MARKETING
john schick, better links media
The New Multifamily Online
Marketing Landscape
I
n August of 2015 the search engines Google,
Yahoo and Bing introduced a new search element that has never before been seen in multifamily marketing: the Local Stack. Found
directly below the pay-per-click ads towards the
top of the search results page on desktops and
mobile devices there’s a rectangular box. It includes
a map with balloons followed by three listings of
the top-ranked apartment communities. For the
first time EVER multifamily communities can
aspire to getting found on page one of search engine
results - above the listing services, and without
charge. Yes - there’s a free and powerful marketing
opportunity for apartment communities. So how
does one outmaneuver competitors for the digital
equivalent of this highly coveted real estate?
The key question to win at the online marketing challenge: what criteria do the search engines
employ? That criteria is Expertise, Authority and
Trustworthiness (EAT). The ability to bring those
qualities to your website and social media is the
key to getting found. Let’s explore how to cultivate
those qualities.
Online reviews are an important way the search
engines determine how relevant your community
is to search results. Many communities endeavor
to get reviews. But is your effort to cultivate reviews
systematic and efficient? You need good reviews
on websites that matter. Sites with high domain
authority are the ones that count. For instance
Google+ and Facebook have a domain authority
of 100. Yelp and the Better Business Bureau are
not far behind with domain authority in the mid90’s. These sites matter.
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One commonly over-looked detail is deceptively simple - and easy to get wrong. NAP or your
name, address and phone number has to be consistent across the web. Does your NAP reflect the
exact same details across your online presence? For
example, if your community is listed as 123 Blvd.
in one place and 123 Boulevard on another directory or social media, the search engines see two
different addresses. Consistency counts.
Consistency also plays a part in an oftenignored dilemma many communities face: multiple Facebook and Google+ pages. More often
than not, communities at a loss for login credentials to their social media, simply create a new
page. So now they have two or three Facebook
pages, often with slightly different addresses or
phone numbers.
Again the search engines don’t know what to
make of this and they simply rank those communities with an inconsistent social media presence lower in search results. Claim and clean up
your best pages and delete the other abandoned
social media pages.
Reviews, consistency and NAP all are crucial
elements to establishing Expertise, Authority and
Trustworthiness. With skill and determination
your community can outflank the competition in
your markets and get found by prospects, first. The
new online marketing landscape presents new
challenges, yet it can be a powerful weapon in your
marketing toolbox to achieve superior results.
The Local Stack includes a map with baloons
followed by three linstings of the top ranked
businesses in the search results.
John Schick is the president of Better Links Media in Denver.
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JANUARY 2016 • TRENDS | 31