Learn the best ways for homebuilders to maximize and optimize their online presence to connect to and engage first-time homebuyers.
Understanding the First-Time Homebuyer’s Journey
First-time homebuyers are not like other real estate leads. They don't know exactly what they want, often have smaller budgets, require more coddling and nudging and their inexperience can make them more reluctant to sign on with an agent they don't know.
That said, they are ideal for new construction projects that let buyers get in early at a lower price and appreciate customization. Additionally, they are typically more open to living in upstart neighborhoods since they're looking to plant roots and may not concerned with things like moving their kids to a new school.
The first-time homebuyer's journey typically leans heavily into information gathering and research. Home builders need to understand the common questions and concerns this group has. From mortgage pre-approval to closing day, the entire process should be outlined on your website via optimized blog and YouTube content that resonates with this audience and answers their queries.
Making content that aligns with their specific homebuyer’s journey establishes your brand as a trustworthy source with experience with first-time homebuyers and their needs and improves your visibility on search engines.
Offering content such as first-time homebuyer guides, checklists and in-depth FAQs can attract these types of real estate leads and improve your search engine rankings.
Digital Marketing for First-Time Homebuyers
When targeting first-time homebuyers, your digital marketing strategy should be built upon a deep understanding of their needs and search behaviors. Incorporate targeted keywords that this demographic is likely to use and confirm that they're looking to enter the market. Matching your ad to search terms like "What to know about buying your first house" can be strategic and beneficial. Also, optimize your website's structure and content to answer their specific questions as this will intrigue your potential leads to learn more about your business and services.
Ensure your home builder website and project pages are mobile-friendly, as many first-time homebuyers are young, tech-savvy and use their mobile devices for research. This approach will help your search engine optimization (SEO) and make your site more accessible to a broader audience.
Listen to this episode of the Build & Sell podcast and learn how to generate new construction leads. A lot of these tips can apply to first-time homebuyers.
Using Google Ads to Target First-Time Homebuyers
Google Ads can be an effective tool to reach first-time homebuyers. By using carefully selected keywords and demographic targeting, you can place your ads in front of individuals actively searching for their first home in your market. Your ad copy should address the unique concerns of first-time buyers and offer solutions.
Click the image below to watch Eric's step-by-step Google Ads Tutorial for Realtors to make Google Ads that drive the right type of leads to your website.
Remember to use ad extensions, also called assets, to provide additional information, like contact details or links to relevant pages on your website. This can improve click-through rates and bring potential first-time buyers directly into your sales funnel.
Optimizing Your Website for Local SEO
SEO for home builders is one of the most important components of your strategy to connect with first-time homebuyers. SEO is the process of improving your website's quality and performance to increase website traffic from search engines like Google. Having an optimized website tells Google that it's relevant to a specific search and safe to list on a search engine results page.
First-time homebuyers often search for properties within specific locations using keywords like "houses for sale in (city)" or "new construction projects in (city)". Remember, local SEO is crucial for home builders. Ensure your website includes location-based keywords and create content (articles and videos) that's relevant to the housing market in the areas you serve.
You must claim your Google My Business listing and keep it up-to-date with your contact information, reviews and hours of operation. Local relevant backlinks and listings in local directories are also proven ways to enhance your local SEO efforts and generate a specific type of real estate leads.
Leveraging Content Marketing to Educate and Engage
Content marketing involves creating and sharing online material such as videos, articles, podcast episodes and social media posts. The goal is to promote your business or new construction projects and engage potential real estate leads by getting them interested in your offering.
Content marketing can help home builders establish their professional authority and build trust among first-time buyers. Keep it educational with articles, infographics and videos that guide them through the home-buying process. Cover topics like mortgage pre-approval, the lifestyle of a neighborhood, home maintenance and fun design tips.
Optimized content attracts potential real estate leads to your website or landing pages and keeps them engaged longer, which tells Google that your website or landing pages are providing valuable information.
If you're not sold on content marketing, remember that every piece of content you publish can appear on a Google search and drive traffic to your website.
Utilizing Social Media to Amplify Your SEO Efforts
Social media platforms are strong allies in boosting your SEO for home builders. Share content on platforms where first-time homebuyers are likely to spend time like TikTok and Instagram. Many real estate agents have already invested heavily in social media and built invested target audiences that they can nurture into real estate leads and then clients.
In addition to sharing real estate content, don't be shy about engaging with your audience (and potential leads) through comments and direct messages to develop and nurture strong relationships.
Monitoring and Adapting SEO Strategies Based on Analytics
To ensure your SEO for home builders strategies are effective, monitor your website analytics monthly or even weekly. Review metrics such as traffic sources (how visitors are being directed to your site), bounce rate (the percentage of visitors who navigate off your site after viewing only one page) and conversion rates (the number of conversions divided by number of visitors) to get an idea of what's working.
Use this data to update your digital marketing for home builders strategy. Doing so can optimize your content, keyword strategy and user experience for first-time homebuyers effectively.
Partner with a Top Real Estate Lead Generation Agency for Home Builders
If you're a homebuilder looking to generate leads that are first-time homebuyers, consider Agent Launch, a top lead generation agency specializing in new construction. Our expertise in Google Ads, retargeting, video marketing for home builders, custom websites and landing pages has helped home builders sell more units faster than ever before.
Our digital marketing for home builders strategies and effective Google Ads campaigns can fill your pipeline with targeted leads who are ready to buy in your markets.
FAQ
What is SEO for home builders?
SEO for home builders is essential in today's digital landscape. It increases a webpage's performance to help it rank higher on Google. Optimizing a home builder's website for local SEO, sharing content marketing and having a social media presence all contribute to SEO efforts and can improve your online visibility.
4 steps to improve SEO:
- Improve your website's speed using PageSpeed Insights
- Create keyword-rich content like articles, infographics and videos. Be careful not to overuse keywords.
- Make your website mobile-friendly
- Ensure every image is accompanied by alt text (alternative text that appears in place of an image that cannot be displayed).
What is content marketing for home builders?
Content marketing is the strategic creation of articles, videos, audio content or online marketing materials that are keyword-rich and can drive traffic to a website. Content marketing helps home builders establish their industry and market authority with potential real estate leads.
Should home builders and real estate agents use social media?
Social media can help home builders connect with potential first-time homebuyers. It's a strong branding tool to communicate your expertise, experience, approach and personality to potential real estate leads. Choose the social network based on your target audience. Younger audiences tend to spend their time on TikTok and Instagram whereas older audiences frequent Facebook more than other platforms. Embracing social media as part of a comprehensive digital marketing strategy contributes to your real estate lead generation, and may result in a higher conversion rate.
