The Internet has evolved dramatically over the last ten years. It has been transformed from a mammoth file repository into something much more ethereal and interactive.
There are still those that are locked into “old-school” thinking about static websites and work constantly on schemes designed to attract more visitors. The battle for recognition was always an uphill campaign, as the Goliaths of webdom had invested millions and had taken control of the medium.
But something very interesting has happened along the way. It seems that the focus of both web surfers and search engines has shifted from Internet “places” to fresh, new content.
And the only thing that matters is that the content is quickly indexed and available SOMEWHERE! As a matter of fact, the more places that the content is delivered, the better.
It is no longer about getting visitors to “your site!” It is ALL about getting them to “your content,” wherever it is and by any means they might use to get to it.
So it is backwards thinking to use content to drive visitors to a static website. You ALREADY have them, why would you focus on driving them somewhere else?
The forward thinking content creator understands that the content only has merit if and when time it is presented to an end user, no matter where they find it.
Content should be designed to stand on it’s own as a complete entity. It is of no consequence where the file resides. The only significant issue is whether or not the content can be readily found!
It’s a hard concept for some to accept, as they may have a significant investment in web properties. But it is reality that cannot be dismissed if one is truly seeking a notable web presence.
It is so much easier and more productive to embrace the new trends than it is to resist them.
And it’s a lot less expensive too!
All content, including text, original art, photographs and images, is the exclusive property of Coweta Fayette Real Estate, Inc., and may not be used without the expressed written permission of Coweta Fayette Real Estate Better Homes and Gardens Metro Brokers, Newnan Georgia. All information is believed to be accurate but is not warranted, Copyright 2003-2009. Richard Weisser REOS, E-Pro. licensed Auctioneer. 770-827-6225.
Learn more about Coweta County and Fayette County Georgia Real Estate, and to search the entire Georgia MLS for free with no registration required visit CowetaFayetteRealEstate.com! Photos of the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
Get the latest GA Foreclosure List Updated Daily! We Do HUD bids in Georgia! 770-827-6225
and it's so much more FUN!! I love thinking about things that people might need or want to know about our Raleigh area. Active Rain has been such a great teacher about looking at hyper-local content and the like.
Merriest Christmas wishes to you and your family Richard! Here's to a terrific forward thinking 2010!
Excellent!!!
All I can say is "let the content flow".
Content is and always has been king when you figure that folks who like to read and are looking to educate themselves on any topic can judge very quickly the quality and motivation of content. I'm amazed how many folks spend tons of time trying to figure out how to game the system when just writng about what you know would be all they need to do! Thanks Richard, you rock.
Richard,
Content has always been the driver but it's more important now than ever before. Buyers want to do their own research before talking to an agent.
The easier it is to find, the better shot you have at getting them to call you.
Rich
The internet has gotton so much easier for the consumer to navigate. Content is king!
I have just invested a small major fortune in a brand-spanking new web-site, with SEO built in, focused on the Montreal home staging services I offer, with a minor focus on the Montreal real estate services I also do. (The site is launching as we speak.) I hope to draw potential real estate clients via my home staging focus. I have just decided to add a blog to my web-site for precisely the reason you mentioned: constant new content that gets re-indexed by the search engines. I will of course keep my Active Rain blog going too. In your mind, is this enough? -- Tanya in Montreal
Hey! Aren't you sick, mister?! Shouldn't you be resting?!!
I say, The internet has bridged the gap of playing field between the rookie and seasoned agent.
I like this educating "Old Geezers" internet content rambling. However content itself is just one factor of your internet success. Key word research and targeting, your article or content title, description and key word correlation, bookmarking, sales website pointing are just a few more factors to get into.
Pamela...
Thanks you so much for your kind words. ActiveRain is also a great content distributor, ads this post is EVERYWHERE now! I hope that you have the best Christmas ever!
Lenn...
I almost used running river photos in this post ... great minds think alike! THX
SarahGray...
You know, when you get to a site that's a lot of nothing you can't get out of there fast enough. So what have they actually accomplished? Thanks, as always.
I'm still new to blogging and seem to struggle with my consistency. Some have said "just write" and don't over think it. If content is key (which it is more evident now then ever) then one should really think about what they are writing about and how you convey the information.
Those who dare to embrace and use online interactive technology shall be rewarded.
