Blogging & Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips

2009-10-30T03:16:00Z

Many of us know how important it is to blog in order to grow our business. Unfortunately, many of us don't know how to blog in a manner that would generate effective and fruitful results. I know I'm no expert on the topic!

I decide to do some research on how to blog in order to attract more search engine traffic to my business. Coming across many useful and insightful information, I decided to summarize them in my own words and present them in this blog. I have found the following tips that I would like to share with all my fellow real estate agents and home stagers:

Use keywords that target specific topics/audience vs. a more general high traffic keyword. While the targeted keyword does results in lower traffic to your blog than a general keyword, the targeted keyword generates more clients and sales.
Set up your blog in a way that allows you to repeat the keywords that you want to target over and over again to index yourself in a better ranking.
Check your website statistics to note when you get 'spidered' the most! Make sure that you then blog on the anniversary of that period to increase the number of spider visits.
Your blog posts are like food to the spiders crawling the world wide web to index your site. So the more you post, the more spider visits your site will get, resulting in a better ranking on Google.
Establish yourself as a guru in your area of experties by blogging about what you know how to do best!
Google places little value over meta tags used on your website and will not use them to better your ranking. Blogging, on the other hand, will give you better rankings and set you ahead of others. As long as the title, the keywords in your content, and tags are consistent, Google will raise you to the top of the search engines.
Let people know about your blog! Through other networking websites, direct your friends and followers to your blog.
Leave comments on other people's blogs because it will bring attention to you as well and it gives you more chances to share your expertise.
Insert images whenever you can - and name them with keywords
Don't blog just for the heck of it. Don't post material and topics that you know are not a source of interest to your target market just for the sake of blogging. You will end up hurting your reputation and readers will stop paying your blog a visit. Remember that your blog can be the first impression your business leaves on potential customers/readers. Make it count by posting what is really interesting and relevant.
Don't be concerned with how many readers you have or how many comments you get on your blog posts. Don't be discouraged if they are low in number. Keep blogging away to establish your credentials and your business voice in the industry and on the web; and to pave the roads to your websites so that search engines would find you!

It seems that these days, blogging is like waving a flag and saying "I exist! I am here for you to find me" to search engines. If you don't do it, and do it properly, then you will get buried under millions and millions of sites out there! So, happy blogging :)

Credits: http://websearch.about.com/od/keywordsandphrases/a/blogseo.htm

http://businessbloggingconsultants.com/2009/09/09/meta-tags--and-why-blogs-are-better-than-websites.aspx

Lina Labib ~Illinois Home Stager (Chicago & Chicago Land Area) ~ Deluxe Home Staging ~ 224-217-5067 ~ Lina@deluxehomestaging.com ~www.Deluxestaging.com

A Fire Proof Investment In This Tough Market?!

2009-10-22T19:52:00Z

We all have had our share of losses since the recession began. Whether it be monetary losses to our stocks and jobs, or emotional hardships due to financial stress and discouragements, we were all hurt by this market.

We all tuned in to Suzy Orman and Carmen Wong Ulrich for advice in this tough storm! They would list which investments proved to be fireproof, and provide statistics and number to back their claims up. Some of us tuned into HGTV as well :) There, we found shows like 'Designed to Sell', 'The Stagers', and even 'Real Estate Intervention' talking about the benefits of staging.

HAVE YOU THOUGHT ABOUT THE RETURN ON INVESTMENT WHEN IT COMES TO STAGING?

let me tell you something: the ROI on staging is so high it's ridiculous! And the best of it all? It benefits both the home seller, the real estate agent/broker, AND the home buyer! Remember, home staging is NOT decorating; It is marketing the best features of the property to draw the highest number of potential buyers to it. As long as the property is priced right and not out in left field, staging can make wonders!

Home Sellers:

You will prevent a future price reduction that can cost you thousands of dollars! When stagers stage a unit in a building that is identical to another in the same building, the one that is staged sells for top dollar, while the unstaged property stays on the market and suffers a price reduction. Same things happens to competing single family houses and townhouses. Would you rather reduce the sale price of your home by 5,000; 10,000 or even 50,000 dollars, or start a staging project that can cost you as low as $250?
You will be abelt o sell your home for top dollar. According to NAR, staged homes sell 7% more than non-staged homes.
You will sell the house faster and reduce your stress significantly. According to RESA, staged homes spend 85% less on the market than non-staged homes.
You will sell your competition's house if your house is non-staged and theirs is staged.
Home buyers will always be ready to pay more for move-in ready homes. According to a Maritz survey, 63% of buyers will pay more for move-in ready homes.

Real Estate Agents:

You will increase the satisfaction of your clients and get more referrals;
You will sell your listings faster and make a higher commission;
As long the property is priced right, you won't have to break your client's heart by proposing a price reduction to get it moving;
According to NAR " 87% of ALL home buyers and 94% of buyers aged 25 to 44 used the Internet to search for homes. Staging continues to be a valuable tool to gain more buyer interest beginning with their initial search on the Internet.". Home staging will provide you with pictures that would draw buyers to the property and prevent them from eliminating a property due to unappealing pictures.

Home buyers:

Since only 10% of buyers can visualize the potential of a property, home staging can help them note the best features of the property and what each room's usage is.
Home staging will help buyers picture their own furniture in the property and how they can transition their current life style to their new home.

Well, you ask, what is the rate of return on staging? Studies have shown that those who stage their homes can make an average return on the cost of staging of 300% and up to 800%! What investment out there can beat these numbers?

Can you afford to stage your property? A better question should be "Can you afford NOT to stage your property".

Lina Labib ~Illinois Home Stager (Chicago & Chicago Land Area) ~ Deluxe Home Staging ~ 224-217-5067 ~ Lina@deluxehomestaging.com ~ www.Deluxestaging.com

Deluxe Staging Blog

Blogging & Search Engine Optimization (SEO) Tips

A Fire Proof Investment In This Tough Market?!