Quick Audit for Finish Line Realty: Cracking the SEO Code for a Real Estate Business

We recently conducted a quick SEO audit for Scott Hack, owner of Finish Line Realty. His site is impressive—one of the best I’ve seen in quite some time. However, Scott has been neglecting his website’s SEO for a while.

SEO Breakdown for Finish Line Realty

Scott manages two websites for Finish Line Realty: Louisvillerealestate.com and Sellinggreaterlouisville.com. He mentioned that Sellinggreaterlouisville.com should be redirected to Louisvillerealestate.com using a 301 redirect. especially since he has two Google My Business (GMB) listings.

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Preview of Finish Line Realty’s Website

When I search for Scott’s name, I see several individuals with the same name. However, his LinkedIn profile stands out, which can be a double-edged sword. His website, on the other hand, isn’t as visible.

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Search Results for Scott Hack

Domain Rating

The website www.louisvillerealestate.com has a Domain Rating (DR) of 32, which is good. However, competitors have larger teams and stronger backlinks, resulting in higher DRs. The DR score reflects the strength of referring links, so it’s essential to assess the sources of these links for legitimacy.

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Contact Domain of Scott Hack

Keyword Ranking

The site ranks well for its brand name and several geo-specific terms, securing top ranks for many low-difficulty keywords. Given the DR of 32, it should dominate all identified keywords.

While Scott holds the top rank for a specific term and benefits from four site links, there are missing elements, like social links and videos, which could further enhance visibility.

lot of kw at 1 with low kd
Keywords

Reviews Status

Currently, there are only 10 reviews listed on the site. The lack of recent reviews and the business’s location outside the city center may impact visibility.

Local Service Ads (LSAs)

Scot has been running LSAs, but there haven’t been any calls in three to four months, indicating a potential issue.

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GMB of Finish Line Realty

Links

A thorough SEO audit requires assessing the quality of incoming links. The site has many links, but some appear unusual (e.g., links from Standard Diamonds seem scraped or auto-generated). Most incoming links are clean and driven by strong Kentucky-related terms. Backlinks from local blogs in Louisville enhance local SEO relevance. For example, ValueWalk has a domain rating of 78, which is excellent.

backlinks pretty clean
Backlinks

Scott’s infographic campaign, covering topics like the Bourbon Trail and horse racing, aligns well with Google’s standards for helpful content. This focus on link-building related to infographics is a positive strategy. Additionally, the recent directory purchase as a member of the Kentucky Colonels is beneficial.

I noticed a parasitic link from the Sierra Interactive team at the bottom of his site. This is common in web building but should be removed. His profile also contains typos, such as spelling “Finish” as “Finnish.” Correcting these errors will improve professionalism.

Internal Linking

The site lacks internal linking between blog posts. While the domain authority is strong at 32, the blogs aren’t driving traffic or ranking well due to this oversight.

SERP

The site benefits from SERP features like images and site links, positively impacting its infographic. However, there are no videos appearing in search results.

Directory Listings and Citations

The directory listings show a solid presence, indicating positive momentum. The SEO team is focused on building legitimate citations, though there are some inconsistencies with Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across platforms.

Scott’s geographic proximity is favorable for ranking, but he is not as effective in broader regions. The business location is listed differently, affecting visibility in Louisville-specific searches.

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Inconsistencies in NAP

Stock Images

Scott has a strong collection of listicles, which is a good strategy. However, many images and videos appear to be stock photos that don’t represent actual houses in Louisville. A quick Google search reveals several websites using the same images, which could hinder local SEO efforts.

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Stock Images

Recommendations

LSA Strategy: Consider creating a new LSA account if the current one is older than three years, as Google frequently updates its systems, affecting older accounts. Ensure proper call handling and lead marking to optimize performance.

GMB Optimization: LSAs enhance visibility for the GMB profile, so it’s crucial to improve it with positive reviews and complete information.

Personal Branding: Fully claim and optimize personal brands and listings, such as ‘Scott Realtor’ and ‘Finish Line Realty.’

Knowledge Panel: Use the knowledge panel as a digital business card to display profiles and relevant information. People searching for his name are likely looking for related queries, such as average home values or top schools.

Content Marketing: Implement the “Dollar-a-Day” strategy on top blog posts to improve visibility in the “People Also Ask” section, increasing the likelihood of appearing at the top of search results.

Domain Names: Securing domain names related to Scott’s agents can enhance overall SEO.

Content Optimization: Ensure Google pages are fully completed, including Q&A and services, while actively responding to reviews.

Guest Blogging: Consider guest blogging to boost local signals and online presence.

Agent Profiles: Enhance agent profiles with detailed information and videos to improve rankings.

SERP Features: Aim to increase the number of SERP features displayed for terms like ‘neighborhood real estate agent near me’ and ‘Louisville real estate.’

Directory Services: Although not necessary for every directory, consider a service like Yext or Whitespark to ensure consistent updates across platforms.

Reviews: Maintain a review frequency of 2-3 per month to support a strong local ranking.

Enhance Local SEO: Highlighting sponsorships or partnerships can enhance his location service pages. For instance, he ranks well in St. Matthews, about 20 minutes east of downtown Louisville. He can also gain quality backlinks by referencing these personal experiences in articles, which will enrich the content.

Content Updates: Regularly update older articles to signal to Google that the content is current and relevant.

Using AI to Boost Listing Visibility: Leverage AI to enhance listing visibility. Google’s focus on rich snippets and dynamic content, like images and videos, can help your business stand out in map listings. Using AI-driven content will improve your search rankings and increase overall visibility.

Leveraging Video Content: Capture moments and experiences to enhance online visibility and personal connection. Consider subscribing to Google Photos for automatic categorization of images and videos.

The infographics are effective, but incorporating one-minute videos will further elevate the strategy. From video content, you can also create images, blog posts, and social media updates, which is part of what we teach in our Content Factory.

Top Recommendation: Distribute video content across all platforms.

Overall, the site is well-structured, and SEO efforts are effective. By leveraging the content they already have, they can enhance their online presence and attract more potential clients.

Looking to unlock your website’s potential? Head over to Office Hours now to get expert recommendations. Quick, effective, and essential—let’s go!

Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu
Dennis Yu is a former search engine engineer who has spent a billion dollars on Google and Facebook ads for Nike, Quiznos, Ashley Furniture, Red Bull, State Farm, and other organizations that have many locations. He has achieved 25% of his goal of creating a million digital marketing jobs because of his partnership with universities, professional organizations, and agencies. Companies like GoDaddy, Fiverr, onlinejobs.ph, 7 Figure Agency, and Vendasta partner with him to create training and certifications. Dennis created the Dollar a Day Strategy for local service businesses to enhance their existing local reputation and make the phone ring. He's coaching young adult agency owners who serve plumbers, AC technicians, landscapers, roofers, electricians in conjunction with leaders in these industries. Mr. Yu believes that there should be a standard in measuring local marketing efforts, much like doctors and plumbers need to be certified and licensed. His Content Factory training and dashboards are used by thousands of practitioners.