Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

Real estate agents promote their websites through a combination of digital marketing strategies and traditional networking. They often use search engine optimisation (SEO) to increase their website’s visibility in search engine results, making it easier for potential clients to find them online.

Social media platforms are key tools for promotion, where agents share listings, client testimonials, and informative content related to real estate. Email marketing campaigns are utilised to keep in touch with past clients and reach out to potential ones, providing market updates, new listings, and real estate advice. Pay-per-click advertising can also be effective in driving targeted traffic to their website.

Networking events and word-of-mouth referrals remain important, as they offer opportunities to direct more people to the website. Agents also ensure their website is user-friendly, mobile-responsive, and regularly updated with fresh, relevant content to engage visitors and encourage them to return.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post How To Promote Your Real Estate Website – Infographic appeared first on RealestateMY.

How do Malaysians find things? In the past people use to look for information in newspapers, cardboard signs, and recommendations from friends. Now everyone says “just Google it”. This is the same when people are trying to find out about property they want to buy or sell.

Malaysians have now fully embraced the digital age with most of the population fully depended on smart phones, the internet, and computers. Even the way Malaysians search for information have totally changed. Everyone is using Google to find information about things they are interested in rather than using traditional methods, and with searching real estate online it’s pretty much the same. People will search online for properties they are interested to buy or sell, and evaluate the agents who are selling them.

This means getting visual exposure from search engines like Google is essential for you as a real estate agent in Malaysia for getting high quality leads. But in order for you to be able to harness the benefits of Google, you first have to understand how it works for realtors, and how being on Google helps potential clients find real estate properties online, and evaluate capable real estate negotiators who can help them. This is the power of real estate digital marketing.

In this article we will touch on how Google ranks websites based on keyword searches, and in general how their search algorithm functions. There are also two different types of Google search results, organic and paid results. In order to understand Google search results, you must first understand the difference between organic, and paid search results. We will be discussing the differences between both.

We are also going to break down the structure of the Google’s search results page so you can understand the formats and rankings that you normally see.

Ok, let’s start

Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

How does Google Work?

So how does Google work? and how does it decide which websites are listed on the Google search engine results page?

Well when someone is looking for information online; for example, a property for sale in Bangsar, they start by entering keywords into the Google search bar. Like below

Once the search button is clicked, Google returns with a list of results on the search engine results page (SERP) with results based on the keyword terms.

There are actually many different types of results on the search results page depending on the actual search term, but we will only be going over the organic and paid results in this article. In the next instalments of this article series we will go over the rest of the Google search result types.

So let’s talk about paid and unpaid search engine results, starting with organic results.

Organic results (non paid) are sometime referred to as SEO, even though SEO actually means search engine optimisation, which is the actual process of optimising a website so it will rank well on Google. Organic results listings are websites that Google decides are the best match for the keyword phrases you have searched for.

Google has a secret algorithm that it uses to rank websites based on keyword search terms. It’s a secret so only Google knows how it actually works, but SEO experts are continually working to figure out how the algorithm works, and have strategies to help your website out rank others. Unfortunately Google changes the algorithms regularly so SEO experts have to continuously experiment in order to understand how to continuously optimise a website.

You cannot pay Google to make your website rank higher for organic listings, and there are only 10 organic listings per page. So its important that your website is fully SEO optimised, so you have a better chance of ranking for searches from people looking for property or real estate information in Malaysia.

Example of Google search results page

Now let’s talk about paid listings on the Google search results page (SERP).

Paid search results are referred to as either SEM or PPC, which stands for search engine marketing & pay per click. Paid search or SEM is basically advertising on Googles search results page. The Google advertising product is called Adwords.

With AdWords you can pay to have your website listed as an ad, appear on the 1^st page of Google search results, for specific search terms. But it isnt as easy as just paying top dollar to be on the number one spot. Google AdWords also have an algorithm that ranks ad listings based a various factors including:  keyword bid, quality score, targeting, & performance.

