Before a vendor books an appraisal, they look you up. You can’t control everything that appears when they do, but you can make it much more likely that the first result is a page you own, saying what you want it to say.
A word of warning first: anyone who guarantees you a number one ranking on Google is promising something they can’t control. What you can do is remove every reason a search engine might have to rank someone else’s page above yours for your own name.
1. Own a domain in your name
A site at yourname.com.au that’s clearly about you is a strong signal that it’s the right result for a search of your name. It’s the foundation for everything else on this list. See why your name should be your domain.
2. Say who you are, plainly, on the page
Search engines read your pages the way a careful stranger would. Make sure your site says, in words rather than only in images:
- your full name
- that you’re a real estate agent
- the suburbs you work in
- the agency you work with
Your page title matters most. “Jordan Reyes | Real estate agent in Paddington” does far more work than “Home”.
3. Add structured data
Structured data is a small block of code that tells search engines the facts about a page in a format they understand: that this is a real estate agent, their name, their area and how to contact them. Every Real Agent Marketing site includes it automatically.
4. Be consistent everywhere
Use the same name, the same phone number and the same website address on:
- your agency profile
- your portal agent profiles
- your review platform profile
- your social profiles
- your email signature
Consistency helps search engines connect all of these to the same person, and to your website.
5. Link to your site from the profiles you already have
Most of the platforms you’re already on let you add a website. Each link from a trusted site to yours tells search engines your site is the real you. Ask your agency to link to your personal site from your profile page too.
6. Set up your Google Business Profile
Google allows individual practitioners, including real estate agents, to have their own Business Profile. Fill it in completely, choose the right category, link it to your website and keep your details consistent with everything else. Check your agency’s policy first, as some prefer to manage profiles centrally.
7. Make it fast and mobile-friendly
Most people will look you up on their phone. A slow or awkward site is a poor experience, and search engines take that into account. Our sites are built as lightweight static pages for exactly this reason.
8. Tell search engines your site exists
Submit your sitemap in Google Search Console. It’s free, and it also shows you which searches your site appears for. Every Real Agent Marketing site publishes a sitemap automatically.
9. Keep it current
Update your listings and recent sales, and add your new suburbs as you grow. A site that changes regularly gives search engines a reason to come back.
What to expect
For a reasonably unique name, a well-built site on your own domain often starts appearing for searches of your name within weeks of being found by search engines. For common names, or names shared with someone well known, it takes longer, and adding your suburb or “real estate” to the search will matter more.
Either way, the steps are the same. Do them once, keep them up to date, and you’ve given yourself the best possible chance of being the name they find first.