Does Your Local Business Need a Website? Yes. Here are 4 Reasons Why

It’s no secret that owning a small business is getting more difficult. With more competition, higher expenses, and clients tightening their spending, winning business is challenging.

One of the most effective ways to generate new business is with a great website. Traditional marketing methods like offline advertising, mailers, bandit signs, and even cold calling can still work. And modern approaches like being social-only have their place for some companies. But when it comes to local businesses and services, the majority of today’s consumers search online and use a business’s website to judge its credibility.

Let’s explore four data-backed reasons your local business needs a website.

Key Takeaways

People not only search online for local businesses, they use business websites to decide who to trust. Even if you’re advertising elsewhere or are social-first, having a modern website can determine if a customer works with you.
A website with easy contact options — like a clickable phone number and a short, easy-to-find form — lets you generate customers outside normal business hours.
A good website is a foundational part of appearing in AI search results.
Your website is the ideal place to showcase your work and customer reviews. Over 90% of consumers rely on reviews before making a purchase or working with a business.

1. A Website Gives You Modern Credibility

I work for a company that helps local service providers launch a website, so I admittedly have a vested interest in you having a site. But statistics are also on my side. The fact of the matter is, people go online to search for local businesses. Not some people. A lot of people. Approximately 99% of consumers go online to discover local businesses. Yet 27% of small businesses think a website is irrelevant to their industry.

Those holdouts relying on recommendations, old school marketing methods, or social media platforms majorly miss out. Not only on search traffic, but on consumer trust. Having a professional-looking website lends your business credibility.

DreamHost’s 2026 Local Business Trust Index found that:

69% of consumers said a website is essential for a local business to be credible.
Businesses with websites are perceived as 41% more trustworthy than those without.
45% of consumers say businesses without websites feel less “real.”
39% report they have declined to do business with a company specifically because it lacked a website. That figure jumps to 45% among consumers ages 18-44.

If you’re a home services provider, having a website is even more important. DreamHost found that 66% of consumers said they’re more likely to hire a contractor or home service provider with a website.

Even with people continuing to ask friends for recommendations and increasingly turning to social media or AI for searches, a website remains a foundational piece of business credibility. Here’s more from DreamHost:

58% of people check a business website to confirm info they see on social or Google.
Only 35% of consumers consider working with a company recommended by AI that doesn’t have a website.
Having a good website is the second most important trust factor when judging a local business (only online reviews are more important). Social media came in third. Personal recommendations ranked fourth.

The first website was created in 1991. Google Search has been around since 1995. Automatic delivery of the Yellow Pages began phasing out in 2011. Websites aren’t a fad. They’re how people find businesses — and decide which ones to trust — as we move further into the 21st century.

2. Show Up in Local Search (SEO) & AI Search

So people are searching online. How do you make sure you show up in those searches? One of the answers is having an SEO-optimized website.

72% of small to medium-sized businesses say SEO has a medium-high impact on their business, yet only 40% said they have a dedicated website. — Bright Local

Good SEO lets you target potential customers when they’re looking for a specific solution. Here are a few tips for good SEO that will help you rank in local searches:

Be hyper local — When people conduct a local search, they don’t want a business the town over. They want a business in their town. Make sure you target these searchers by clearly including your service areas on your website. Even better, have a dedicated page for each market you serve.
Think (and speak) like a consumer — There may be a lot of technical terms in your industry, but your customers might not know them. When writing website copy, use the terms your customers are most likely to use. Essentially, speak like a human or imagine you’re describing what you do to your grandma.
- Instead of talking exclusively about “buying homes in probate,” create web content explaining how you help people “sell an inherited house.”
- If you’re an HVAC company, your customers might not know what a condenser is. They’re more likely to search for more generic, simple terms like “AC isn’t working” or “AC repair.”
Answer their questions upfront — When someone is looking to sell their house fast, for cash, or is looking for a home service provider, they have a lot of questions. Answer their most common questions with FAQ sections on your webpages.
- Think about the questions your current customers ask you most often, these make great FAQs!
- Google’s auto-suggest feature is another great place to learn what people commonly search for and the phrases they use.

Use Google's auto-suggest to find FAQs for your home services business

These SEO best practices also help with AI search optimization.

McKinsey & Company found that 50% of consumers use AI-powered search. BrightLocal’s Local Consumer Review Survey 2026 found that use of AI tools for local recommendations grew from 6% in 2025 to 45% this year (yes, you read that right, that’s a 650% increase!). AI engines are now the third most popular source of business recommendations, with 40% of consumers trusting AI to provide business recommendations.

To be found by modern consumers, you need to be online. And the best way to control your online presence is with your own SEO and AI-optimized website.

Want help optimizing your website for local AI search? Check out Carrot’s AI Visibility Challenge, built specifically for local services businesses and real estate professionals!

Or want someone to manage SEO for you? We can help!

3. Generate Leads & Get Customers — Even after hours

This one should seem pretty straightforward. People are looking online for a local business. Being online gives you a better chance of being found when (and where) they’re looking — especially if your site is SEO optimized.

But it’s more nuanced than that. Your business (likely) isn’t open 24/7, but that doesn’t mean people only look for service providers during normal business hours. In an emergency repair situation, someone searching for a local service provider needs to get in touch with you quickly — no matter what time of day it is. In this case, research indicates they’ll look at your star rating, read some reviews, then go to your website to verify you can solve their problem and ultimately contact you.

Or maybe someone is contemplating a kitchen remodel or a roof replacement and only has time to sit down and do research in the evenings. These people are more likely to look closely at your website and do deep research before reaching out. They may not even want to talk to someone right away and be more interested in filling out a form for a quote instead.

This is a similar situation for real estate investors wanting to attract motivated sellers. The seller may be dealing with a stressful situation and hesitant to reach out directly. Or they may have limited time to dedicate to selling a property and need to fit it in when they can … even if you’re not immediately available. Offering them a free, fast cash offer via a website form can seem like a lower-pressure option for these visitors. (And using CarrotCRM’s autoresponder feature means you can respond to them immediately, even when you’re offline.)

Without a website, you limit potential customers to only the people who know about you without an online search and those who can get ahold of you when you happen to be available.

Here are easy contact methods you should include on your website:

A clickable phone number for people on mobile devices
- This is particularly important if you’re a service provider who offers 24/7 emergency services!
A contact form in the hero (top) section of your website
A simple contact form that doesn’t ask for too much information
- Our testing shows that more than 3 fields dramatically reduces the form completion rate, so keep your initial contact forms to only the information you absolutely need.

Generate leads & customers, even after hours

4. Build Trust

I already mentioned that people consider businesses with a modern website more trustworthy. But having a website also lets you showcase your business and really build that trust.

When a potential client comes to your site, they want to make sure you can solve their problem and that you’re legitimate. The best way to put their mind at ease is to show them who you are, the work you’ve done, your credentials, and highlight happy past customers. Your website is the perfect place to:

Show before and after photos of projects
Talk about your company’s history and ties to the local area
Show real photos of your team
Walk customers through your process
Publish licensing information
Highlight ratings from Google, BBB, and other review sites
Post local media mentions (like local news appearances or sponsorships)

Most importantly, highlight real customer reviews on your website. SQ Magazine found that 93% of consumers read online reviews before making a purchase decision, with 88% trusting online reviews as much as personal recommendations. More importantly, 58% of consumers say they are willing to pay more for businesses with strong reviews!

BrightLocal puts the number of people who read online reviews for local businesses even higher — at 97%. They also found that the percentage of consumers who “always” read reviews jumped from 29% last year to 41% in 2026.

97% of consumers read reviews for local businesses. Source: BrightLocal

When you finish working with a client, ask for a photo with them and a testimonial. Better yet, see if they’ll talk about your company in a short video. Putting a face to the review lets people know you didn’t make it up. If you want to use Google reviews on your website, take a screenshot of the review and put it on your site as an image for the same level of legitimacy. (Pro Tip: If you’re using images of reviews, type the content of the review into the image’s alt text so it can be crawled for SEO and AI search.)

A website builds trust with potential customers

Websites are a must for today’s local businesses

There’s no escaping the internet, and companies that try to ignore the need for a business website are only hurting themselves. No matter how small your business, who you target, or what you offer, people want to check you out online before they commit. If you’re a real estate investor or a local services provider (like HVAC, contractor, electrician, plumbing, roofing, etc), having a website with good local SEO is non-negotiable.

Zippia found that 81% of consumers conduct online research about a business prior to making a purchase, with 47% seeking information specifically from the business’s website.

People want information before working with a business, and they turn to the internet to find that information. If you’re not online, your business is effectively silent.

Launching an SEO-optimized website for your local business doesn’t have to cost thousands or require technical know-how. Carrot’s AI website builder walks you through the process in minutes for less than $150/mo.

May 27, 2026

Real Estate SEO Made Simple: 6 Easy Wins You Can DIY

SEO has a reputation for being hard to DIY. You’ve got checklists, keywords, content to write, and rankings to track — it can feel like a lot.

The good news is, you don’t need to master everything to see results!

A few focused actions can dramatically improve your rankings and help you attract more motivated seller leads. A great example is Mark St. Peter’s story, who did his own SEO and ranked #3 in competitive Arizona markets within just 6 months, generating leads daily.

Key Takeaways

Don’t dump all keywords into one page. Match them to the right page type (landing page, guide, blog, FAQ).
When writing, add local proof: foreclosure stats, median prices, seller stories, neighborhood details.
Check your site with Carrot’s Site Audit Tool to fix quick wins like duplicate content, missing meta tags, or broken links.
Create city- or county-specific pages with local keywords in the URL (e.g. /sell-my-house-fast-roseburg).
Add alt text to images that describes the property or city (e.g. “3-bedroom house in Eugene ready for cash sale”).
Drop in internal links with keyword-rich anchor text (“sell your house fast in Portland”) instead of generic “learn more.”

Real quick before we dive in – why does SEO even matter?!

Because a tired landlord doesn’t flip through a phone book. Someone facing foreclosure isn’t waiting for postcards. Motivated sellers open their phone and type in exactly what’s on their mind: “stop foreclosure timeline in Oregon” or “sell my house fast in Roseburg.” Every one of those searches is a lead raising their hand.

Carrot websites are already built with SEO in mind, giving you a strong foundation out of the box. But if you want to maximize visibility in your market, the tips we’ll cover here will help you go from “just having a site” to actually generating consistent, high-quality leads from search.

1. Start with Keyword Research

Keyword research is really just trying to find the exact phrases motivated sellers, buyers, or landlords type when they’re hunting for help (“sell my house fast in Roseburg,” “probate house sale timeline,” “cash offer vs listing fees”). If you publish pages that match those real phrases (and actually answer the intent behind them), Google can put you in front of the right people.

If this is brand new to you, we walk through the process in the Real Estate SEO Bible, where you’ll see examples of the most profitable real estate keywords and how to apply them on your site.

Brainstorm your seed keywords.

Start with obvious ones like “sell my house fast,” “cash home buyers,” or “buy houses in .” or you can list 5–10 problems you solve: behind on payments, inherited a house, probate, code violations, divorce, tired landlord, need cash fast, “sell as-is,” These are your starting points.

You can also put in a competitor’s domain in Carrot’s Keyword Explorer to see what they’re ranking for.

Find related keywords

This is where things get easier. Carrot automatically shows you related keyword ideas, their monthly search volume, and how tough (Difficulty level) it’ll be to rank for them. The low-to-mid difficulty, high-intent phrases are the sweet spot for solo operators.

Choose your list of keywords to write on

Don’t try to create content on every topic, even if it’s easy to do that with AI tools now. Here’s a simple sniff test that helps you pick winners:

• Relevance: Would a person searching for this hire you if they liked what they read?

• Difficulty: Are the current results beatable with a stronger, more local, more useful page?

• Demand: Enough people search this to be worth an afternoon of writing—even if it’s dozens per month, not thousands.

Once you have that,

Decide what to do with them

Once you’ve gathered a list of keywords, the next step is deciding what to do with them. A common mistake is treating every keyword the same — cranking out the same type of blog posts for everything, or trying to stuff them all onto your homepage. That’s not how Google works, and it’s not how motivated sellers search.

Instead, match each keyword to the right kind of page.

Some keywords signal that someone is ready to act right now (“sell my house fast Roseburg”) — those belong on high-converting landing pages. Others show that the person is still researching (“stop foreclosure Oregon timeline”) — those are perfect for detailed guides or blog posts where you educate first, then invite them to reach out.