So how it works is, advertisers will set a bid price of how much they are willing to spend on their ad listing, for each time it is clicked. When your ad appears on the SERP, and gets clicked by a user, you pay a fee per click, this cost per click varies dependent on many factors including the keyword search, competitor bids, target audience and past performance. Google are more likely to rank the ad listings with the highest possibility of resulting into a click (because that is how they get paid). We also have another series published on how much Google advertising cost.

Example of paid search results

Why it is important to get on the first page of the search results

Everyone’s aim should be to get on the first page of the Google search results, while aiming to have the top ranking on the search result page.

Independent research shows that over 70% of Google searches result in clicks on the first page of the search results, while pages after the first page get significantly less clicks the further away the result is from the first page.

Research also states that with organic results, being in first position or top rank, receives over 30% of the clicks on that results page. And the click rate decreases more than half for position two rankings, and keeps dropping as the results get lower down the page.

Users also spend only 7-10 seconds in search results, so if your ad listing is not in a prominent position, there is a high chance that the users might miss it.

So what can you take home from this informative article.

Basically the better you are positioned on the Google search results page, the more traffic your website will get. But to be visible on google, you must have an SEO optimised website, with great content. And if you have budget to spent on marketing, then paid listings will get you directly on the first page of google search results instantly. So if you aren’t on Google already, now might be the time to start.

As mentioned at the start of this article, there are many type of search results, that may appear on the search results page. But we will only be covering the other types of results in our next instalment of this series. So stay tuned to the 2^nd part of this series where we will cover the other types of search engine results on Google.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post How Google Search Works for Real Estate: Malaysian Beginners Guide – Part 1 appeared first on RealestateMY.

Being a real estate agent is like running your own business. And most of the time owning your own business means being a one-man band – being the accountant, the bookkeeper, the administrator, the secretary, the salesperson, the marketer, and many more. These many hats lead to all types of challenges.

Digital marketing professionals tend to get asked by relatives or ‘good’ friends for tips on improving themselves in this relatively new field. We wouldn’t be humans after all if we did not capitalise on personal relationships to help ourselves or the people close to us. You know, that curiosity of another’s work over a cup of coffee.

Don’t get it wrong. Picking another’s brain is not a bad thing. However, the common question asked is “what should one do to generate more business from digital marketing” when the right question that should be asked is “WHEN should one hire help to generate more business from digital marketing”. While a real estate agent / business owner may wear many hats and deem it possible for themselves to oversee and run every aspect of their business on their own, it may not be the most prudent long-term solution.

Let’s say that a digital marketing professional was asked the right question – there would not be a one-size-fits-all answer. There are however established guidelines to help one determine if it is time to hire someone to handle their marketing strategy and execution.

Keep in mind that as a real estate agent / business owner, you would still have to be involved to an extent. As the face of the business, your marketing content would need to mirror your tone and character. In an industry that depends on face-to-face interactions and a high level of trust, your marketing should take on a personal approach and promote your personal branding.

Additionally, your choice of freelance marketer or marketing agency will be the driving force behind your business. While you may not understand fully the nuances of digital marketing, you should ask questions regarding the strategies that will be put in place to understand its implications and potential risks.

Download Now: Real Estate Content Marketing Guide [Free Access]

When You Don’t Have Time for Marketing

As a real estate agent / business owner you’re going to have your hands full with your business’ development, customer service, marketing planning and execution, book keeping, accounts, and many more. It would be easy for marketing to fall to the side with so many other things needing your immediate attention.

Your lack of ability to focus the time, energy, and resources needed for marketing is a good indication to outsource some tasks such as marketing which itself is a full-time job.

By freeing up your time to focus on other things, you will be able to increase your efficiency while getting your business marketed consistently. Time is money and getting someone to help will be a win-win for you and your business.

When You’re Unsure What to Do Next

Amateurs and professionals alike will eventually hit a dead-end at some point. When you find yourself banging your head against a wall (figuratively, of course), it’s time to get some help. Whether it be with lead generation, client conversion, or meeting the bottom line, reach out to marketing professionals who tend to give out basic (and often free) advice on your next steps (especially if you invite them out for a coffee).

