How Ranking for Keywords Has Changed

Optimizing your blog post to rank high in search engines used to be straightforward: pick your keyword and make sure you use it in the title and a few more times in the article. If you picked the right keyword (and if your blog was well-established and referenced), you were most likely to rank somewhere in top 10.

Keyword research has quietly changed over the past few years. First, search engines like Google have become much more sophisticated when it comes to understanding what “high-quality content” is. It’s not only about how well your article is optimized: it’s also how in-depth, useful, and comprehensive it is.

Second, the competition is growing: most bloggers know the basics of search engine optimization these days. It’s harder to stand out and get ranked.

Here’s how you can get ahead of your competitors.

#1: Include More Keywords

The days when you wrote one blog post per keyword are gone. Google (as well as your audience) now looks for more in-depth long-form content that features a varied vocabulary including synonyms, related phrases, and concepts.

The following tools will help you expand your keyword lists:

Seed Keywords helps you crowdsource your friends and followers into suggesting related keywords for you. The tool creates shareable mini-surveys for your followers to help you brainstorm more ways to search for your topic.

Soovle will generate keyword suggestions from multiple sources (Wikipedia, Amazon, YouTube, Yahoo, Answers.com, and Bing), giving you a good overview of how people search for your keyword on different platforms.

Another tool that does the same (but supports fewer sources) is the Google Keyword Suggest Tool. It generates suggestions from Google, Bing, YouTube, and Amazon and it digs very deep, so you’ll get hundreds of phrases to work with.

If you’re looking to optimize your existing blog posts, use Serpstat to go through your site, pick the most powerful pages, and suggest a list of “missing keywords.” Essentially, these are words your competitors are ranking high for, but you’re not.

Connection Strength refers to the number of competitors that rank for the keyword that you don’t have on your page.

Now all you need to do is go back to your articles and optimize them for those missing keywords to increase your ranking.

An easy way to optimize existing content for new keywords is to add new sections (with subheadings) targeting those new words. This helps content get more comprehensive over time, which naturally results in more social media shares and backlinks.

#2: Refer to Notable People, Places, and Brands

One of the biggest changes in search engine optimization is Google’s focus on understanding entities. “Entities” are related notable people, places, organizations, brands, etc., which associate in some way with your keyword.

For the easiest way to demonstrate how entities help in ranking your content, read this awesome case study by Bill Slawski. Bill took a well-optimized piece and rewrote it the following way: first by making it much longer, and second by including notable events and people. The result was astounding. The article started to drive referral traffic from people linking to it, and return visits. And yes, better search rankings too!

Google pays special attention to entities when trying to understand how concise and useful your content is. Google has had years to learn to understand entities, concepts, and their relationships.

Google pays close attention to entities and how they relate to your content.

Google’s Knowledge Graph is an entity graph. Search for any notable name you’re aware of to see how Google structures and relates entities.

To research related entities, use your own common sense. Chances are you already know a lot about your content’s topic. Next, search Google. In some cases, Google suggests related concepts while you’re still typing your query.

Google uses entities to verify how concise and useful your content is.

Run content that ranks well through an entity extractor. Pick a few in-depth articles on your topics and run the content through AlchemyAPI (alternative tools: TextRazor and Open Calais). AlchemyAPI extracts entities from the content using color-coding to markup sentiment.

Run several long-form articles on your topic through AlchemyAPI and you’ll have a solid list of related entities.

#3: Answer Niche Questions

Another area Google focuses heavily on days is measuring the ability of content to answer popular niche questions. You might have noticed Google’s “quick answer boxes” each time you type a question

Is your content answering popular niche questions?

It’s important to make question research part of your keyword research each time you’re writing a blog post.

The aforementioned Serpstat does question-focused keyword research, too. There’s no visualization, but it returns unique results, which are free.

This is a whole list of content ideas for you to use!

Answer The Public is a cool tool for content inspiration and question-focused keyword research. Type any word into Answer The Public to see a visualization of various types of questions people ask using that word.

