Having a website that can’t be found online by your potential clients because of the property management keywords focus is pretty much like having no website at all.
This guide is for property managers, landlords, and real estate professionals looking to improve their website rankings through effective keyword strategies for your search engine optimization plans.
We don’t want that to happen to you.
In this guide you’ll learn:
- The most searched property management keywords in the US — and the simple “[service] + [city/state]” formula that drives the most owner leads
- How to use long-tail keywords to capture landlords who are ready to hire (and why they’re easier to rank for)
- The 6 places on every page where your keywords need to show up for Google to take your site seriously
- What keyword stuffing and cannibalization actually are — and how either one can quietly tank pages you’ve already built
- How to match keyword type to content type so you’re not writing blogs when you should be building service pages (or vice versa)
- A keyword research process you can follow yourself before hiring anyone to help
In order for your property management company website to get the exposure you want and get you found for targeted online searches, you need to choose the right property management related keywords that are being searched online by your potential clients. From there, you can build-out your website pages and content accordingly.
This is where some detailed SEO research and strategies from a PM only SEO agency will come into play, but right here and now, we are going to focus on keywords (the words typed in an online search) and the role they play with your PM company’s SEO.
SEO is defined by Google as:
“SEO—short for search engine optimization—is about helping search engines understand your content, and helping users find your site and make a decision about whether they should visit your site through a search engine.”
With the proper research, focus, and execution, choosing the right keywords to target and map out your property management company’s SEO will help you get more ideal potential clients to your website.
Today we will break it all down so you understand exactly how you can do this for your own management company.
What Are Property Management Keywords?
Keywords – otherwise known as online search phrases/words – are common words, phrases, or even sentences that people are searching online when they are looking for something in particular, like a property manager.
Let’s say we are talking about a Landlord or rental property owner searching on Google for a property manager in Atlanta, GA.
One example of a common “keyword” that Landlord might be searching for would be something like “property managers in Atlanta GA“
The Landlord is expecting that by typing this into a search engine like Google, the search engine will show some good property management companies in the area.
That’s exactly what the search engine algorithm will do. It will provide some relevant results in the search engine results page (SERPS) displaying property managers in that area so the searcher can visit company websites, check online reviews and reputation scores, etc.
So how does the search engine know which sites are relevant?
Search engines use complicated algorithms that are constantly evolving to figure out which websites should show up higher for specific searches. These algorithms take a lot of different factors into account, like how often you’ve used certain keywords (relevancy and frequency), how much authority a website has (how established and trusted your domain/brand is), and how well users are actually engaging with it.
Starting things off with the right website structure by choosing the right keywords for property management and actually making it worth people’s while to read your content, you up your chances of being seen by search engines as a valuable resource that deserves attention.
The Role of Keywords When it Comes to SEO
In order for your website to appear in search results for any particular keyword, your website and pages need to have relevancy built up for a particular keyword or similar batch of keywords. This is related to “on-page SEO”.
How do you do that?
Use your keywords on your page in a natural way by creating great content. Rather than thinking of your keyword as a “keyword”, think of it more as a topic. Then you’ll go create a bunch of unique, helpful, in-depth content on that particular topic.
Search engines like Google want to show the best, most helpful sources.
So, if you want to be found online for a search like “property managers in seattle, wa” your best bet is to create a really great page on your website about your property management services, FAQ’s, tips, and in-depth info about your company and services in the Seattle area.
By creating great content focused around this topic (keyword), you will build a strong relevancy for this keyword on your page, and search engine algorithms will be more inclined to include it in the results, which is going to help you get more leads.
Keep in mind, the better the content is, the more likely search engines will favor it over less quality content.
Additionally, integrating your target keywords in strategic places such as meta descriptions, page titles, and headings helps search engines quickly understand the focus and structure of your pages, improving your relevancy, improving your positions in search, and driving traffic more effectively.
Goodjuju Tip: Search engine optimization is more than just throwing a bunch of keywords around your website. It involves a multi faceted SEO strategy for property managers that you can build by doing keyword research, creating quality content, making technical tweaks to your website, and building brand authority. This all-encompassing approach makes sure your site shows up higher in the search rankings on the major search engines, which in turn brings in the kind of traffic that you can actually convert into leads.
How Do You Find and Choose The Right Keywords?
Part of any property management marketing game plan should include doing the proper homework upfront.
This includes “keyword research”, which is the process of using the right tools and software to find out how many people are searching online for a particular keyword each month. This amount of searches for a keyword is referred to as “search volume”.
Obviously, the relevant keywords with the most search volume will bring the most potential for targeted traffic from your potential clients.
Once you have the proper keywords discovered, you can come up with your plans to create great content, optimize your website pages for these searches, and even do some content outreach and sharing of your resource so that other websites will link to it, improving your website/brand authority (another topic for another blog). That’s why keyword research is literally the foundation of all the work an agency does for PM’s.
Monitoring search engine results regularly will keep your SEO efforts aligned with what content potential clients are looking for, helping you strategize and stay ahead in the competitive property management business.
If you do a search for some the specific terms you know your potential property owner clients are searching, pay attention to the type of content that’s performing well. Is it more informational like blogs? Is it more service pages of specific companies and what they offer?
You want to create the same type of content that is performing well, because the algorithm can determine search intent, aka what users are looking for when they are searching the particular property management keyword.