Regardless of who you talk to, if you still find yourself staring at a blank wall, then it’s time to look for someone to take your marketing to the next step for you.

When You’re Looking to Grow Your Business Faster

If you’re hitting your income target then congratulations! You’re at a peak of your business. Note, I said A peak and not THE peak as with any other business, there will be ups and downs. At the current peak, it’s now time to decide whether to grow your business more or maintain it at its current level.

If you decide to go with Option 1, then you’ll need more hands and brains on board. What was good enough to get you to your current position would probably not be enough to push you ahead. You will need different perspective, new strategies, and new skills to take things to the next step.

Decide where your time is best used and how much you want your business to grow. When growth is the goal, you will need help.

When You’re Unsure of How to Boost Your Marketing Strategy

You’re an expert in owning a business and in real estate, not in online marketing. While today’s connectivity allows us to learn about content marketing, ways to drive traffic to your site, and SEO, it is most likely that like many real estate professionals, digital marketing is not your main area of expertise. You need to find someone who has the skills to compliment your own skills so the business can grow.

When Your Business Stops Growing, or Starts to Decline

Why fix it if it’s not broke…right? It doesn’t always work that way. You may not notice your business’ growth stalling or declining right away. Either way, it’s always a good time to hire an expert to help figure out the problem. Marketing consultants can diagnose the issue, form a strategy and even help you advance your business. These experts present solutions based on their data as well as their experience in the field. Relying on your instincts or things that you’ve read about may not impact your business the way you hope to.

Great digital marketers are like scientist, and make decisions based on analytical data and continuous testing. You should find a digital marketing expert who focuses on data, rather than marketing amateurs that blindly blast advertising with no direction.

With technology changing at such a fast pace, it’s important to rely on experts that are up-to-date with technology and quick to change and adapt with current times.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up to date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post When to Hire Marketing Experts for your Real Estate Business appeared first on RealestateMY.

Real Estate Marketing Trends in 2024 continue to evolve rapidly, shaped by technological advancements, shifting consumer preferences, and a dynamic global economic landscape. As we delve into this exciting new year, it’s clear that the industry’s focus is increasingly on leveraging digital tools and data-driven strategies to enhance customer engagement and streamline transactions.

From the rise of virtual reality property tours to the integration of AI in market analysis, these trends are not only transforming how real estate professionals connect with clients, but also how properties are marketed and sold. This year promises innovative approaches to real estate marketing, emphasizing personalization, efficiency, and a deeper understanding of the ever-changing market dynamics.

Technology is constantly changing the real estate landscape. Conventional marketing no longer seems to be enough. New apps and devices are regularly being introduced.

Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

With an abundance of up-to-date real estate software available on the market and a wide variety of digital marketing trends, real estate agents are spoilt for choice. Here are some of the top real estate digital marketing trends for 2024:

1. Responsive real estate websites – a top priority for effective marketing

Mobile has surpassed desktop as the preferred method of browsing online as people are rarely without their phones. This means that agents need to ensure that all their content and communication is easily viewable and optimised for mobile devices.

Audiences are more likely to close a site that requires them to zoom in and out on their phone.

• Ensure that all the content on your current site translate well onto a mobile device. Simple layouts with contact information that is easily accessible on every page as well as engaging and clear visuals.
• Add your city and state to the title, URL, content, and meta description of your site so that your name and office will show up in organic and map searches. This will increase the chance of leads finding you when they look for real estate agents in your area.
• Take advantage of Google AdWords, Facebook Ads or Instagram Ads to drive traffic to your site. It is important that your site offers localised ads with their own specific call-to-action.

2. Targeted content – “an oldie but a goodie”

Cliché but true. While stress is placed on relevant and engaging content, it would serve an agent better to focus on a target audience and create content specifically for them over releasing waves of generic information for the masses.

Keep your target audience in mind when creating content – whether in the form of social media posts, videos, or infographics. For example, you’re targeting first time buyers from the younger generation. This niche will require specific information that will aid in them making their decision.

