An SEO Case Study
Baby's all grown up!
There is nothing better than seeing a website get the search engine ranking it deserves, after weeks, months and years of hard work. That's what is happening with one of my educational websites, Home Buying Institute.
I launched this website in January of 2006, and in that short time it has become one of the Web's largest libraries of home buying advice. Now, after a lot of hard work, it ranks up there with HUD, CNN and Realtor.com for such competitive search phrases as "buying a home." Not bad for a website that began as a hobby!
How did I accomplish this? Well, I'm still in the process of accomplishing it. After all ... search engine optimization is never finished (just like marketing in general). Here are some of the things I continue to do for this website's success:
1. I create quality articles about the home buying process and distribute them online. These articles get republished often on other websites, and always with a link back to Home Buying Institute. (Strategy: Link Building)
2. I strive to create the kind of information-rich website that people will stay on for a while. Search engines can measure the bounce-rates from a website (after someone has found it through a search engine). By reducing the number of people who "bounce" upon reaching my site, I can improve the perception of quality ... and my long-term search engine ranking. (Strategy: Resource Building)
3. I submit the website to well-established directories, particularly those that have to do with real estate. This increase the number of trusted, quality links coming in to the site, while also increasing its relevance for real estate search terms. (Strategy: Directory Submission)
4. I pay attention to how I am acquiring links. Specifically, I want links from relevant websites with relevant phrases in the link text, and I point them at specific pages of the site (not just the home page). For instance, I would find a mortgage-themed website and place a link for online mortgage loans that goes to a page about that topic. Or I might get a link from a "house flipping" website and point it to this page on flipping houses. See how it works?
Can you duplicate these strategies? Sure you can, down to the last one. Can I help you duplicate these strategies? Yes, and I can save you a lot of time and energy in the process!
~Brandon
There is nothing better than seeing a website get the search engine ranking it deserves, after weeks, months and years of hard work. That's what is happening with one of my educational websites, Home Buying Institute.
I launched this website in January of 2006, and in that short time it has become one of the Web's largest libraries of home buying advice. Now, after a lot of hard work, it ranks up there with HUD, CNN and Realtor.com for such competitive search phrases as "buying a home." Not bad for a website that began as a hobby!
How did I accomplish this? Well, I'm still in the process of accomplishing it. After all ... search engine optimization is never finished (just like marketing in general). Here are some of the things I continue to do for this website's success:
1. I create quality articles about the home buying process and distribute them online. These articles get republished often on other websites, and always with a link back to Home Buying Institute. (Strategy: Link Building)
2. I strive to create the kind of information-rich website that people will stay on for a while. Search engines can measure the bounce-rates from a website (after someone has found it through a search engine). By reducing the number of people who "bounce" upon reaching my site, I can improve the perception of quality ... and my long-term search engine ranking. (Strategy: Resource Building)
3. I submit the website to well-established directories, particularly those that have to do with real estate. This increase the number of trusted, quality links coming in to the site, while also increasing its relevance for real estate search terms. (Strategy: Directory Submission)
4. I pay attention to how I am acquiring links. Specifically, I want links from relevant websites with relevant phrases in the link text, and I point them at specific pages of the site (not just the home page). For instance, I would find a mortgage-themed website and place a link for online mortgage loans that goes to a page about that topic. Or I might get a link from a "house flipping" website and point it to this page on flipping houses. See how it works?
Can you duplicate these strategies? Sure you can, down to the last one. Can I help you duplicate these strategies? Yes, and I can save you a lot of time and energy in the process!
~Brandon
Labels: Search Engine Optimization
posted by Brandon at
8:24 AM
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