IDX Links: Use Them, or Die
In reality, ignoring the “links” feature of your dsSearchAgent IDX may not be detrimental to your health, but IDX links can truly play an important role in providing your site visitors easy access to listings of interest. Here are some ideas of how you can start using links on your site to great effect…
Target visitors based on their price-range.
Filtering by price ranges can help separate out types of home seekers who visit your site. Try adding links to homes in medium price ranges on pages such as a “First Time Buyers” page or a “Bad-credit” section. You may also want to make links with higher price ranges in sections of your site intended for high-end buyers.
Show your specialties with links for single cities or neighborhood.
Depending on your market area, there can be thousands, and possibly hundreds of thousands, of listings for users to search through. Creating links for specific cities or neighborhood will not only help users jump straight to areas they may be interested in, but it can also help promote those areas you most specialize in. In addition, adding IDX links for a city or neighborhood to a page which talks about that area can reinforce your commitment to servicing a given area or neighborhood.
Utilize the “Features” and “Property Types” checkboxes to further limit results.
Your links can also limit based on features such as “Ocean View”, “Pool”, or other details like “Rental” listings (based on what your MLS offers). Adding links to your site for “Ocean View Listings” or other specific listing types gives visitors immediate access to the specific homes they are looking for without any extra searching.
Help orient visitors with types of homes in the area.
For people relocating to, or otherwise unfamiliar with, your MLS area, these links can be most helpful. Similar to a city or neighborhood link, try creating links for:
– “Coastal cites” …that limits to beach cities
– “New development” …that limits to cities or subdivisions new and coming
– “Downtown” …that shows homes within the main area of your city(ies)
Create links that combine a combination of the above search criteria.
Links that show properties as specific as “Coastal homes from 500-700k” or “Los Angeles Condominiums” or other criteria combinations can help you target specific home-seekers quickly.
In summary, your dsSearchAgent IDX search program affords you many powerful tools and features you can use to “wow” your site visitors and convert them to clients; and “Links” can be one of the most beneficial to giving your site substance. Links allow people access to your IDX outside of just a single “Search MLS” button, and therefore promotes visitors to your IDX and overall lead capture. Ultimately, that can be of great benefit to your health.