Keyword idea	Intent	Page type	Notes
sell my house fast Roseburg	Transactional	City landing page	Primary headline + form; add local proof & neighborhoods
stop foreclosure Oregon timeline	Informational	Guide	Include step-by-step timeline + options + CTA to call
sell inherited house [county]	Informational → Transactional	County page or blog + CTA	Cover probate basics, taxes, and local court links
cash offer vs listing	Comparison	Blog/FAQ	Show math with local fees/days-on-market data

Once you’ve created a handful of articles, add them to Carrot’s Keyword Rank Tracker so you can watch positions move as you publish. That feedback loop teaches you fast: which angles stick, which need more depth, and where an internal link or two will nudge you onto page one.

2. Publish Original, Information-Rich Content

Generic content is dying. With Google’s AI Overviews, searchers can get surface-level answers to broad queries without ever clicking a website. For example, a quick search for “average sale prices of houses in Texas” now produces an AI summary showing the median price ($335,494). That’s fast, neat, and complete enough that most people won’t bother scrolling further.

What wins clicks (and trust) is specific, original information people can’t get anywhere else: local numbers, real timelines, first-hand process details, and outcomes from deals you’ve actually closed

For example, instead of writing: “Foreclosure rates are high in our area.”

You can back up with details, data, or real-life examples. That’s what makes your post worth reading, linking to, and trusting: “According to Douglas County court filings, foreclosure starts rose 14% in the past year. That’s one of the highest jumps in Oregon, which means more families here are scrambling to find fast solutions.”

The first is just a claim. The second proves you know your market.

Tips to create good content

Here are a few practical ways investors can create content that gets read:

Use local data. Add stats on median home prices, average days on market, foreclosure rates, or rental vacancy rates in your city or county. Even citing a recent Zillow or MLS report with your commentary makes the piece more valuable.
Explain the “why” behind seller pain points. Don’t just say, “Selling through an agent takes too long.” Spell it out: the average listing in [your city] takes 63 days to close, plus repairs and showings can add weeks more.
Show real stories. Share anonymized examples of sellers you’ve helped (“A retired couple in Springfield avoided foreclosure when we closed in 14 days”). These details connect emotionally and prove you’ve done it before.
Offer your perspective. Add your take on what these numbers or situations mean for homeowners. For example: “Yes, prices are dropping, but that can actually make cash offers more attractive because buyers with financing are pulling back.”

Writing that kind of content from scratch every week takes hours you probably don’t have.

That’s where Carrot’s Automated Content Library comes in. Instead of starting with a blank page, you can pull from a collection of expertly written, real estate–focused blogs that are already 90% ready to publish.

Content Marketing Made Easier with Carrot's Content Tools

All you have to do is add your personality, your market insights, or a quick local stat. And you’ll get content that stands out from the generic fluff AI is summarizing.

3. Nail the Basics of Technical SEO

Technical SEO sounds complicated, but it’s just about making sure your website is built in a way that search engines (like Google) can easily find, understand, and show it to people.

Some key parts of technical SEO are:

Crawlable: Google’s robots should be able to move around your site and visit all your pages without getting blocked.
Indexable: Once robots read the pages, Google should be able to save them in its “library” so they can show up in search results.
Speed: Your site should load quickly, because slow sites make visitors (and Google) unhappy.
Mobile-friendly: Your site should look and work properly on phones and tablets, not just computers.
Clean URLs: Website links should be short and easy to read (like /about-us instead of /page?id=123).
Security (HTTPS): It’s when your website shows a padlock 🔒 in the browser, meaning the connection is safe and private.

You don’t have to become a tech expert to get it right. Most investors just want their sites to rank and bring in motivated sellers, not spend hours digging through settings or trying to decode SEO jargon. That’s exactly where Carrot helps.

With the Carrot Site Audit Tool, you can see what’s holding your site back from ranking in search engines. It checks for common issues like broken links, duplicate content, missing alt text, or low word count, and it explains what each issue means in plain English.

Every audit comes with step-by-step guidance on how to resolve issues, plus Carrot Support if you get stuck. It’s the same level of insight SEO agencies charge thousands for—without the high price tag.

4. Build Location-Targeted Pages

When I searched for “sell my house fast in Queens,” I found one site with a generic landing page that says “Sell Your House Fast For Cash Today” but doesn’t mention any specific city.

Here’s another site with a Queens-specific page, headline, and all: “Need To Sell Your House Fast In Queens, NY?”

Which one do you think Google and sellers trust more?

The answer is obvious.

A local page that actually says “Queens” (or Brooklyn, or Roseburg, or wherever you invest) is more likely to rank for that search and more likely to convert the person who lands there. Because Google matches searchers with the page that seems most specific to their intent.

That’s why, instead of one statewide page, build individual pages for each city or county you invest in.

A strong location page isn’t just a block of text with the city swapped out.

URL of the page matters

One of the most important elements is the URL itself. Adding local keywords to your URLs is a direct ranking factor. Instead of using something generic like /services/oregon, create URLs such as:

/sell-my-house-roseburg
/we-buy-houses-eugene

This signals to Google exactly what the page is about and ties it directly to local keywords sellers are typing in. Pair that with a strong title tag like “Sell Your House Fast in Roseburg | Trusted Local Buyers” and you’ve got a page built to rank.

From there, make the page feel genuinely local.

Tips to create location-targeted pages

Add local details such as photos of houses in that area, maps of your service region, or even a testimonial from a seller in that market. These cues reassure people that you’re not some out-of-town buyer.

For example, the page I found earlier (a Carrot site ranking #1 for “sell my house fast queens) has a local proof—a testimonial video from a New York homeowner who sold to that company.

That’s exactly the type of content Google wants to see!

Phrases like “We can meet you anywhere in Eugene within 24 hours” or “We close deals in Medford faster than the typical market average” show you’re truly active on the ground.
If you sponsor local events, volunteer, or are part of a chamber of commerce, mention it. Sellers want to work with locals, not faceless companies.

And if you’d rather have the heavy lifting done for you, Carrot’s Investor Concierge Setup Service is built for exactly that. Our team rewrites your content, personalizes your branding, and localizes your site with credibility signals and SEO tweaks that help you show up (and convert) faster. Instead of wrestling with endless checklists, you’ll have a high-performing site up and running in about 30 days, along with a clear strategy for what to do next.

5. Fix Your Image Alt Text

Alt text (short for alternative text) is a short description you add to each image on your site. It helps Google understand what the image is about and how it relates to the page. Even if sellers don’t always search in “Images,” Google still considers those signals when ranking your page in regular search. It’s the simplest way to get optimized for on-page SEO.

For example, instead of leaving the alt text blank or using the default name of the image (img_123.png) you can write “3-bedroom property in Phoenix” or “sell my house fast Tucson cash offer.”

How to write a good alt text for your image

Here are some simple ways to write an alt text that helps you rank in search engines:

Be specific: describe what’s actually in the photo, e.g., “2-story rental home in Dallas with brick exterior.”
Keep it short: A few words or a short phrase is usually enough.
Skip “image of” or “picture of”: Screen readers or search engines already know it’s an image.
Leave decorative images blank: If the image doesn’t add value (like a divider or background), use an empty alt tag instead.

Website builders, like Carrot, make it easy to add or edit alt text without touching code. Just upload your image, look for the “Alt Text” field, and type in your description.

Start with your motivated seller page, your cash buyer page, and any blog posts that already bring traffic. Those are the ones most likely to bring in leads.

6. Use Internal Links the Right Way

Internal links are simply links that connect one page of your website to another. They help visitors move around your site, but they’re also important for search engines.

Google uses them to pass PageRank (authority) from one page to another. If you link often to your motivated seller page, you’re telling Google it’s one of the most important pages on your site. That way it can show that page to visitors for relevant search queries.

In the Hubspot study illustrated below, they showed an average higher ranking in search engines based on the number of internal links in their content.

But the one mistake people often make is not choosing the right anchor text for their internal links.

Anchor text is the clickable part of a link, and it gives Google context about the page you’re sending people to.

Here’s a quick comparison:

❌ Bad: Learn More
✅ Good: Sell your house fast in Portland

The first tells you nothing. The second clearly signals what the page is about and includes a local keyword.

When you’re writing a blog post or adding content, look for natural places to link back to those pages with descriptive anchor text.

For example, if you’re writing an article about foreclosure timelines, you could add a link that says “options to sell your house in foreclosure in Dallas” and point it to your Dallas foreclosure page.

Another key is balance.

You don’t want to cram five links into every paragraph. Instead, place links where they make sense for the reader. One or two strong, descriptive links per section of content is enough.

Wrapping It Up

You don’t need a huge team or endless hours to see results from SEO. By focusing on the basics:

Optimizing images with alt text
Building smart internal links
Tightening up your technical SEO
Publishing location-focused pages, and
Creating original content

…you can steadily move the needle.

These steps compound over time, and even solo investors can build a site that ranks, attracts motivated sellers, and generates consistent leads.

👉 Start your Carrot site today and get SEO tools built specifically for real estate investors.

👉 Prefer to DIY? Check out our SEO guide for step-by-step help on boosting results from SEO.

👉 Looking for a trusted SEO vendor, specific to real estate investing? Check out our recommendations in the Carrot Marketplace!

You might also like: https://carrot.com/blog/link-building-for-real-estate/

FAQs

1. Do I really need SEO if I already get leads from postcards, cold calling, or referrals?

Yes. Offline marketing still works, but SEO captures the sellers who are actively searching for solutions online right now. When someone types “sell my house fast in [your city],” they’re raising their hand and looking for exactly what you offer. That’s why SEO is such a powerful and consistent lead source.

2. How long does it take to see results from real estate SEO?

SEO isn’t instant like paid ads—it typically takes 3–6 months to see measurable movement in rankings. However, because real estate searches are highly local, you can sometimes rank faster with well-optimized city or county landing pages. The key is consistency: publish relevant content, optimize your site, and track your progress.

3. What’s the difference between keywords for landing pages and blog posts?

Great question. Transactional keywords (like “sell my house fast ”) should go on high-converting landing pages, because the searcher is ready to act. Informational keywords (like “foreclosure timeline in Oregon”) work better as blog posts or guides, where you educate first, then invite them to reach out. Matching keyword intent to the right page type is one of the biggest SEO wins.

4. Can I do real estate SEO myself, or do I need to hire an agency?

You absolutely can do it yourself. With tools like Carrot’s Keyword Explorer, Rank Tracker, and Site Audit, most investors can cover the basics without hiring an expensive agency. If you can spare a few hours each month to optimize pages, write local content, and build links between your posts, you’ll see results without the overhead.

5. How do I know which keywords are worth targeting?

Start with a simple framework:

Relevance – Would someone searching this phrase likely hire you?
Difficulty – Can you realistically outrank the current top results with a better, more local page?
Demand – Even if it’s just dozens of searches per month, is it worth your time?
Using this sniff test helps you prioritize keywords that drive leads instead of wasting time chasing high-volume terms that don’t convert.

October 23, 2025

4 Reasons Your Real Estate Website Isn’t Getting You Leads (And How to Fix Them)

Every day, motivated sellers in your area search online for someone to buy their house. They visit websites, compare options, and choose who to call. But they’re not always calling you.

It comes down to three critical factors:

Sellers don’t know your website exists
If they find your website, you haven’t convinced them you’re trustworthy
They want to contact you, but technical issues make it too clunky

These three factors break down into 4 specific, fixable problems that most real estate investors face. Let’s see what they are and exactly how to fix each issue.

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Most sellers start with a Google search—your site needs to rank locally for “sell my house fast [your city]” to be in the running.
Visitors won’t convert if your site is confusing or overwhelming. Simplify your forms and make your CTAs pop.
Trust is built through third-party validation—use testimonials, real photos, Google reviews, and recognizable affiliations.
A clunky user experience or poor mobile usability and site reliability can quietly wreck your lead flow. Test your site often and prioritize page speed.

1. Your Website isn’t Set Up to be Found on Top in Search Results

When someone in your area needs to sell their house fast, what do they do? They don’t flip through the Yellow Pages or look on social media platforms for a buyer.

They grab their phone and Google something like “sell my house fast Chicago” or “sell my house for cash.” If your website doesn’t show up in those search results, you won’t get this lead.

You can test this yourself — search for the terms you’d want to rank for in your area and see where your website appears. The further down you are, the fewer leads you’re getting.

