Referrals as an SEO Strategy: Backlinks

As you start to think about getting more traffic to your website, it's important to differentiate the specific channels your traffic is coming through. Up until now, this article series has focused on SEO tactics for driving organic traffic directly from search engines like Google, Yahoo or Bing. Two other major traffic channels include paid advertising, often known as pay-per-click, and referral traffic.

When someone clicks on a link to your website from somewhere other than a search engine, such as a Yelp page or a social media post, it's considered referral traffic. The more referral traffic you get, the better. Google will see your site more favorably since the traffic is coming from credible sites. Referral traffic can also bring in more qualified leads because of the sources they are coming from. If someone clicks on your page from a Yelp review, for instance, they are more likely looking for agents in their area. The other good news is referral traffic is often free to get if you put the time in.

So how do you boost your referral traffic? Here are a few easy ways.

Get Listed on Review Sites

More and more consumers are checking online reviews before buying products and services, and the same is true when hiring professionals to do everything from fixing a plumbing problem to selling their home. There are a number of well-known sites on the internet that provide agent reviews and ratings, so it's important to claim your business listing on these sites and ask clients to leave you reviews. Maintaining your online reputation is essential for agents who want to grow their online presence. Here are some of the major review sites you should focus on: Yelp, Google My Business listing, Realtor.com, Zillow.

Use Social Media

An effective and easy way to increase your referral traffic is to actively use your social media channels. So fire up your Facebook, Twitter, Linkedin, and YouTube accounts and get posting. Be sure to include links back to engaging content on your website or to your listings. The bigger your networks, the greater likelihood of clicks from referral traffic.

Write Guest Blog Posts

You may have a blog on your site, but it's also a great idea to write and post content on other websites focused on the real estate industry. Many times, these sites will allow you to include an author bio at the end of the article where you can add a link to your website and a description of who you are and the areas where you specialize in selling real estate. Research popular real estate news and marketing websites and you find those that accept guest posts. The sites will provide specific guidelines for guest bloggers to follow, including the ideal post length, topic suggestions and how many backlinks you can include within the post.

Get Visual

Another way to get clicks to your website is to post visual content like infographics. Take interesting market statistics about your local area, or stats on home buying and turn it into an eye-catching graphic that people want to click on. One of the best places to share these images is Pinterest. The platform easily allows you to add a link to your website, and it doesn't hurt that Pinterest is said to be responsible for about 5 percent of referral traffic to websites.

To view the original article, visit the Chime Technologies blog.