There’s a lot that goes into building a real estate website that not only looks great but performs great as well. One of the key pillars to standing out online is search engine optimization or SEO. By optimizing your website for search engines, you increase the chances of your site appearing higher up on the results page. There are a lot of factors that search engines consider when deciding which websites to show on a results page and where they rank such as page speed, mobile responsiveness, optimized content, user experience, and more.

Specifically, the design of a website is important in determining where and how a website appears on results pages.

SEO for real estate can seem a little intimidating at first — there’s a lot to consider! Keep reading to discover some of the ways you can make your real estate website SEO friendly.

5 Rules of SEO-Friendly Web Design

1. Easy to Read
2. Easy to Navigate
3. Easy-to-Find Information
4. Consistency and Clarity
5. Download Speed

Easy to Read

Websites are for people, this means written content on your site needs to be legible, scannable, and understandable. And, Google’s recent algorithm updates at the end of 2022 are heavily focused on displaying the most relevant content to searchers. Aesthetic design should not be put ahead of readability.

Easy to Navigate

In order for your website to perform well, it must be easy to navigate. This means that links need to be clearly distinguishable from non-linking text and images. Users expect certain things on every web page, this means making sure the main navigation and contact information is accessible from every page. Not only should your website be easy to navigate on desktops, but also on tablets and mobile devices as well. How responsive your website is on mobile has a major impact on the user’s experience. Your navigation should be simple and clear and have your phone number displayed prominently so those who land on your website from a mobile device can easily click to call.

Easy-to-Find Information

Users aren’t coming to your site by accident, typically they have a specific piece of information they are looking for. And, as mentioned previously, Google has put a strong emphasis on helpful and relevant content, meaning So, use the data to inform what you should be linking to and from your homepage. Users start to get annoyed and will leave your site if it’s taking 5 or more clicks to find the information they are looking for.

Consistency & Clarity

Use a consistent page architecture throughout your site and don’t overload pages with too much information. This is something both users and search engines value. Make sure your website design clearly displays information and shows users where they can find more information or contact you.

Download Speed

Page load times are crucial for SEO success. The longer it takes for a page to load on your site, the less likely a user is to stick around and convert. A fast download speed helps create an ideal user experience. Be sure to reduce your image sizes as much as possible (without sacrificing the quality).

Here are Union Street Media, we understand that creating an SEO-friendly website design and maintaining an SEO strategy for real estate is key to standing out where it matters most online in order to drive traffic to your website (and over the years we’ve gotten pretty good at it!)

Looking to elevate your digital marketing strategy for real estate? Contact us today!