SEO for Property Managers a 15 Part Series

At PMW we receive daily questions about SEO and how to get websites ranked for organic search. This series shows exactly what our most successful companies do to achieve their rankings.

Successful SEO for a property management company can be the number one source of new growth for the company. A dominant company will receive as many as 100 new property management leads per month in big cities. Depending on the reputation of the company and the lead handling process, as high as 80% of those can be converted into new property management accounts. Only a few property management companies can appear in the SERPS, (Search Engine Results Page) and those that do will get the vast majority of the new business in a particular market.

Business growth at a fantastic ROI is the most obvious of the benefits of dominating search in a market, but there are several others. Companies with top search results receive consistent and free branding in searches for property management. Dominant companies also own a valuable asset (Their property management website) that will continue to add new accounts as long the company maintains the search results. The website will be an additional source of cash in the event of a sale of the property management company. Typically a property management company will sell its accounts for about 1 year of revenue. A dominant web asset can fetch a sales price of 5-10 times revenue or more depending on the buyer. Companies with top rankings can refer unwanted business to other property managers and receive referral fees. Last but not least, those with top rankings are seen as industry experts by their peers, and those seeking property management consulting and advice will contact companies atop the search results.

Deriving leads and traffic from organic search results might be free, but the effort to get those rankings can vary wildly depending on the market. In some non-competitive markets search engine rankings are easy to obtain. In other markets only the largest, best run companies will be able to compete for rankings. This series will address a generic strategy to compete for organic search rankings in every city, and will follow a logical progression for those in more competitive markets.

David Borden

Co-Founder

With a resume that includes West Point graduate, Captain of the West Point Team Handball team (which, interestingly, is also referred to as “Borden Ball” around the world. Google it. We’re not sure which name came first, but we’re pretty sure Dave could tell you), US Army Chinook helicopter pilot and Co-founder, President & CEO of what is now the leading website in the country for advertising long term residential rentals, it stands to reason why Dave has a place at the PMW kitchen table...

With a resume that includes West Point graduate, Captain of the West Point Team Handball team (which, interestingly, is also referred to as “Borden Ball” around the world. Google it. We’re not sure which name came first, but we’re pretty sure Dave could tell you), US Army Chinook helicopter pilot and Co-founder, President & CEO of what is now the leading website in the country for advertising long term residential rentals, it stands to reason why Dave has a place at the PMW kitchen table: his appetite for success. And, well, because he keeps us laughing. As our resident funny-man (possibly self-proclaimed), his booming voice can be heard spreading the PMW gospel to anyone who’ll listen. And, frankly, even those who have no interest in property management. (Don’t they teach “Inside Voice” at America’s oldest military academy?) But his high-decibel, funny ways become awfully serious when it comes to staying one step ahead for the good of our customers; because Dave has been there. As a second-generation property manager from Colorado Springs, CO, he knows the struggles that property managers go through and painstakingly dissects every step of their process to come up with ways to ease their burden. As former CEO & President of RentClicks (which went on to become Rentals.com), he strategically positioned their business to become NARPM’s first official partner and was awarded NARPM’s National Affiliate of the Year three times. When he’s not devouring industry information at our kitchen table, you might find him bellying up to a plate of wings while watching his beloved (understatement) Broncos, flipping channels in search of a historical documentary, searching out a tennis match or preaching the ways of the world to his pre-teen sons, Andrew and Brady.