No matter what business you’re in, it’s always important for you to keep one eye on your competitors at all times. Keeping tabs on the competition allows you gain a deeper understanding of some of their best practices and marketing strategies so that you can adopt when necessary. The same principle holds true for search engine optimization (SEO). SEO can be quite complicated at times, and those who make it to the top have likely done their due diligence to secure that spot; oftentimes, leaving competitors wondering how they too can get a piece of the pie.
SEO may have its share of challenges, but, trust me, the code can be deciphered and properties who take the time to understand how it works can certainly manipulate their own strategy to gain one leg up above the competition.
Here’s how you can get a piece of the pie too:
1. Know yourself.
In order to improve your SEO efforts, you have to first know where you stand. Google Analytics is one of the most favored and useful tools used by web managers and SEO professionals alike. It can provide mounds of information about your own website which will allow you to form a baseline before you begin your competitive analysis. With the Analytics tool, you can determine how users are visiting your site, where most of your traffic is coming from, where they’re venturing within your site, and many other important details. It’s important for you to review these reports and pay special attention to any emerging trends or activities, as this will help you paint a better picture of your customers’ online journey.
2. Find out who “they” are.
Before you can begin to stay one step ahead of your competitors, you first need to identify who they are. Now, identifying your competition isn’t as simple as Googling other complexes within your immediate vicinity. It requires a bit more work than that. You’ll first need to perform an accurate search of the top keywords you currently use or are thinking about using in your upcoming SEO campaign. This search will not only give you those complexes that are vining for your same target segment, but will paint a more accurate picture of where you need to best focus your attention when designing your advertising/marketing efforts.
3. Dig deeper.
Your investigation doesn’t just stop at keywords. You’ll need to delve a little deeper into your competitors’ online operations to determine how they’re actually performing on an SEO level. There are online tools that will do most of this work for you. Companies like Spyfu, ahrefs, and SEMrush will allow you to see how your competition is ranking online. They’ll perform an inclusive competitive analysis on any property you choose and will oftentimes analyze things like keyword usage, content, links and more so that you can better determine what you need to do to outrank them.
4. Stay in the know.
The SEO world is constantly changing. Keeping yourself informed of the latest rules, strategies and/or trends just may give you that competitive advantage you need. Dedicate time each week to review top SEO informational sites like searchengineland.com and Entrepreneur.com for advice on improving your existing tactics and skills. By staying current, you’ll be equipping yourself with the tools you need to reach the rankings your heart desires.
Rentbot can help.
Lead the pack with your SEO efforts by partnering with Rentbot. In just a matter of days, our team can build you a clean, well-formatted, well-organized site with both a mobile and responsive design. Not to mention, we’ll carefully optimize your property’s website so that it’s highly searchable and ranks well in organic search engine results, ultimately increasing your SEO traffic.
Take the attention away from your competitors while signing more leases and raising resident retention. Give your property a Rentbot boost and resume your spot at the top.
About the Author
Jonsette Calloway joined the Rentbot team in 2015. With a background in public relations, advertising and copywriting, she has helped a multitude of clients achieve their marketing and communications goals within various fields, but she particularly enjoys working with the apartment industry.