The question modifiers are: which, who, what, when, why, how, are, and where.

Answer The Public is great for content inspiration.

Another trick is to research niche questions using Twitter Advanced Search. The search won’t deliver as many content-worthy results, it will help you research and use natural language (which is something Google is focusing on as well, especially for mobile search).

To find questions on Twitter, search any keyword with a question mark placed one space away, like this: “keyword?” This filters Twitter search results to those containing a question.

You can search Twitter for updates containing questions.

You can use Cyfe to monitor and archive the Twitter search results.

Cyfe searchable Twitter search archives can provide inspiration when you’re stuck.

Conclusion

Keyword research has evolved, and it’s definitely more complicated. At the same time, though, it’s also more diverse. It encourages you to create in-depth content and works wonders for inspiration.

What do you think? Are there any unique keyword research tools you’d like to share?

Need help staying in contact with all the leads that will soon be coming your way? REVStaffing can gladly assist you with those tasks! Let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

Are you curious about what works on YouTube?

The first thing marketers need to consider is what they’re going to do on YouTube: what they will talk about and the brand’s message. To figure out the content strategy, come up with potential video titles, using the 5 Ws: who, what, why, where, when and how.

Start with “who” and make a list of the big names in your industry. Then, go over to “what.” What is the best way to do something, as it pertains to your business? Work your way down the rest of the list to get a full range of ideas for your videos. Come up with the biggest questions asked by your audience and answer them in video.

The types of videos you make should be specific to your company or industry. If there’s someone who’s comfortable on camera as your spokesperson, that’s great, since communicating eyeball to eyeball is the best way to build a relationship with your audience. If there’s no one to participate on camera, just use audio and graphics.

Mistakes marketers make with YouTube

The first thing professionals cautions against is using YouTube as a compilation channel, a holding ground for every video you’ve ever made. For instance, you may have a couple of Q&A videos with your staff, an old commercial and some home video of the company picnic. All of these videos have low views, and there’s no real cohesive strategy.

The second is the violation of what is referred to as the 3 Ps: Platform, Purpose and People.

Marketers often violate the Platform when they repurpose their non-YouTube video content (Google hangouts, Meerkat videos or portrait videos) for YouTube.

Repurposing leads to a violation against People. YouTubers want to engage with your content, comment and be a part of your community. When you repurpose, such as putting Meerkat videos on YouTube, you’re telling your audience they don’t care enough to create content for them.

Monetization of YouTube
It is believed that the point of being on YouTube is to carve out a very specific audience that you can serve through the video medium.

Rather than trying to build a huge channel with millions of views and subscribers, marketers should create a funnel that takes viewers from their video to a clickable link that leads to an opt-in.

You should know the purpose of the video from the beginning. Do you want people to subscribe? To share? Focus on one call to action per video. You might make 10 videos that are all designed to build a list. Then 20 videos that are designed to get new subscribers.

Is your purpose to drive sales? Several YouTubers sell to their subscribers or a non-subscriber base through both in-display ads and pre-roll ads. Both options are 10-second ads that appear in front of the video that’s queued for viewing.

If you use YouTube ads, you need to remember to focus on selling one product. Then target the ad’s delivery through the ad system to push your video out to a prequalified audience.

Click HERE to schedule an appointment!

If you need help creating and publicizing your videos contact REVStaffing at 855.738.7821 X700. Or if your schedule is hectic, as most realtors are, schedule an introductory meeting at you convenience.

companies suggest that more than half of real estate deals in 2017 will be completely digital, according to

Dotloop
Dotloop, an online collaboration platform, is leading the way by simplifying  the real estate transaction process by bringing everyone involved in the real estate deal together to share, edit, and sign documents.  

Real estate agents and their clients do $30 billion of transactions on Dotloop every month. Dotloop is easy to use and it can save you valuable time and money in your real estate business.

1. There is less time spent going back and forth signing documents.  Those documents can be easily reviewed, adjusted, and signed online by all parties involved in the deal.