To create focused content for this target audience:

• Social media post

More and more agents have taken to sharing details of their listings and its perks on social media – the “hangout spot” for most of the new working professionals. This is also a good place to create content with images and short descriptions of the benefits of the areas surrounding the listings, the top up and coming housing market areas, or the benefits of investing in a property.

• Video

Engage your audience via visuals of the community and its homes with minimal effort on their part. Authenticity remains the key to real estate buyers’ interest. Mobile videos provide this. More so as this media consumption increases 100% every year.

• Infographic

The new working generation is constantly on-the-go. Hence the preference for short videos or summaries of long articles. An infographic is an ideal way to summarise long blog posts while creating shareable and unique content that is relevant to this niche.

3. Live videos – take the marketing world by storm

As of 2020, there is no surer way to attract leads to your site than through a live feed. This surge saw prominent social networking platforms add live videos as a part of their feature. The interactive and visual content serve to cater to the audiences’ shorter attention spans which leads to increased brand awareness, lead generation, and online engagement.

The best part in all this is that it caters to both, new agents just introducing themselves to the market as well as old hands who are keen on keeping up the new generation by building their brand online. It can be used to showcase listings and the housing market, among many others. The sky is the limit with this trend.

In order to keep up with this growing marketing strategy, agents should:

• Utilise social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and even Whatsapp –all of which offer live videos.
• Bank on the virtual reality trend and provide your audience with the choice of a live tour without being there in person.
• Optimise videos for search by including relevant descriptions, hashtags, and titles so that they can be found at the top of search results
• Keep videos both entertaining and informational

4. Marketing automation – more agents are using it

Only the most savvy of real estate agents are using the power of marketing automation to automate their follow-ups with leads, and continuously engage their clients.

This is a trend that more real estate negotiators will follow in 2019, with more advancements in technology, and the opportunity to save time from manually engaging clients.

Marketing automation will save negotiators time and money, especially when they are busy with the day to day life of being a real estate agent.

To keep your clients engaged and always have you top of mind, you should:

• Put your leads into a CRM, and have an email schedule for engaging them based on your own engagement criteria.

• Use a drip marketing system to automatically send regular communication to your leads, so they are always engaged. Marketing automation will help leads turn into sales.

Studies that show most leads take anywhere from six months to two years to become a sale, this is why you need to keep them engaged with your personal brand.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the Real Estate Marketing Trends of 2024 demonstrate a significant shift towards a more technologically integrated and customer-centric approach. The adoption of virtual reality, AI, and big data analytics has not only enhanced the property buying experience but also provided real estate professionals with unprecedented insights into market trends and consumer behaviours.

As we move forward, these innovations are poised to further revolutionise the industry, offering more efficient, personalised, and engaging ways to connect buyers with their ideal properties. The year 2024 marks a pivotal moment in real estate marketing, setting the stage for a future where technology and human insight combine to create a more dynamic, responsive, and successful real estate market.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up to date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post 2024 Digital Trends For Real Estate Agents In Malaysia appeared first on RealestateMY.

Advertising your real estate business or properties can be an effective way to reach potential buyers or renters. But with so many options available, it can be difficult to know how much to budget for advertising. Here are some factors to consider when determining how much to spend on real estate advertising:

Download Now: Real Estate Marketing Plan Template [Free Access]

Your target audience

The first step in determining your advertising budget is to identify your target audience. Are you trying to reach first-time home buyers, luxury home buyers, or renters? Knowing your audience will help you decide where to advertise and how much to spend.

Your goals

What are you hoping to achieve with your advertising? Are you looking to generate leads, increase traffic to your website, or drive sales? Your goals will help determine which types of advertising will be most effective and how much you should spend.

Your budget

Of course, your overall budget will also play a role in determining how much you can afford to spend on advertising. It’s important to allocate your advertising budget wisely, so consider what will give you the best return on investment.

Your competition

Take a look at what your competitors are doing in terms of advertising. This can give you an idea of what works in your market and how much you may need to spend to compete.

