Dominating Local Search

Here is how we tackled the problem.

1. We optimized the listings on the client's website to make the listings taste good to search engines.

We implemented the data structure from Schema.org for real estate listings and applied it to our property listing pages, as well as our Available Properties page.

We used all the applicable meta tags, and filled them with accurate content (instead of cramming them with keywords the way people did back in the 1990's).

We used Semantic HTML and HTML5 microdata to mark up the actual content on the page to give it meaning to Search Engines.

2. We used CMS Made Simple's Pretty-URL structure to make it clear which town each listing was located in, in case it wasn't already clear.  And we created listing pages for each town in our client's service area, like this one:

http://www.figenterprises.net/properties-for-rent/wise-va-rentals.htm

3. We used {smarty} to automatically build description meta tags for each property that give the searcher all the relevant information and entice them to click on the link:

{* Set standard description *}

{capture assign='meta_desc'}

{strip}

{if $entry->categories.0->name != 'Mobile Lot' && $entry->categories.0->name != 'Commercial'}{$entry->fields.num_bedrooms->value} bed, {$entry->fields.num_bath->value} bath {$entry->categories.0->name} f{else}F{/if}or rent at {$full_address} for ${$entry->price}/mo with {$entry->fields.deposit->value}.  Map and photos.

{/strip}

{/capture}

That produces a standard description like this:

4 bed, 3 bath Apartment for rent at Laurel Avenue Apartment 1 , Pound, Virginia 24279 for $450/mo with $450.00 minimum performance deposit. Map...

4. Even with the improved Semantic HTML improvements we were still at the bottom of Google's first result page for the phrase: wise va rental housing.   So, we looked at the listings above us and figured out how to use them to our advantage.

Two of the listings above ours were websites related to the Town of Wise and the Wise County Chamber of Commerce.  It so happens that our client was well connected to both organizations, so we made a couple of phone calls on his behalf and got them to put links to his website in their real estate pages of their websites.

The link juice from both of these sites immediately leapfrogged our site above them.

Now we were at number three, and still above us were two megasites that would be very difficult to dislodge from their perch: hotpads.com and apartmenthomeliving.com.

A bit of research on both sites revealed that hotpads.com has the ability to create a property management company profile, and also will automatically import an XML file of listings from your site if you give them a feed.

So, we created a profile for Fig Enterprises LLC on hotpads.com, and we create a special XML feed using CGFeedMaker and the Products module (which we use for the Real Estate Listings).

Hotpads added the feed at our request.  So, even though may never be able to knock hotpads off the #1 spot for "wise va rental housing", it so happens our client is the only company listing their rentals there.  So if we click on the #1 result, it shows our client's properties along with links back to our site.

Today if you Google for rentals in his town two of the top three links sell our client's listings.  This is good for his business, and good for our business.