2. No more copies, faxes, or hand-delivering documents! All documents are uploaded to a cloud-based platform that are accessed by everyone involved in the transaction.

3. Dotloop speeds up the negotiation process. Everyone in the deal can login and sign documents at any time.

4. Communication is clear and efficient.  All collaboration and communication is in a centralized online hub.

5. Transactions are mobile! Use your phone to scan in documents with a Dotloop app. You can even track your transactions and your team’s transactions on the go!

Need help with Dotloop?  Give us a call at REVS (Real Estate Virtual Serivce) today at 855-738-7821, or visit our website at www.realestatevirtualservice.com.

If you want to find out how REVStaffing can help you with your real estate business, click here to schedule an appointment.

What do you think LinkedIn is for? Is it just for people who are trying to find a new job? Should you only visit it if you want to recruit somebody? Or is it one of the best ways to grow your real estate business? If you chose the third option, you are correct. In fact, HubSpot, reports that LinkedIn is three times more effective at generating business leads than Facebook or Twitter. And since leads result in more sales and more money in your pocket, it is clear that LinkedIn cannot be ignored.

Here are 10 ways real estate pros can effectively use LinkedIn to increase their online exposure.

Remember, It’s Not Facebook
First, you should realize that LinkedIn is not like your other social networking sites. LinkedIn is all about business, and you better keep things professional. So no sharing that funny meme your Aunt Linda showed you, and no posting pictures of what you are eating for dinner or your funny cat. There are plenty of other sites for that.

Make Sure Your Profile and Company Page Are Complete
Since you are a real estate practitioner and independent contractor, you have your own professional brand, thus, you should have both a personal profile and a Company Page. Each one should be filled out completely. Not only should every detail be included—like your website, links to your other social media profiles, any awards or certifications you have, and past companies you have worked for—but it should be displayed in a way that is easy to read and engaging.

Include Keywords
Just like you do with your website and blogs, your profile and Company Page should be keyword rich. When people want to find a “real estate agent in Massachusetts,” for example, you want to make sure you show up.

Share Plenty of Content
When you are deciding which content to share on LinkedIn, always have the goal of helping others, but make sure the type of information varies. On one day, post an informative article on a new development in real estate, and on the next, share an opinionated blog post about what agents are doing wrong. Make sure you’re not just sharing your own content. Those who are successful in social media understand that it can’t always be about YOU.

Publish Directly on LinkedIn
Not only should you be sharing loads of information, you should also be writing your own. One thing that makes LinkedIn unique is that it allows you to publish your content for all of LinkedIn to see. They are referred to as long-form posts, and you definitely need to be taking advantage of them. Not only does it make you look more credible when you have them on your profile, but they are searchable both on and off LinkedIn. People do not have to be in your network to view them, and they are able to connect with you directly from the post. This is an invaluable tool for growing your network and establishing your expertise in the real estate industry.

Study Your Analytics
LinkedIn is very generous in the amount of information they provide to you. They tell you exactly which of your posts received interactions and which ones didn’t. You should study these analytics thoroughly so that you can capitalize on what people like and avoid the stuff they don’t.

Connect with Everyone
There has never been, and never will be, a rule that you are only allowed to connect with people that you know on LinkedIn. You should do searches for locals in your area, other agents, home appraisers, mortgage brokers, and anyone else you want. The thing is, there is no such thing as too big of a network. You never know where each connection will lead you. Over the years, I have seen some really shortsighted agents who say, if they don’t know them then they won’t connect. This might be prudent thinking on Facebook, but not on LinkedIn!

Capitalize on LinkedIn Real Estate Groups
One of the hidden gems on LinkedIn is the group feature. They are the difference between agents who really drive traffic back to their website and those who don’t. However, there is a proper way to use them.

You should look for groups within your industry—or groups that contain your target niche or market—that have enough members to get you exposure, but not so many that you get lost in the shuffle. Aim for between 1,000 and 5,000 members. You can also join a few of the larger groups for when you are sharing something of a more general nature.

