Real estate online marketing has two major players: Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising. 

But which is the right choice for your real estate brand?

Say you’ve got a stunning new property on sale. With SEO, it’s like hosting an open house where you’ve placed signs all over town, directing people to the event over time. 

It requires effort and patience, but the flow remains consistent once leads start pouring in. 

On the other hand, PPC is like renting a billboard on the city’s busiest highway. It’s immediate and guarantees visibility, but the moment you stop paying for the space, it’s gone.

When you fire a query, the Google algorithm lists sponsored or paid websites (marked in red) before websites that rank organically (marked in blue).

If you’re new to the SEO vs. PPC debate, it might seem like PPC is a better choice than SEO. 

But there’s more to it. In this blog, we’ll discuss the strengths, weaknesses, and best scenarios to use each strategy to your advantage.

Why is SEO important for real estate?

Real estate businesses, like most other things, have moved online. But for your real estate brand to catch your potential buyers’ attention, you need to be visible where they are looking – on search engines. SEO helps your customers find you!

Importance of SEO for real estate brands

• Visibility in local searches: Most homebuyers start by searching for local listings. Optimizing your website for local search helps your brand appear in the search results when potential clients look for properties in your area.

• Building trust: Websites that rank high on search engines are often perceived as more trustworthy and reputable. When your site appears at the top, it’s an unspoken endorsement from search engines.

• Quality traffic: SEO attracts organic traffic, which often has a higher conversion rate than paid traffic. People who find you through search are actively seeking what you offer.

• Local SEO benefits: For real estate, local searches like “houses near me” or “real estate agents in [my city]” are crucial. SEO helps target these specific local queries, bringing potential clients to your website.

Pros of SEO

• Sustained traffic: SEO provides a consistent flow of organic traffic without the recurring costs of paid advertising. The resulting visitors aren’t just random clicks but potential clients actively searching for properties or agents in your area.

• ROI: When done right, SEO can offer a better return on investment than many other marketing strategies.

• Builds credibility: High rankings can establish your brand as an industry leader.

• Mobile searches: With increasing property searches on mobile, local SEO makes sure clients find you on the go.

• User-friendly websites: SEO often requires you to improve website usability, making it easier for visitors to find the information they need and take action.

• Cost-effective: Unlike PPC campaigns that require a budget every time someone clicks your ad, SEO’s primary costs are upfront—website optimization, content creation, etc. 

Find other resources on SEO, content marketing, and marketing.

Cons of SEO

• Takes time: SEO isn’t an overnight solution. It requires patience, as it can take months to see significant results.

• Changing algorithms: Search engine algorithms change, which means strategies may need adjusting over time.

According to FirstSagePage, these are the top factors that affect Google search results. 

• Requires expertise: Effective SEO requires knowledge of best practices and ongoing updates. This can mean either spending time learning or hiring experts.

• Stiff competition: Popular keywords in real estate are highly competitive. Standing out requires consistent effort and sometimes thinking outside the box.

For example, the keyword difficulty score for “homes for sale in new york city” is 73 (Super hard), and ranking for it would be extremely difficult.

• No guaranteed success: Even with the best strategies, there’s no guarantee that your site will rank #1. Search engine algorithms are complex and unpredictable.

Why is PPC important for real estate?

Picture this: A family is looking to buy their first home in the heart of the city. They start their search online. 

Before they even scroll down, your ad – showcasing a beautiful city-center apartment – pops up. They click, browse, and just like that, you’ve got a potential client. That’s the power of PPC for real estate.

Learn about how much real estate PPC costs. 

Importance of PPC for Real Estate Brands

• Immediate visibility: PPC provides quick results, unlike SEO strategies, which can take time to gain traction. Your ads can be on the top of search results within hours, positioning your real estate brand right in front of potential clients.

• Targeted advertising: PPC lets you customize your ads to reach your desired audience. Want to target home buyers in a particular neighborhood, price range, or property type? 

