We've had a LOT of recent requests about whether we'll have a plugin or some sort of direct integration with WordPress. I'm happy to say that the answer is a resounding "Maybe...Almost...Need further testing...".
Seriously, though - I DO have a method for direct integration, not frames or links. However, to fully implement it, I need some testers. If you're a current WordPress user and you have the ability to add a plugin, email me directly at bob at listingware.com if you'd like to try it out. Thanks.
I saw a good link from Desiree Scales on Twitter today. She was linking to an older post from Seth Godin about whether websites should be "noticed". I say "NO" - websites shouldn't be noticed! ListingWare websites and services are for generating ACTION on the part of the Client, not getting the agent or broker "noticed".
We have a joking reference here about bad websites for agents - especially those from a few years ago when many folks were just getting started. Now, no one should be insulted by this please. We called it "MyBigFatFace.com". You know the type of site: the one that features the agent themselves all-too-centrally, showing things like the agent's dog, the agent's hobbies, the agent's blah-blah-blah.
One of the websites I saw actually had a floating, rotating, three-dimensional cube with the agent's face on all sides! I've got to go back and find that one...
So, NO, websites shouldn't be "noticed". They should only be there to lead the Client to the services you provide.
I've done some random samplings in the past of how ListingWare-powered websites turn up in search engine results. However, last night I got the urge to go a little more in-depth.
The reason for this was I was testing how the new Mobile IDX Website styling looks on both my wife's and my phone. After that, I used the Google Mobile app (I'm on iPhone) and just ran I random search on "Atlanta Homes For Sale". On the first page of results, 4 of them were ListingWare customers! Holy cow!
This morning I went further: I decided I'd check the first 50 results from Google, Yahoo, and Bing. And I'm talking about the natural results, not the paid placement ads on the top and side of the pages. Here's the results:
| Top 50 Google | |
| LW Customer | 18 |
| Aggregator | 14 |
| Other IDX | 8 |
| Independent | 4 |
| Broker | 4 |
| AJC | 2 |
| Top 50 Yahoo | |
| Aggregator | 17 |
| LW Customer | 11 |
| Other IDX | 11 |
| Broker | 7 |
| Independent | 2 |
| AJC | 2 |
| Top 50 Bing | |
| LW Customer | 17 |
| Aggregator | 12 |
| Other IDX | 7 |
| Independent | 6 |
| Broker | 5 |
| AJC | 2 |
So, a few definitions are in order:
- LW Customer: Someone actively using LW in their site.
- Aggregator: National sites like realtor.com, trulia.com, zillow.com.
- Other IDX: All other companies that compete with ListingWare combined.
- Independent: Random sites that are not a broker's site and may or may not have a home search feature.
- Broker: A recognized broker in the Atlanta area.
- AJC: The Atlanta Journal-Constitution newspaper website.
Now, we have a bit of a Chicken-And-Egg thing going here. I'm not saying that having ListingWare is the sole reason that these sites are appearing high in the natural results. They have to have other content in order for search engines to find them relevant. And is it they're successful because they chose ListingWare? Probably not...but I'd like to think that because they're successful, they recognized what ListingWare could do for them. And it obviously has helped in getting them high in search engine rankings!
I'm not trying to be a Snake Oil Salesman and say that we'll get you guaranteed natural search engine rankings. That's impossible. However, it's pretty difficult to argue with cold, hard facts, isn't it?
I'm so geeked out right now! WooHoo!
We originally launched our Mobile IDX Website as a very simple but functional way to browse via mobile phones and devices. The styling was very simple by design. Now that we've had it up and running successfully for a while, we've now gone back and added a little more styling to the design, making it feel a little more like a native application for your phone. Please check it out and let us know what you think.
We've now published one of what we hope will be several new Code Generators! This has been in big demand recently, especially with folks that are doing their own thing with WordPress, Joomla, and the like. When you login the the Account Manager, you can click on the IDX Search option in the top menu and then look to the bottom of that page.
The first one online generates a Quick Search that gives several search options. We're also planning on adding other code generators that will let you get really specific for other types of searches.
Go ahead - tinker away!
Well, I guess I should be flattered. If you search for 'ListingWare' in Google, a paid ad from IDX Broker pops up on top targeting that keyword. Go figure.
Wow...I've REALLY been obsessing over search engine optimization this week. Hopefully I'll have some news, tips, info to share about this soon, but I'm already seeing some good results. And I'm not talking about some of the SEO Snake Oil Salesmen that you might have encountered before - I mean real, honest answers that should get you some traffic! More soon...
Another good article over at 1000 Watt Consulting about real estate branding. I had been struggling with this myself because I thought much of our site came across as 'sales-y' too. Then I saw this ad from Domino's where they take on Papa Johns and puffery. Bottom line: no more puffery from ListingWare! Just telling it like it is.
The one thing you should get from this post: we are phasing out support for browsers that don't support cookies in favor of allowing search engines full access to roam and index your websites or listings search engines.
I'll explain below, but if you feel your eyes glazing over already, then just know your service will be better for it!
OK, so...many years ago when we started, a lot of Internet users were paranoid and browser security wasn't great, so they turned their cookies off in their browsers. At the same time, search engines like Google, Yahoo, and Bing weren't as sophisticated and as essential as they are today. And many MLSs prohibited us from letting search engines have access to listing content for fear of it being "scraped" off of our system and taken elsewhere. We made the decision way back then to have ALL of the links in our system use a technique that would allow non-cookie browsers to fully use our system. All's well in the world, huh?
Fast forward to today: browser security is better, cookies are taken for granted, and search engines are key. And now NAR has opened the floodgates by saying it suggests allowing search engines to index listing content. GRRR...Here we sat with THOUSANDS of links, forms, etc. with either CFID/CFToken or JSessionID embedded in them (at least, as far as search engine bots and spiders could see).
The only thing I could do was go through our entire application and remove the code that would embed the session tracking tokens. MY eyes are glazed over - it was quite a task! But I can already see that the bots, spiders, and crawlers are enjoying themselves immensely as they troll about!
I'm going to continue to research and experiment with ways that we might be able to support non-cookie browsing. However, it's definitely becoming less relevant all the time. Most of you probably wouldn't notice any of this if I weren't pointing it out now, so don't worry about whether your clients will have any trouble over this.