Using Photos to Increase a Property Management Website's Relevance

Tip #10 "How to Grow a Property Management Business Through a Website"

A search engine is nothing more than a computer program. They (Google, Yahoo, Bing, etc.) want you to think that they are sophisticated, human-like entities that know exactly what each user is looking for.  That might be true someday, but for now, they are just computer programs.  This means that you have to show the computer program what terms you want it to display your site for when one of their users conducts a search.  There are literally hundreds of items that these computer programs look at, and the more that your site does better than your competition, the higher you will appear on search.  Attention to detail is key...

This video is part of a class I teach to property managers at conventions to help them make their websites better.  There are a total of 10 tips, in order of importance, and this is number 10.  Optimize your photos.

A search engine knows that there is a picture, or pictures in your code.  Unlike a human, a computer program cannot tell what the picture is about.  Your website can tell the computer program what the picture is about through the use of tagging.  Most people will save their photos as something like, "12345.jpg" or "House12.gif"  While these might help you find your pictures in the directory, it doesn't tell a search engine what the picture is about.  If you are looking to get found for property management search terms, we highly recommend the following strategy:

1.  Save your picture as a file that is also a search term you would like to get found for like, "Denver-Property-Management.jpg" instead of, "Our-Office.jpg"

2.  Make your title tag a search term that you want to be found for like:  "Denver Property Managers"  See Above

3.  Make your alt tag a search term that you want to be found for like:  "Denver Property Management Company"  See Above

This seems obvious, but most sites do it wrong.  If you do it right, you just became more relevant than every other company that doesn't do it right!

Estimated search impact 2-3%

David Borden

Co-Founder

With a resume that includes West Point graduate, Captain of the West Point Team Handball team (which, interestingly, is also referred to as “Borden Ball” around the world. Google it. We’re not sure which name came first, but we’re pretty sure Dave could tell you), US Army Chinook helicopter pilot and Co-founder, President & CEO of what is now the leading website in the country for advertising long term residential rentals, it stands to reason why Dave has a place at the PMW kitchen table...

With a resume that includes West Point graduate, Captain of the West Point Team Handball team (which, interestingly, is also referred to as “Borden Ball” around the world. Google it. We’re not sure which name came first, but we’re pretty sure Dave could tell you), US Army Chinook helicopter pilot and Co-founder, President & CEO of what is now the leading website in the country for advertising long term residential rentals, it stands to reason why Dave has a place at the PMW kitchen table: his appetite for success. And, well, because he keeps us laughing. As our resident funny-man (possibly self-proclaimed), his booming voice can be heard spreading the PMW gospel to anyone who’ll listen. And, frankly, even those who have no interest in property management. (Don’t they teach “Inside Voice” at America’s oldest military academy?) But his high-decibel, funny ways become awfully serious when it comes to staying one step ahead for the good of our customers; because Dave has been there. As a second-generation property manager from Colorado Springs, CO, he knows the struggles that property managers go through and painstakingly dissects every step of their process to come up with ways to ease their burden. As former CEO & President of RentClicks (which went on to become Rentals.com), he strategically positioned their business to become NARPM’s first official partner and was awarded NARPM’s National Affiliate of the Year three times. When he’s not devouring industry information at our kitchen table, you might find him bellying up to a plate of wings while watching his beloved (understatement) Broncos, flipping channels in search of a historical documentary, searching out a tennis match or preaching the ways of the world to his pre-teen sons, Andrew and Brady.