‍

Top local SEO strategies for Vancouver real estate brands

Local SEO is important for all local businesses in Vancouver, but its significance for real estate brands really can’t be understated. Ranking in the areas you serve, for services you offer, is a no brainer. But local SEO goes way beyond ranking for “buy a home in Vancouver”.

The truth is, unless you’re a massive company, you’re likely not going to come near the first page of Google for "buy a home in Vancouver", so long as big players like REW, Realtor.ca, and RE/MAX are around. These companies pay huge amounts of money to rank at the top of Google, and competing with them for short keyword searches isn’t going to end well.

So where do you go from here? This is where local SEO comes into play.

‍

Building a local SEO strategy in Greater Vancouver

Think long-tail keywords instead of short. Get specific. You want to spend your time working on ways to rank for lots of long tail keywords instead of the already mentioned impossible task of ranking for “buy a home”.  Try ranking for these search terms instead:

• The best neighbourhoods for families near Mount Pleasant
• Average cost of living in Burnaby, BC
• Cities with the most pre-builds in the Fraser Valley

These terms still get lots of traffic, but the more specific nature of the searches makes them much more attainable to rank for. You’re still going to have to work hard, but it’s well worth the effort.

Pro tip: Look at Google's "People also ask" section below your search query to find other great long-tail keywords you should aim to rank for.

‍

How to rank for search terms

Get to writing. Have you noticed us mention “local SEO strategy in Vancouver” more than a few times in this article? We’re not over using the term, and we’re not putting that phrase in places where it doesn’t belong–but we’re sure as heck remembering to place it throughout this article.

We want you to use a similar strategy when you’re trying to rank for long-tail keywords. If you did choose to write on the average cost of living in Burnaby, BC, it’s important that you include that direct search phrase and similar phrases throughout your article, in your headers and in your title. Some other simple steps that real estate teams in Vancouver can use to rank for search terms:

• Link out to one external source
• Link internally to another blog on your website at least once
• Write over 600 words in your article
• Include images with alt tags
• Identify keywords using tools like AHREFS or Moz
• Integrate local keywords into your blogs (if you’re writing about cost of living in Burnaby, mention some of the neighbourhoods where prices vary, like Government Road vs. Metrotown)

Once you've written a new article for your website that includes all the above, it's time to get some backlinks for your article. Here's how top Vancouver real estate teams build quality backlinks for SEO.

‍

The importance of Google My Business

When discussing local SEO for real estate in Vancouver, it’s hard not to mention Google My Business. It’s a big part of staying visible online. Here are some tips on filling out your Google My Business profile.

1. Claim your free ad credit and use it

You’ll typically get an ad credit between $200 and $500 when you set up your profile. Use it.

2. Fill everything out

For maximum SEO benefits, fill everything out on your profile. Description, website, business offering, everything.

3. Solicit reviews

Every time you make a client happy, send them a link to your GMB page and ask for a review. They’re a positive indicator for Google.

4. Respond to reviews

Thank people, address concerns, and respond promptly.

5. Share from your page

Google My Business pages allow you to share updates and photos, be sure you do this every few months to freshen things up. It’s another positive ranking indicator for Google.

‍

Follow the steps above and your real estate team will be on its way to ranking on Google in Vancouver. Local SEO is kind of like a game, and the rewards for winning are pretty spectacular. It feels like free advertising when you finally start showing up on search results pages with an article you wrote two years ago. That’s the magic of local SEO strategies.

Need help ranking in Vancouver? Trust the team that ran REW’s content strategy. Book a call with us today.

‍