Boosting Your Search Engine Ranking Part II: (Local) Content is King
There is no magic formula, set of keywords or SEO (Search Engine Optimization) mojo that will instantly put your website in the top 10 results on search engines. Any company that tells you there is is doing you a disservice.
That’s because if you believe you can flip a switch (or throw lots and lots of money at SEO, or both) and immediately be ranked near the top of search results, you won’t do the work you need to do to make your XSite search engine friendly.
Last time we talked about how links, ones that point to your site and ones you have on your site pointing elsewhere, influence your search engine results. Read that article by .
Now we’re going to talk about what your XSite “says” and how search engines decide that it’s relevant to people searching for real estate information in your area.
When you launched your Mortgage XSite, you “personalized” the pre-written content that comes with it, right? Made it relevant to your area, your services?
If you’re interested in good search engine results, you absolutely need to do that. (Some mortgage originators simply want a place they can point Realtors and borrowers to, and that’s great. We’re talking about XSite owners who want better search engine results.)
This is a simple process that will pay potentially huge dividends. Here’s an example of what we mean. Your professionally pre-written home page may start out like this:
Get the best mortgage loan for you
When you decide to buy a home or refinance a mortgage, it's a big step. You can trust us to find the loan program that's best for you.
Buying a new home is a source of anxiety, frustration -- and a huge sense of accomplishment. You didn't pick the house that was best for someone else, you picked the one that's right for you! Trust our professionals to find the mortgage loan that best fits your needs, too. "Less paperwork and more personal attention" means you enter a frustration-free zone from application to decision. Getting the right mortgage loan is like getting the keys to your new house! We can help you get there.
XSites’ pre-written content is designed to be able to stand alone and present you and your company professionally. But if you want better search results, you might modify the above to say:
Get the best mortgage loan for you from a local Cleveland, Ohio mortgage broker
When you decide to buy a home or refinance a mortgage in the Cleveland, Ohio area and northeast Ohio, it's a big step. You can trust us to find the loan program that's best for you.
Buying a new home in Cleveland, Parma, Bedford Heights, Lyndhurst or Mayfield Heights is a source of anxiety, frustration -- and a huge sense of accomplishment. You didn't pick the house that was best for someone else, you picked the one that's right for you! Trust our local Cleveland area professionals to find the mortgage loan that best fits your needs, too. "Less paperwork and more personal attention" means you enter a frustration-free zone from application to decision. Getting the right mortgage loan is like getting the keys to your new northeast Ohio house! We can help you get there.
Do something similar on all your pre-written content pages, and Web surfers searching for “Cleveland Ohio mortgage broker” or “mortgage Bedford Heights Ohio” are much more likely to find your XSite.
You can begin to modify your content by following the steps and advice you’ll find in the Mortgage XSites Users Guide by .
I’ve intentionally kept this article’s advice simple: Drop in as many local, “personal” references as you can in your XSite content. Do that and you’re well on your way to more search engine traffic. Next time out, we’ll get more into the nitty gritty of what kinds of content changes help the most with search engine results.
Do the very basic stuff first, by personalizing your XSite. Next time you’ll learn some tweaks and tips that will better optimize your site’s content.
