Certain types of blog posts attract visitors and generate a lot of interest (clicks), increasing the likelihood they will be read and maybe spread across the Internet. The first type of blog post hitting the mark is the “List” post.

Five Tips For Better List Posts

1. The number 10 seems to be a popular list number  – Top 10 list. The same is apparently true for odd number lists.  Don’t ask me why.  Even a post of 1 will work – The Number 1 Reason Homes Don’t Sell.
2. Use these powerful buzzwords to further attract readers, such as: Top, Best, Easy, Fast, Cheap, Simple, Popular, Tips, Tricks, Secrets
3. Don’t neglect the negative list.  For example, 7 Big Mistakes to Avoid When Photographing a Home for Sale.
4. Appeal to curiosity.  Secrets. Tips. Tricks. People are curious to know what the experts know.
5. Bold your list items.  It helps the list items stand out.

Blogging Tip courtesy of the HomeGain Blog Professor, Joseph Ferrara. To read the full article and receive the weekly real estate blogging newsletters, sign up for AgentView and the HomeGain Blogging School.

PageRank (PR) is Google’s way of identifying and classifying web pages. Google assigns PageRank between 0-10. Web pages with a higher PageRank are regarded as more authoritative than those with a lower PR — and, here’s the best part — the higher your PR, the more likely you are to appear at the top of Google’s search results.

While PageRank is not a magic bullet or guarantee of success, it is a factor to help your real estate blog content ranking on Google.

7 Tips to Improve Your Search Engine Placement and PageRank:

1. Keep writing market specific content for consumers looking to buy, sell, improve, invest, or rent real estate in your local market. 
2. Use market keywords in the title of your posts and throughout the body.
3. Use synonyms for greater search coverage—instead of always using the word “house”, mix it up with home, single family house, real estate, property. 
4. Use abbreviations for your market—folks looking to buy in Long Beach Island usually refer to it as LBI. Use state abbreviations too.

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You are a blogger — a publisher in your own right — and you have the ability to cover all types of local stories. Your goal as a blogger is to involve your community in your blog so that they are encouraged to visit regularly.  Think of yourself as a reporter, out to cover a story.  This provides a wonderful opportunity to connect with people in a non-Realtor way.  

Here are 6 practical tips for “going local” on your real estate blog:

1. Attend community events.
2. Take a lot of photographs.  (Remember to ask permission to take and publish anyone’s photograph.)
3. Hand out your blog/ business card to everyone you meet, tell them about your blog and encourage them to visit to read about your coverage (yes, they will also see all the other content).

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HomeGain hosted its second “Ask The Experts” live real estate forum yesterday. Due to the success of the August Ask The Experts, HomeGain kept to its original format and featured four experts to each speak on a different real estate issue and answer questions from the audience.

Several hundred real estate agents and brokers registered for the event to listen to Mitch Ribak, Alisha Wade, Joseph Ferrara and Brian Brady give advice for succeeding in a turbulent market.

If you weren’t able attend, or would like to hear it again, you can listen to the December 4th Ask The Experts recording at your convenience.

What was each experts topic?

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1. Blog about a news event

2. Ask a question

3. Take a poll or survey

4. Have a contest

5. Have a quiz

6. Write about a controversial subject

7. Solicit comments by email

Blogging Tip courtesy of the HomeGain Blogging School Professor, Joseph Ferrara. To read the full blogging newsletter, sign up for AgentView and the HomeGain Blogging School.

We are all pretty much in agreement now that people are looking for homes on the internet. So my question is: What is the make up of a great Real Estate website?

I have some ideas and maybe others in this community can help me expand on those ideas. I am thinking of reworking my site “Homes in Columbus GA” and would love to hear your thoughts. Here are a few things that I have been thinking.

1. Search Capabilities. A great Realtor Website should first and foremost have great search capabilities as most potential clients want be able to search homes in your area. If you are worried about giving this information away – don’t be - because someone is going to provide the information and you want to be the one they turn to for info. a) Map Search
   b) Lots of ways to search: Subdivision, Areas, MLS #, City, etc.
   c) Pictures
   

2. Visual Appeal. A great site should also be pleasing to the eyes.  a) Colors should be pleasant and indicative of your company and personality
   b) Uncluttered - just like staging a house
   

3. Memorable. Check out my friend Cal Carter’s site for Gulf Shores Condos – Gotta love that Crab!

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