Second Self Virtual Assistance

You’ve heard this phrase in relation to real estate for years and now it seems to apply to Google juice, too: location, location, location.  What do I mean by that?  With the use of smart phones to search the internet on the rise, Google has found that approximately 1/3 of Google searches on mobile devices contain a location in some form or another.  This indicates that mobile web users are very interested in looking up location-specific information.

Two of the most popular mobile location-sharing services are Foursquare and Gowalla.  Via a simple, free app on your smartphone, these services allow people to “check-in” to local businesses to let their friends know where they are at any given time.  It has also become a valuable tool for businesses to keep up with their clientele and possibly bring more people into their establishment through a quick blast.

You better believe that Twitter and Facebook are taking notice of geography and the social media.  Twitter has already implemented a trending feature that shows what is popular on Twitter for certain locations.  They are continually working on expanding the cities they include in their Trending section.  Facebook is expected to be including location features soon as well to join in on the location trend.  Since Twitter and Facebook are already being considered in Google’s real-time searches, using your location in your tweets and status updates can be very beneficial in terms of Google juice.

How can you use location in your business?

1. Concentrate on keywords specific to the areas you serve.

2. Tailor your blog posts to be “hyperlocal”.  You are more likely to get a lead from a few people searching a specific neighborhood or your favorite local restaurant than from thousands of people searching a generic term.

3. Use the location of your business in your social media posts whenever appropriate.

4. Make sure to register and verify your business on Google’s Local Business Center.

The same real estate mantra that has been passed around for decades remains pertinent with Google juice: location, location, location.  Don’t forget to keep location in mind when promoting yourself and your business on your website, blogs and social media. 

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

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How important is social media to your business?  According to market research, people who are fans of a particular product on Facebook are 60% more likely to recommend that product than those who don’t.  Followers of a brand name or product on Twitter are 79% more likely to do so.  Great word of mouth advertising, don’t you think?  At such a low cost in comparison with other forms of advertisement, social media is a wonderful way to keep in touch with your audience.

Nowadays, most consumers expect that a company has some form of online profile, whether it be Facebook, Twitter or something else.  Facebook and Twitter are, by far, the largest social media outlets online at

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the moment.  In fact, many people polled by the market researcher believed that by not having an online presence in the social media arena, a company was basically telling them that they don’t believe in the power of social media and, by default, don’t really need the business of the demographic that frequents these social media outlets.  It also projects a much older image for a company who doesn’t seem to want to bother with the newest ways to communicate with their audience.  That can be a turn-off for potential customers.

So, what are you doing in terms of social media for your business?  Do you see the importance of social media in not only how your company is exposed to potential clients but also to how it is perceived by them?  Please, let me know.  I’d love to hear your stories and ideas.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Is your business mobile ready?  What do I mean?  With technology getting better, faster and stronger and smart phone use on the rise, you don’t want to be left behind when it comes to your business strategy and mobile technology.  Since more and more people are using their smart phones to access emails, the internet and reach out on their social media sites, you would do well to keep mobile technology in mind for your real estate website and blog.

Google is by far the most utilized search engine for computer users.  However, smart phones offer more than just Google, Bing and Yahoo as search options.  So many apps are available nowadays for people to access their social media, favorite sites or even different search engines.  Several smart phones offer voice activated searching.  Many of the cell carriers and manufacturers are even making deals to incorporate a single button to access a specific search engine, providing easy and faster access to a particular network.  This changes the dynamic of not only how smart phone users access the internet but also which search engine they use.  For example, if one particular brand of smart phone becomes extremely popular and incorporates an easy-to-use, handy-dandy button to access the internet, we will see a significant increase in use of the search engine specifically used with that phone.

How does this affect your site?

1. Don’t concentrate only on one search engine when doing your SEO.
2. Keep your website or blog simple, with very few images.  Or, if you would like, you could create a website or blog that is specifically set up for the mobile phone with text only and provide a link to this on your website or blog.  Photos take longer to load.  So, limiting them on your site or blog will keep the reader interested and not frustrate them, causing them to move on to another site.
3. Make sure your RSS feeds are submitted to the appropriate directories.  “Really Simple Syndication” is just that – Really Simple.  They are also easy to read with mobile devices.

Is your business “mobile ready”?  Now’s the time to re-evaluate your website and your blog to get ready for the next wave of technology.  You don’t want to be left behind!

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant - Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!

Facebook pages are providing even more Google juice for their owners.  Google announced recently that the status updates on all public Facebook pages will be indexed in their real-time search.  What does this mean for Facebook users?  It means that the largest social network on the internet (Facebook) will have the opportunity to enjoy first page placement from their status updates.  Things to be indexed from Facebook pages include links, photos and videos as well as anything else included in a status update.  While Facebook isn’t the driving force behind Google’s search results, it is sure to head to the top of the class since it outpaces other social networks that Google currently indexes (including Twitter and MySpace) in users.

Since Google is now taking notice of Facebook pages, it is more important than ever before to set up a business page to promote yourself and your brand.  For more information about Facebook pages, please visit the Facebook Pages help page.  If you need help setting up a Facebook page, please contact me and I’ll be happy to lend a hand.  It’s great news that Facebook pages provide even more Google juice than ever before.  Make sure you get yours taken care of today.

Pamela Cendejas, Real Estate Virtual Assistant – Second Self Virtual Assistance: When There Isn’t Enough of You to Go Around!