The internet is a funny thing. It was created eons ago as a means of universities and bureaucrats to keep connected, informed, and share information. Once businesses saw the possibilities and keen opportunities available things changed dramatically. Now every one from a small business owner to corporations asks the same question, “How do I get to the top of Google?” It is a conversation we have with our Real Estate clients on a weekly if not daily basis. The short answer is this: It depends.

Search engines are finicky things, especially in Real Estate. Sadly they don’t give a list of rules to follow to be high on their results page. A good place to start is looking at your competition’s sites and research where they are ranking with certain search terms. If they are ranking high there is a reason. Whether it is unique content, strong linking, an old site, or even an exact match domain each one of these factors, even all of them, contributed to their site coming up.

The largest element in determining search engine ranking is the amount of work you are willing to put into your site. You can’t expect to launch a brand new site and two weeks later be at the top of the results. It is a process that starts with you building and branding your site. Again, go back to your competitor’s site and see what they are doing. If they have 20 pages of unique content think about adding 30 to your site. If they have strong links you are going to need some if not more then the next guy. A stagnant website will remain buried in the search results unless you put the appropriate effort into building and growing your site and brand.

My last point pertains to relevancy and knowing your niche. My example is this; a brand new website focusing on Las Vegas Real Estate is going to have a very hard time getting to the top of Google because of the magnitude of competitors on that very broad term. This is where you as a possible site owner take a step back and define your niche. Do you specialize in new construction in Las Vegas or specialize in specific developments or neighborhoods? What type of clientele and homes do you cater - Retirees, Military, Golf Course Homes, or Active Adult living? Only when this agent defines their niche and actively develops a site offering up a resource on a specialized topic will they start to see a dent in the rankings.

It all goes back to an agent knowing their clientele but more importantly knowing their own strengths and how to market them to the web. Happy site building.

There have been some great blog entries of late further detailing the best practices and how to measure expectations on this topic. Your best place to start is by taking a look at this blog entry by the great Aaron Wall.