SEO for Real Estate Agents
In today’s competitive online market, a strong online presence is a must-have for any business–especially real estate agents. Word of mouth and networking are still amazing lead sources, but SEO is where it’s at if you want to start getting found online to ramp up clients and sales.
The thing is, SEO can be intimidating if you’re just getting started. Don’t worry–we’ve got you! In this post, we’re going to break down everything you need to know about SEO for real estate agents. We’ll talk about the basics, real estate agent local SEO, and how to find SEO real estate keywords. I’ve even got a few ideas on keywords for real estate agents!
Ready to level up your real estate SEO game? Let’s get started!
SEO for real estate agents
SEO (aka search engine optimization) is all about making your website easier to find when people are searching for real estate services in your area. Think of it like setting up big digital signs to lead people straight to your virtual doorstep.
Why SEO matters in the real estate industry
Why should you care about SEO? Here’s the deal: according to the National Association of Realtors, 97% of home buyers used the internet in their home search, and 35% of home sellers used a real estate agent that they didn’t already know or find through family & friends. In other words, people are using the internet when they’re in the market for a realtor, and if your website isn’t optimized for search engines, you’re basically invisible to all those potential clients.
SEO helps you:
- Get found by people actively looking for real estate services in your area
- Establish credibility and authority in your local market
- Attract more quality leads
- Stay ahead of the competition
In short, SEO gets you in front of the right people at the right time. And in real estate, timing is everything!
On-page vs. off-page SEO
Before we dive into keywords, let’s do a quick crash course on the two main types of SEO.
On-page SEO happens on the pages of your website itself. It includes things like using the right keywords, optimizing images, and creating high-quality content. Think of it like sprucing things up before having an open house.
Off-page SEO happens outside of your website to improve search rankings. It includes things like backlinks (other sites linking to yours), reviews, and social media marketing.
Both are important, but in this post, we’re going to focus on on-page SEO, specifically how to choose and use the right words for your real estate website.
Using SEO for real estate keywords
Keywords are the actual words and phrases people type into Google when they’re looking for information.
For real estate agents, that might be things like “homes for sale in [your city]” or “best realtor in [your area].” Think of keywords like a special language your potential clients are speaking. If you want to connect with them, you need to speak their language (and put it on your website!)
However, there are different types of keywords, and they’re not all created equal.
Short-tail keywords are brief, general search terms. Usually, they’re one to three words long. Think things like “real estate agent”, “homes for sale” and “Triangle area realtor.” They usually have lots of searches, but they’re also pretty hard for you to rank high in Google search results for. Short-tail keywords cast a wide net–they’ll bring in lots of traffic, but they might not all be your ideal client.
Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. They’re usually four or more words. For example, “first-time homebuyer assistance in Raleigh,” “luxury waterfront condos in Boca Raton”, and “how to sell a house quickly in Alabama.” are all long-tail keywords. They usually have fewer searches, but it’s easier to swipe a top spot on Google for them. It’s also more likely that people who find you through a short-tail keyword search are exactly the types of people who are looking for an agent like you.
How to choose real estate SEO keywords
When you’re choosing which keywords to use, keep in mind three main factors:
1. Search volume
This is the average number of times people search for a specific keyword each month (and it’s re-calculated each month, too!) Higher volume means more potential traffic, but it also usually means more competition.
2. Search difficulty (SD)
This measures how hard it would be to rank for a particular keyword. It’s usually scored from 0 to 100, with higher numbers meaning it’s more difficult to rank. As a general rule, we recommend aiming for keywords with a balance of high volume and search difficulty (but we’ll talk more about that in a minute!)
Relevance to your audience & expertise
This is where your real estate know-how comes in. A keyword might have the right numbers, but if it’s not something your audience cares about or something you have relevant expertise in, then it won’t do you much good to use it to grab website traffic.
How to choose the right keywords
Now that you understand the basics, let’s talk about how to choose the right keywords for your real estate website.
Identify your audience
Who are you trying to reach? For example, do you work with buyers, sellers, or both? Do you specialize in first-time homebuyers? Luxury home buyers in specific neighborhoods? People looking to invest in rental properties?
Each of these groups will use different search terms. A first-time homebuyer might search for “affordable homes in [your city]” while a luxury buyer might look for “top luxury real estate agent in [your area].”
Brainstorm potential keywords
Put yourself in your client’s shoes. What would they type into Google? Start making a list. Don’t worry about getting it perfect–we’ll refine it later.
Use keyword research tools to choose keywords
This is where you’ll dig into data to back up your keyword ideas. Type your ideas into the search bar of your keyword research tool of choice (we love Ubersuggest!) and pay attention to the search volume and difficulty ratings.
Here are some examples of real estate keywords for 2025. After each keyword, you’ll see the volume and SD rating.
Remember those short-tail and long-tail keywords we talked about earlier? You’ll want a mix of both in your SEO strategy. High-volume keywords can help drive traffic to your site, while long-tail keywords can help you attract more qualified leads.
Where to use real estate keywords for SEO
Once you have keywords, how do you use them? In general, use short-tail keywords for your main website pages (homepage, about page, services pages). Use long-tail keywords for blog posts.
Here are some tips on how to incorporate them onto the page:
- Use a primary keyword in your page title and H1 heading
- Sprinkle keywords naturally throughout your content
- Include keywords in image names and alt text where it makes sense
- Use keywords in meta descriptions
- Create content that answers questions related to long-tail keywords
Remember, they key here is to use the keywords naturally. If it feels forced or overdone, it probably is. Remember, the main thing is that your content helps readers find the information and services they’re looking for. The keywords are just there to help them do it!
A word about real estate agent local SEO
As a real estate agent, your business is all about location, location, location–and your SEO strategy should be, too! Don’t forget to include location-based keywords like “[your city] homes for sale]”, “real estate agent in [your target area]” and “[your city] housing market trends” on your website.
Also, you’ll want to claim and optimize your Google Business Profile–read the blog about it here!
Keywords for real estate agents
Looking for keyword ideas? I’ve put together a list to get you started! However, remember that SEO is always changing, so use what you’ve already learned in this article to evaluate these keywords against your audience and expertise and use them wisely!
Short tail/general keywords
- Homes for sale
- Real estate agent
- Houses for sale
- Real estate listings
- Property for sale
- Real estate near me
- Local real estate agents
- Real estate companies
- Best real estate agents
- Real estate brokers
- Real estate services
- Real estate agency
- New homes for sale
Long-tail keywords:
- Homes for sale -> “Affordable homes for sale in [City Name]”
- Real estate agent -> “Top-rated real estate agent in [Neighborhood Name]”
- Houses for sale -> “Luxury houses for sale with swimming pool in [City Name]”
- Property for sale -> “Commercial property for sale near downtown [City Name]”
- Real estate listings -> “Newest real estate listings in [City Name] for first-time buyers”
- New homes for sale -> “Newly constructed homes for sale in [Suburb Name]”
- Real estate investment -> “Profitable real estate investment opportunities in [City Name]”
- Local real estate agents -> “Experienced local real estate agents specializing in [Neighborhood Name]”
And that’s how you do SEO for real estate agents!
Whew! We’ve covered a lot of ground! But now you can take what you’ve learned and get started with SEO on your real estate website.
I’ll leave you with one last piece of advice: SEO is a marathon, not a sprint. It will take some time to see results. But, if you’re consistent, you’ll start to see your site climb the search rankings and traffic will increase!
Ready to take your SEO to the next level?
We’re here to help! Book a call now to chat about how we can help you create an SEO strategy that draws in more traffic, leads, and clients.