The cost of different advertising options

There are many different options for advertising your real estate business or properties, each with its own cost. Some options to consider include:

• Online advertising: This includes ads on social media, Google AdWords, and other websites. The cost of online advertising can vary widely, but you can typically expect to pay anywhere from $0.50 to $10 or more per click.
• Print advertising: This includes ads in newspapers, magazines, and other print publications. The cost of print advertising will depend on the publication and the size and placement of the ad.
• Radio and TV advertising: Radio and TV ads can be a good option for reaching a wide audience, but they can also be expensive. The cost will depend on the time of day the ad airs and the length of the ad.
• Outdoor advertising: This includes billboards, bus stop ads, and other types of outdoor advertising. The cost will depend on the size and location of the ad.

The effectiveness of different advertising options

In addition to cost, it’s important to consider the effectiveness of different advertising options. Some types of advertising may be more effective at reaching your target audience or achieving your goals. It may be worth investing more in certain types of advertising if they are likely to be more effective.

Conclusion

Overall, the cost of good ads for real estate will depend on a variety of factors, including your target audience, goals, budget, competition, and the cost and effectiveness of different advertising options. By considering these factors and allocating your advertising budget wisely, you can effectively advertise your real estate business or properties and reach your goals.

Ready to supercharge your property business? Let our cutting-edge Proptech solutions transform your lead generation efforts! Get in touch today to explore how we can revolutionise your sales pipeline and connect you with qualified leads. Don’t miss out on this opportunity to maximise your real estate success.  

Get in contact with RealestateMY today!

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post How much to spend on real estate marketing? appeared first on RealestateMY.

Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

Top real estate agents in Malaysia maintain a set of daily habits that contribute significantly to their success in the competitive property market.

Their day typically starts with a review of current market trends and client communications, ensuring they are always informed and responsive. Networking plays a crucial role, involving regular interactions with potential clients, fellow agents, and property developers to build strong, productive relationships.

They also dedicate time to marketing, utilising social media and digital platforms to showcase properties and reach a wider audience. Continuous learning is another key aspect, where agents stay updated with legal changes, market shifts, and new property developments.

Personal organization is essential, with effective time management and goal setting to prioritise tasks and achieve targets. Lastly, successful agents often end their day by reflecting on their accomplishments and planning for the next day, maintaining a balance between professional growth and personal well-being.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post 8 Daily Habits of Top Real Estate Agents In Malaysia appeared first on RealestateMY.

Business goal-setting is just the first step in reaching real estate business success. Just by setting goals doesn’t automatically lead to results. Instead, many goals become just another thing on the never-ending to-do list for real estate professionals, and year after year you’re left with the same list of no-action on your original goals. The key to getting results is setting up reachable goals and a detailed marketing action plan that will keep you focused and hold you accountable as you proceed to achieve your goals.

Download Now: Real Estate Marketing Plan Template [Free Access]

In this post, we’ll show you how to develop a property marketing action plan for your business goals, how to outline important steps and take action for each real estate marketing business goal you have.

1. Developing a Real Estate Action Plan to Manage Goals

First thing is to, set realistically reachable goals. That doesn’t mean you can’t strive to be a world champion boxer one day, but if you’ve never been in a boxing match, it’s unlikely that setting a high goal at the outset will yield anything but stress and disappointment. As you set goals right after New Year, don’t focus on the harder unrealistic goals, but, focus on the goals that you know you can hit within the year that will allow you to make good progress towards your ultimate goals eventually.

2. Set motivational actions.

Developing a business plan with goals is just the first step. Actual actions should be the most important motivator. If you’re hoping to get more leads, the motivating action could be “increase lead generation by 90%.” This becomes the mantra for your goals and will help you to refocus when you’re feeling down and overwhelmed. It’s also important to prioritise all your actions. Is property lead generation more important than real estate lead management, or is property listing generation more of a priority this month? Use a color coding or numbering system to prioritise which is more important.

