Search engine optimisation (SEO) hands-on: small steps to greater visibility

To help you climb higher and higher in Google's search engine result pages (SERPs) in future, we have teamed up with SEO expert Elias Indrich from LocalOnTop to put together some practical tips for you!

Where should keywords be placed?

The old rule “more is better” is still very common: simply hide the word “estate agent” 100 times on your website and Google will find you. But it is not that simple. Where a keyword appears in the website code makes a big difference to Google. Google cannot visit your office, where you could calmly explain what services you offer, why your customers appreciate you, and how well you know your local area. But Google wants to know all of this – and it looks for these signals in the code of your website.

The three strongest positions to tell Google “this term is very important to me” are:

The URL, meaning your web address (www.max-agent.co.uk) and the directory path (www.max-agent.co.uk/property-sale-in-sampletown)
The page title, similar to the big sign above your shop window. Each subpage has its own title. Move your mouse over the browser tab and the title will appear.
The strongest headline (H1), the most important and dominant heading on the page, similar to the large front-page headline of a newspaper.

BOTTIMMO expert tip:

Quality, not quantity:
When placing your relevant keywords on your website, follow the 2/3 rule:
Do not use a central keyword in all three strong SEO positions. Use it only in two of them. Complement it with synonyms and “descriptive headings”.
Example:
Your preferred keyword combination is “estate agent Wuppertal”. Is that also a good H1? Not quite. A much better H1 would be: “Your personal property expert in Wuppertal.”

✔️ Task:

Evaluate which keywords (search queries) you want to be found for.
Search for your website using these keywords.
Are you visible?
If not, check whether you are using the three strong SEO positions correctly.

Recommended keyword combinations:

Use these keyword combinations to strengthen visibility and generate revenue. SEO follows clear rules, but in practice you need a good sense of detail, because each estate agent and each local market is unique.

“property valuation + TOWN”
Your topic cluster may include: property prices, properties, valuation calculator, valuation methods, surveyor / expert, free valuation, reasons for valuation, calculate property price, calculate house value yourself, free house valuation, “How much is my property worth?”
“energy performance certificate + TOWN”
Complement this with: costs, legal requirements, types, obligations, “Why do you need an EPC?”
“sell without agent / commission-free selling”
Think about terms such as: private sale, what to consider when selling privately, pros/cons of selling with an estate agent.
“estate agent + TOWN”
Here you can use many relevant keywords: popular neighbourhoods, landmarks, residential areas, new-build projects, town history, architecture.

Need support?