Some of the common reasons why you’re not ranking on top in Google searches (aka not SEO-friendly) are:

Your website doesn’t use the words people actually search for – you say “real estate solutions” but sellers search “sell my house fast”
You’re not creating helpful content that answers seller questions like “how to sell a house quickly” or “what do cash buyers look for”
Your site doesn’t clearly mention your city or the specific neighborhoods you serve

For example, this website says they’ll buy your house in America without mentioning any specific city or region.

No one likely searches “sell my house America” unless they’re living overseas and want to sell a U.S. property.

Even then, they’d probably search for their specific state or city, like “sell my house fast in New York” or “sell house quickly in Miami.”

How to Fix Your Website’s SEO Issues

Update your website content to include these keywords naturally. Your homepage should clearly state “We buy houses for cash in [your city]” instead of vague phrases like “comprehensive real estate solutions.”

For example, let’s look at the top result we get when we search for ‘sell my house fast san antonio’

It’s this one…

Their website’s homepage clearly states “We Buy Houses In San Antonio, TX” right in the main headline and “SELL YOUR HOUSE FAST SAN ANTONIO” and similar terms throughout the page. They’re using the exact words & questions people search for, not fancy business language.

To find the right keywords you can use Carrot’s Keyword Explorer. It shows you the exact phrases people type into Google when they need to sell fast, plus how competitive each keyword is in your market.

Even if you use the right keywords, technical issues on your website can still impact your SEO. Things like slow page loading, broken links, or pages that don’t work properly on mobile phones will signal to Google not to prioritize your website.

That’s where Carrot’s SEO Site Audit tool can help.

It scans your entire website and identifies technical problems that could be dragging down your search rankings.

SEO isn’t a one-time fix. Regularly publish helpful content, monitor your keyword rankings, and keep optimizing based on what’s working in your market.

2. Your Website isn’t Designed for Conversion

You might have hundreds of people visiting your website each month, but if they’re leaving without contacting you, you have a conversion problem.

Conversion is getting visitors to take the action you want – whether that’s filling out a contact form, calling your phone number, or requesting a cash offer.

Here are some of the biggest conversion killers sabotaging your website:

(Keep reading, but if you want to dive deep into site conversion, check out this podcast.)

7 Site Conversion Killers & 2 Credibility Boosters

Your forms are asking for too much information

When visitors see a long form, they get overwhelmed and abandon it. Research by Hubspot analyzing over 40,000 landing pages reveals that 3-field forms convert at 25%, while 10-field forms drop to just 13%.

Here is an example of how not to create a form — too many steps make people overthink and abandon the form:

Ask only the essentials: name, phone number/email, and property address (optional). You can gather additional details like timeline, property condition, and motivation during your phone call (or using the Autonomous Lead Manager).

Here’s a form on a Carrot site that converts visitors to leads at a high rate:

Your call-to-action buttons are invisible or confusing

Your button should be the most prominent element on the page – use contrasting colors and specific language that tells visitors exactly what they’ll get.

Notice the call-to-action (CTA) in the form image above.

The bright orange “Get My Fair Cash Offer” button jumps off the page compared to the other colors, making it impossible to miss.
The copy is benefit-driven and specific – instead of generic text like “Submit,” it tells visitors exactly what they’ll get: their cash offer.

At Carrot, we tested changing button text from “Click to Continue” to “Get My Fair Cash Offer” and saw conversions jump 49.5%.

Important elements are buried on your page

Don’t fall into the trap of making your website look beautiful at the cost of conversions. Your goal isn’t to get a “wow” when someone visits your site – it’s to get their contact information.

This Forster Jones page looks sleek and sophisticated, but the tiny “Contact Us” link is buried in the top corner and easy to miss.

Compare that to this investor’s homepage that prioritizes conversion over aesthetics (one of the highest converting sites in all of Carrot):

This page has:

A prominent headline that immediately tells visitors what they’ll get.
The contact form is clearly visible. It’s a simple 3-field form that people won’t hesitate to fill out.
The blue “Get My Cash Offer Now” button dominates the page and can’t be missed.
Multiple contact options. The phone number is visible with “Call Us.”
Trust signals like recognizable publications they’ve been featured in are visible under the form.
Clear benefit statements — “Sell as-is | Any condition | No repairs | No cleaning | No agent fees” — address the main seller concerns upfront.

We might suggest they test a different button color so it pops out even more. They could push their conversion rates even higher!

3. Your Website Lacks Trust Signals That Convince Visitors You’re Legitimate

People don’t trust businesses saying good things about themselves.

Instead, they look for validation from others who’ve been in their exact same shoes – past customers who needed to sell their house. When they see logos from authority websites, professional organizations, or credible third-party platforms on your site, trust builds naturally because these entities have nothing to gain by vouching for you.

You need trust elements on your website to show people that you can be trusted to do business with.

Some of the key trust signals are:

Real testimonials with photos: Not just “Great service! – J.K.,” but detailed stories with full names and pictures. Carrot found that sites with testimonials saw a 123% increase in leads compared to sites without them.

Check out this video to learn how to ask specific questions that’ll get a house seller to give you a raving review that busts objections.

Getting Better Testimonials: Increasing Trust & Conversion for Real Estate Investor Leads

Your photo and company information: People want to see who they’re dealing with. A photo of you or your team and a personalized “About Us” page shows you’re real folks.

Google reviews and ratings: Display your Google star rating prominently.
Authority website logos and credentials: BBB accreditation, professional association memberships, industry certifications, or “As Seen On” logos from reputable news outlets all build instant credibility.

4. Your Website has Technical Problems

There’s nothing more frustrating than a motivated seller trying to contact you but giving up because your site doesn’t work properly.

Does your website work properly on mobile?

With over 93% of mobile searches happening on Google and most people searching for house buyers on their phones, a website that doesn’t work on mobile is essentially invisible.

Check if your site has these mobile killers:

You can scroll side-to-side, and the screen doesn’t adjust to phone size
Text becomes so small it’s unreadable on mobile
Buttons are too small to tap with a normal-sized thumb
Contact forms don’t work properly on phones or are hard to fill out

Switch to a mobile-friendly real estate website design like Carrot to fix these issues once and for all.

Are your forms working correctly?

Another common technical issue is: Broken forms.

A broken form doesn’t just mean it shows an error or won’t accept information. Sometimes forms appear to work perfectly but are actually failing in hidden ways:

The form submits, but visitors never see a “thank you” or confirmation message, so they assume it didn’t work and either try submitting again or give up entirely
You’re receiving the leads, but they’re going to your spam folder, so you never follow up
The form works on computers but crashes on mobile phones

Forms that don’t submit properly, error messages that don’t explain what went wrong, or confirmation pages that don’t load will frustrate sellers into calling your competitors instead.

Here’s an example of a form that shows a clear error:

Test your contact form monthly by submitting it yourself. Make sure you see a clear confirmation message after submitting. Connect your forms to a CRM and add SMS alerts so you know immediately when someone contacts you.

Is your website loading as fast as possible?

If everything else is working correctly, check how fast your page loads. A 10-second load time might not seem like much, but when people are online searching for someone to buy their house and they have dozens of options, they won’t wait around.

Google has found that bounce rates increase by 32% when page load time goes from 1 second to 3 seconds. For real estate investors, this means every extra second your website takes to load is literally sending motivated sellers to your competitors.

Our websites are built specifically to load fast, rank high in search results, and convert visitors into leads.. That’s why you’ll consistently find Carrot sites loading noticeably faster than the industry standard.

You can test your website speed at Google PageSpeed Insights. (And check out a few more tips on page speed from our help center.)

The test below was done on Josh & Tiffany High’s Carrot website using Google PageSpeed Insights. Check out the score!

If your site takes longer than 3 seconds to load, make sure your website is built with clean code from the ground up, your server is fast, and your images are in the proper size and format. We have all of that baked into our Carrot real estate websites.

What Should You Do Next?

These four issues are costing real estate investors thousands of dollars in lost deals every month. The good news is they’re all fixable.

You can tackle them one by one, or you can use a platform like Carrot that’s designed specifically for real estate investors.

Every Carrot website comes with the conversion elements we’ve discussed already built in: mobile-optimized design, fast loading speeds, strategic contact forms, easy-to-add trust signals, and SEO optimization.

Carrot websites generate 2.5 times higher profits per lead compared to other platforms. Members have generated over 1 million motivated seller leads, and Carrot sites hold 45% of the top search rankings in most U.S. markets.

Check out a demo of Carrot today and see why thousands of investors choose it over building their own websites from scratch.

July 10, 2025

How AI is Reshaping SEO for Real Estate Investors: What You Need to Know in 2025

The search landscape has seen huge changes in recent years. If you’re a real estate investor who’s been watching your website traffic fluctuate or noticing fewer clicks from Google searches, you’re not imagining things.

Google’s AI Overviews now appear in nearly half of all search results, and in May 2025, Google launched AI Mode for all US-based searchers. The era of traditional SEO strategies is rapidly evolving.

For real estate investors who depend on their websites to generate motivated seller leads, these changes are business-critical developments that require immediate attention. When prospects search “cash home buyer,” “we buy houses,” or “sell my house fast,” Google increasingly provides answers directly in search results, pushing the #1 ranked website further down the page than we’re used to. So how should you adjust your SEO to make sure you still show up on top in 2025? Let’s cover some key strategies!

KEY TAKEAWAYS (TL;DR)

AI Overviews are Dominating Search: Google’s AI-generated summaries now appear in nearly half of all search results, often providing “zero-click” answers, which means many searchers never leave the Google search results page.
Brand Authority is Key: Google’s algorithms now heavily emphasize brand recognition and mentions across the web, not just on your site. Backlinks are still important, but you’ll also want your company mentioned by name on trusted, relevant sites.
Unique Content is More Important Than Ever: Generic content is being de-ranked, and often even ignored by Google. Focus on providing your own unique and helpful expertise, local market insights, and real-world case studies that AI tools like ChatGPT can’t replicate.
Local SEO is Evolving: Optimize your Google Business Profile and target hyper-local keywords, as AI Mode prioritizes local intent.
Diversify Your Marketing: Reduce reliance on single marketing tactics by investing in omnichannel marketing, including social media, video content, and offline networking.

Let’s get you up to speed on the most significant AI-driven changes impacting search in 2025 and beyond. In this guide, we’ll cover what these changes mean for your real estate investing business, and give you actionable SEO strategies to help you maintain and grow your online presence.

The AI Revolution in Search: What to Know
- Google’s AI Overviews
- Forum Content and Video Results
Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape
- Importance of Brand Mentions
- The Role of Engagement Signals
Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search
Measuring Success in the New SEO Landscape
How to Stay Ahead: Real Estate Investor Marketing in the A.I. Era
Your Action Plan: 15 Essential Steps to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions

Lead generation, at its best

Attract, convert & close more motivated leads

Try Carrot Today

The AI Revolution in Search: What Real Estate Investors Need to Know

Google’s AI Overviews Are Dominating Search Results

The most dramatic change affecting real estate investor websites began in May 2024 when Google officially launched AI Overviews.

By December 2024, these AI-generated summaries appeared in 47% of Google search results, and recent data shows they spiked even higher during Google’s March 2025 core update.

Most recently at Google’s I/O annual developer conference in May 2025, they announced the rollout of AI mode to all users in the U.S.

Screenshots showing Google's AI overviews for a search of "sell my house fast".

Here’s what’s especially challenging for real estate investors: AI Overviews show up heavily for broad, top-of-funnel queries—exactly the type of searches your potential sellers are making when they first consider selling their property. When someone searches “how to sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers near me,” they’re increasingly getting AI-generated answers without ever clicking through to your website.

The numbers are staggering:

Research shows that nearly 60% of searches in 2024 resulted in “zero-click” outcomes, meaning users get their answers directly from Google without visiting any websites.
A study by Datos and SparkToro found that for every 1,000 searches on Google in the United States, only 360 clicks make it to non-Google-owned properties that aren’t paying for ads.

The Rise of Forum Content and Video Results

Another significant shift impacting SEO strategies for small businesses is the increased prominence of forum content like Reddit and Quora in search results. This trend is particularly relevant for real estate investors because many forum discussions reveal the distrust and skepticism people have toward “cash home buyers” and the real estate investment industry in general.

Screenshot showing Reddit forum answers in the Google search results.

