Comments on: How REA buries agents in search results http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/ Real Estate Agent News and Information Technology Sat, 11 Feb 2012 10:30:15 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Glenn Batten http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7547 Glenn Batten Tue, 08 Dec 2009 04:56:16 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7547 Peter, I finally got around to checking out the different portals to see how they link back to the agent. This is what I found.. Realestate.com.au They dont provide a link direct to the agent at all. It is to a link gateway that redirects the user to the agents website. This link certainly does have a nofollow on it but whether it did or not it does not really matter as the agent would get no SEO benefit under any circumstance from it at all as it goes though the link gateway. I can only think this is a legacy way for them to track clicks on agents websites but there is far more modern ways using click events to do this that would still provide a natural link to the agent and pass some SEO benefit. If you have an example of REA providing a normal link to an agents site (not going through this link gateway) with or without a nofollow attribute attached can you share please. Domain.com.au Domain provide a real link to the agent so they would gain SEO benefit from that. Myhome.com.au I cannot find a link to the agents website at all Homehound I cannot find a link to the agents website at all ********************* Full marks to Domain on this. Since Homehound and Myhome don't charge a subscription I can understand that they do not include a valuable link back to the agents site but maybe an upgraded account would include a link. But IMHO realestate.com.au need to seriously look at this. Peter,

I finally got around to checking out the different portals to see how they link back to the agent.

This is what I found..

Realestate.com.au
They dont provide a link direct to the agent at all. It is to a link gateway that redirects the user to the agents website. This link certainly does have a nofollow on it but whether it did or not it does not really matter as the agent would get no SEO benefit under any circumstance from it at all as it goes though the link gateway. I can only think this is a legacy way for them to track clicks on agents websites but there is far more modern ways using click events to do this that would still provide a natural link to the agent and pass some SEO benefit. If you have an example of REA providing a normal link to an agents site (not going through this link gateway) with or without a nofollow attribute attached can you share please.

Domain.com.au
Domain provide a real link to the agent so they would gain SEO benefit from that.

Myhome.com.au
I cannot find a link to the agents website at all

Homehound
I cannot find a link to the agents website at all

*********************

Full marks to Domain on this. Since Homehound and Myhome don’t charge a subscription I can understand that they do not include a valuable link back to the agents site but maybe an upgraded account would include a link.

But IMHO realestate.com.au need to seriously look at this.

]]> By: Craig http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7393 Craig Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:58:17 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7393 Sal, I wouldn't say they are allowing it, I would find it incredulous if Google made exceptions for a site like REA. I don't think a site would be black listed for having stacks of links like that, it just wouldn't be helpful to them. The Google search engine is smart enough to work out when people are trying to game the system and ignore the bad stuff. Sal, I wouldn’t say they are allowing it, I would find it incredulous if Google made exceptions for a site like REA. I don’t think a site would be black listed for having stacks of links like that, it just wouldn’t be helpful to them. The Google search engine is smart enough to work out when people are trying to game the system and ignore the bad stuff.

]]> By: Sal Espro http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7391 Sal Espro Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:41:57 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7391 My point exactly, Craig. Google is allowing SEO spam here but not on 'lesser' sites that actually originate the content! More narky now! Sal My point exactly, Craig. Google is allowing SEO spam here but not on ‘lesser’ sites that actually originate the content!

More narky now! Sal

]]> By: Craig http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7389 Craig Mon, 30 Nov 2009 02:11:14 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7389 Sal, that is an interesting page from REA. I was actually investigating this recently in regards to upgrades to my own site. It seems that many people believe it is good practice to have a page like this with hundreds of links to other pages of their site and it is common to see such things in the footer of many real estate sites. But further investigation reveals there is limited SEO value from doing such things as pages full of links just annoy the Google overlord. Sal, that is an interesting page from REA. I was actually investigating this recently in regards to upgrades to my own site. It seems that many people believe it is good practice to have a page like this with hundreds of links to other pages of their site and it is common to see such things in the footer of many real estate sites. But further investigation reveals there is limited SEO value from doing such things as pages full of links just annoy the Google overlord.

]]> By: Sal Espro http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7387 Sal Espro Mon, 30 Nov 2009 01:56:26 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7387 The big portals also get away with spamming Google. If agents did it they'd be Google Black-listed for sure! <strong>Check this out:</strong> The top Google search result for 1135 Bass Highway, Pioneer Bay victoria is http://www.realestate.com.au/realestate/vic/gippsland/pioneer+bay Click on it to see the results - A huge list of unrelated locations - not even close to Pioneer Bay!! C'mon Google - Fair's fair! (Or are you really the Evil Empire now?!) Still old and narky. Sal :) The big portals also get away with spamming Google. If agents did it they’d be Google Black-listed for sure!
Check this out:
The top Google search result for
1135 Bass Highway, Pioneer Bay victoria is
http://www.realestate.com.au/realestate/vic/gippsland/pioneer+bay
Click on it to see the results
- A huge list of unrelated locations – not even close to Pioneer Bay!!

C’mon Google – Fair’s fair! (Or are you really the Evil Empire now?!)

