Real estate blogging comes with HUGE benefits, but if you don’t have the time (or desire!) to write your own blog posts, you need to find a quality real estate blog writing service.
Your real estate blog is a direct reflection of your brand. So you need a blog writing service that understands your mission, your market, and your audience. But how do you choose one? There are tons of options available to you, from side-hustlers on Fiverr to expensive luxury real estate media companies. How do you choose the real estate blog writing service that’s right for you?
How to Choose a Real Estate Blog Writing Service
Here’s how to choose a real estate blog writing service in 5 easy steps.
Step 1: Understand the Different Blog Content Types
You have a few options for your real estate blog content.
Ready-to-Publish Content
Ready-to-publish content (also called pre-written content) is general content that is sold to multiple real estate agents and will not be original or exclusive.
It’s important to understand that ready-to-publish content will not help your website rank on Google. Google strongly favors websites with original content, and since multiple agents have this same content on their websites, you won’t get any points from Google.
But ready-to-publish content does serve a purpose. If you’re starting your blog from scratch, ready-to-publish content is an affordable way to give your audience a few articles to start with while you develop your long-term blogging strategy. Even better, you’ll be able to share your pre-written blog posts across all your social media accounts, which can help you drive traffic to your new website.
If you’re going to use a few ready-to-publish posts, insist on the best. Don’t use the free services, which are duplicated on hundreds or even thousands of websites and don’t offer anything in the way of true value for your readers. Instead, purchase from a small, boutique provider like Key Real Estate Designs on Etsy. For just $19 per post, you get epic 2,000-word posts to educate your audience and establish you as the knowledgable authority.
Original, Exclusive Content
Original, exclusive content is content that is written from scratch, specifically for you and your audience.
The primary benefit of exclusive content is the Google Factor. If you want buyers and sellers to find you when the Google things like “how long does it take to sell a home in Los Angeles” or “how to buy a home in Texas,” you need original content that addresses these topics. Google will not refer people to your site if you don’t have original content.
Original content is also perfect for niching down to your local market. Instead of competing with real estate giants like Zillow for nationwide web traffic, you can focus on writing specifically for your city or town. With fewer than 11% of agents blogging (and only about 2-3% of those blogs updated regularly), you could be on the first page of Google’s search results!
This requires partnering with a real estate content writer who can capture your voice and do your brand justice month after month. And that takes a little research…
Step 2: Research Real Estate Blog Writing Services
If you Google “real estate blog writing services,” you’ll get lots of options. So you need to know what to look for in each of these services.
Here are a few things to pay attention to as you research blog writing services:
- Knowledge of SEO. SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the practice of tailoring your text and formatting to impress search engines like Google. Any good blog writer is aware of best SEO practices, can answer your SEO questions, and can help you form your SEO strategy.
- Availability. Does the blog writing service have the capacity to produce new content based on your schedule?
- Style and tone. Independent writers will have a portfolio for you to review. With larger blog writing services, you run the risk of having multiple writers produce your content. This can lead to disjointed posts. Make sure your writer can match your style and tone. And if you opt for a large provider, ask if all your content can be assigned to the same writer.
- Workflow. Workflow means different things to different people, but it makes more sense if you ask yourself, “do I like the way this service works?” Are your inquiries answered promptly? Will your content be delivered on time? Does the billing process work for you?
- Prices. Be prepared to pay for high-quality custom content. Expect somewhere between 10 and 20 cents per word ($50-$100 for a 500-word article).
- Reviews. What do their clients have to say? Are they satisfied?
Step 3: Make a Short List of Your Favorite Writers
Based on your research, choose your top 3-5 writers. Reach out to them to get any of your preliminary questions answered.
Step 4: Test Your Favorites
Before you choose a real estate blog writing service from your shortlist, it’s important to test your prospective writers.
Assign a different blog post topic to each writer. You’ll get your blog posts for the month completed, and by the end of the test, you’ll have a better idea as to which writer is the best fit for you. Plan to pay each writer for the test articles. Good writers don’t have time to create custom posts for free.
Here are a few things to look for:
- Is the writing engaging?
- Does the writing reflect your brand?
- Is the post free from grammatical errors and typos?
- Did the writer optimize the post for search engines (is there a clear keyword phrase being used in the piece)?
- Was the post submitted on time?
- Does the post end with a call to action (a prompt for the reader to contact you)?
Ideally, you’ll be able to answer yes to each of these questions for one or more of your writer candidates.
Step 5: Choose Your Long-Term Real Estate Blog Writing Service
At this point, you should have all the info you need to choose your real estate blog writing service.
You’ll know what to expect from your writer. You’ll understand the quality of their work. And you’ll be comfortable in your decision to work with your long-term writer.
Congrats on finding your new real estate blog writer!