When potential sellers search for information about working with real estate investors, they’re increasingly finding forum discussions where people share both positive and negative experiences. This shift emphasizes the critical importance of reputation management and building authentic trust signals across multiple platforms.

Video content is also showing up more often in search results, with both YouTube videos and short-form video content appearing more frequently. This presents opportunities for real estate investors looking to diversify their content strategy. Plus, research shows that websites with video content see 50% more engagement than those without.

You can stay ahead of things by monitoring relevant forums and conversations in your local market area. Then develop content in both written and video formats that speaks directly to the concerns people have. Showcase the trustworthy, local people behind your company to combat the skepticism that some motivated sellers may have about cash home buyers.

Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape

The Growing Importance of Brand Mentions and Recognition

One of the most significant revelations from the May 2024 Google algorithm leak was the emphasis on brand authority.

In Rand Fishkin’s original analysis of the leaked Google Search API documents, his primary takeaway was that “brand matters more than anything else.” He commented:

If there was one universal piece of advice I had for marketers seeking to broadly improve their organic search rankings and traffic, it would be: “Build a notable, popular, well-recognized brand in your space, outside of Google search.”

For real estate investors, this means your reputation and brand recognition across multiple platforms now directly impacts your search rankings. Google measures brand mentions on YouTube transcripts, social media platforms, and across the web.

The stronger your brand presence beyond your website, the better your chances of ranking well in traditional search results and being cited in AI Overviews. More than ever, off-page SEO isn’t just about building backlinks. It’s also about social media visibility and digital PR & publicity for your business.

You can monitor referring domains, backlinks to your website, and your Authority Score with Carrot’s Domain Overview Tool. We also recommend adding your company’s business name to the Keyword Rank Tracker to monitor that your website ranks at the top of the search results when people search for your company by name.

The Role of Engagement Signals in Rankings

Google had insisted for years that they don’t use anything from Chrome for ranking, but the Google API documents leaked in May 2024 suggested that they actually do use Chrome and Android device data to understand how users interact with websites.

Engagement signals are crucial ranking factors. Google looks at what happens after users click through from the search results to your website.

Your website’s user experience directly impacts your search rankings. If visitors quickly return to Google after visiting your site (known as “pogo-sticking”), it signals to Google that your content didn’t satisfy their intent. However, if they spend time on your site reading content, watching a helpful video, or filling out a form, those engagement signals can play a role in how Google will rank your website in the future.

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search

The Challenge of AI-Generated Content Saturation

Google’s March 2024 core update, described as their “largest in history,” resulted in 45% less low-quality, unoriginal content in search results. The search engine giant is actively working to combat the flood of AI-generated commodity content that lacks originality and value.

In January 2025, Google updated its Search Quality Rater guidelines to focus on spam and unoriginal content. Google expanded the definition of what it considers spam, and it called out low effort content in Section 4.6.6 of their guidelines:

“The Lowest rating applies if all or almost all of the [Main Content] on the page (including text, images, audio, videos, etc) is copied, paraphrased, embedded, auto or AI generated, or reposted from other sources with little to no effort, little to no originality, and little to no added value for visitors to the website. Such pages should be rated Lowest, even if the page assigns credit for the content to another source.”

Google’s quality raters are human consultants hired by Google to manually spot check the quality of Google search results and provide feedback to help Google improve their algorithms. The Search Quality Rater guidelines tell these consultants what they should look out for when evaluating the search results.

Understanding Information Gain and Content Uniqueness

Google’s “information gain score” patent, granted in June 2022, represents a fundamental shift in how search engines evaluate content quality. Rather than focusing solely on word count or how recently a page was updated, Google now measures how much new useful information your content provides that doesn’t exist elsewhere online.

For real estate investors, this means that simply publishing generic content is not only unlikely to improve your rankings, it could actually hurt your search visibility. Instead, you need to consistently add your specific expertise, local market knowledge, case studies, and unique data that differentiates you from competitors.

This is why we’ve built our Unique Content Tool to help you see how different your edited content is from the original template. Plus, our updated AI Rewrite Tool makes personalizing your content easier than ever! You’ll still need to add your own insights, but our built-in tools can expedite your content creation process by making sure the AI-generated copy matches your unique brand — an excellent starting point.

Screenshot showing Carrot's Unique Content Tool

Creating Content That Stands Out

The key to a successful content strategy in 2025 and beyond lies in combining AI efficiency with human knowledge and authenticity.

Real estate investors have a unique advantage here—your direct experience with local markets, specific property challenges, and successful deal structures provides the exact type of unique information that both Google’s algorithms and your potential clients value most. You can still use AI tools to help you write, just be sure to add your own insights and flair. (Carrot’s Automated Content Library is a perfect example of this. It offers well-researched, pre-written blog posts that you can use as a starting point, then customize to your market and with additional insights and expertise you’ve honed over your career.)

When you combine well-optimized website content with video marketing, you can build trust and credibility with local homeowners and increase your potential visibility in Google search results.

Measuring Success in the New SEO Landscape

Traffic Attribution and Traditional SEO KPIs are Changing

The traditional SEO metrics that real estate investors have relied on for years—keyword rankings, organic traffic, and click-through rates—are becoming less reliable indicators of holistic marketing success. As Google’s search results pages continuously evolve with AI Overviews, video content, and forum results, these metrics don’t tell the complete story of your marketing performance.

A critical issue affecting real estate investor websites is attribution of traffic sources. Research in 2024 showed that significant percentages of web traffic from social networks, messaging apps, and even AI chatbots are often lumped in under “Direct” traffic by Google Analytics.

This “dark traffic” phenomenon means you might be receiving more referral traffic from social media, AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and other sources than your analytics show.

The Rise of Brand Awareness Metrics

In this new landscape, brand awareness metrics are becoming increasingly important. Brand mentions across the web, branded search volume, and your visibility in AI-generated responses are now crucial indicators of your market authority and future search performance.

For real estate investors, this shift means monitoring how often your company is mentioned on social media, in local forums, and in AI chatbot responses when people ask about local home buyers. These mentions often lead to branded searches and direct traffic that may not be properly attributed in traditional analytics.

We always recommend tracking branded terms (like your company name) in our Keyword Rank Tracker so you can make sure you are controlling the conversation around your brand.

Aligning with Business-Critical Metrics

More than ever, SEO success and marketing efforts need to align directly with business metrics that matter to your real estate investing operation. A decrease in organic traffic might be offset by higher-quality leads or better conversion rates from other sources.

For real estate investors, this makes it even more important to focus on business metrics like revenue, lead quality, cost per lead and lead-to-close ratios rather than website traffic or rankings alone. (Make sure you have a strong, real estate-specific CRM to help you monitor these key metrics.)

How to Stay Ahead: Real Estate Investor Marketing in the AI Era

The changes we’ve seen in 2024 and early 2025 are just the beginning of AI’s impact on search and digital marketing. Google’s introduction of AI Mode with Gemini 2.0 in March 2025 shows even more sophisticated AI capabilities are coming, with particular emphasis on local intent and complex query handling.

For real estate investors, this means the strategies that work today need to be flexible enough to adapt as AI becomes even more prominent in search results.

The most successful real estate investors in this new landscape will be those who maintain competitive advantages that can’t be easily replicated by AI or competitors. This includes deep local market knowledge, strong personal relationships, proven track records, and authentic brand authority and content built over time.

Your Action Plan: 15 Essential Steps for Real Estate Investors to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy

Based on the major shifts happening in search and AI, here’s your comprehensive action plan to adapt and thrive:

Optimize Content for AI Overview Inclusion – Structure your website content with clear, concise answers to common seller questions. Utilize dedicated FAQ block patterns, bullet points, and numbered lists to make information easily digestible for both human readers and AI algorithms. Ensure your content directly addresses user intent, making it a prime candidate for Google’s AI Overviews and featured snippets by providing direct, authoritative responses.
Target Hyper-Local and Intent-Driven Keywords – Shift your keyword strategy from broad, competitive terms like “we buy houses” to highly specific, long-tail, and geographically focused phrases. Think “sell my house fast in [your specific neighborhood]” or “cash home buyer for inherited property in [your city].” Rather than old-school keyword stuffing, use entity-based SEO to provide context and meaning through synonyms and related words. This approach helps you capture niche local demand and signals to Google’s AI that your content is highly relevant to specific local queries.
Prioritize Unique, Expert-Driven Content (Information Gain) – Move beyond generic advice and focus on creating unique content that provides genuine “information gain.” This means consistently adding your original expertise, local market knowledge, real-world examples, and proprietary data that can’t be easily found elsewhere or replicated by AI. Your direct experience with specific property challenges and successful deal structures is what will differentiate you from your competitors.
Create Transparent Process Guides – Develop detailed, process-driven educational content that clearly outlines your actual methods for evaluating properties, calculating costs, and negotiating deals. Sharing your transparent approach builds significant trust with potential sellers, demystifies the real estate investment process, and positions you as an honest, knowledgeable authority in your local market.
Cultivate a Consistent Multi-Platform Brand – Establish and maintain a strong, consistent brand presence across all relevant digital platforms. This includes not only your website but also YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and specialized real estate forums. Ensure your messaging, visual identity, and value proposition are consistent, building credibility for your brand and recognition across the web, which Google increasingly values.
Engage Actively on Community Platforms – Proactively participate in online communities where homeowners discuss selling properties, such as Reddit, Quora, Nextdoor and local Facebook groups. Provide genuine value by answering questions, offering insights, and sharing helpful resources without being overly spammy or self-promotion. Focus on bringing your humanity into conversations, building trust, establishing yourself as a helpful expert, and driving referral traffic and brand mentions.
Develop High-Value Video Content – Create diverse video content, including property walkthroughs, authentic seller testimonials, and educational videos explaining various aspects of selling to an investor. Optimize these videos with relevant titles, descriptions, and tags for YouTube and embed them strategically on your website. Simply upload your video and Carrot’s VideoPost will transcribe it into a blog post that’s optimized for search engines.
Showcase Authentic Customer Success Stories – Document your successful deals and share them as case studies on your website, video testimonials, and social media success stories. These real-world examples provide powerful social proof, demonstrate your ability to solve problems for sellers, and build trust and credibility that generic AI-generated content simply cannot replicate.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Local Dominance – Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is more critical than ever. It’s often the first touchpoint for local sellers and a primary data source for Google’s AI Overviews, especially for “near me” searches. Ensure your GBP is fully claimed, verified, and meticulously optimized with accurate business hours, services offered (e.g., “cash home buyer,” “fast house sale”), high-quality photos of properties and your team, and consistent updates. Actively encourage and respond to reviews, as these build trust and signal local authority to both potential sellers and Google’s algorithms. A robust GBP is foundational for appearing in local search results and being cited by AI.
Proactively Monitor Brand Reputation – Set up comprehensive monitoring systems like Google Alerts and specialized social listening tools to track all online mentions of your company, key personnel, and brand. Actively manage your online reputation by responding to reviews, addressing feedback, and correcting misinformation. A strong, positive brand reputation is a crucial signal for Google’s algorithms and AI Overviews, influencing your visibility and trustworthiness.
Align Marketing KPIs with Business Outcomes – Shift your focus beyond traditional SEO metrics like keyword rankings and organic traffic, which are becoming less reliable. Instead, analyze performance through the lens of core business metrics: lead quality, cost per lead, lead-to-close ratios, and revenue generated. Pay close attention to how AI Overviews impact branded versus non-branded searches, and track referral traffic from social media, forums, and AI chatbots, even if it’s initially misattributed. Make sure your marketing efforts are directly tied to tangible results for your real estate investing operation, even if traditional traffic numbers fluctuate.
Focus on Brand Visibility & Public Relations – Actively seek out credible brand mentions for both your company and personal brand across various platforms. Engage in relevant forums like Reddit and Quora, and leverage PR platforms like HARO and Qwoted to secure publicity. Remember that mentions by brand name on third-party sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, are just as crucial as backlinks for signaling authority and can significantly enhance your visibility within LLMs and AI Overviews, directly building trust and recognition in your target market.
Establish Deep Local Authority (Offline & Online) – Build authentic local market authority by actively engaging with your community both online and in the real world. Attend local investor meetings, sponsor community events, and develop strong relationships with real estate professionals, contractors, and local businesses. These real-world connections increase your credibility, generate valuable word-of-mouth referrals, help you find off-market properties, and reinforce your local presence to Google’s algorithms.
Embrace a Diversified Omnichannel Approach – Reduce your dependence on any single lead source by investing in a truly omnichannel marketing strategy. Diversify your efforts across search engine optimization, social media marketing, targeted direct mail campaigns (make sure your mailers include your URL or a scannable QR code!), email nurturing sequences, and in-person networking. This creates a resilient lead generation ecosystem that can withstand future shifts in search algorithms and consumer behavior.
Leverage an AI-Powered CRM for Sales Efficiency – Integrate and fully utilize CRM platforms like Carrot CRM with embedded AI features to streamline your sales process and manage high-volume pipelines effectively. Carrot CRM’s newest features — Autonomous Lead Manager (ALM), AI Opportunity Summaries, and AI Lead Scoring — can automate follow-ups, prioritize leads, and provide real-time property analysis, giving your acquisition team improved clarity and speed without replacing the essential human touch.