3. Develop real action steps.

Now that you have motivational actions, you need real action steps. For example for increasing property lead generation will involve action steps like doing Facebook marketing, running real estate Google ad campaigns, and writing two blog posts per week. Be focused on your actions steps: This is not the time to add a long todo list on your plate, but rather to focus on the steps that are doable and will give you the highest return.

4. Write out the tasks for each action step

Breaking your action steps into small, manageable tasks can remove the stress that comes with thinking about big steps. So, if one of your action steps is to increase lead generation through property Facebook advertising, define what that means in small steps, whether that’s selecting your best property social media posts and choosing to boost them, or editing property photo assets for your top five listings to use in ads. Also don’t forget that you’ll have to write the content, build the online landing pages, and track and monitor how your ads are performing. As you can see, the process is already more in-depth than just “advertising with Facebook,” so whatever actions you decide, just make sure the actual tasks are as specific as possible.

5. Decide on the investment amount

Each action and its list of action steps requires an investment, whether that be time, research, marketing collateral, money, etc. It’s important to write down exactly what it will take to execute this goal. Putting this in writing really allows you know how much you can actually afford in a week, month, or year. Ideally your top priority goals will take up the majority of your time and the lower priority goals will need less output of your energy and resources.

6. Create ways to track your progress and hold yourself accountable

How will you ever know if real estate marketing strategy is working if you’re not tracking your results? Here are some things you need to consider:

Develop a method for measuring and tracking: Determine how you’ll define a successful completion of a task, and also how you’ll determine if you’ve reached your goal by your deadline (e.g. “I track Facebook leads from a different post, and will compare this results with my original data month-over-month to see if my leads are increasing by 50%”).

Set Start and End Dates: You shouldn’t action everything all at once. Write when you’ll start an action step and the deadline for its completion. You can also create deadlines for each of your smaller tasks which will help keep you on track.

Marking tasks off of your action plan can alleviate stress and provide a sense of accomplishment. Once you’ve completed a task, small or large, write down the date completed. This should also jumpstart your motivation to tackle the remainder of tasks in your real estate marketing action plan. Then, see if your actions led to your goal being reached.

Establish benchmarks: Take note of where you are now so you’ll be able to assess how much you’ve grown.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate professionals.

The post How to turn your business goals into real estate marketing actions appeared first on RealestateMY.

The commercial real estate industry in around the world and especially Malaysia is experiencing a challenging period due to the Covid-19 crisis.

So in order to do well in this current situation, real estate professional needs to be more intelligent with their marketing efforts and strategy.

Download Now: Real Estate Marketing Plan Template [Free Access]

In today’s tech-enabled environment, real estate professionals must be able to expand their marketing strategies to include digital marketing real estate campaigns, paid social media advertising, online commercial real estate listings classifieds, and high quality branded property websites for individual projects.

How to develop your commercial real estate marketing strategy?

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post How To Do Commercial Real Estate Marketing During Covid19 appeared first on RealestateMY.

Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

The post Digital Marketing in Real Estate Infographic appeared first on RealestateMY.

The answer to this question isn’t as simple as it seems. Google advertising or AdWords involve many different factors that ultimately determine the cost of your search engine advertising. In this guide I will attempt to break down the cost to make it easier to understand for beginners and real estate agent who are interested in using Google marketing as a channel to get leads and sales from potential clients searching for real estate Google.

If you don’t understand how Google search advertising works, you can refer to our guide on How Google Search Works for Real Estate. Google search advertising is a form of pull marketing, which means instead of showing ads to people who have no interest in your services, it is only display to people who are actually searching for your services, and have an intention of making a purchase. This means that leads from Google search advertising are much more qualified than other channels.

Download Now: Real Estate Social Media Posting Calendar [Free Access]

So how does costing for Google search marketing work?

Firstly, when a Google campaign is setup, there is a daily budget that needs to be confirmed before the campaign can go live. This is the maximum budget you are willing to spend per day, although Google does have a small buffer of 20% in-case you end up going over budget. So for example if your daily budget is RM22, this means your monthly budget will be approximately RM668.

