Real estate SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of optimizing your online presence to rank higher on search engines like Google and Bing. It involves improving your website, content, social media pages, and overall online strategy to attract more organic traffic, specifically from potential homebuyers and sellers.
The higher you rank in search results, the more likely you are to get visitors to your website. If you don’t optimize your pages, you risk missing out on gaining new leads and growing your real estate business.
Here are SEO strategies for real estate agents to help bring your business to the next level.
What Is Real Estate SEO?
Just because you have a real estate website doesn’t mean anyone will find it. This is where SEO comes in.
SEO helps search engines understand what your website is about so they can show it to people searching for relevant topics. When someone types in “homes for sale in [your city],” your goal is to appear at the top of those search results.
According to a study by Backlinko, the #1 result on Google gets 27.6% of all clicks, while results on the second page barely (.63%) get any traffic. That’s why SEO, specifically local SEO, is SO crucial for real estate agents to get seen online and stand out from the competition.
Types of Real Estate SEO
There are four main types of SEO that real estate agents should focus on:
- On-Page SEO: This refers to optimizing your website’s content, structure, links, tags, and metadata (titles, descriptions, headers) to improve rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs). These factors are directly within your control.
- Off-Page SEO: Off-page SEO is off-site optimization. This includes backlinks from other websites to build authority and improve your credibility with search engines. Link building is more difficult than on-page SEO, as you don’t have direct control.
- Technical SEO: This is the practice of optimizing your website to make it easier for Google and other search engines to crawl and index. It also considers user experience, such as loading speed and mobile friendliness.
- Local SEO: The process of improving online visibility in local search results. This is a must for real estate agents, as it allows you to connect with potential clients who are searching for properties or agents in a specific geographic area.
Why Real Estate Agents and Brokers Need an SEO Strategy
Most buyers start their home search online.
According to the National Association of Realtors (NAR), 43% of buyers stated that their first step in the home-buying process was to look for properties on the internet.
Zillow’s 2025 Consumer Housing Trends Report also found that more buyers and sellers find their agents online than through a referral in 2024. Thirty-seven percent of buyers found their agent online through a real estate website or app (23%), social media network (7%), or search engine (7%). For sellers, 36% found their agent online.
If your website isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re missing out on a huge pool of potential clients.
Some key benefits of SEO for real estate agents include:
- Increased visibility: Ranking higher on Google makes it easier for buyers and sellers to find you.
- More organic leads: Unlike paid ads, organic traffic from SEO is free and long-term.
- Better brand authority: A high-ranking website positions you as a trusted real estate expert.
- Higher conversion rates: SEO attracts high-intent users actively searching for properties or agents.
7 Real Estate SEO Tips
Follow these seven real estate SEO tips to boost your online visibility.
1. Do Keyword Research
Keyword research is the foundation of any SEO strategy. According to Ahrefs, nearly 95% of keywords get fewer than 10 searches per month, so targeting niche local searches can give you a competitive edge. This means you need to do your research to find the exact words and phrases that potential clients are typing into Google.
How to find keywords:
- Use free tools like Google Keyword Planner, Ubersuggest, or AnswerThePublic.
- Focus on local keywords (e.g., “best real estate agent in Miami”).
- Look for long-tail keywords like “how to buy a home in Austin” that have lower competition but high intent.
2. Optimize Your Real Estate Website
Your website should be fast, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate.
Google prioritizes sites that load quickly, so make sure your site loads in under 3 seconds (use Google PageSpeed Insights to test this).
Website SEO best practices:
- Optimize page titles and meta descriptions with keywords.
- Use high-quality images but compress them to reduce load time.
- Make sure your website has an SSL certificate for security.
- Submit your sitemap to Google.
- Fix broken links.
- Use schema markup to help Google display rich results (e.g., property listings with star ratings and pricing details).
- Improve mobile responsiveness, as 63% of Google searches come from mobile devices.
If you’re unsure of what to do or where to start, there are site audit tools (like Ahrefs and Semrush) that can point out high-priority technical issues and give you tips to solve each problem.
3. Create High-Quality Content
Real estate SEO content marketing can help you appear in search results for specific keywords, and it shows Google that you’re an authoritative resource.
You can start with a blog. Focus on consistently publishing helpful, keyword-optimized content to improve your chances of ranking on Google. Blogs with 2,000+ words tend to rank higher on Google, so aim for in-depth, valuable content.
Here are a few content ideas:
- Neighborhood guides (e.g., “Best Neighborhoods in San Diego for Families”).