Conclusion

The AI revolution in search represents both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities for savvy real estate investors. While traditional SEO strategies are evolving, the fundamental principles of providing value, building trust, and solving real problems for homeowners remain as important as ever.

Remember, AI is changing how people find information, but not why they need to sell their houses quickly or work with reliable investors.

To be successful, you should adapt to changing technologies while focusing on what makes your real estate investment business unique.

The same time-tested strategies are true both online and off:

Build lasting relationships and genuine brand authority with people in your local market.
Provide valuable solutions for motivated sellers, then share that know-how online (while providing “information gain” that sets you apart from competitors).
Diversify your offline and digital marketing channels, but remember that other human beings will make or break your success.

By combining these timeless principles with modern strategies adapted for an AI-first world, you’ll be well-positioned for continued success.

Ready to future-proof your real estate investment marketing? Analyze the competitive landscape in your local market area for free with Carrot’s Market Scout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know if AI Overviews are affecting my real estate investor website traffic?

Monitor for declining organic click-through rates on informational queries like “how to sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers.” Review your Google Search Console Search Performance metrics to compare impressions versus clicks, and note if branded searches are increasing relative to non-branded terms. AI Overviews typically have the strongest impact on top-of-funnel and question-based searches where users might get their answers directly from AI summaries.

Q: What’s the best way to optimize my real estate investor content for AI citations and overviews?

Create content that directly addresses homeowner questions with clear, straightforward language. Implement FAQ sections, numbered lists, and headings that match natural search queries. Prioritize adding unique local market insights and specific methodologies that showcase your personal expertise and experience rather than generic advice that AI systems can easily synthesize and present without citing your website.

Q: Should real estate investors still focus on traditional SEO strategies for local markets?

Absolutely, but with strategic adjustments. Local SEO remains essential since Google’s AI prioritizes local intent, but you need to emphasize distinctive geographic content that positions you as the authoritative local expert. Combine traditional on-page SEO and local optimization with comprehensive brand development and off-page SEO across multiple channels to maximize visibility in both traditional search results and AI-generated answers. Incorporate video marketing to enhance SEO performance, strengthen brand recognition, and build credibility within your local market.

Q: How can I track if my real estate investment marketing is working when analytics are becoming less reliable?

Focus on connecting your marketing metrics to business KPIs such as revenue generation, lead quality assessment, cost per acquisition, and lead-to-close conversion rates, while still maintaining digital marketing performance tracking. Monitor your backlink profile and domain authority using Domain Overview, integrate Google Search Console data directly into your Carrot dashboard by connecting Search Performance, and implement campaign tracking links to accurately measure your marketing effectiveness.

Q: What types of content should real estate investors prioritize in 2025 to compete with AI-generated information?

Prioritize content that highlights your specialized expertise and intimate local market knowledge—comprehensive neighborhood investment analyses, detailed case studies of your actual transactions, transparent process walkthroughs with specific examples, and market insights that only an active local investor would possess. Complement this expertise-driven content with authentic video testimonials and success stories that establish trust and credibility. Learn more about creating unique content.

How AI is Reshaping SEO for Real Estate Investors: What You Need to Know

The search landscape has seen huge changes in recent years. If you’re a real estate investor who’s been watching your website traffic fluctuate or noticing fewer clicks from Google searches, you’re not imagining things.

Google’s AI Overviews now appear in nearly half of all search results, and in May 2025, Google launched AI Mode for all US-based searchers. The era of traditional SEO strategies is rapidly evolving.

For real estate investors who depend on their websites to generate motivated seller leads, these changes are business-critical developments that require immediate attention. When prospects search “cash home buyer,” “we buy houses,” or “sell my house fast,” Google increasingly provides answers directly in search results, pushing the #1 ranked website further down the page than we’re used to. So how should you adjust your SEO to make sure you still show up on top in 2025? Let’s cover some key strategies!

KEY TAKEAWAYS (TL;DR)

AI Overviews are Dominating Search: Google’s AI-generated summaries now appear in nearly half of all search results, often providing “zero-click” answers, which means many searchers never leave the Google search results page.
Brand Authority is Key: Google’s algorithms now heavily emphasize brand recognition and mentions across the web, not just on your site. Backlinks are still important, but you’ll also want your company mentioned by name on trusted, relevant sites.
Unique Content is More Important Than Ever: Generic content is being de-ranked, and often even ignored by Google. Focus on providing your own unique and helpful expertise, local market insights, and real-world case studies that AI tools like ChatGPT can’t replicate.
Local SEO is Evolving: Optimize your Google Business Profile and target hyper-local keywords, as AI Mode prioritizes local intent.
Diversify Your Marketing: Reduce reliance on single marketing tactics by investing in omnichannel marketing, including social media, video content, and offline networking.

Let’s get you up to speed on the most significant AI-driven changes impacting search in 2025 and beyond. In this guide, we’ll cover what these changes mean for your real estate investing business, and give you actionable SEO strategies to help you maintain and grow your online presence.

The AI Revolution in Search: What to Know
- Google’s AI Overviews
- Forum Content and Video Results
Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape
- Importance of Brand Mentions
- The Role of Engagement Signals
Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search
Measuring Success in the New SEO Landscape
How to Stay Ahead: Real Estate Investor Marketing in the A.I. Era
Your Action Plan: 15 Essential Steps to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy
Conclusion
Frequently Asked Questions

Lead generation, at its best

Attract, convert & close more motivated leads

Try Carrot Today

The AI Revolution in Search: What Real Estate Investors Need to Know

Google’s AI Overviews Are Dominating Search Results

The most dramatic change affecting real estate investor websites began in May 2024 when Google officially launched AI Overviews.

By December 2024, these AI-generated summaries appeared in 47% of Google search results, and recent data shows they spiked even higher during Google’s March 2025 core update.

Most recently at Google’s I/O annual developer conference in May 2025, they announced the rollout of AI mode to all users in the U.S.

Here’s what’s especially challenging for real estate investors: AI Overviews show up heavily for broad, top-of-funnel queries—exactly the type of searches your potential sellers are making when they first consider selling their property. When someone searches “how to sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers near me,” they’re increasingly getting AI-generated answers without ever clicking through to your website.

The numbers are staggering:

Research shows that nearly 60% of searches in 2024 resulted in “zero-click” outcomes, meaning users get their answers directly from Google without visiting any websites.
A study by Datos and SparkToro found that for every 1,000 searches on Google in the United States, only 360 clicks make it to non-Google-owned properties that aren’t paying for ads.

The Rise of Forum Content and Video Results

Another significant shift impacting SEO strategies for small businesses is the increased prominence of forum content like Reddit and Quora in search results. This trend is particularly relevant for real estate investors because many forum discussions reveal the distrust and skepticism people have toward “cash home buyers” and the real estate investment industry in general.

When potential sellers search for information about working with real estate investors, they’re increasingly finding forum discussions where people share both positive and negative experiences. This shift emphasizes the critical importance of reputation management and building authentic trust signals across multiple platforms.

Video content is also showing up more often in search results, with both YouTube videos and short-form video content appearing more frequently. This presents opportunities for real estate investors looking to diversify their content strategy. Plus, research shows that websites with video content see 50% more engagement than those without.

You can stay ahead of things by monitoring relevant forums and conversations in your local market area. Then develop content in both written and video formats that speaks directly to the concerns people have. Showcase the trustworthy, local people behind your company to combat the skepticism that some motivated sellers may have about cash home buyers.

Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape

The Growing Importance of Brand Mentions and Recognition

One of the most significant revelations from the May 2024 Google algorithm leak was the emphasis on brand authority.

In Rand Fishkin’s original analysis of the leaked Google Search API documents, his primary takeaway was that “brand matters more than anything else.” He commented:

If there was one universal piece of advice I had for marketers seeking to broadly improve their organic search rankings and traffic, it would be: “Build a notable, popular, well-recognized brand in your space, outside of Google search.”

For real estate investors, this means your reputation and brand recognition across multiple platforms now directly impacts your search rankings. Google measures brand mentions on YouTube transcripts, social media platforms, and across the web.

The stronger your brand presence beyond your website, the better your chances of ranking well in traditional search results and being cited in AI Overviews. More than ever, off-page SEO isn’t just about building backlinks. It’s also about social media visibility and digital PR & publicity for your business.

You can monitor referring domains, backlinks to your website, and your Authority Score with Carrot’s Domain Overview Tool. We also recommend adding your company’s business name to the Keyword Rank Tracker to monitor that your website ranks at the top of the search results when people search for your company by name.

The Role of Engagement Signals in Rankings

Google had insisted for years that they don’t use anything from Chrome for ranking, but the Google API documents leaked in May 2024 suggested that they actually do use Chrome and Android device data to understand how users interact with websites.

Engagement signals are crucial ranking factors. Google looks at what happens after users click through from the search results to your website.

Your website’s user experience directly impacts your search rankings. If visitors quickly return to Google after visiting your site (known as “pogo-sticking”), it signals to Google that your content didn’t satisfy their intent. However, if they spend time on your site reading content, watching a helpful video, or filling out a form, those engagement signals can play a role in how Google will rank your website in the future.

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search

The Challenge of AI-Generated Content Saturation

Google’s March 2024 core update, described as their “largest in history,” resulted in 45% less low-quality, unoriginal content in search results. The search engine giant is actively working to combat the flood of AI-generated commodity content that lacks originality and value.

In January 2025, Google updated its Search Quality Rater guidelines to focus on spam and unoriginal content. Google expanded the definition of what it considers spam, and it called out low effort content in Section 4.6.6 of their guidelines:

“The Lowest rating applies if all or almost all of the [Main Content] on the page (including text, images, audio, videos, etc) is copied, paraphrased, embedded, auto or AI generated, or reposted from other sources with little to no effort, little to no originality, and little to no added value for visitors to the website. Such pages should be rated Lowest, even if the page assigns credit for the content to another source.”

Google’s quality raters are human consultants hired by Google to manually spot check the quality of Google search results and provide feedback to help Google improve their algorithms. The Search Quality Rater guidelines tell these consultants what they should look out for when evaluating the search results.

Understanding Information Gain and Content Uniqueness

Google’s “information gain score” patent, granted in June 2022, represents a fundamental shift in how search engines evaluate content quality. Rather than focusing solely on word count or how recently a page was updated, Google now measures how much new useful information your content provides that doesn’t exist elsewhere online.

For real estate investors, this means that simply publishing generic content is not only unlikely to improve your rankings, it could actually hurt your search visibility. Instead, you need to consistently add your specific expertise, local market knowledge, case studies, and unique data that differentiates you from competitors.

This is why we’ve built our Unique Content Tool to help you see how different your edited content is from the original template. Plus, our updated AI Rewrite Tool makes personalizing your content easier than ever! You’ll still need to add your own insights, but our built-in tools can expedite your content creation process by making sure the AI-generated copy matches your unique brand — an excellent starting point.

Creating Content That Stands Out

The key to a successful content strategy in 2025 and beyond lies in combining AI efficiency with human knowledge and authenticity.

Real estate investors have a unique advantage here—your direct experience with local markets, specific property challenges, and successful deal structures provides the exact type of unique information that both Google’s algorithms and your potential clients value most. You can still use AI tools to help you write, just be sure to add your own insights and flair. (Carrot’s Automated Content Library is a perfect example of this. It offers well-researched, pre-written blog posts that you can use as a starting point, then customize to your market and with additional insights and expertise you’ve honed over your career.)

When you combine well-optimized website content with video marketing, you can build trust and credibility with local homeowners and increase your potential visibility in Google search results.