Common Examples of Keywords for Property Managers:
For property managers across the US, a lot of the most popular keywords are quite similar, made unique by using local identifiers like “city” and “state” or even “county”.
Here is a list of common keywords that usually have the most search volumes in all cities/areas across the US:
-“Property managers in [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Property management in [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Property management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Property managers [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Rental property management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Real estate management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Top property management companies [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Apartment property management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Property management services [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Rental property management company [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Real estate property management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Apartment management company [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Residential property management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Apartment management [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Real estate management company [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Rental management companies [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Best property management companies [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Property management companies [city] (or) [city, state]”*
-“Building management company [city] (or) [city, state]”*
Using these keywords within your website content, meta tags, and local SEO profiles will increase your visibility in search engine results, helping you attract more leads and grow your property management business.
Other Specific Keywords (Long-Tail):
In addition to those highly searched for (and highly competitive) keywords mentioned above, there are also some other less common keyword opportunities that might come in the form of questions or longer search phrases.
These are often referred to as “long-tail” keywords because they are longer and more specific in nature.
These searchers are usually people who have a specific question or problem and they might just be typing in a full sentence. By creating content for these long-tail searches, you can provide helpful content and answers, and increase your chances of being found.
Long tail keywords often have lower search volume but also lower competition, making them valuable for targeting specific needs and driving qualified traffic to your site.
Here are a few potential examples that a Landlord or rental property owner might search:
-“How do I evict a tenant in [city] (or) [city, state]?”
-“What can I do if my tenant doesn’t pay rent in [city] (or) [city, state]?”
-“Where to advertise my rental property in [city] (or) [city, state]?”
-“Tenant/Landlords rights in [city] (or) [city, state]?”
You likely know the problems and questions that rental property owners and Landlords in your state might be dealing with, and you also have experience and answers to provide.
You should use questions like these to create some helpful in-depth content and position your property management company as the local experts, creating topical authority while increasing your chances of being found for less competitive searches. Although less searched, the traffic will be very targeted, and engaging content with a combo of website strategies that increase conversions, these can be some easy wins.
Using Keyword Placement Correctly On Your Website:
There are certain places that you should strategically place your chosen property management keywords on your website pages to make it very clear to search engine algorithms exactly what your pages are about.
The places you need to optimize for your keywords are:
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- URL’s
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- Page Titles
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- Meta Descriptions
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- H1- H6 Heading Tags
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- Image Alt Tags
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- In your content naturally
These are critical places that Google is checking to understand what a page is about, in addition to the rest of the content on the page (both very important).
Proper keyword placement not only improves your search engine rankings but also enhances the user experience by making your content clear and relevant. A thorough SEO audit beforehand is always good practice.
Careful with Your Density – Don’t Overdo it:
Understandably, you might think it’s a great idea to plaster your keyword all over the page, hoping it’s going to pick up a ton of relevancy and rank that page.
Not the case! This is called “keyword stuffing“. Here’s an example:
“Redrock Property Management in Dallas, TX is here to answer all your Dallas property management needs with our experienced team of Dallas, TX property management services”
Yikes… Don’t do that.
Not only will doing this make your content look unnatural and unreadable, it is against Google’s spam policies, and will hurt your website more than help it.
Your keywords should only appear as often as they naturally should when you write about your company services and property management blog topics. No more, no less.
We’ve said it before and we’ll say it again, focus on creating unique high-quality content that is written for “people first”.
Balancing keyword usage with engaging, informative content will improve your click through rates and keep visitors on your site longer, which are positive signals for search engine rankings.
Don’t Cannibalize Your Website Pages:
Also, if you are thinking it might be a good idea to plug in all your keywords all over your different pages for some reason, don’t do that either.
That’s called “keyword cannibalization” and it tears down the relevancy of each page by diluting the focus. You’ll be sending mixed signals to search engines, and the user experience won’t be great either.
Usually, each page on your website should have one keyword, focus, or purpose. The exception to this would be a page with many VERY similar keywords that don’t include any major differentiators.
Maximizing Your Property Management SEO Efforts:
To stay on top of the game in a super competitive property management scene , it’s crucial to stay on top of search trends and honing in on your target keywords content to make sure they’re still on point. By making sure you’re using local SEO strategies, you can get a big jump in search engine rankings – especially when people are searching for PM’s specific to their city, or even suburb.
That’s why it’s so important to not just optimize your Google Business Profile with the right keywords, but also make sure your website is giving all the answers that property owners are searching for, whether they’re owners of a couple rental properties or big time investors with a large portfolio.
Using a mix of high volume property management keywords on your home page and city pages and some of the long tail keywords for in-depth blogs that have lower volume can help you get more traffic faster. This targeted approach gives you a better shot at getting actual leads and keeping ahead of your competition.
And remember, when it comes to SEO, its not just about getting on the first page of search results, its about getting the right people clicking on your page and turning them into actual business for your company.
Wrapping Up
SEO is an ever changing game, and you want to make sure you do things right and play it safe. Choosing the right property management related keywords is the first place to start, and by doing it the right way, your marketing campaigns will deliver more targeted results. Take these keywords and create helpful content, and your website will benefit in the long run. Be patient, because these results don’t happen overnight. It can take months for these efforts to pay off, but if you do things right, you won’t regret it.
If you need help with SEO strategies or have any questions about choosing the right keywords for your company, get a free analysis from our team at Goodjuju today. We will be happy help you understand more of how this all works.