That's a great description of how it has morphed - simple, elegant, accurate! Thanks!
Rich...
And it's also really neat to be "out there!" If only my dad could see me now. Thanks my friend.
Angelica...
It really is, and I would modify that to "fresh content is king!" Thanks so much for your comment.
Tanya...
You don't have to choose!
Go Here, to my website and see how my AR blog is automatically delivered to it! Too cool, and thanks for the question.
Rich you are so on top of your game... from your great posts to your website( with blog) I'm sure the you have much success in real estate. Happy Holidays!
You hit the nail on the head again.
Ricahrd I looked at your site and it is really quite impressive. I am still not sure how content gets to your site from A/R . Would like to learn and understand this. I do have a blog link on my site and think that is how it gets ther for us.
Richard.....I'm going to start adding more content about the local community to my blogs.....I am preparing that information now....have a merry christmas....get well.
You nailed it. I hear agents all the time refer to their website as "almost finished". I'm getting used to the idea that a part of my day (hopefully small) must be dedicated to introducing good new material into the system and the website can never reach a "finished" status.
Thanks Richard, your site says it all. Now to go work on mine . . .
Richard, well written and right on target! This is an area where I am still working. Thanks for the reminder! Hope you get to feeling better.
Richard:
Many sites have content --but are so boring. One also needs imagination, for the sizzle.
Hi Richard,
I like the way you got to the point..well said. It is all about content..a website is never finished ..but always evolving!
Richard - Interesting that your site is dominated by your blog. I need to investigate this. Great feature post.
Richard, I went to your site and it is cool how your blog is delivered to your site. New fresh material is what keeps a web site ranked high in the search engines. Thanks and have a great Holiday!
Richard, as the saying goes, "content is king."
It will keep you at the top of search engines longer.
Hi Richard: I agree it's not about getting visitors to your site as it is in getting them to your content - where ever it may be!
:)
Interesting. In other words its a daily ob to keep getting new information out there.
Richard, as usual, you are right on the money! We have to continually update with usable content in order for our sites to be a place consumers want to be!
Hi Richard, hope you are feeling better than yesterday. You are so right, and you just reminded me that I want to deliver my blog content to my website. Static is bad, static is just not me anyway. I prefer to be fresh, LOL.
Have a wonderful day Richard.
Hi Richard! I always enjoy your posts, thanks for sharing your knowledge and experience!
Great so now you need to tell us how to do this. I see you are using feedburner but I have tried this to no avail - so what's the secret?
Feel better soon!
Having just gotten a job because my content was found by a customer, I understand content is most important.
You are so right Richard! Content, content, content! Merry Christmas! :)
Richard...posted a 7a.m featured and 35+ comments what does that tell us about content and having followers to your blog. I was told a few years back that the best way to keep content fresh without the nuts and bolts of webmasters constantly tweaking my site was a blog...written frequently, and that is what has worked well for me.
Richard... Thanks for articulating this point so well. It's the several small things you do online working in concert, not driving them to the big website. More and more, it's about the conversation and where you're having that conversation.
Great comments Richard. I find adding current relavent content daily really keeps people coming back. I recommend that people set up a Google Analytics account so that you can track traffic to your site. It really is great data because you can see how many people are going to your site and from where. Also, there mere fact that you are staying relavent keeps you on top of the market.
Hi Richard! You're spot-on! Content is KING and making sure you're FOUND is the icing on the cake. Provide what they're looking for, they'll come back for more and help your rankings even more!
Great job on this one Richard. Definitely feature worthy.
And, you're absolutely right. It's more about the content than getting visitors to your web site.
I'm always amazed at how rapidly technology is advancing.
Who knows what the web will look like in 2010........and beyond.
Richard-
I dig your general message here, but I think your logic may be flawed with regard to one thing: control.
In other words, ideally, as you point out, we can put our content feelers out "there" (wherever readers / prospects are) and engage them on the spot. I couldn't agree more. But the problem with this is, many places where we place our content do not give us the control or ability to let folks easily reach us or be "converted", depending on what our goals are.
So, if I could make sure that everywhere I post my content had, for example, an excellent, easily-accessible Aweber opt-in light box, I would happily extend those feelers. But until then, it makes more sense for me, at least, to drive traffic back to my site, which is not fully static but I get your meaning, and attempt to convert that traffic there, because that is where I'm able to set up my tools for just this purpose.
