Last week, we posted the first article in a series on the value of SEO. Today, we're continuing the series with the first of three case studies that explores how top performing brokers leverage SEO for success in real estate.

Success Leaves Clues

I have always been a student of excellence. I watch successful people and notice what they do and what they don't do. I love to hang around people that perform at this level because they always have a great energy level and they are always looking for ways to improve. They are fun, charismatic and curious and, you may find this surprising, they are happy to share what they know. They don't worry that they are giving away the "secret sauce" because they realize execution is key and a head start in any business today is priceless. They also have committed to doing the things that made them successful every single day. They keep their foot on the gas and continue to innovate.

I asked some of these "elite" real estate professionals to talk a bit about how they approach SEO and their overall marketing strategies and any tips they would be willing to share. I recommend you take a moment and visit each of their websites as well to see first hand what they do as success does leave clues!

The Ashton Real Estate Group

RE/MAX Elite
Team Lead: Gary Ashton
Nashville, TN
http://www.nashvillesmls.com

Realtors like Gary Ashton devote time, money, and energy to build their on- and offline brand every day. Gary Ashton is the founder and leader of The Ashton Real Estate Group and, as of 2012, is the Official Real Estate Agent of The Tennessee Titans. His team has been the #1 RE/MAX team in Tennessee for the last three years. They are #6 in the USA with RE/MAX in 2013 and #9 in the entire world.

Official Realtor of the Tennessee Titans

Gary is also the official real estate agent for the Tennessee Titans NFL franchise. Gary invests heavily in opportunities like this because it is all part of a broader marketing strategy where each part builds upon the other. The important thing to remember is no one approach is going to make it work today. You need to expand your thinking and see your website, SEO, ads, other promotions, your blogs, your reference accounts, etc. as part of one comprehensive strategy. They all help to build and maintain your online authority.

When I spoke with Gary he noted, "You can be number one in Google for any particular search, but there can only be one official Realtor for the Tennessee Titans and the recognition this brings to our team is fantastic! We really do have a multi-faceted approach to our marketing and it all ties into and supports our SEO. With the Titans, we work with the players. We do a tailgate every home game and have an RV that is wrapped with a big ad for our team. The more people see it, the more they hear our name, the more likely they will find us on our site and decide to work with us."

SEO/PPC

In terms of straight SEO, Gary said they invest monthly for outside support. He also noted that they have been working hard on this for 10 years and have gained authority by the site age and the amount of content.

"Our whole team contributes to content, in addition to our SEO advisors," Gary explained. "Our community involvement is really broad and beneficial. It is a natural source for relevant contact that directly impacts our SEO. It's a win-win."

Gary reports they are selective when using Pay Per Click (PPC) advertising, but says they do use it selectively with key listings or on selective marketing campaigns.

SBO – Social Branding Optimization

Maybe as important as everything else Gary does is his use of social media, what we decided to call "Social Branding Optimization" (SBO). Gary loves to take photos, actually "selfies," with him in various locations in his community or around the globe, highlighting his brand as well as a location, another person or, like this photo, an ad showing they are the official Realtor for the Titans. He often uses an app to stylize his photos, which gives him a very specific, trademark look. Friends and followers alike love to see where he will pop up next. It's fun, it's hooky and it's smart and a great example of how you can use social media to increase brand strength. Gary pushes social content out on Facebook, LinkedIn, Google+ and Twitter.

User Friendly Is Key

Gary also noted, "Our Real Estate Webmasters website is so user friendly for the public the site is what makes the SEO work. You can have a site rank well in certain terms but if the site isn't friendly, the bounce rate will be incredible. We had past bounce rates as high as 50%, but with our REW site we are in the low high 20s or 30s."

I asked Gary if they had added anything new to their marketing approach recently and he told me, yes, they are now working with RATE (Radio and Television Experts) to promote their brand. RATE provides great national local exposure for their clients as well as endorsements from their radio and TV personalities, like Barbara Corcoran, Glenn Beck, and John Tesh.

What not to do!

I asked Gary, if he looked back, is there anything he would advise others not to do to help them avoid the same mistakes. He answered almost immediately. "For years," he said, "I focused on capturing and working with buyers, but I did a poor job of staying in touch with them after our initial business was done. I was so focused on getting new leads and new clients, I dropped the ball when it came to past clients. Today, we devote a lot of energy on this. We really work our database and stay in touch."

He also noted one other thing to be careful about as you aggressively go after leads. "Let's say an office is getting a lot of leads--20-60 leads a day, even. I like to equate this to a tennis ball machine that is firing balls at you one by one. You can catch everyone one up to a point and hold them in your other arm and hand, but eventually you start dropping them. We view leads this way. You need to be realistic about how many leads you can handle well, or you will drop them. If you really do have too many all the time, add agents. That's a good problem."

More Articles in this Series

• Introduction and SEO Tips
• Case Study: LIV Real Estate
• Case Study: Justin Havre & Associates