Measuring Success in the New SEO Landscape

Traffic Attribution and Traditional SEO KPIs are Changing

The traditional SEO metrics that real estate investors have relied on for years—keyword rankings, organic traffic, and click-through rates—are becoming less reliable indicators of holistic marketing success. As Google’s search results pages continuously evolve with AI Overviews, video content, and forum results, these metrics don’t tell the complete story of your marketing performance.

A critical issue affecting real estate investor websites is attribution of traffic sources. Research in 2024 showed that significant percentages of web traffic from social networks, messaging apps, and even AI chatbots are often lumped in under “Direct” traffic by Google Analytics.

This “dark traffic” phenomenon means you might be receiving more referral traffic from social media, AI chatbots like ChatGPT, and other sources than your analytics show.

The Rise of Brand Awareness Metrics

In this new landscape, brand awareness metrics are becoming increasingly important. Brand mentions across the web, branded search volume, and your visibility in AI-generated responses are now crucial indicators of your market authority and future search performance.

For real estate investors, this shift means monitoring how often your company is mentioned on social media, in local forums, and in AI chatbot responses when people ask about local home buyers. These mentions often lead to branded searches and direct traffic that may not be properly attributed in traditional analytics.

We always recommend tracking branded terms (like your company name) in our Keyword Rank Tracker so you can make sure you are controlling the conversation around your brand.

Aligning with Business-Critical Metrics

More than ever, SEO success and marketing efforts need to align directly with business metrics that matter to your real estate investing operation. A decrease in organic traffic might be offset by higher-quality leads or better conversion rates from other sources.

For real estate investors, this makes it even more important to focus on business metrics like revenue, lead quality, cost per lead and lead-to-close ratios rather than website traffic or rankings alone. (Make sure you have a strong, real estate-specific CRM to help you monitor these key metrics.)

How to Stay Ahead: Real Estate Investor Marketing in the AI Era

The changes we’ve seen in 2024 and early 2025 are just the beginning of AI’s impact on search and digital marketing. Google’s introduction of AI Mode with Gemini 2.0 in March 2025 shows even more sophisticated AI capabilities are coming, with particular emphasis on local intent and complex query handling.

For real estate investors, this means the strategies that work today need to be flexible enough to adapt as AI becomes even more prominent in search results.

The most successful real estate investors in this new landscape will be those who maintain competitive advantages that can’t be easily replicated by AI or competitors. This includes deep local market knowledge, strong personal relationships, proven track records, and authentic brand authority and content built over time.

Your Action Plan: 15 Essential Steps for Real Estate Investors to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy

Based on the major shifts happening in search and AI, here’s your comprehensive action plan to adapt and thrive:

Optimize Content for AI Overview Inclusion – Structure your website content with clear, concise answers to common seller questions. Utilize dedicated FAQ block patterns, bullet points, and numbered lists to make information easily digestible for both human readers and AI algorithms. Ensure your content directly addresses user intent, making it a prime candidate for Google’s AI Overviews and featured snippets by providing direct, authoritative responses.
Target Hyper-Local and Intent-Driven Keywords – Shift your keyword strategy from broad, competitive terms like “we buy houses” to highly specific, long-tail, and geographically focused phrases. Think “sell my house fast in [your specific neighborhood]” or “cash home buyer for inherited property in [your city].” Rather than old-school keyword stuffing, use entity-based SEO to provide context and meaning through synonyms and related words. This approach helps you capture niche local demand and signals to Google’s AI that your content is highly relevant to specific local queries.
Prioritize Unique, Expert-Driven Content (Information Gain) – Move beyond generic advice and focus on creating unique content that provides genuine “information gain.” This means consistently adding your original expertise, local market knowledge, real-world examples, and proprietary data that can’t be easily found elsewhere or replicated by AI. Your direct experience with specific property challenges and successful deal structures is what will differentiate you from your competitors.
Create Transparent Process Guides – Develop detailed, process-driven educational content that clearly outlines your actual methods for evaluating properties, calculating costs, and negotiating deals. Sharing your transparent approach builds significant trust with potential sellers, demystifies the real estate investment process, and positions you as an honest, knowledgeable authority in your local market.
Cultivate a Consistent Multi-Platform Brand – Establish and maintain a strong, consistent brand presence across all relevant digital platforms. This includes not only your website but also YouTube, LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, and specialized real estate forums. Ensure your messaging, visual identity, and value proposition are consistent, building credibility for your brand and recognition across the web, which Google increasingly values.
Engage Actively on Community Platforms – Proactively participate in online communities where homeowners discuss selling properties, such as Reddit, Quora, Nextdoor and local Facebook groups. Provide genuine value by answering questions, offering insights, and sharing helpful resources without being overly spammy or self-promotion. Focus on bringing your humanity into conversations, building trust, establishing yourself as a helpful expert, and driving referral traffic and brand mentions.
Develop High-Value Video Content – Create diverse video content, including property walkthroughs, authentic seller testimonials, and educational videos explaining various aspects of selling to an investor. Optimize these videos with relevant titles, descriptions, and tags for YouTube and embed them strategically on your website. Simply upload your video and Carrot’s VideoPost will transcribe it into a blog post that’s optimized for search engines.
Showcase Authentic Customer Success Stories – Document your successful deals and share them as case studies on your website, video testimonials, and social media success stories. These real-world examples provide powerful social proof, demonstrate your ability to solve problems for sellers, and build trust and credibility that generic AI-generated content simply cannot replicate.
Optimize Your Google Business Profile for Local Dominance – Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is more critical than ever. It’s often the first touchpoint for local sellers and a primary data source for Google’s AI Overviews, especially for “near me” searches. Ensure your GBP is fully claimed, verified, and meticulously optimized with accurate business hours, services offered (e.g., “cash home buyer,” “fast house sale”), high-quality photos of properties and your team, and consistent updates. Actively encourage and respond to reviews, as these build trust and signal local authority to both potential sellers and Google’s algorithms. A robust GBP is foundational for appearing in local search results and being cited by AI.
Proactively Monitor Brand Reputation – Set up comprehensive monitoring systems like Google Alerts and specialized social listening tools to track all online mentions of your company, key personnel, and brand. Actively manage your online reputation by responding to reviews, addressing feedback, and correcting misinformation. A strong, positive brand reputation is a crucial signal for Google’s algorithms and AI Overviews, influencing your visibility and trustworthiness.
Align Marketing KPIs with Business Outcomes – Shift your focus beyond traditional SEO metrics like keyword rankings and organic traffic, which are becoming less reliable. Instead, analyze performance through the lens of core business metrics: lead quality, cost per lead, lead-to-close ratios, and revenue generated. Pay close attention to how AI Overviews impact branded versus non-branded searches, and track referral traffic from social media, forums, and AI chatbots, even if it’s initially misattributed. Make sure your marketing efforts are directly tied to tangible results for your real estate investing operation, even if traditional traffic numbers fluctuate.
Focus on Brand Visibility & Public Relations – Actively seek out credible brand mentions for both your company and personal brand across various platforms. Engage in relevant forums like Reddit and Quora, and leverage PR platforms like HARO and Qwoted to secure publicity. Remember that mentions by brand name on third-party sites, including YouTube and LinkedIn, are just as crucial as backlinks for signaling authority and can significantly enhance your visibility within LLMs and AI Overviews, directly building trust and recognition in your target market.
Establish Deep Local Authority (Offline & Online) – Build authentic local market authority by actively engaging with your community both online and in the real world. Attend local investor meetings, sponsor community events, and develop strong relationships with real estate professionals, contractors, and local businesses. These real-world connections increase your credibility, generate valuable word-of-mouth referrals, help you find off-market properties, and reinforce your local presence to Google’s algorithms.
Embrace a Diversified Omnichannel Approach – Reduce your dependence on any single lead source by investing in a truly omnichannel marketing strategy. Diversify your efforts across search engine optimization, social media marketing, targeted direct mail campaigns (make sure your mailers include your URL or a scannable QR code!), email nurturing sequences, and in-person networking. This creates a resilient lead generation ecosystem that can withstand future shifts in search algorithms and consumer behavior.
Leverage an AI-Powered CRM for Sales Efficiency – Integrate and fully utilize CRM platforms like Carrot CRM with embedded AI features to streamline your sales process and manage high-volume pipelines effectively. Carrot CRM’s newest features — Autonomous Lead Manager (ALM), AI Opportunity Summaries, and AI Lead Scoring — can automate follow-ups, prioritize leads, and provide real-time property analysis, giving your acquisition team improved clarity and speed without replacing the essential human touch.

Conclusion

The AI revolution in search represents both significant challenges and unprecedented opportunities for savvy real estate investors. While traditional SEO strategies are evolving, the fundamental principles of providing value, building trust, and solving real problems for homeowners remain as important as ever.

Remember, AI is changing how people find information, but not why they need to sell their houses quickly or work with reliable investors.

To be successful, you should adapt to changing technologies while focusing on what makes your real estate investment business unique.

The same time-tested strategies are true both online and off:

Build lasting relationships and genuine brand authority with people in your local market.
Provide valuable solutions for motivated sellers, then share that know-how online (while providing “information gain” that sets you apart from competitors).
Diversify your offline and digital marketing channels, but remember that other human beings will make or break your success.

By combining these timeless principles with modern strategies adapted for an AI-first world, you’ll be well-positioned for continued success.

Ready to future-proof your real estate investment marketing? Analyze the competitive landscape in your local market area for free with Carrot’s Market Scout.

Frequently Asked Questions

Q: How do I know if AI Overviews are affecting my real estate investor website traffic?

Look for decreases in organic click-through rates for broad, informational keywords like “how to sell my house fast” or “cash home buyers.” Monitor your Google Search Console Search Performance data for impressions versus clicks, and check if you’re seeing more branded searches relative to non-branded terms. AI Overviews typically impact top-of-funnel, question-based queries most significantly.

Q: What’s the best way to optimize my real estate investor content for AI citations and overviews?

Structure your content to directly answer common homeowner questions using clear, concise language. Use FAQ sections, numbered lists, and headings that match how people naturally ask questions. Focus on adding unique local market insights and specific processes that demonstrate your own experience and knowledge rather than serving up only generic advice that AI can easily replicate.

Q: Should real estate investors still focus on traditional SEO strategies for local markets?

Yes, but with modifications. Local SEO remains crucial since Google’s AI shows heavy local intent, but you need to emphasize unique geographic content and make it clear that you are a trusted local expert. Combine traditional on-page SEO and local SEO tactics with broader brand building and off-page SEO across multiple platforms to maximize your visibility in both traditional search results and AI-generated responses. Leverage video marketing to further boost SEO, brand visibility, and build trust with your local community.

Q: How can I track if my real estate investment marketing is working when analytics are becoming less reliable?

Align your marketing metrics to business KPIs like revenue, lead quality, cost per lead and lead-to-close ratios, but continue to track your digital marketing success. Track your backlinks and website authority with Domain Overview, pull Google Search Console data directly into your Carrot dashboard by connecting Search Performance, and use campaign tracking links to monitor your results.

Q: What types of content should real estate investors prioritize in 2025 to compete with AI-generated information?

Focus on content that showcases your unique experience and local market knowledge—detailed neighborhood investment guides, case studies of actual deals, process explanations with real examples, and market insights that only an active local investor would know. Combine this expertise-driven content with video testimonials and success stories that build trust and authenticity. Learn more about creating unique content.

We Analyzed the Top-Ranking Carrot Sites: Here’s 7 Things They’re Doing Right

Struggling to rank your real estate website in competitive markets? You’re not alone. SEO can feel overwhelming. So, instead of sharing opinions on what it takes to rank, we thought we’d let the data speak for itself.

We analyzed the top-ranking Carrot sites across 8 markets (6 large, 1 medium, and 1 small) for the most competitive keyword “Sell my house fast [location]” to answer this question: What specific actions are driving their high rankings?

Click Here to See the Full Report

Note: It should be no secret today that SEO leads produce the highest ROI for investors/agents and even produce higher profits than other deals—check out this post on how Carrot leads convert at a 7x higher rate than others and with 2.5x higher profits!

