Getting Vernon Real Estate Sites To Page 1

Several years ago it was pretty hard to get local results. If you typed ‘real estate agent’ into a search engine then you would have been confronted by listings from all over the world, and not, as you probably wanted a list of the local realtors.

Google makes it’s money through advertising revenue and has always aimed to deliver the highest quality and most relevant search results possible, and by doing that it keeps both it’s advertisers AND searchers happy. If a search engine isn’t delivering the results that you expect then you would simply switch to another one, and if you find you are getting more relevant results there then you will probably keep using that search engine. If you are in any doubt of this then think back to the days when the top search engines were Web Crawler, Alta Vista, Hotbot etc., Google has displaced the lot simply by delivering what people want in a fast and simple manner.

Google has realised (and the other search engines Bing and Yahoo have followed suit) that when people type in ‘pizza’  or ‘dry cleaning’ then what they are probably after is a local pizza delivery company or dry cleaners. After all who wants details of a pizza delivery company in another country if you are hungry and want something delivered tonight?  Google has pretty much replaced the Yellow Pages for most people (when do you last remember using one?). Google is delivering a far richer experience than the Yellow Pages book ever can, with maps, photos, and customer reviews, it is far easier to find a decent plumber, electrician, or whatever you want.

Google and the other search engines are concentrating a LOT of resources into local search and this means BIG opportunities for real estate agents. If you haven’t seen an example of how the local results appear then you can see one here (click image to enlarge).

The results for Google Local come in packs of normally 1, 3, or 10, and the algorithm that Google uses for determining who appears in the local results is completely different to that used when they determine the rankings for the organic search results.

So why is it important for real estate agents to make sure that they are in the Google Local ‘pack’?  Well, before I answer that you have to realise that Google serves up different results for the same search squery depending where you are in the world.  I have sites that specifically target the UK market and appear at, or near, the number 1 spot in Google for particular search terms. However, when those same search terms are used outside of the UK my web site is either at the bottom of page 1 or on page 2. Google have worked out that my site is based in the UK and aimed at the UK market, so give it prominence there, but they realise that it is less relevant outside of the UK and so it doesn’t feature as highly.

The reason that it is so vitally important for you as a realtor to be featured in the Google Local ‘pack’ for your chosen search terms is that unlike the results for organic search, which vary depending on where the search takes place, the results for the Google Local ‘pack’ are IDENTICAL, regardless of where in the world you are searching from. Which means that if someone searches for ‘real estate agent vernon bc’  from somewhere in BC, the results they will see will be identical to those shown to someone else doing the same search from the UK, Australia, or anywhere else in the world.

As real estate agents that should be vitally important to you – and farcasting is the reason why. Nearcasting can be thought of as local search. You are already in the area that you are searching for the product or service in eg. you live in Vernon, you are searching on Google for ‘pizza’ because you want a local pizza delivery company. Farcasting is a local search, but you are NOT in the area where you conducting that search.  And here is an example of farcasting that shows why getting into Google Local is something you simpy MUST do…

A lot of people looking to buy property in Vernon do not actually live in Vernon. They may live in other parts of BC, other parts of Canada, or maybe in another country. But when the search for property to buy in Vernon they are conducting a search on local facilities in Vernon they are doing it from whatever country they live in, and that is farcasting. So when they search for ‘real estate agent vernon bc’ and want to buy a property here only one thing is certain, and that is that whoever appears in the Google Local ‘pack’ here will also appear in the Google Local ‘pack’ that he sees. So if you are outside Vernon and looking to buy who are you going to be ringing up? Obviously it is the people that Google tells you are local real estate agents!  Why would you even bother looking elsewhere?

And that is why it is so important to make sure you are featured in the Google Local ‘pack’.

If you aren’t currently in the Google Local ‘pack’ then the good news is that I can help you get in. And if you are already in but would like to rank higher then again I can help.  But you need to contact me quickly as competition for entry in Google Local is increasing. This is your chance to get maximum visibility and get a flood of visitors to your site. Don’t miss this opportunity. Contact me now…