Search Engine Optimization (SEO) for your XSite
This document explains how to maximize your XSite's searchability.
Document 7031 | Last updated: 09/18/2020 MJY
Search Engine Optimization, or SEO, is an ongoing practice to keep your site as close to the top of search engine results as possible — think Google and Bing. When someone looks for an appraiser online, you want your site to be one of the first sites they see.
Search engines are more sophisticated than ever, but this guide covers a variety of proven tactics to give your business an edge.
General tips | Advanced tips | Content ideas | Additional resources
General tips
- Use a mobile-friendly theme. Over half of the traffic to your site is from smartphones and tablets. Click here to learn how to enable a theme that adapts to screens of all sizes.
- Connect your website to Google Business, Google Analytics, Bing Places, and Bing Webmaster Tools to improve your ranking dramatically.
- Keep your home page concise. Part of what search engine algorithms see is your Bounce Rate — how many people visit your site, but leave without clicking any links. Too many visual elements can turn away potential clients, especially on your home page. Click here for some guidelines.
- Keep your content local. If you appraise in Texas, it doesn't matter how visible your site is to a homeowner in Maine. SEO for appraisers is area-specific. Try focusing on local events in your blog, or adding local reviews from Google or Yelp!. For more in-depth tips, click here for an article on local SEO.
- Engage your audience. The writing style on your site should grab the reader's attention. Especially on your home page, consider customizing the text with unique insights or anecdotes about your business.
- Enable Ghostwriter. Ghostwriter automatically rewrites your provided pages with fresh content, which keeps them interesting to search engine indexes. Click here to learn how to turn it on.
- Try out social media. Even if you don't have a personal account, creating a Facebook page or Twitter handle for your business can be a powerful way to get noticed. The XSite Content Editor lets you easily link to your social media pages — click here to learn how.
- Get respected sites to link to yours. Another important concept in SEO is called Domain Authority. This measures how respected a site is, and it's based on how long it's been around, plus its traffic and popularity. Getting other sites to link to your XSite is useful, but the source matters. Links from established real estate sites are a good bet.
- Use our built-in Search Engine Tools. The Content Editor lets you edit the Page Title, Keywords, and Page Description on each page of your XSite, among other things. Click here for instructions.
- Check your stats. Your XSite's Stats section tells you which pages on your site are viewed most often. This helps you decide which pages might need additional or updated content.
Advanced tips
- Submit a sitemap. Sitemaps let search engines know which pages on your site are important. Click here for instructions on submitting one.
- Optimize your microdata and formatting. The creators of Bing, Google, and Yahoo! began Schema.org as a way to help streamline the way we organize data on the Internet. You can use their standards to improve your SEO. Click here to read their Getting Started guide.
Content ideas
- Add a biography section. A few personal details about you and/or your staff, perhaps with headshots, can make an otherwise dry "About" page into something more interesting for clients.
- Use testimonials. For satisfied clients who don't want to use Google reviews or Yelp!, you can request a written review to put on your site. We offer a Testimonials page in the Provided Content section of Step 5 for this purpose. Bear in mind: you shouldn't have exactly the same reviews on your XSite as on your Google reviews page, because this actually hurts your SEO.
- Write blog posts. Use your XSite's blogging feature to generate regular content. Blog posts are a great opportunity to talk about local events, market trends, or whatever else you're interested in. Plus, your XSite blog lets you moderate and respond to comments, so it's a good way to interact with potential clients. Click here to get started.
Additional resources
Click on the links below to access various SEO resources on the web.
