The Benefit of Image Searching When Using Correct Filenames

Let’s face it. A lot of people will begin searching for their new property by using one of the more common search phrases, such as Toronto (insert any city here) homes (or condos) for sale. Being ranked well under these and/or similar search terms can definitely help the web portion of your marketing grow, and it should be your goal to be ranked well under such terms. However, there is another search tool that is often overlooked when it comes to attracting more traffic and optimizing your website, and that is image searches. These days, it is common for people to also browse through images of a neighbourhood (particularly out-of-towners), than to have to get in their car and drive there - especially during Canada’s long winters. How can this help you?

Let’s take the Annex in Toronto. Using Google’s image search, I queried “Annex Toronto”. There are over 88,500 results. Of the first 40 images, 22 are of houses and condos, and 17 of those are linked to REALTOR® websites. That means, when someone clicks on any of those 17 images, they load the website where that image was found. If the person is interested in buying or selling a property, you’ve just gained a potential lead, as now they can also browse through your database of listings, and send you a form requesting a showing.

Now you should be asking yourself, ‘how can I fill the other 23 spots?’

Houses, Condos and... Donald Trump?

The answer is surprisingly simple: accurately label your filenames.

What should you include in a filename? The location, in this case, Annex, should always be included in the filename. Adding secondary words, such as Home, Homes, House, Condo, For Sale, Real Estate and even Buy, are excellent pairings. Not only can this help your images be found under a more generalized search (Annex Toronto), but also for the searches that are more specifically related to real estate.

You can also use “Alt” tags if you know a bit about web code (HTML).  Click here to see our blog post on this topic. By taking advantage of new search methods, you’re not only keeping up with the latest trends that people have started using, but it will also help draw new traffic to your website. More traffic means the potential for more leads – and every lead can mean business.

Authored By: Bryan Coughlin, Client Relations