- Home buying/selling tips (e.g., “10 Mistakes First-Time Homebuyers Should Avoid”).
- Market updates (e.g., “2025 Real Estate Trends in Boston”).
- Highlight local businesses (e.g., “The Best Italian Restaurants in Philadelphia”)
You can also repurpose these posts for social media!
Create content for your website so that you get found by people who are actively in the market looking to buy or sell. Then, repurpose that content for social media and email marketing to nurture your followers and potentially convert them.
And if you make Instagram Reels, you can share those same videos on different platforms. In fact, Reels that rank on Google are often posted on more than one platform, like YouTube Shorts, Pinterest, TikTok, and your blog or website.
4. Get Backlinks to Your Real Estate Website
Backlinks (links from other websites to yours) are a major ranking factor. The more high-quality backlinks you have (think NAR or Zillow), the more authority your site gains.
If you don’t know where to start, you can look at your competitors and see where they’re getting their backlinks to see if you can get them from there as well.
Ways to get backlinks:
- Get featured in local online newspapers or real estate blogs.
- Collaborate with mortgage lenders or home inspectors to exchange links.
- List your business in local directories like Zillow, Realtor.com, and Yelp.
- Get quoted in the media with a backlink.
- Create link-worthy content that people naturally want to link to.
5. Measure and Improve Key SEO Metrics
SEO isn’t a one-time thing—it’s an ongoing process. You need to track your progress and make improvements.
Tools like Google Analytics and Google Search Console can help you monitor:
- Website traffic and user behavior
- Top-performing pages and keywords
- Click-through rates (CTR) and bounce rates
Keep an eye on these metrics and adjust your strategy accordingly.
6. Create a Google Business Profile
Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is fundamental for local SEO. When someone searches for a real estate agent near them, a well-optimized GBP can help you appear in the “Local Pack” (the map section of Google search results).
To optimize your GBP:
- Add high-quality photos and videos
- Keep your business name, address, and phone number updated
- Encourage happy clients to leave Google reviews (businesses with 4.5+ stars get more clicks!)
7. Build a Social Media Presence
While Social media doesn’t directly impact Google rankings, it helps build trust and engagement, which leads to more website visits.
SEO-friendly social media tips:
- Share blog posts on Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn.
- Optimize your Instagram bio with a link to your website.
- Use Pinterest to create boards with property listings and home decor inspiration.
You can also get your Instagram and Facebook posts and Pinterest boards to show in Google search results, particularly within image and video searches. Just make sure you adjust your settings to allow your public content to show up in search results.
Common SEO Mistakes Real Estate Agents Should Avoid
Even with the best intentions, real estate agents often make SEO mistakes that hurt their rankings. Here are some of the most common pitfalls to avoid:
- Buying backlinks: Buying backlinks violates Google’s guidelines against link schemes, and it can hurt your website’s rankings in search engines.
- Keyword stuffing: Overloading content with keywords can lead to penalties from search engines.
- Neglecting mobile optimization: A slow or poorly designed mobile site can drive potential clients away.
- Skipping content updates: Outdated content can lower rankings and reduce credibility.
- Ignoring meta tags and descriptions: Your content might not rank highly on Google if you ignore tags and meta descriptions.
- Duplicate content: Having pages with the exact same (or largely the same) content can hurt your rankings. It causes pages to compete against each other in search rankings.
Elevate Your Real Estate Business
Investing in real estate SEO is one of the best ways to grow your business in 2025. It may take time to see results, but the long-term benefits are worth it. By following these SEO strategies, you’ll position yourself as a top real estate agent in your market.
Need help with your real estate content? I’m launching a membership with access to a full library of done-for-you customizable marketing templates. Here’s what you’ll get:
- A monthly content calendar with social media templates and captions
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- Newsletter templates
- Email templates
Follow me on Instagram for updates, or contact me if you have a question or need professional copywriting services!
FAQs About Real Estate SEO
Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about real estate SEO.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) in real estate is the process of optimizing a real estate website to rank higher on search engines. It involves keyword research, website optimization, content creation, and local SEO strategies. This helps real estate agents and brokers attract more organic traffic, generate leads, and connect with potential buyers and sellers.
In the property industry, SEO refers to the techniques used to improve the online visibility of real estate listings, agencies, and agents. By optimizing content, using relevant keywords, and earning backlinks, property websites can appear higher in search results, making it easier for buyers and sellers to find them.
The cost of real estate SEO varies based on the scope of services and provider. Costs also depend on factors like website size, competition, and the level of optimization needed.
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