Any thoughts on this?
My take on your excellent post is blog, blog, blog. My blogs include calls to action but I wish they had more functionality.
Richard,
Great post as usual. Teh web is getting easier and easier for all of us to use and definely levels the playing field.
As my real estate career as well as my bloging "career!" begin in 2010, this information is great to hear! I do agree with Ian that it is important, at least with some of your content, to drive traffic to your site!
The website is one tool in the virtual box. Using more than eyeballs to scan a few images and copy is old school too. Haven't you seen the shift in the media telling us on Madison Avenue what is hot, is not to the average Joe and Jane on Facebook, in forum comments sharing what works and does not? The consumer is driving the process in an honest, unspun down to earth way. The consumer will tell you how to avoid this camera, vacation, website or make sure to check out this merchant, this area of the country, this refreshing broker who is helpful, not pushy and high on living where he/she does.
Richard, you are so right. This is an area that I am still working on. I appreciate the guidance I get from your posts. Thanks!!
Thanks for the excellent post. I joined ActiveRain two days ago so I can start creating content with links to my Web site. It will be interesting to see if this helps drive more visitors to my site.
J. David Lampe, Denver Real Estate Agent
Google ranks pages, not sites, so your commentary is dead on. People absolutley would benefit if they understood this instead of fixating on winning on an index page only, there are many, many pathways to connecting with customers via the Internet.
Richard: I was reading a book last night, published only a few years ago, that is already outdated in the approach to SEO. Things do change quickly, and you are right. Content is king. That is why I love Active Rain. A great place to put my content, and to be motivated to do it.
Richard, content is king and its frequency of change is important.
Richard, I really enjoyed this post. You inspire me to work more on my content for my website and to blog more. I try to blog about every day experiences as well as real estate matters. Hopefully my content will be more constant in 2010. Thanks for the post. I'm going to subscribe to your blog.
Richard,
Your website is wonderful! I'm sure you have many followers. Now, I need to figure out how you've done it.
Sue
thing with the internet is the rules are always changing... ;-)
The work on line is never done -- one must stay on it all the time.
I'm still stumped on the whole distribution and where it is being found by the consumer. More research is required.
Richard,
Bravo....well said and with that thought I better get back to blogging! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year
Richard -
You said "It is of no consequence where the file resides. The only significant issue is whether or not the content can be readily found!. This might be one of the most important take-aways to keep in mind. And i suspect things will continue to shift in 2010 and we need to continually monitor what we are doing, what is working and what is not.
Thank goodness for this amazing brain trust and sharing we have here on AR.
Happy Holidays!
Jeff
Richard, if nothing else, the net is surely a moving target. Thank you for the ideas you gave on developing content.
I think "staticd site" can still be productive if first you have consistently marketed them for 10 years, and second that they are based around a blog, a great IDX solution, and other calls to action. The idea of buying a template site that has generic content is marketing madness though. A site better be something special, and with all the marketing tools of the web, I certainly agree that they can be bypassed.
Put your content out there, everywhere, and give them to link to find out more if they want or even better give them your contact information. It's all about being assessable in whatever form the user wants.
Ian...
As a webmaster with many authority sites, I can say with certainty that the syndicated content is indexed faster, and gets better targeted results.
I don't use it for link building, the value is in the ability to broadcast the content quickly and efficiently.
Thanks for the comment!
I think there is a lot of merit in this. I am growing much more concerned about blogging than my website I have found.
I too think content is so important. This is what will draw in the reading, thus traffic.
Happy Holidays to you and yours from,
Patricia/Seacoast NH
I think I agree with Ian... Kind of. As a real estate sales person, I want people to get back to my listings... So, driving them back to that pays the biggest dividend.
Richard, I am amazed at how true this is with content, how you turn up on Google search engines and more. I am already enjoying blogging, but if I wasn't these facts alone would convince me to blog, blog, blog. All the best, Michelle
Thank you for putting this in writing. As a newbie to anything on line this is important to know. If I'm understanding correctly I want to find the consumer through my content then they make the connection. Margaret C.
Thanks for the incentive. Just talked with my webmaster about doing this very thing!
Richard excellent observation. The more your content gets out the more success you will have, yes there has been a shift from static.
great post.....