When you interact within the groups, remember that you are there to add value. You should respond to others’ questions, give your opinions, share advice, and ask questions that make people think. You should not post links to your site unless it is something of value.

Don’t try to be active on too many groups at once, or you will not be able to provide anything useful to any of them. Instead, choose three or four that you really think could boost your exposure and make sure to check-in with them several times per week. Some excellent real estate groups to take a look at joining are The National Association of REALTORS®, Real Estate Professionals Group, and Real Estate Professional Referral Group.

Once you are part of a conversation, don’t leave it unfinished. Always go back to see if anyone has responded to what you said.

After you have established yourself within the group, you can start asking your own questions and solicit feedback. If you ask one that garners a lot of attention, you will even be featured as a top contributor within the group, increasing your visibility tenfold.

Start Your Own Group
If you are really ambitious, it could be time to found your own group. This puts you in the driver’s seat, and, if done correctly, can really catapult your recognition in the real estate industry. In order to set the precedent, you should set up an auto-email that goes out to all new members welcoming them to the group and setting the ground rules (like no soliciting). You can also let them know that you will be sending out weekly or monthly emails with industry resources and tricks of the trade.

Help Others
Finally, you should take a few minutes each day to endorse and recommend other people. They will appreciate the gesture and may even return the favor.

If you need help with your LinkedIn and other social media marketing let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

Follow us on Facebook and LinkedIn!

Before we can talk about generating leads on social media, let’s define exactly what we mean when we talk about leads. Leads are simply potential customers who have expressed some interest in your real estate business and have provided contact information you can use to follow up with more information. You can then pass these leads directly to your VA or engage with them using a tailored content marketing program.

Generating Leads
Why is it important to think about how to generate leads on social media? Consider that 90 percent of decision-makers say they never respond to cold calls. On the other hand, 76 percent of buyers are ready to have a conversation on social media.

If you’re not producing your sales team with a steady stream of potential new customers, you’re doing your business a disservice. And you’re doing yourself a disservice too. Because lead generation metrics are a key way to prove the value of your social marketing efforts. Perhaps the greatest benefit of lead generation using social media specifically is the ability to focus on highly qualified leads through advanced targeting. After all, marketing analysis shows that improving the quality of leads is the most significant goal for marketers, while simply increasing the quantity of leads comes in third. Recent studies show that 70% of leads are generated thru social media.

The benefits of using social media to generate quality leads will also lead to an increase in website traffic and brand awareness for your real estate business. If you need help with your social media marketing let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

*info courtesy of https://blog.hootsuite.com

The show doesn’t stop once you click Finish and Post in your Facebook Live broadcast. While your video post can reach far and wide on Facebook, you can push that reach even further after the video has wrapped up.

Upload Your Live Video to YouTube or Vimeo
Once you’ve downloaded your Facebook Live video, you can upload your video to other video hosting sites or channels to reach a wider audience. If you upload it to YouTube, you can even use YouTube’s simple video editing tools to trim your video down to the moment(s) you want to keep and share. Don’t forget to use YouTube’s features to add a branded watermark, action cards, a description, and tags.

Share Your Live Video with Newsletter Subscribers
If your email newsletter could use a shot in the arm, add your Facebook Live video into your next issue.

Video and media consistently boost email marketing performance.

Personify Leadership shot partner interviews at an international conference and later used the Facebook Live videos to inform newsletter subscribers. The company was able to increase credibility by highlighting their key partnerships.

Embed Your Live Video in Your Website or Blog
To see the options to embed, edit, and even schedule an expiration date for your Facebook Live video, go back the Post Details pop-up window and click the Post tab.

Click on the Post tab.

After clicking the Post tab, click on the image of the video to access video options (including downloading the video file).

Then you’ll click on Options so you can view the options for your video post. You can click Embed to copy the code to add an iFrame of the video to your website or blog.

To get an embed code for your Facebook Live video, follow these additional steps to grab an iFrame code for your website or blog.

Facebook Live videos offer excellent repurposing opportunities that you can quickly plug into other social media marketing channels. Live videos are ready and waiting to expand your reach and grow your audience even more.

