There is no better way to establish your credentials than through the voice of your clients. Combine this approach with search engine optimization, and it's called reputation management, or defensive SEO.

So, are you letting your clients speak for you? Most agents don't collect enough testimonials, and they certainly don't repurpose them effectively. To succeed in real estate, you should be making full use of your happy real estate client's testimonials, and I'll share some tips on how to do that.

• Collect testimonials religiously. Even if you had a rough transaction, you can still foster good will and get a good testimonial by showing a strong effort to keep the wheels on the bus.
• Don't be afraid to ask several times if you sense that the client is happy to do it but is forgetful. Remember, it doesn't mean as much to them as it does to you, and they may not understand the importance of it to your livelihood.
• Ask permission from those who have provided you with testimonials to use their name in your online marketing materials.
• Post your testimonials prominently on your website. Personal stories are much better sales copy than marketing language.
• Create new websites and web pages to host and disseminate your testimonials. You should be syndicating testimonials using HubPages, Wordpress.com, Squidoo, Blogger, etc. Don't be shy about creating a site you only intend to update once or twice a year.
• Optimize various websites and pages for keywords like "Your Name REALTOR Reviews," "Your Name Reviews," or even "Your Name," and post your testimonials there. Often, Google is starting to "suggest" review search terms as soon as someone starts typing in the name of a real estate agent, so think about that and be proactive.
• Build backlinks to those new pages so they rank highly on Google for those terms. That means linking to those pages from other blogs, sites, and pages you control, or asking other webmasters to do so.

Need any help putting this plan into action and getting your testimonials "out there" on the web working hard for you? Let me know, and I can help.

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