A few months ago, the Internet began to panic about the need for content that surpassed 2,000 words. For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, in-depth articles appeared to be the new minimum requirement to gain a boost in rankings. However, there are some suggest that this trend is already on the way out, as not every investor has time to devote this much time to their content. How can real estate marketers balance Google rankings while increasing viral marketing and retaining followers?
There is no question that paying attention to Google can result in large dividends. Ignoring Google’s warnings about quality in the past have cost many real estate businesses dearly. Now, it’s absolutely cringe worthy to see companies recruiting content spinners for pennies, while declaring they are a “fast up and coming firm.” It doesn’t take a genius to figure out the only place they are going fast is out of business.
However, when it comes to 2k+ word posts, few real estate companies might have found their work coming up top in Google searches. Those monitoring their time on page analytics may also discover that they either have all speed readers as visitors or few are making it through much more than the first couple of paragraphs before clicking away. So what’s the deal?
Longer content definitely has its place in the real estate marketing. Besides serving up great Google juice, it can offer a whole new level of value, enhance credibility and help flow prospects through to becoming paying customers. However, any real estate CEO, investor or agent that has been in the business for more than five minutes is fully aware of the amount of noise in the industry and the incredibly short attention span the masses have developed.
More evidence can be found in the metrics of popular social networks including the recent decline in LinkedIn traffic and rapid rise of Instagram. For the most part, it’s now an ‘Instagram generation.’ Some YouTube videos may now be too long for the average user. Simple #hashtags and pictures are all many have time for. Their enhanced ability to go viral, enjoy more re-Tweets, Likes and Pins is more than enough evidence to support my argument.
Length provides the meat, but most might never get to enjoy it without being pulled in by the appetizer. So both may be necessary. Consider posting shorter articles for those in a hurry and longer ones for those looking to gain knowledge.
Instead of trading it all in for 2k+ word posts and trying to be just another one in the crowd, consider mixing it up. Don’t be afraid to micro-blog and publish valuable, but shorter content. On the other end of the spectrum, recognize some marketers are experiencing great results with 3k-6k word articles. Consider even using white papers or ebooks, or hybrid solutions like infographics and slide shows which can be a can be a happy medium and boost sharing. Coupled with detailed text there should be no lack of SEO juice either.
The bottom line is that real estate investors, CEOs, and Realtors need to stay flexible and embrace a well-rounded marketing mix. This doesn’t just apply to content either. It is a philosophy which should be applied to all online and offline marketing and advertising efforts. Those that master this will have not only the best odds of short term success, but long term relevance, and ongoing growth.
Short or long, what’s working for you?