1. Craft a Stellar About Us Page: Become a Trusted Authority
- Quick Tips for an Engaging About Us Page
1. Leverage the Power of Location Pages: Cater to Specific Neighborhoods
- What are Location Pages, and Why Do You Need Them? (Plus, How to Create Them in Minutes!)
1. Video Marketing: Engage Your Audience and Boost Credibility
- Types of Videos to Include on Your Website
- Creating and Publishing Video Posts: A Beginner’s Guide
1. Unleash the Power of Organic Keywords: Speak the Language of Your Audience
- How to Use Organic Keywords Naturally (without Stuffing)
- Publish Fresh Content Regularly: Become an Active Authority
1. Be Link-Friendly: Build Trust and Authority with Strategic Links
- Internal Linking: Guide Visitors Through Your Website
  - Tips for Effective Internal Linking
- Backlinks: The Currency of Trust in the SEO World
  - What Makes a High-Quality Backlink?
  - How to Secure Valuable Backlinks for Your Website
1. Showcase Social Proof with Powerful Testimonials: Build Trust with Real Stories
- Tips for Gathering Compelling Testimonials for Your Website
1. Content is King: Create High-Quality, Authoritative Content (Google Loves It!)
- Understanding the Importance of EEAT Scores
  - How to Increase Your EEAT Score Naturally
Conclusion: Unlock Your Real Estate Domination with Carrot Websites (Plus, How Carrot Can Help)

A Preface: Time — It’s not what you think

Before listing the items for ranking, let’s clear the air first. Most people think that it takes YEARS to rank.

That’s not necessarily true.

See the image below, and you’ll notice that 45% of the top-ranking sites we analyzed are less than two years old, and 15% are less than one year old. So, the old adage “It takes years” wasn’t true for almost half of the sites we looked at.

So, if your SEO journey is starting, there’s hope,. That means the only reason those new sites are ranking (even in competitive areas like Dallas) is that they implemented these 8 factors.

[NOTE: We’ll list off in order from easiest/fastest to implement to hardest/longest]

1) About Page

This is the easiest and quickest thing you can implement today. All of the sites we analyzed had custom About pages. They didn’t use a generic one. You can find a complete guide here to create your own About Page.

Here are some quick tips for creating a stellar About Page:

Add a short bio and images of the team.
Be honest and accurate.
State your mission and core values.
SEO optimize your About Page for your company name and location.

The bottom line is to ensure you have location pages for each city/area you buy houses in.

2) Leverage Many Location Pages

All the newer sites that are ranking had this in common: They had many location pages.

What are location pages?

A location page is a dedicated website page that targets a specific geographic area, also known as a “city page.” These pages are designed to target users in that particular location.

Example of location pages

For example, let’s say that our main URL and home page are “CarrotWillBuyYourHouse.com.” However, we’ll also have a page with a URL Auto Location Tool

Carrot has a feature that can automatically create these location pages for you with a button click.

Here’s a quick video on how to activate your location pages in minutes:

3) Video Marketing

All the newer ranking sites we analyzed have videos throughout (with the exception of one; however, that one made up for it with lots of organic keywords — more on this later).

What type of videos?

Home page video — In the hero section or right below is a video of the owner/team that summarizes what they do.
Video testimonials — Powerful social proof. Capture your sellers on video saying great things about you.
VideoPosts — You can post videos in the blog section instead of text blogs. Here’s a guide on creating and publishing video posts.

Google is giving more credence to websites with many videos; it’s what their users consume. It might seem daunting, but it can be as easy as pulling out your phone and hitting “record.”

At Carrot, we’ve published a Playbook on Video Marketing for investors and agents here.

4) Organic Keywords

These analyzed sites had a large number of organic keywords on the website and content. This does not mean you “keyword stuff.” Google will fiercely punish that. See our SEO Basic Guide on On-Page Content.

Keywords do one thing: They help the user and Google understand exactly who the website is for and what it does.

So, how do you add organic keywords (without “stuffing”)?

Use Carrots Keyword Bible to get an idea of ranking keywords.
Fit in keywords naturally — in all the content, naturally “talk” about what you do. You don’t have to force keywords. Make it sound natural — Google can tell.

Publish frequently—Google loves active sites. That means publishing blog content regularly (at least once a week). Blog content will naturally contain these organic keywords.

5) Be Link Friendly

All the high-ranking sites had these two things in common:

Internal links & Backlinks.

Let’s break down each of them:

Internal Links

Internal linking is a crucial part of SEO that involves linking one page of your website to another page within the same site. Effective internal linking can help improve your website’s navigation, distribute page authority, and enhance the user experience.

You can accomplish this today by making sure the content on your site links to other pages and pillar content naturally.

At Carrot, we have a Niche Authority Builder tool that does this for you.

But here are some tips for internal linking:

Use descriptive anchor text — For example, if linking a “Foreclosure Pillar Content” within another page, use the anchor text “Foreclosure”, and embed the link within. Make sure the link and the anchor text accurately represent the content of the linked page to enhance both user experience and SEO.
Link deep within the site — Don’t just link to the homepage. Link to other location pages and pillar content.
Have pillar content. This means that only one core page or parent article talks about “Foreclosure” and another about “Probate,” etc. (for example). Don’t confuse Google by linking the same topic to multiple pages/articles throughout your site. We do this automatically for you in our Niche Authority Builder.
Don’t overdo it — Like keywords, don’t stuff the same article/page linking into content.
Use different formats — You can link within text and images.
Don’t force or confuse — Make sure the linking is accurate and matches the content. For example, don’t use the anchor text “Probate” and then link to an article on foreclosure.

Backlinks

Backlinks are like votes of confidence from other websites. When another site links to yours, it tells search engines that your content is valuable and trustworthy. The more quality backlinks you have, the better your site can rank in search results.

In all of the websites we analyzed, the top-ranking ones had, on average, over 600 backlinks with over 160 referring domains (other sites backlinking them). But don’t get too buried in the number of backlinks because the key here is quality. One high-quality backlink can be worth 50 low-quality ones. So it would help if you always aimed for high-quality backlinks.

What’s a high-quality backlink?

Any site that has a Domain Authority (DA) of 70 or higher. Use tools like Moz.com to see the DA score of a website. For example, Forbes.com has a domain authority of 94:

Is relevant — The more relevant the page/site, the more SEO “juice” it gives you with a backlink. For example, getting a backlink from Realtor.com would be great “juice.”
Has quality traffic — Hard to measure without tools, but backlink from a site that actually has users and quality visitors is a good quality backlink (Google can see if the site is just a “link farming” site where it’s only goal is to bring traffic (no matter the quality or intent of the traffic) for backlinks.

The more of these higher-quality links you get, the higher your Domain Authority score. The higher your domain authority, the more Google trusts you enough to rank you high.

How to get backlinks

If you’re saying, “Well that’s great, but HOW do I get a link to my website from a quality site like Forbes?”

Well, that’s where a backlink strategy comes in handy.

All the websites we analyzed have intentional backlink strategies.

Here’s a guide on creating your own backlink strategy.

Here are a few ways to create your backlink strategy:

Local Citations: Get listed in local directories to boost online presence and local SEO — here’s a guide on gathering local citations.
Use HARO: Sign up for HARO (Help a Reporter Out) to get quoted by journalists and earn backlinks.
Become a Local Expert: Offer free consultations, host seminars, contribute to local charities, and participate in community events to build authority. For example, you are a part of your local REIA.
Share-worthy Content Creation: Regularly publish highly valuable content that makes others want to link back to your website. This could be controversial content, data, guides, or newsworthy pieces. In SEO this is referred to as link bait.
Guest Blogging: Write guest posts on relevant websites to gain backlinks and exposure.
Broken Link Building: Find and replace broken links on other sites with links to your content.
#Journorequest: Use this Twitter hashtag to find journalists seeking expert contributions.

Top-ranking sites typically hire agencies or have an in-house marketing team to gather monthly backlinks.

6) Testimonials

Every top-ranking site had testimonials. Google wants to ensure that it only sends its users to trusted sources. And the more natural testimonials you have, the more trusted you look. It didn’t matter if it was only text testimonials or videos, as long as you have a specific place where you house the testimonials.

At Carrot, we make getting testimonials on your website incredibly easy via our Testimonial Page.

Here are some tips for gathering your testimonials:

Call back old sellers/clients and ask — It doesn’t hurt to call back the old sellers/clients and ask them about their experience and if they can give you a review.
Gather both text and video — you can ask for both from the same person to double up the content.
Add it to your process — Make sure that every time a deal is complete, you have it as part of your process to ask for a review/testimonial.
Include a drip—One of our go-to copywriters and the founder of OmniDrip adds a drip sequence for his clients that asks for reviews and referrals.
Ask for a Google review—If they’re willing to give you a review, ask them to leave stars and a review on your Google page.

Create a case study — Case studies can be a part of your content strategy to showcase social proof. Create a case study for every time you get permission to share a review/testimonial.

7) Have quality, authoritative content

The last piece of the puzzle, but the most important piece, is content.

Google has gotten really good at recognizing what good, trusted content looks like. The top sites all had very high “EEAT” scores (all above a “B”).

What’s an EEAT score?

An EEAT score stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It’s basically a measure of the quality and trustworthiness of the content. It’s a framework used by Google to assess the quality of content and its creators. Here’s a breakdown of what they look for:

Experience: The site demonstrates first-hand involvement or personal experience in the subject matter.
Expertise: Shows a high level of knowledge or skill in a specific area.
Authoritativeness: Reflects recognition from others as a leading source of information.
Trustworthiness: Indicates reliability and accuracy, often bolstered by transparent practices and verified credentials.

How to increase your EEAT

Want to increase yours? Simply follow steps 1-6 in this article.

By simply following these steps already laid out for you above, you’ll naturally increase your EEAT score in Google’s eyes. Let me summarize it:

Have details and a custom “about” page
Use location pages
Have videos
Use lots of organic keywords via authoritative blogs
Gather quality backlinks
Have testimonials

By following these steps, you’ll quickly raise your trust in Google’s eyes and start ranking in your competitive market.

Conclusion: Unlock Your Real Estate Domination with Carrot Websites

To rank higher on Google and attract more qualified leads, you should focus your efforts on creating valuable and relevant content, building high-quality backlinks, and ensuring your site showcases your credibility & expertise.

And of course, do this on a platform that is SEO-optimized, has the tools to help you get all of this done in a fraction of the time, and is proven to get more #1 rankings than any other website provider in our industry, even against custom websites.

Hopefully, this gives you a clear roadmap to outrank your competition and generate more motivated leads through SEO.

We know that implementing these strategies takes time and expertise. Ranking #1 takes work. That’s why our platform and the team that comes with it are here to help you every step of the way.

Carrot websites are specifically designed to help real estate investors like you achieve top rankings and dominate their local markets. Our platform integrates all the SEO best practices you just learned, including:

Customizable About Pages: Showcase your expertise and build trust with prospects.
Automated Location Pages: Capture leads in every city and neighborhood you serve.
Seamless Video Integration: Engage visitors and establish yourself as a local authority.
Built-in SEO Optimization Tools: Optimize your content for organic keywords and maximize search engine visibility.
Backlink Tracking: Learn how to attract & analyze high-quality backlinks that boost your domain authority.
Testimonial Management System: Showcase positive client experiences and build trust easily.
High-Quality, Authoritative Content: Access a library of proven content templates and writing guides.

Ready to gain a trusted partner in your SEO efforts and start attracting more highly motivated sellers?

Get a free Carrot website demo today and see how we can help you stop losing deals to an underperforming website!

June 17, 2024

EP 487: SEO for Real Estate Investors in 2024

Demo Carrot: How many deals are you losing to your competitor’s website?

Take a Free Demo

We’re delving into the realm of SEO in 2024, unraveling all the essential adjustments and shifts. SEO expert Brian from Fox & Owl Marketing joins me to discuss the dynamic world of search engine optimization. Together, we’ll explore what successful individuals are doing, what works, and what doesn’t amidst the ever-evolving landscape of SEO.

In this video, we break down the key changes from 2023, exploring Google’s AI experiments, the updates in helpful content, and the pivotal role of backlinks in the SEO game. Google’s stance on AI-generated content has evolved significantly, emphasizing the importance of high-quality content over its production method. We dissect these changes, analyze their impact, and discuss what they mean for your SEO strategy.

Looking forward to 2024, we anticipate a continued experiment with Google’s search generative experience, potentially affecting traffic and rankings. However, with frequent algorithm updates, there’s a silver lining. It means faster responses and better adaptability to changes. We delve deep into sitewide classifiers, helpful content scores, and how they’ll shape the SEO landscape in the upcoming year.

