber is the best option.

    Hope this helps. Best of luck to you. Greg
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  • Profile picture of the author ryanjm
    Forgot I posted here, but a quick update:

    1) Check your rankings using www.pagewash.com. You are likely getting a biased search result from Google, because I see you ranking at #6.

    2) We are trying to sell a site that is first page for "homes for sale in City" and the City has a population of over 300,000 people. The site is also extremely well designed and appealing visually. So far, it has been very hard to sell. I've found this to be true with a number of sites geared towards selling offline clients on rental advertising space. They just don't understand the Internet and advertising. If they did, we would at least have people asking "how much?" But instead it is mainly silence. A few educated business people are making a ton of money off of the fact that most business owners are ignorant and still think the newspaper is where it's at.

    3) The town you are ranking for has barely any people in it. Therefore, that site will get no traffic. I made the same mistake with a couple of sites in places with populations around 50-75,000. Our sites are #1 for local trades like "city + roofing" etc... and they get no traffic.
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  • Profile picture of the author Charles Jones
    I am also a Real Estate Broker (however doing more with my online businesses these days). You really should take their advice about expanding your reach....grow your pie so to speak.

    Think of it this way. You can refer people out for 25% typically (I do) and really have to do very little except make sure to follow up to make sure the agent you referred them to is doing his/her job. you don't have to, but you should. Imiagine all the $$$ you can bring in by referring out. This will allow you to concentrate on your websites and build them out more. you still will earn the income, just not have to do the work.

    Just my 2 cents!

    Good Luck!
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    • Profile picture of the author John Durham
      Originally Posted by Charles Jones View Post

      I am also a Real Estate Broker (however doing more with my online businesses these days). You really should take their advice about expanding your reach....grow your pie so to speak.

      Think of it this way. You can refer people out for 25% typically (I do) and really have to do very little except make sure to follow up to make sure the agent you referred them to is doing his/her job. you don't have to, but you should. Imagine all the $$$ you can bring in by referring out. This will allow you to concentrate on your websites and build them out more. you still will earn the income, just not have to do the work.

      Just my 2 cents!

      Good Luck!
      I agree, JVing with someone who is more established... will help you concentrate with singular focus on just bringing in money. Building your biz model around referral commission is an excellent way to start... Basically "brokering" customers to web developers. It keeps your job simple and you learn as you go and you make money!

      Back when I started, a webdesigner was someone an offline business owner hired by the hour.

      I have had an offline business without knowing web design at all... there are ALWAYS web designers looking for work. Sales is what makes a business, and salespeople, or sales channels, and customer service.

      The rest is just "fulfillment".

      Most webdesigners will tell you they can easily make 50 bucks per hour if they wanted to go to work for a company by the hour... Really? Where?

      Offer them 10 bucks or 15 and see if they take it. I dont feel bad, because if they really want to they can learn sales or hook up with sales person... but on the job market? Sorry I will give you $10 - 15 bucks per hour max, because I cant make it make sense otherwise, there are too many designers that will do it for 10 bucks per hour, with MAD skills. Yes, I know I dont understand that you are a rare talent... sorry though.

      Now if you are a good "Sales Person"? Then you have some leverage to call some shots... I cant find ENOUGH of you!

      Look around here and you will see for yourself, who is more in demand? People that can build websites? Or people who can generate customers?

      Which one is there NEVER enough of?

      The money is in generating customers.

      Most web developers as you can see, with a rare exception, are here and there, are all around the forum scrambing trying to figure out how they can get some business...maybe off craiglists or whatever... and wondering why they have none, or only a cleint every now and then randomly and not consistently.

      Focusing on Sales skills... Now thats rare and in demand!

      My partner Darren can hire out a graphic for 30 bucks that looks like you paid $300... and he could sell it for the full $300 if he wants to.

      Thats the power of leaving the designing and all that to the designers, and yourself being "an entreprenuer" and bringing in business.

      Learn to generate leads, customers , business... learn to "sell" on or offline, and let the techs do what they do, and feed them business with your skills.

      Why am I saying all this?

      Im encouraging you that if you are unsure of yourself, learn SALES instead, then you will be in demand with everyone on this forum who has a product to offer, and you will lack no opportunity or money.

      Hope this helps.
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  • Profile picture of the author RentItNow
    You are way over thinking this. You need to put yourself in your target market's shoes. I'm not looking for a real estate agent, I am looking for a house yet on that one site I see more about you (about the author, lots of 'I's, your pic in top corner) than houses or what the area is like or anything. I've been in real estate in one form or another for almost 16 years now and worked for fortune 500 firms in that market and it still amazes me how many agents market themselves instead of the product. Look at how many people search "real estate agents in xyz" compared to "homes for sale in xyz". In my area is it exactly 1/10 the searches for agents. If you negate this fact, you are throwing away 9 out of 10 possible clients.

    It's a hard pill to swallow but once you do you can move forward. Focus entirely on their goal. Give them EVERYTHING that can possibly be asked about each area of the city. Then gently lead them to your service.

    Btw, I've ran a lot of adwords tests and from that data know 99% more about my local real estate market then 99.9% of the agents or brokers. THAT was me being patient and I've been rewarded because of it. I know who is REALLY buying, what area they are coming from, what triggers their interest and how to eventually lead them to an agent.

    Again, what amazes me is agents are supposed to be experts in marketing but spend more time marketing themselves instead of the product. Wait, thats a problem with any market and your advantage. Use it.
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    I have no agenda but to help those in the same situation. This I feel will pay the bills.
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    • Profile picture of the author BrashImpact
      Howie,
      you have got a lot of great input so far. Being a long time real estate investor
      and married to an Agent for 12 years ( she is IM full time now) expand your reality some.

      First off - All your marketing efforts should be geared for one thing and one thing only. You want the customer to TAKE ACTION by calling you, emailing you...whatever type of communication you want.

      Have you looked into creating a multitude of Feeder sites that will rank easy and direct clients towards you? HIGHLY RECOMMEND THIS

      We sell Exclusive Advertising space on our sites ranked in niches all over the country. You could easily set up your own sites for yourself and rank them in days or a few weeks.

      If you have questions Drop me a PM...

      P.S. - Definately heed others advice get rid of the Scrubby colors on your site, its HIDEOUS!!!

      Robert
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