Let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

*Courtesy of www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Are you using Facebook Live? Do you want more mileage out of your broadcasts?

Reusing your Facebook Live video can help improve your impact and visibility.

In this article, you’ll discover how to download your Facebook Live videos on other social media platforms.

Download from Your Facebook Profile
Facebook Live lets you broadcast a live-stream video from your phone. If you’ve live-streamed a great video you’d like to keep, follow these steps to download the video file from your Facebook:

First, log into Facebook.com and go to your profile.

Next, locate the Videos tab below your profile’s cover photo (along the bottom of the image or in the More drop-down).

Now, click on Videos to see a list of videos you’ve posted to your profile.

Your Facebook profile page is where you can see how your profile appears to other users. Find your videos in the tabs along the bottom of your cover photo.

Next, click on the thumbnail of the Facebook Live video. After the video opens, click on Options (along the bottom of the video) to reveal the menu to download it.

Options for your Facebook Live video include downloading as SD (standard definition) or HD (high definition).

Once you click the Download option, your stand-alone video will open. Right-click on the video and select Save Video As to save the video as an MP4 file to your computer.

Download from Your Facebook Page
If your Facebook page is lively, the steps below are your best route to download your Facebook Live video from your page. Note: You must be an authorized manager on the page to access the options below. Let’s get started!

Once you complete a Facebook Live video from your page, you have a few optimization options to increase the reach and purpose of your post. (The options below are presently only available for Facebook Live videos streamed from a Facebook page.)

First, log into the Facebook page you used for your Facebook Live post. Next, click on the Publishing Tools tab along the top.

Look at the tabs along the top of your Facebook page to select Publishing Tools.

In the left-hand column of tabs, Click on Videos to see a list of your page’s posted videos. Find and click on the Facebook Live video you wish to download.

Look for the Video Details pop-up window. Along the bottom, you’ll see any posts related to your video. Click on the post link to uncover additional optimization and download options for your video.

While the Video Details window provides performance statistics for your Facebook Live video, you need to access the original post to download the video.

In the bottom-right corner of the Post Details pop-up window, find and click on the Edit Post button.

To optimize your Facebook Live video from the Basic tab, add titles, tags, and custom thumbnail images. From the Advanced Tab, you can also choose to allow or prevent your video from being embedded in an external website.

After you’ve shot and posted your Facebook Live video, go to the Edit Video box to optimize your broadcast for searches and viewers.

In addition, you can upload a Closed Captioning file to your video for access by the hearing-impaired.

Next, look for the gear icon above the top-right corner of your video’s image. Click the gear icon and select which version you want to download.

In addition to selecting download options for your Facebook Live video, don’t forget to optimize your video using the Basic, Captions, and Advanced tabs in the Edit Video box.

Let REVStaffing help you to achieve your goals and increase your potential! Complete a complimentary needs analysis survey, send us an email, or call 855.REVS.VA1 today!

*Courtesy of www.socialmediaexaminer.com

Your information isn’t safe! Hackers and data thieves constantly troll to steal information, and Realtors are vulnerable because they have access to, store, and maintain confidential personal and client records.  

It’s not just a desktop computer that can be breached.  In a world of technology, there are several areas exposed to hackers, such as a mobile phone, wi-fi, and cloud storage.

Here are ways to protect your information:

On the Cloud
Dropbox and Evernote are popular cloud services for storing files, but security isn’t tight.  

• Make sure you encrypt your private information.  
• Also, if you backup your files to the cloud, remember that even though you delete them on your computer or mobile device, they are still stored in your cloud account.  
• Completely delete the file by removing it from your backup cloud account.

On Social Media

• Limit the amount of personal information you share on social media.
• Check your privacy settings.
• Periodically take a look at your lists on friend connections online and remove the ones you don’t know well.

On Your Computer

• Don’t click on a suspicious link on a web page or email.  
• Also, make sure you use security software and keep it up to date.

On Your Phone
There is mobile malware that can hijack your phone, stealing your contact list and running up bill for more services.