Moreover, we showcase Carrot’s newest features, such as the AI content rewrite tool, designed to empower your content creation process. Our goal is to equip you with the tools and insights needed to stay ahead in the SEO game, focusing on evergreen strategies, high-quality content, and ethical SEO practices.

Tune in for an insightful discussion on how to navigate these changes, optimize your content, and thrive in the SEO domain. Don’t miss out on this information-packed session that could potentially transform your SEO game over the next year!

Visit Carrot.com/SEO for more resources, and subscribe for future updates. Join us on this journey of mastering SEO and dominating the search rankings!

Mentioned in this Episode:

January 9, 2024

Strategies to Rank Your Google Business Profile for Real Estate Investors | PRO TIPS & Optimizations

Want to rank higher on Google EASILY and attract more motivated house seller leads? Today, we delve into the secrets of optimizing your Google Business Profile for real estate investors (FKA Google My Business!)

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In this video post, we’re diving into the treasure trove of knowledge shared during an exclusive, previously live-recorded session at Carrot Summit. Join Keith Sant of SEO Meets REI and Brady Winder of Carrot.com as they unveil the secrets to optimizing your Google My Business profile.

Google Business Profile for Real Estate Investors

Unlocking the Power of Google My Business (0:00)

Picture this: You could swiftly ascend the Google rankings and easily attract motivated house sellers. Keith’s insightful session began with the crucial significance of optimizing your Google Business Profile. This optimization, Keith emphasized, is a direct route to achieving top rankings.

Use Tracking Links (0:30)

One of the first optimizations you should do is add a UTM link. With UTMs, you can see how effectively your GBP brings traffic to your website! If you are a Carrot Member, you can use your Campaign Tracking Links to track your conversions by getting the number of clicks and leads from your Google Business Profile.

As Keith mentions in the video, “… this Make Appointment button was getting a lot of leads vs. the website button because I was tracking both of them. Tracking using Carrot’s campaign links is super important and very valuable.”

Carrot members get unlimited Campaign Tracking Links, so don’t be shy about using them to your advantage!

Consistent N.A.P. (1:39)

Consistency is the cornerstone of credibility. Keith advocates maintaining a consistent Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP.) across all online platforms. Why? Because trust begins with uniformity in your brand. Your potential customers and search engines are likelier to perceive you as a reliable and legitimate entity.

Many real estate investors make the mistake of adding keywords to their Google Business Profile name like “XYZ Company – Cash Home Buyers,” but this is a significant mistake. Don’t do that! Your business name is the first and most crucial part of your NAP. So, it needs to be the same everywhere online.

Physical Locations – A Real Address, A Real Advantage (2:20)

The allure of a physical address is undeniable. Keith revealed the magic behind having an authentic address rather than relying on a P.O. box or UPS box. A physical address enhances your visibility on Google Maps and elevates your position in local searches.

TIP: Having an address in a more densely populated area tends to perform better than a town with a lower population, according to Keith Sant.

What should you do if you are new to real estate investing or working at home? You could use Service Areas instead of a physical address, or you could rent an office in a co-working space – just be sure that your office or suite number is added to your address.

While Service Areas prevent using NAP, they can still be successful without a physical address.

County Vs. City – Mastering Your Service Areas (4:47)

Expanding your service areas? Keith’s got you covered. His expert recommendation is to opt for counties over individual cities. This tactical decision broadens your reach, making you a relevant choice for a broader spectrum of potential searches.

How does this work? It’s all about incorporated vs. unincorporated addresses. An unincorporated address falls just outside of city limits. So, one way of telling Google that you buy those unincorporated houses is to use counties as your service areas.

“24/7 Open Hours – Your Gateway to Round-the-Clock Success (7:00)

Want to supercharge your leads and interactions? Keith introduced an unconventional yet powerful strategy: set your business hours 24/7. Doing so signals your unwavering commitment to serving your clients, resulting in increased engagement and leads.

Even if you don’t answer the phone after 5 pm, you can still accept form submissions for leads! If you put yourself in your prospect’s shoes, who would you pick to contact if you were reading about selling your house in probate at 7:45 pm on a Sunday? The company that’s closed until tomorrow or the guy that’s open 24/7?

Posts = Views – Igniting Engagement Through Updates (10:06)

Do you know the secret to higher impressions and views? After getting a steady supply of reviews, it’s consistent updates. Regularly fuel your Google Business Profile by posting once a week. Each update isn’t just an announcement; it’s a spark that ignites engagement and propels your search ranking upwards.

You can use very low-cost tools, like Publer, to schedule these posts weeks in advance. You could also outsource the task to your team!

Optimize “About Us” – Crafting a Compelling Narrative (11:22)

Your “About Us” section is more than a placeholder. Keith’s advice: seize the opportunity. Fill the full 750 characters with impactful content and relevant keywords. This optimization transforms your narrative into a search engine-friendly beacon.

But be careful here; changes to your Google Business Profile need to be approved before they are public, and we have seen several examples of investors who try to stuff too many keywords into their “About Us” section, only to get the edit denied by Google.

Geotag Images – Pioneering Visual Localization (13:49)

Visuals can speak louder than words, especially in local searches. Keith introduced a simple yet potent strategy: geotag your images using this free tool. This geo-infusion aligns your visuals with local relevance, capturing the attention of potential customers near you.

TIP: This tactic doesn’t work for your website images because WordPress strips away geo data from the images, but it does work for GBP posts!

Reviews! – The Pillars of Trust and Credibility (15:00)

Rave reviews aren’t just testimonials; they’re your stairway to success. Keith accentuated the immense value of garnering reviews and striving for a minimum of 10. With reviews in your arsenal, you elevate your search ranking and construct pillars of trust and credibility.

If you’re having difficulty generating reviews, try incentivizing people to leave you honest, detailed reviews by mailing them a pre-paid gift card. Trevor suggested that Keith email his clients requesting a review of his Google Business Profile and a mailing address to send the gift card. To Keith’s surprise, most people who left reviews never sent him a mailing address!

A recent case study by Joy Hawkins and her team suggests that hitting ten reviews on your local listing will result in a ranking boost in Google local results. However, getting more than ten reviews does not help you rank better in Google Maps or the Google Local pack.

Joy said, “There does appear to be a ranking boost once a listing has ten reviews. So, it is important for a listing to get a minimum of ten reviews. However, continuing to get more reviews does not yield the same ranking boost.” But reviews are still critical as they build trust and help with conversions, Joy explained.

The fact that there is a specific number of any kind, such as 10, is very un-Google-like.

TIP: Be sure to respond to EVERY review your GBP receives promptly – especially negative reviews.

Enable Messaging – Conversations and Google’s Grace (17:59)

A final gem was unveiled as the session ended: enable messaging and chat features on your Google Business Profile for real estate. Keith’s wisdom was clear – embracing this engagement channel opens the door to more interactions and even some love from Google.

While these strategies are helpful, their effectiveness can vary based on individual circumstances and market dynamics.

Get Started with Google Business Profile for Real Estate Investors Today

The secrets are out! Carrot Summit unveils the path to Google prominence with exclusive insights from Keith Sant and Carrot’s Brady Winder. Their combined expertise offers you theories and a concrete roadmap to success.

By implementing these strategies today, you’ll be well-positioned to seize new opportunities, connect with motivated sellers, and dominate the Google Business Profile landscape for Real Estate Investors.

August 31, 2023

August 2023 Google Core Update (Now Live)

Google Core Algorithm Update | August 2023

August 7th – Early Signs of a Google Core Update

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There is a lot of chatter about early signs of a Google Core Update in the SEO community today. There hasn’t been an official confirmation from Google, but we haven’t had a major update since April (so we are definitely overdue for one).

Here are some of the early indicators:

Our Sales Site has had 718 keywords jump in ranking by 10+ positions
We have also seen 806 keyword drop in rank by 10+ positions
I’ve seen my personal website jump by 266 new keyword in the past week
SEO volatility trackers are going off the charts

While nothing is 100% certain, there is something going with the SERPs and has been for at least the past few days. Big swings in ranking like this usually points to a Core Update, but we can’t know for sure until Google confirms it. By some reports, the volatility has been high since July 14th!

Here’s what we are seeing on Carrot.com:

Google core update ranking changes shown in Ahrefs.

August 2023 Google Core update rankings.

August 2023 Google Core Update affecting the SERP volatility in late July.

MazCast showing SERP volatility from the August 2023 GoogleCore Update

August 2023 Google Core Update Is Live

The latest Google Core Update officially started rolling out on Aug. 22nd and is expected to take 2 weeks to complete.

At this time, the changes have been somewhat mild compared to other, smaller updates that have been happening over the past two months. While members are unlikely to be alarmed by any changes to their rankings at this time – that could change over the next 12 days. If anyone does reach out to you, warmly remind them that there isn’t any reactionary “fixes” that they can do to regain rankings until the next Core Update happens. Instead, they should stick to the SEO strategy that we teach in 30 Day Challenge and review the factors that contribute to EEAT.

Once the update has finished rolling out, we will update this post with aggregate data from our 7,600+ member sites on how this Core Update affected the real estate investor industry specifically! Stay tuned.

August 28, 2023

Category: Search Engine Optimization

Key Takeaways

Table of Contents

1. A Website Gives You Modern Credibility

2. Show Up in Local Search (SEO) & AI Search

Want help optimizing your website for local AI search? Check out Carrot’s AI Visibility Challenge, built specifically for local services businesses and real estate professionals!

Or want someone to manage SEO for you? We can help!

3. Generate Leads & Get Customers — Even after hours

4. Build Trust

Websites are a must for today’s local businesses

Launching an SEO-optimized website for your local business doesn’t have to cost thousands or require technical know-how. Carrot’s AI website builder walks you through the process in minutes for less than $150/mo.

Table of Contents

Key Takeaways

1. Start with Keyword Research

Brainstorm your seed keywords.

Find related keywords

Choose your list of keywords to write on

Decide what to do with them

2. Publish Original, Information-Rich Content

Tips to create good content

3. Nail the Basics of Technical SEO

4. Build Location-Targeted Pages

URL of the page matters

Tips to create location-targeted pages

5. Fix Your Image Alt Text

How to write a good alt text for your image

6. Use Internal Links the Right Way

Wrapping It Up

FAQs

1. Do I really need SEO if I already get leads from postcards, cold calling, or referrals?

2. How long does it take to see results from real estate SEO?

3. What’s the difference between keywords for landing pages and blog posts?

4. Can I do real estate SEO myself, or do I need to hire an agency?

5. How do I know which keywords are worth targeting?

KEY TAKEAWAYS

Table of Contents

1. Your Website isn’t Set Up to be Found on Top in Search Results

How to Fix Your Website’s SEO Issues

2. Your Website isn’t Designed for Conversion

Your forms are asking for too much information

Your call-to-action buttons are invisible or confusing

Important elements are buried on your page

3. Your Website Lacks Trust Signals That Convince Visitors You’re Legitimate

4. Your Website has Technical Problems

Does your website work properly on mobile?

Are your forms working correctly?

Is your website loading as fast as possible?

What Should You Do Next?

KEY TAKEAWAYS (TL;DR)

Table of Contents

The AI Revolution in Search: What Real Estate Investors Need to Know

Google’s AI Overviews Are Dominating Search Results

The Rise of Forum Content and Video Results

Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape

The Growing Importance of Brand Mentions and Recognition

The Role of Engagement Signals in Rankings

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search

The Challenge of AI-Generated Content Saturation

Understanding Information Gain and Content Uniqueness

Creating Content That Stands Out

Measuring Success in the New SEO Landscape

Traffic Attribution and Traditional SEO KPIs are Changing

The Rise of Brand Awareness Metrics

Aligning with Business-Critical Metrics

How to Stay Ahead: Real Estate Investor Marketing in the AI Era

Your Action Plan: 15 Essential Steps for Real Estate Investors to Future-Proof Your Marketing Strategy

Conclusion

Frequently Asked Questions

People also read …

KEY TAKEAWAYS (TL;DR)

Table of Contents

The AI Revolution in Search: What Real Estate Investors Need to Know

Google’s AI Overviews Are Dominating Search Results

The Rise of Forum Content and Video Results

Building Brand Authority in an AI-Dominated Landscape

The Growing Importance of Brand Mentions and Recognition

The Role of Engagement Signals in Rankings

Adapting Your Content Strategy for AI-First Search

The Challenge of AI-Generated Content Saturation

Understanding Information Gain and Content Uniqueness