When it comes to SEO for real estate or any local service business, the ultimate guide is Google. It’s the most powerful tool for optimizing your website.
In this audit, we explored how David Keyte can take Bend Relo’s online presence to the next level. After reviewing their website, it was clear that while they’d made some efforts, there was still a lot of untapped potential in their local SEO strategy.

Bend Relo’s Current SEO
We reviewed the transition from David’s old domain, HomesBendRELO.com, to the new BendRelo.com. David confirmed they were ready to move forward with this change, removing the old site’s main page and fully focusing on BendRelo.com.
Google pulls data from directories, social media, and other online sources. NAP consistency is essential for ranking in Google’s local three-pack, which displays map-based search results. I identified inconsistencies in Bend Relo‘s NAP—like using “Suite” instead of “St” for abbreviations—it can confuse Google’s algorithm and negatively affect the business’s ranking.
After analyzing Bend Relo’s SEO, here’s what I found:
Domain Rating (DR): David’s site has a DR of 17, which is on the lower end but typical for a local business. This rating reflects the site’s overall authority.
Link Profile: Bend Relo has more than 1200 links from 72 different sites. These links vary in authority:
Low-quality links: Some links aren’t adding much value.
Local directories: Many come from local directories, which still contribute positively to local SEO, though not all links pass significant authority.
Relevant sources: Some links, such as those from a client’s tool, are more valuable and relevant.
These links have helped Bend Relo rank for 271 keywords. However, with a DR of 17, the rankings for highly competitive terms are limited.
- Ranking Losses: David recently lost his position 7 ranking for “sell my house Bend Oregon,” It’s called a Google Dance. Google shifts rankings based on various factors, including user activity.
- Keyword Rankings: For easier keywords, Bend Relo performs well:
- “Bend relocation” ranks at position six with a keyword difficulty of two (easy to rank for).
- “Jenna Williamson” and “sell my house Bend Oregon” are also low-difficulty keywords ranking at position zero.
- Bend Relo ranks at position 18 for the term “Riverfront homes Bend Oregon,” which places him on the second page. This is because he has a page dedicated to this term, but the page lacks authority to rank higher.
However, with a DR of 17, it’s tougher to rank for competitive terms like:
- “MLS Bend Oregon” (350 monthly searches)
- “Bend homes” (150 monthly searches)
“Where do you hide a dead body? On the second page of Google.” The point is clear: if you’re on the second page, you’re practically invisible. To start ranking for more competitive keywords with higher search volumes, David needs to increase his site’s authority.
The site has a significant amount of content for real estate, with over 1,500 pages. However, most of these pages are autogenerated MLS listings. While this is useful, the content doesn’t pass much authority to other pages on the site.
Some pages, such as “Financial Dream Home” and “Buy a Home in Bend,” are not contributing much authority due to the low DR of the site. Pages like “Stormy Clark” are also ranking for zero keywords, indicating no SEO value.
To improve rankings, David needs to better utilize internal linking to pass authority from stronger pages to weaker ones. Stronger pages can help distribute SEO “juice” to lower-ranking pages that need it.
David could create more pages targeting specific keywords, such as real estate in Jackson County, to improve rankings across multiple search terms and attract more traffic.
Unlike larger competitors like Remax or Zillow with high DRs (85+), David has a real opportunity to rank for the keywords he’s targeting. His focus on low-competition terms allows him to win in these niches, which are often overlooked by bigger players.
David can rank for these lower-competition keywords. Terms like “Stormy Properties” or “Bonanza Oregon real estate” might not seem significant individually but can generate valuable traffic and leads when targeted consistently.
Rather than competing for broad, high-traffic terms like “new homes for sale” or “homes near me,” David can focus on long-tail keywords—niche phrases with less competition but still steady traffic. This strategy allows him to carve out a space where he can rank and generate quality leads without heavy competition.
Keywords like “Chiloquin” or “Klamath Falls” may not have high search volume, but they’re a perfect fit for David’s site due to their minimal competition. For instance, David’s site is already ranking for “Klamath Falls,” although currently sitting at position 35 (fourth page). This shows how focusing on these niche terms can increase visibility over time.
The key is to focus on the small, overlooked opportunities—“sweeping up the pennies” others miss.
To improve rankings, David’s team should focus on creating engaging and relevant content. I suggested targeting common questions (People Also Ask) on Google about Bend, Oregon, such as “What’s the nicest part of Bend?” or “How many days does it snow in Bend?” This type of content can help position David’s site as an authority on local topics.
Short, walk-and-talk videos addressing these questions could be posted as YouTube Shorts, blog posts, or shared on social media.
David’s website currently lacks review velocity, which plays a significant role in SEO performance. While having a large number of reviews is important, maintaining a steady flow of recent reviews is even more crucial.
For example, David’s site has a few new reviews from last week, but issues with associating these reviews across platforms mean they aren’t being reflected accurately. This inconsistency can negatively impact SEO.
What’s the Plan?
Implement Digital Plumbing: Once David gives us access, set up the necessary digital tools—Google Analytics, CRM, GMB insights, and others—to create a unified system. This will give him a clear view of what’s working and where leads are coming from.
Repurpose Existing Content: Take the videos David has already created (YouTube, Facebook, etc.) and repurpose them across multiple channels. This includes cleaning up older content, improving sound quality, and adding bumpers.
SEO for real estate or any local service business now values rich media. Transcribe videos into short, mobile-friendly articles to meet mobile-first user needs while staying white-hat to avoid penalties from Google’s updates. Videos build trust, so leverage them as the core content, with the transcriptions acting as supporting material.
Target Keywords and Enhance SEO: Create videos around target keywords, transcribe them, and embed these videos on David’s blog. This helps boost SEO for real estate by connecting the video content to relevant keywords and strengthening its position in Google’s ecosystem. Also cross-post reviews from platforms like Facebook to GMB, maintaining authenticity and avoiding keyword stuffing.
Optimize Content Creation: Continue producing content and test it. If a video performs well, run ads, repurpose it, and explore similar topics. The goal is to keep creating content that resonates, even if most of it doesn’t perform well.
Transparent Tracking: David will have full visibility of his performance through Google My Business (GMB) insights. He can track phone calls, website visits, and map interactions in real-time, helping to measure SEO success.
Position David as a Leader: Our aim is to position David as a leading figure in his industry. By using his content and results as benchmarks, we’ll boost his visibility and establish him as a lighthouse in his field.
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