BIG Mistake on SEO by an Agent. Actual Example.

The Good. The Bad and Ugly facts on a CRAPPY Choice Domain Name.

Picking a good domain name is so crucial today if you expect to make it to the top of the real estate food chain.

Pick a BAD domain name, combine this with a crappy hosting company and a website template and you have all the ingredients for a real disaster. You might as well as paint a big RED target on your back with the words: KILL ME. Because what this agent or broker did below, is no different.

Website URL: www.SantaFeRealtyInc.com

What's wrong with the website? Plenty of things. But I'll limit this to 7 items.

1.) The domain name. SantaFeRealty (is wrong for flagstaff) -- has a good relevant, natural search term for any REALTOR or broker doing business in Santa Fe, New Mexico. But the firm is offering real estate in Flagstaff, Arizona. This is pure stupidity at it's finest.

2.) Graphics do not always load when you visit the site. The server (ISP) isn't one of the big ones like Rackspace.com. Crappy servers + McWebsite template = Lousy performance.

Lousy performance + me too website template + wrong geographic terms for real estate = ZERO natural search engine visibility on Google.

Acid Text: Do a Google search for: 1.) flagstaff homes for sale 2.) flagstaff real estate

Is this Website on page one of Google? No.

3.) Navigation items go inside with relevant text links. An SEO technique called Silo-ing. This part is good, but could be better as the landing pages are not optimized enough for the relevant terms.

4.) Listings preview is weak. Why not show off several homes, or add the Quick Search Homes box here. Adding an IDX from iHomefinders here would be a killer idea. Look at this site for an example of what to do.

5.) Favorite links? Not a good idea. If you put off site links here, you are telling Google to forget about you. It's no wonder this website has a Google PageRank of 0/10. Think of offsite links on YOUR website like a bucket of water. For every offsite link you put on your home page or any high traffic page (landing page) is like taking a sharp awl and punching a hole in your bucket.

You punch one hole in the SEO bucket for every off site link you have. Now you get the idea. You do not want to EVER swap or exchange links with anyone UNTIL AFTER YOU GET ON PAGE ONE. NEVER violate that rule.

6.) Real Estate Websites link goes to the Webmaster. Bag this idea if you have one of these links on your website and IF you have ZERO page one visibility on Google right now.

If anyone thinks this is a good looking website -- then the agent needs to have their head examined, or stop postponing your annual eye exam.

The text link going TO RapidListings.com is good for them. But it does nothing for the agent's ability to get the site ranking better on Google.

RapidListings.com gets an incoming, relevant link for the Google search term: real estate websites So when agents go searching for a website on Google, they get to show up at the EXPENSE of you never appearing on a natural page search. This kind of predatory activity should be a crime because the last time I checked, RapidListings.com CHARGES agents $$$ for the site and the service. If it were me, I'd tell RapidListings to remove the link or pay ME for keeping it.

7.) Text Link Footers. This is way over the top. Links to the individual agents do nothing to add relevant key words for Flagstaff Real Estate, Flagstaff Homes for Sale, etc.

This website CAN BE FIXED if the REALTORS get themselves another domain. I checked this morning and several good choices are available for registration right now.

1.) FlagstaffMoves.net

2.) FlagstaffHomefinders.com

3.) FlagstaffSelect.com

If I were the owner of this website, I'd take the domain, offer it for SALE to an agent or broker in Santa Fe New Mexico, make $500 - $1,000 as the domain is Google SEO friendly if the domain points to relevant REAL ESTATE content in SANTA FE NM.

Then I'd buy one of these domains above and upload a hand coded, SEO friendly website.

More good SEO stuff by good and bad examples will be posted later in June.

- Bartman