24 tips for analyzing a competitor's real estate SEO strategy

In today's digital age, the real estate sector is undergoing significant changes, and SEO plays a pivotal role in ensuring a real estate business's online success. To stay ahead, it's crucial to understand and evaluate your competitors' SEO strategies.

This blog is a summary of the full version written on Real Estate Webmasters' blog page.

Identifying Your Competitors

Knowing who you're up against is the first step in a competitive SEO analysis.

1. Define Your Keywords: Begin by identifying SEO keywords relevant to your real estate business. For instance, a Chicago-based agent might focus on "Chicago real estate" or "homes for sale in Chicago," among other keywords.
2. Run a Search: Search these keywords online. The top five results are typically your main competitors.
3. Broaden Your Search: Use varied keywords to discover more competitors.
4. Use Tools: Tools like Ahrefs and SEMRush offer insights into your online competitors and other valuable data.

With the right tools and approach, you can pinpoint your main competitors and set the stage for deeper analysis.

Analyzing Your Competitors' Keyword Strategy

Keywords are the backbone of SEO, and understanding your competitor's approach can offer valuable insights.

1. Keyword Overview: Tools like Ahrefs or Moz can help identify the keywords your competitors rank for.
2. High-Value Keywords: Focus on high-volume, low-competition keywords your competitors rank for.
3. Long-Tail Keywords: These are less competitive and can be easier to rank for.
4. Keyword Placement: Observe keyword placements on competitor sites for potential opportunities.

By studying your competitors' keyword strategies, you can identify opportunities or gaps in your own approach.

Investigating Competitors' On-Page SEO Tactics

On-page SEO elements play a crucial role in how a website ranks in search results.

1. Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Check how competitors use keywords in these areas.
2. URL Structure: Good SEO often involves clear, concise URLs with keywords.
3. Content Quality: Quality content is vital for ranking.
4. Internal Linking: Observe how competitors link their pages throughout their websites.
5. Images and Alt Text: Images offer another chance to improve SEO.

A comprehensive understanding of your competitors' on-page tactics can guide you in optimizing your site for better search engine performance.

Analyzing Competitors' Content Marketing Strategy

Quality content drives SEO success, and understanding your competitors' content approach can be enlightening.

1. Review Their Blog: Check the frequency and quality of competitor blog posts.
2. Analyze Their Use of Multimedia: Multimedia can enhance engagement and SEO.
3. Observe Their Content Lengths: Longer content tends to rank better — to a degree; highly optimized blog posts are at least 500 words for blogs you want to rank well.

By evaluating your competitors' content strategies, you can craft a unique and effective content plan for your own business.

Reviewing Your Competitors' Social Media Influence

While not a direct SEO ranking factor, a strong social media presence can indirectly boost your online visibility.

1. Assess Their Presence: Identify platforms they're active on, and what their engagement levels are like.
2. Identify Shared Content: Observe the type of content they share.

By gauging your competitors' social media influence, you can strategize your own efforts to complement your SEO strategy.

Interpreting the Data: What Does it All Mean?

Gathering data is just the beginning; the real value lies in its interpretation.

1. Look for Patterns: Common keywords among competitors can be valuable.
2. Spot Opportunities: Identify where competitors excel or lack.
3. Evaluate Trends: Continually reassess competitor strategies for changes.

By understanding and interpreting data from your competitor analysis, you can make informed strategic decisions about your own SEO efforts.

Benchmarking Your Real Estate SEO Strategy

To truly understand your SEO performance, it's essential to benchmark your efforts against your competitors.

1. Ranking Comparison: Use tools to compare keyword rankings with competitors.
2. Backlink Analysis: Compare the quality of backlinks to your competitors.
3. Speed and Mobile Optimization: Evaluate your site's speed and mobile-friendliness — some tools you can use are GT Metrix and Page Speed Insights.

Benchmarking provides a clear picture of where you stand, highlighting areas of strength and opportunities for improvement.

Turning Analysis into Action

Understanding your competitors' SEO strategies is about leveraging that knowledge to your benefit. It's about identifying gaps in their efforts, finding opportunities in yours, and leveraging new knowledge about SEO — like that found in Real Estate Webmasters' SEO forum. The aim is not to mimic but to surpass your competitors.