Real estate is a complex and ever-changing industry, making it challenging to keep up with the latest trends. One tool that has become increasingly popular in recent years is Google Business. This platform allows businesses to list their properties and services to reach a wider audience. Google Business Profile can also help to improve your business’s visibility and searchability!
The top result of the Google search results page is like a giant neon sign saying “pick me” when people are looking for a real estate agent. You want to make sure that it’s your name up there.
How do you get your name in those bright lights? By claiming and optimizing your Google Business Profile (GBP) page.
Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing that appears when people search for your business on Google Maps or Search. You can consider it a digital version of a business card that appears when people look for you or companies on google.
The right-hand side of a desktop Google search, or the top of mobile screens, displays all the information about your business, including the website address, contact information, customer ratings, hours of operation, photos, products, and any articles you’ve published.
A Google Business Profile isn’t only a convenient method to keep track of your company’s information online, but it’s also an important tool for real estate agents looking to generate more organic leads by ranking higher on Google.
Let’s take a step back to understand why.
Let’s look at the numbers. Google holds 92% of the global search engine market share. That means when people want to find something online, 9 out of 10 times, they’re using Google.
Bing, DuckDuckGo, and other search engines make up the remaining 8 percent. That’s a pretty big lead. So, if you want to get your real estate business in front of potential customers, you need to be where they are: on Google.
In fact, we don’t even say “look it up online” anymore. We say, “Google it.” That’s how big Google has become.
If you’re a real estate agent, keep this in mind:
There’s no doubt that for real estate agents, high Google rankings result in more leads. More importantly, these higher rankings also establish greater credibility and open up new business opportunities. It’s 101 Marketing: businesses that are prominently displayed on the internet reap the rewards.
The challenge, of course, is actually achieving those higher rankings.
Around 16% of all Google searches are people trying to find a specific business by name. For example, if someone types “Papa John’s pizza” into the search bar, Google will try to find that exact business. However, if the business name doesn’t match what was typed in, then it won’t appear in the top results.
In this scenario, there isn’t much you can do to change how Google ranks businesses—either the name matches or it ranks well.
The remaining 84% of the search volume is generated through earned searches.
When people use more general search terms like “best real estate agents in my city” or “best agent near me,” this is called earned search. Google has to decide which results to display for the user based on what will best satisfy their query. This decision-making process is subjective, which means there’s room for influence.
The real estate agent that provides the most accurate reflection of the users’ search parameters is more likely to show up higher in earned search results. Therefore, by giving Google more information about an agent, there’s a better chance that the agent will be pushed up the rankings.
In other words, if you want to improve your chances of showing up in earned search results, make sure you’re giving Google all the information it needs to decide in your favor.
There was a time when Google’s primary method for collecting data and answering queries was through its web crawler. Businesses that wanted Google to take notice of them used common SEO tactics like filling their website, blog, social profiles, and reviews with the right keywords and links. They could then wait for Google to come across their content and recommend it.
However, now that the number of earned searches has surpassed direct searches by about 900%, Google has decided that it would be simpler if agents supplied information about their business to Google rather than the other way around.
In other words, Google favors active agents over watchers who actively contribute to collecting and ranking information. Google wants agents to take on this active role via Google Business Profile.
When an agent creates a GMB profile, they are, in essence, telling Google, “Here is my business information.” In return, can you please show my listing when people in my area search for a real estate agent?”
The result is a win-win. Your agent profile appears in the search engine results pages (SERPs), and you get valuable organic traffic that you wouldn’t have otherwise.
On the other hand, Google also benefits. Not only does it get to provide its users with more accurate and up-to-date results, but Google also gets to gather even more information about businesses.
It’s important to note that an agent’s GMB profile does not guarantee that their listing will show up in the SERPs every time. However, it can give an edge to agents who may be competing for the same keywords.
Three main types of searches that can trigger your GMB profile:
A recent study by Homesnap states that Agents with an optimized Google
Business profiles saw a significant increase in their earned search rankings. In fact, they were nearly twice as likely to rank on the first page of Google search results than those without an optimized profile.
Major Highlights:
Additionally, agents reported a rise in their direct search appearances of 4,376%.
