Why I Don't Do SEO on Advanced Access Websites
About once a month, I get a request for real estate SEO services from a real estate agent who owns an Advanced Access website. My response is always the same: "Sorry, I can't help you."
Why, you ask? Because if you've read any of my SEO training guides or articles, you'll know that I like to practice straightforward, no-B.S. search engine optimization based on quality content and proper networking and publishing techniques. Why do I practice this type of SEO? Because in six years of promoting websites and driving them up the search engine ranks, I have never incurred a single penalty / demotion from Google for over-aggressive tactics.
I have long suspected Advanced Access of using techniques that limit SEO success (such as the excessive use of frames), as well as certain over-aggressive SEO techniques (such as the ridiculous level of reciprocal linking on agent websites). Up until now, I have kept my personal opinions to myself. While I avoid such tactics, I don't usually make it a point to call out those who do.
But as you can see by this search query, there's a lot of buzz right now about the SEO techniques employed by Advanced Access. So I might as well step up and tell my readers how to avoid such penalties:
1. Serve Readers Not Search Engines
Don't ever do anything just for the search engines. If you take part in a reciprocal linking scheme with agents all over the country, you are doing it for the search engines, not for your web visitors. Why would a home buyer in Austin, Texas want links to agent websites in 49 other states across the country? This is a massive reciprocal linking scheme intended to artificially inflate a website's link popularity and search engine ranking. Google has been able to spot this kind of thing for about three years now.
2. Don't Become Search Engine Dependent
Don't rely too heavily on search engine optimization. Many agents seem to have forgotten that there are other forms of marketing than just SEO. Many agents get what I like to call SEO tunnel vision by focusing on their rankings to the point of obsessiveness. If you rely too heavily on SEO, you will be tempted to take shortcuts by using black hat SEO techniques, which often leads to websites being penalized / demoted or even banned entirely from Google. So instead of checking your search engine rankings twice a day, try broadening your marketing mix with other forms of online and offline marketing.
This has been a public service announcement from a guy who does real estate SEO the right way. If you're interested in such services, please let me know.
More information on avoiding Google penalties.
Have a great weekend.
~Brandon
Why, you ask? Because if you've read any of my SEO training guides or articles, you'll know that I like to practice straightforward, no-B.S. search engine optimization based on quality content and proper networking and publishing techniques. Why do I practice this type of SEO? Because in six years of promoting websites and driving them up the search engine ranks, I have never incurred a single penalty / demotion from Google for over-aggressive tactics.
I have long suspected Advanced Access of using techniques that limit SEO success (such as the excessive use of frames), as well as certain over-aggressive SEO techniques (such as the ridiculous level of reciprocal linking on agent websites). Up until now, I have kept my personal opinions to myself. While I avoid such tactics, I don't usually make it a point to call out those who do.
But as you can see by this search query, there's a lot of buzz right now about the SEO techniques employed by Advanced Access. So I might as well step up and tell my readers how to avoid such penalties:
1. Serve Readers Not Search Engines
Don't ever do anything just for the search engines. If you take part in a reciprocal linking scheme with agents all over the country, you are doing it for the search engines, not for your web visitors. Why would a home buyer in Austin, Texas want links to agent websites in 49 other states across the country? This is a massive reciprocal linking scheme intended to artificially inflate a website's link popularity and search engine ranking. Google has been able to spot this kind of thing for about three years now.
2. Don't Become Search Engine Dependent
Don't rely too heavily on search engine optimization. Many agents seem to have forgotten that there are other forms of marketing than just SEO. Many agents get what I like to call SEO tunnel vision by focusing on their rankings to the point of obsessiveness. If you rely too heavily on SEO, you will be tempted to take shortcuts by using black hat SEO techniques, which often leads to websites being penalized / demoted or even banned entirely from Google. So instead of checking your search engine rankings twice a day, try broadening your marketing mix with other forms of online and offline marketing.
This has been a public service announcement from a guy who does real estate SEO the right way. If you're interested in such services, please let me know.
More information on avoiding Google penalties.
Have a great weekend.
~Brandon
Labels: Real Estate SEO
posted by Brandon at
7:59 AM