With PPC, you can zero in on specific demographics, making sure that your ads reach the right people.

• Measurable ROI: Every click, conversion, and interaction can be tracked. This means you can easily measure the return on your ad spend, making real-time adjustments to maximize your investment.

Pros of PPC 

• Control over campaigns: You decide where and when your ads will appear based on several factors, including keywords, location, and user behavior.

• Cost-Effective: You only pay when someone clicks on your ad. No click, no charge.

• Quick entry: New players can quickly establish a digital presence, leveling the playing field against established competitors.

• Highly adaptable: As the market changes (say, a shift from a buyer’s to a seller’s market), your PPC campaigns can be quickly adjusted to reflect these shifts.

Cons of PPC

• Requires investment: While you only pay per click, costs can increase, especially in competitive markets or if your campaigns aren’t optimized.

• Time-consuming: Effective PPC requires continuous monitoring, testing, and tweaking. It’s not a ‘set-it-and-forget-it’ strategy.

• Steep learning curve: To get the most out of your budget, understanding the intricacies of platforms like Google Ads or Facebook Ads can take time.

• Short-lived impact: Unlike organic SEO strategies, the moment you stop funding your PPC campaign, your visibility plummets.

• Click ≠ Sale: Just because someone clicks doesn’t mean they’ll become clients (and you’ll still have to pay for each click).

SEO vs. PPC: Which is better for real estate?

The choice between SEO and PPC isn’t simple, and it depends on various factors.

1. Budget & Time

• PPC for immediate impact

Suppose you’re launching a new high-rise condo in downtown Chicago and want prospective buyers to know about your open house event next month. 

Using PPC, you can set up ads targeting Chicago residents interested in real estate, making sure that your event gets ample visibility quickly.

• SEO for longevity

Let’s say you want to be the go-to source for the real estate market in Austin (much like Zillow).

With a well-optimized website and continuous content generation (like blogs about Austin neighborhoods), SEO will help you cement that position over time.

2. Brand Positioning

• PPC for new entrants

Crowded cities like New York have countless agents vying for potential buyers’ attention. 

If you’re a newcomer in the real estate market, a targeted PPC campaign can highlight your unique selling points. It could be your tech-savvy approach or your specialization in penthouses. 

PPC ads can help you introduce your brand to potential clients in no time!

Above is a comparison between paid and organic search results when we entered the query “beachfront houses for sale in Miami.” 

The top real estate brands are Zillow, Realtor, Redfin, Trulia, etc. If not for PPC ads, it would’ve been nearly impossible for new brands to be visible on Google’s first page.

• SEO for established credibility

Picture a family-owned real estate business in San Francisco that’s been around for decades. 

Their reputation is built on trust and local expertise. By ranking organically for terms like “trusted SF real estate,” they solidify their legacy and draw in clients who value their deep-rooted expertise.

3. Competitive landscape

Consider Miami, a hotspot for luxury real estate. Every realtor might be bidding on keywords like “luxury condos in Miami,” driving up PPC costs. 

In such a case, it might be smarter to discover untapped niches or long-tail keywords through SEO, like “art deco homes in Miami Beach.” It can help you stand out amongst your competitors. 

4. The blend of SEO and PPC

You can opt for a holistic approach to make the most of both strategies. 

While you use PPC to promote specific properties or events, your SEO strategy helps you rank for broad terms like “[your city] real estate agency.” 

As people see your brand in ads (PPC) and organic results (SEO), it reinforces brand recall and trust.

For a real estate brand, the choice isn’t about SEO or PPC but more about balancing the two based on your goals. 

The most effective real estate brands utilize the strengths of both. They use PPC for quick wins and promotions while consistently investing in SEO to lay down a solid foundation for their digital presence.

So assess your needs, understand the strengths and weaknesses of both approaches and create a strategy uniquely customized to your brand’s needs.