Your daily budget will be spent on the number of clicks your Google search ad listing receives. The cost per click varies dependent on many factors and is calculated in real time. But you can specify how much you are willing to pay per click, and Google will hold an auction on the keywords. (Google will usually specify the minimum cost per click to appear on the 1^st page of results, these recommendations aren’t always accurate).

The cost per click is determined by a variety of factors including:

– Auction competition

– Keyword bid

– Ranking

– Quality score

– Industry

– Target country

– Target device

Out of all the factors that determine the cost and rank of an ad listing, the most important is the “Quality Score”, this is a score that Google assigns to your ads & campaign. The quality score can decide whether you get a better rank for a keyword search, and how much you end up paying. For example, if your quality score is higher than your competitors, and both of you bid the same price for a keyword, your ad will out rank theirs and your cost per click may also be cheaper. In order to get a good quality score, your ads and campaigns must be continually optimized. That’s is why it is a good idea to get a digital marketing expert to help manage your Google search campaigns. Digital marketing experts can continually optimize your ads for a better quality score.

This is a simple illustration of how the bidding process works for Adwords, and how a higher quality score benefits advertisers.

As mentioned some keywords are more expensive than others depending on many factors. The main factor is competition. The more competition an industry has for Google ads, the more expensive the click costs will be. Below is an illustration of the most expensive keywords/ industries for 2016. Thankfully for now the real estate industry is still relatively cheap in terms of keyword costs especially in Malaysia. But this will change as competition increases, so best to get in early before the keyword prices start rising.

What is a good marketing budget for Google search advertising?

Depending on the industry its different, large MNCs spend millions annually on just Google search ads, while smaller businesses usually spend in the thousands. There is no real benchmark, but Google search marketing budgets needs to be sufficient at the start of the campaign, else there won’t be enough clicks and traffic to your website. For example, if the average cost per click is rm3, and you have a rm10 budget per day, then you will only get a maximum of 3 clicks a day, which is quite insignificant. The more clicks you get per day the higher chance of you generating more leads and sales. So a proper investment into Google search marketing is required to generate quality leads on going.

What other cost is there?

While some negotiators may want to run Google search ads themselves, it’s always advisable to get the digital marketing experts to manage the SEM campaigns for you. The reason being, campaigns need to be heavily monitored and optimized in order to ensure high rankings and cheaper costs per click. This is really a full time job, and most companies have dedicated digital teams that are fully focused on doing just that.

Agencies that specialize in SEM, will also be able to setup campaigns very quickly and optimize for the best results. The cost for hiring an agency varies, but they usually charge a percentage of the advertising media spend, for managing the campaigns, but will only work on campaigns that have a significant budget to justify the time and effort spent on the campaign.

What will digital agencies do for you?

Digital agencies will have a lot of experience with optimizing ads and campaigns for the best performance. They use strategies that have worked from their multiple AdWords experiments that have run over the years. Other tasks they will help you with include: keyword research, campaign registration and setup, keyword optimization, ad optimization, managing bids, improving quality score, improving campaign performance, and regular reporting. But make sure to find a digital marketing expert or agency, that is well versed in the property or real estate industry.

There may be other cost such a design costs for display advertising, but these are different products from Google, and will be discussed in the next article in this series.

Why use AdWords in Malaysia for Real Estate Marketing?

Currently in Malaysia the digital marketing in real estate is still quite young, thus there isn’t that much competition for lead generation as compared to countries like Australia, and USA, which have a more mature digital market in real estate. So the cost per click in Malaysia is almost 10 – 20 times cheaper compared to these more mature markets. Hence it’s the perfect time for real estate agents to embrace Google search marketing, and take advantage of the cheaper clicks before they rise in price.

Please keep in mind this guide only covers Google search marketing, there are many more types of marketing channels from Google including Display, Gmail, SEO & Google places, to name a few. The other advertising types will be covered in the next articles in this series.

Stay tuned with the realestatemy.com/blog for more up-to-date tips and guides for real estate marketing professionals.

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