This is most likely because potential customers found the agent through a general search, were interested in what they found, and later decided to look for more information about the agent, such as their website or social media accounts, reviews, or testimonials from clients.
Do you ever use Google Maps to find local businesses? If you’re like most people, the answer is probably yes! And if you’re a business owner, wouldn’t you want your company to appear on Google Maps so potential customers can easily find you?
However, the real benefit of being on Google Maps goes much deeper than just increasing your visibility.
The Google Local Pack is a small box that appears at the top of your search results page. It has three local businesses related to what you were searching for and will make it easy for customers who need these services right away!
There’s no question that appearing in a Google Local Pack is a significant advantage for any business. After all, 44% of users click on a link within a Local Pack before anything else. That’s right: nearly half of all searchers’ first choice for a company appears in a Google Local Pack.
So why is appearing in a Local Pack so important? There are two major factors: frequency of appearance in earned searches and Google’s ability to determine your location.
Frequency of appearance is important because the more often your business appears in earned searches, the more likely it is to catch users’ attention. And since Google Local Packs appear at the top of the search results page, your business is more likely to be seen by customers.
Google’s ability to determine your location is important because it allows users to see businesses nearby. This is especially useful for users searching for a specific type of business in a specific location. For example, if someone is searching for a real estate agent in Los Angeles, Google can show them businesses in the Los Angeles area.
If there’s one thing you take away from this article, When consumers are looking for an agent, they have a nearly 50% chance of clicking your Google Business profile or website.
Reviews are more trusted than any other online review platform, including Facebook, Yelp, or any other real estate marketplace. As you may have guessed, a Google business profile is the most effective method to communicate reviews with consumers. Aside from that, reviews can also improve your search rankings considerably.
Our analysis showed that:
Besides the search results discussed earlier, these additional numbers give you a supplemental increase.
Actually, no.
Many agents believe they can put up a Google Business Profile account and then ignore it, much like how they would set up a website. But that is untrue.
The management of information and regular updates are highly valued by Google. Continuous blogging, publishing of thought leadership and marketing content, updating of images and headshots, and routine submission of fresh reviews are all examples of this. In reality, we discovered that a review’s ability to improve a profile’s visibility only lasts for roughly 90 days.
A lot can happen in 90 days. This is especially true when it comes to real estate. The market can change in just a few months, new listings can come up, and old listings can sell. Google knows this, which is why they value freshness and regular updates regarding business profiles.
Agents who want their Google Business profile to be visible and generate leads need to treat it like any other marketing platform with constant attention and care. Regular updates, interesting content, and beautiful images are essential. And while reviews do help improve visibility, they won’t do much if they’re not kept fresh.
Google wants to provide its users with the most accurate and up-to-date information. If your business profile is out-of-date, inaccurate, or just plain neglected, Google will assume that the information is no longer relevant and give other results more importance.
Don’t let your Google Business profile fall by the wayside! Keep it active and updated if you want to stay ahead of the competition.
Take a look at your Google Analytics. Where do most of your leads come from? If you said "organic search," you're like 70% of other agents, and if you want to increase the number of leads coming through organic search, there's one thing you must do: maintain a strong Google Business profile.
BrokerLEAD GBP specialists have tried and tested different GBP tactics over the years, and we've found that the key to ranking higher on Google and driving more leads is simple: regular maintenance.
We recommend logging into your profile daily and adding new content at least twice a week. This could include listing photos, thought leadership writings, and many others. Any less dedication could result in the risk of de-prioritization.
But it's not just about quantity—quality matters, too. That's why we also encourage you to collect as many genuine reviews as you can, as often as you can. These will not only help improve your ranking but also build trust and credibility with potential clients.
If you don't have the time or know-how to maintain a strong Google Business Profile, we can help. Our GBP specialists will take care of everything for you, from claiming your profile to loading it with photos, listings, and contact information. We'll also send you regular performance reports so you can monitor your progress. Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you rank higher on Google and drive more leads by visiting our IDX in Real Estate guide.
Get in touch with us today to learn more about how we can help you rank higher on Google and drive more leads.
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