Still old and narky. Sal :)

]]> By: Glen Barnes http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7378 Glen Barnes Mon, 30 Nov 2009 00:34:09 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7378 One key thing here is: One key thing here is:

]]> By: Glenn Batten http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7374 Glenn Batten Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:50:15 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7374 oh yeah.. I forgot something.. welcome to the team :) oh yeah.. I forgot something.. welcome to the team :)

]]> By: Glenn Batten http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7373 Glenn Batten Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:48:04 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7373 Peter, I appreciate where you are coming from and the nofollow attribute pm on the link from REA is just greed. You would think at close to $1000 per month we would justify a real link. It must have changed though because last time I looked it was passing through a redirection service which was even worse. The whole issue of Duplicate content being penalised is debated often. Matt Cutts from google has said that duplicate content gives you nothing to differentiate yourself from everyone else, but he does not say you get penalised as such by it. If everybody has the same content you just have more competition and unless you have the best onpage seo combined with a strong website pr rating you may not win the race. If you insist that everybody else uses noindex then they are just in the race and you win by default. The danger is who is going to rank higher for the same content. Of course realestate.com.au has a much higher PR rating than any other individual agent so if they both serve exactly the same content in the same way then realestate.com.au will win everytime. It's not so much that the agent or even REA gets penalised, but more that they are ranked much higher so the result is the same anyway. If they were to add the noindex tag you suggested it means they would not compete at all but I cant see that happening. Thankfully though REA's SEO on the property pages is terrible and it does not take too much to beat their site's PR advantage. Domain and Homehound do it all the time with much better rankings for individual property addresses. <p> <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enAU291AU303&q=56+Marble+Drive,+Carrara&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=" rel="nofollow"> 56 Marble Drive, Carrara</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enAU291AU303&q=6+Sirius+Cove+Road,+Mosman&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=" rel="nofollow"> 6 Sirius Cove Road, Mosman</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enAU291AU303&q=207+Dugandan+Street,+Nerang&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=" rel="nofollow"> 207 Dugandan Street, Nerang</a></p> <p> <a href="http://www.google.com.au/search?hl=en&rlz=1C1GGLS_enAU291AU303&q=314+Bulwer+Street,+Perth&btnG=Search&meta=&aq=f&oq=" rel="nofollow"> 314 Bulwer Street, Perth</a></p> First in every case is Google Maps ...which if you click on brings up the Google Real Estate entry. After that its Domain and Homehound. The only time realestate.com.au does well in this is when the properties are just not listed with anybody else. I am sure REA know that very few people search the particular address of a property for sale choosing instead to search "<suburb> real estate" or "<suburb> property". Peter,

I appreciate where you are coming from and the nofollow attribute pm on the link from REA is just greed. You would think at close to $1000 per month we would justify a real link. It must have changed though because last time I looked it was passing through a redirection service which was even worse.

The whole issue of Duplicate content being penalised is debated often. Matt Cutts from google has said that duplicate content gives you nothing to differentiate yourself from everyone else, but he does not say you get penalised as such by it. If everybody has the same content you just have more competition and unless you have the best onpage seo combined with a strong website pr rating you may not win the race. If you insist that everybody else uses noindex then they are just in the race and you win by default.

The danger is who is going to rank higher for the same content. Of course realestate.com.au has a much higher PR rating than any other individual agent so if they both serve exactly the same content in the same way then realestate.com.au will win everytime. It’s not so much that the agent or even REA gets penalised, but more that they are ranked much higher so the result is the same anyway.

If they were to add the noindex tag you suggested it means they would not compete at all but I cant see that happening.

Thankfully though REA’s SEO on the property pages is terrible and it does not take too much to beat their site’s PR advantage. Domain and Homehound do it all the time with much better rankings for individual property addresses.


56 Marble Drive, Carrara


6 Sirius Cove Road, Mosman


207 Dugandan Street, Nerang


314 Bulwer Street, Perth

First in every case is Google Maps …which if you click on brings up the Google Real Estate entry. After that its Domain and Homehound. The only time realestate.com.au does well in this is when the properties are just not listed with anybody else.

I am sure REA know that very few people search the particular address of a property for sale choosing instead to search “ real estate” or “ property”.

]]> By: PaulD http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7372 PaulD Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:42:54 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7372 How can REA not be pleased with Google, when it has been Google that has delivered the majority of their "UB's" to them. If REA are not pleased, then perhaps they should stop their advertising on Google. There would only be one winner in that situation. As Google seem to be leveling the playing field somewhat, there is still a measure of leveling to go as far as real estate searches are concerned. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Google used a bit of muscle (on their own website mind you) to be a bit more aggressive where real estate advertising is concerned. If you look at any suburb combined with " real estate" on the Google website - REA is there somewhere. I wonder what would happen if Google decided to place itself as number 1 in all those locations ? I suppose to get an answer, all we will have to do is wait. How can REA not be pleased with Google, when it has been Google that has delivered the majority of their “UB’s” to them. If REA are not pleased, then perhaps they should stop their advertising on Google. There would only be one winner in that situation. As Google seem to be leveling the playing field somewhat, there is still a measure of leveling to go as far as real estate searches are concerned. It would be interesting to see what would happen if Google used a bit of muscle (on their own website mind you) to be a bit more aggressive where real estate advertising is concerned. If you look at any suburb combined with ” real estate” on the Google website – REA is there somewhere. I wonder what would happen if Google decided to place itself as number 1 in all those locations ? I suppose to get an answer, all we will have to do is wait.

]]> By: Nick http://www.business2.com.au/2009/11/how-rea-buries-agents-in-search-results/#comment-7369 Nick Sun, 29 Nov 2009 23:27:22 +0000 http://www.business2.com.au/?p=2320#comment-7369 I think Google is one step ahead of REA on this one. REA abuses this deliberately to get users to go to them instead of directly going to a agent. What does Google do? Google makes Real Estate Maps which levels the playing field somewhat. Agents now have the ability to get people going straight to their site which is why REA is not pleased with Google. I think Google is one step ahead of REA on this one.

REA abuses this deliberately to get users to go to them instead of directly going to a agent.
What does Google do? Google makes Real Estate Maps which levels the playing field somewhat.

Agents now have the ability to get people going straight to their site which is why REA is not pleased with Google.

]]>