• Protect yourself by only downloading  phone apps from reputable app stores, like the iTunes App Store, Google Play, and the Windows Store.

On the Web 

• Don’t respond to pop-up windows.
• Secure your home Wi-Fi network.
• Set your web browser to auto-update.

Online Shopping or Financial Transactions 

• Don’t shop online, log on to banking sites, or social networking sites on a public computer or public Wifi networks.   Anyone within Wifi range can access and steal your information.   
• Instead, install a personal virtual private network app on your phone or computer to protect your communications.

Use Two-Factor Authentication Facebook, Twitter, and Gmail offer two-factor authentication.  It’s basically an extra layer of security to shield your login in process from hackers.

Update, Update, Update Security software becomes less effective when it’s out of date. Make sure you are diligent with prompt software updates.

You’ve been hacked, now what?

1. The first thing you should do is reset your passwords.  Start with your email account because password resets for all your other accounts are usually sent to your email.  Once that’s done, reset passwords in you financial and critical accounts.
2. Search the help section of a website, such as Facebook, if you are blocked from accessing it.
3. Let your contacts know you’ve been hacked.
4. Report the hacking to the site.
5. Run a scan of your computer or mobile device using a trusted antivirus program.
6. In the case of identity theft, get a copy or your credit reports, file a fraud alert with the major credit bureaus, and monitor monthly statements for any more unusual activity.

There is no way to completely eliminate the risk of hack attacks and other cyber crimes.  However, taking action now to protect yourself can help reduce the damage down the road if you are targeted.

Need help protecting your real estate information? Give us a call at REVStaffing today at 855-738-7821, or visit our website at www.revstaffing.com.

If you want to find out how REVStaffing can help you with your real estate business, click here to schedule an appointment.

Want to save time and money on real estate transactions? Real estate agents can spend less time managing paperwork and transaction coordination is a breeze thanks to zipForm®,  zipLogix’s real estate forms software.  It’s a pioneer in real estate technology, and has become the exclusive and official forms software for NAR.
zipForm® is basically a home for your transactions.  The software offers a suite of online tools to streamline filling out forms and bring clients and agents together to complete transactions.

There are two popular products with zipForm®.  zipForm® Plus is the premier online form software solution for real estate forms, and it’s easy to use!  zipForm® Standard is the desktop solution that has all the transaction creation features without using the internet.

Here are some ways the zipForm® can help your real estate transactions become more efficient without the risk.

• Easy to use and navigate. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Runs on a PC or MAC. (zipForm® Standard)
• Access available from any computer with an internet connection. (zipForm® Plus)
• Email or print forms without creating a transaction file. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Fullscreen form filling capability. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Apply templates at any time during the transaction. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Mobile transaction access available. (zipForm® Plus)
• E-signature integration. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Email selected pages or an entire transaction. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• English and Spanish available. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Built in address book for fast communication. (zipForm® Plus and zipForm® Standard)
• Assign photos to transactions or contacts. (zipForm® Plus)
• Document storage available. (zipForm® Plus)
• Broker management tools to manage agent and transactions with productivity reports. (zipForm® Plus)

Need help with zipForm®?  Give us a call at REVStaffing today at 855-738-7821, or visit our website at www.revstaffing.com.

If you want to find out how REVStaffing can help you with your real estate business, click here to schedule an appointment.

Women in the U.S. were granted the right to vote on August 26, 1920.  That’s when the 19th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution was signed into law.

The woman suffrage amendment was actually first introduced to the U.S. Congress in 1978, but took 42 years before it received approval from both the House of Representatives and Senate.

In 1971, Congresswoman Bella Abzug introduced a resolution designating August 26 of each year as Women’s Equality Day.

 Every president has made a proclamation for Women’s Equality Day since 1972.

Need help with your real estate business? Give us a call at REVStaffing today at 855-738-7821, or visit our website at www.revstaffing.com.

If you want to find out how REVStaffing can help you with your real estate business, click here to schedule an appointment.