Real estate writing can be clunky and filled with keywords in hopes of high SERPs… or beautiful and descriptive, designed to drive readers to the property in question. While keyword-heavy content might push readers away with its repetition and awkward flow, descriptive content risks not being found because of low keyword density. Try these tips to optimize real estate content effectively, while still appealing to clients.
- Start with an SEO-rich headline
- Plan your attack — and your appeal
- Break up the content
- Spell-check everything
Start with an SEO-rich headline: Location drives the real estate market, and is a prime search factor for many buyers or renters. So make sure your advertisement starts with compelling and descriptive copy that includes the locale. Try “Sunny San Diego Studio Available Now!” or “3BR/2BA Home for Sale, Newport RI.”
Plan your attack — and your appeal: Real estate content services generally have specific objectives: Describe the property and location clearly, connect to the audience, and list price and open house information. Work from this general script to stay on target.
As you write through the script, try to make the property come alive. What’s great about it? What’s not so great? Putting cons in the listing can actually save you time by weeding out prospects who view them as deal breakers. Use clear, compelling language, as if you were telling your best friend about this wonderful house! Include keywords, but not so heavily that the text becomes unreadable. The focus of the text should be the property, not your keywords.
Break up the content: A text-heavy page is not going to be attractive to readers, and it may drive them away from a listing that’s otherwise right for them. The average reader is scanning these listings, looking for her must-haves, such as large basement or in-house washer/dryer. By de-cluttering your content, you make it easier for her to find these. Once you’ve written the content of the listing, take a few minutes to organize it. Bullet points call attention to important text, and can be used to draw out key home features. Break long paragraphs into shorter ones.
Spell-check everything: This should go without saying, but how many real estate ads have you seen with misspellings. Spelling mistakes cue mistrust and suspicion, and could drive potential clients elsewhere. Make an exception if the listing town regularly gets misspelled, but otherwise, spell-check!
