RealTown's RealTalk

Veronica replied: Here's a link to many great articles about SEO.
Easy to read. Easy to understand.
<http://www.seopt.com/articles/index.html>http://www.seopt.com/articles/index.html

Agents need to know this: Most SEO work is actually quite clerical
and straightforward in nature. It is not rocket science, nor is it
mystical. I've been in the business for 10 years.

If you cover the basics well, then you will be 99% of the way there.
Learning the basics takes about an hour of reading. Applying the
basics to your website takes a few hours of sweat equity, in the form
of creating the right content and cleaning up a site.

Here's a multi-page document that was specifically written for real
estate professionals, using real estate examples:
Search Engine Optimization Basics For Real Estate-Related Websites
http://www.domaindrivers.com/seobasics-realestate-main.htm

I hope it helps.

Also, you can create your own optimized pages easily with our new
landing page tool, here:
http://www.domaindrivers.com/pagegumbo/pagegumbo-test.asp
http://www.domaindrivers.com/pagegumbo/pagegumbo.asp

The first link is an "example" page, and the second is a live tool
that you can use at anytime. The tool forces agents to put more of
the secondary real-estate related keywords on their pages.

Best regards,

Best regards,

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com

I would like to add this comment to my previous post.....

Like al tings in business, you can possibly DIY, or hire an expert,
who should provide guidance and a fair service for a fair price. When
it comes to SEO issues, there have been a lot of less than reputable
vendors that charge huge sums and do little.

It worked because the level of competition was low, and just doing
anything helped. Those days are coming to an end.

If you are going to hire an SEO consultant, educate YOURSELF first,
then you will know what to ask, know what to expect, in terms of
links building, content creation, and site editing, and demand that
the contract explicitly explain what you will get for your money,
with respect to the aforementioned. The demand that it be delivered.

SEO consultants do not guarantee rankings. However, they should
guarantee that a specified, detailed work product will be delivered
at a specified price. If you spend $3000 and get no links, no
content, and little more than "good advice", then at least you should
be aware of what you are really paying for.

If the SEO consultant cannot answer those questions convincingly, and
also show specific examples of the mentioned items, in practice,
while successfully working in a truly competitive environment, the go
elsewhere, or DIY.

SO consulting is a valid occupation. I know several who do quality
work at a fair price. I have also seen HORRIBLE examples of
over-priced, under-delivered service. Unfortunately, in looking at
hundreds of specific situations, I see A LOT more of the latter than
the former.

Disreputable SEO companies get away with it for ONLY ONE REASON...The
agent paying them the money refused to self-educate, and thus, they
refused to demand genuine, deliverable work product for the money
they spent.

Before hiring any SEO consultant, educate yourself, demand to know
what you are buying, with specific deliverables, and demand to see it
delivered, not only for yourself, but with working examples.
Determine what you are willing to pay vs DIY.

Any SEO agency can fulfill that requirement is worth dealing with.
Any SEO agency that cannot put forth a list of deliverables that
represents the actual effort expended, with some premium for
"expertise", is one that you should run from.

Best regards,

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com

Veronica replied: Here's a link to many great articles about SEO.
Easy to read. Easy to understand.
<http://www.seopt.com/articles/index.html>http://www.seopt.com/articles/index.html

Agents need to know this: Most SEO work is actually quite clerical
and straightforward in nature. It is not rocket science, nor is it
mystical. I've been in the business for 10 years.

If you cover the basics well, then you will be 99% of the way there.
Learning the basics takes about an hour of reading. Applying the
basics to your website takes a few hours of sweat equity, in the form
of creating the right content and cleaning up a site.

Here's a multi-page document that was specifically written for real
estate professionals, using real estate examples:
Search Engine Optimization Basics For Real Estate-Related Websites
http://www.domaindrivers.com/seobasics-realestate-main.htm

I hope it helps.

Also, you can create your own optimized pages easily with our new
landing page tool, here:
http://www.domaindrivers.com/pagegumbo/pagegumbo-test.asp
http://www.domaindrivers.com/pagegumbo/pagegumbo.asp

The first link is an "example" page, and the second is a live tool
that you can use at anytime. The tool forces agents to put more of
the secondary real-estate related keywords on their pages.

Best regards,

Best regards,

Dirk Johnson
Partner - Operations
DomainDrivers LLC
djohnson@domaindrivers.com
703-406-4698
http://domaindrivers.realtown.com
We're an approved RealTalk/RealTown vendor:
http://DomainDrivers.InternetCrusade.com