Local SEO for real estate agencies: how to rank first on Google

"Real estate agent Nice", "luxury estate agency Cannes", "villa for sale Mougins". When a seller or buyer types these words into Google, does your agency appear?

If the answer is no, you're leaving mandates to the competition. Here's how to fix that.

Why local SEO is crucial in real estate

Real estate is inherently a local business. Nobody searches "real estate agent France" — they search "real estate agent + city" or "flat for sale + neighbourhood".

46% of Google searches have local intent. In real estate, that number climbs above 70%. If you're not visible locally, you don't exist.

Step 1: Google Business Profile

This is the foundation. Your Google Business listing is what appears in the "local pack" (the 3 results with the map at the top of Google).

Essential actions:

• Create or claim your listing
• Complete 100% of the information (address, phone, hours, website)
• Choose the right categories: "Real estate agent", "Estate agency"
• Add photos of your agency, yourself, your sold properties
• Publish Google Posts weekly (new listings, tips, news)

Step 2: Client reviews

Google reviews are the #1 factor in local ranking. The more positive recent reviews you have, the higher Google places you.

How to get reviews:

• Send a direct link after every successful sale
• Ask at the key handover moment (positive emotion = good review)
• Make it easy: send the link by text, not email
• Respond to ALL reviews, positive and negative

Target: 50+ reviews with a 4.5+ average rating

Step 3: An optimised website

Your site needs to speak Google's language — meaning the keywords your clients actually type.

Essential pages:

• Homepage optimised for "[your service] + [city]"
• A page for each geographic area you cover
• A blog with local articles (see below)
• Property pages with rich descriptions (not just photos)

Technical optimisations:

• Unique title tags and meta descriptions per page
• Clean, readable URLs
• Fast site (< 3 seconds load time)
• Mobile-friendly (60%+ of traffic is mobile)

Step 4: The local blog

This is the most powerful and most underused lever. A blog with locally targeted articles positions you for dozens of queries.

Article examples that rank:

• "Property prices in Nice 2026: neighbourhood by neighbourhood"
• "Living in Antibes: complete guide"
• "The 10 most beautiful villas sold in Cannes in 2025"
• "Buying on the French Riviera from abroad: a practical guide"

Each article is a gateway on Google. 3 articles per week for 6 months = 75 indexed pages. That's a massive competitive advantage.

Step 5: Local citations

"Citations" are mentions of your agency on other sites: directories, portals, local sites.

Important: Consistent NAP everywhere (Name, Address, Phone). If your address differs across sites, Google loses confidence.

Step 6: Localised content on your sales pages

Every property page is an SEO opportunity. Instead of a simple features list, include:

• The neighbourhood name and its advantages
• Proximity to schools, shops, transport
• Neighbourhood or property history
• Local market data

That's exactly what OHOS enables: each dedicated sales page is an indexable web page with rich, localised content that works for your SEO.

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Want every property working for your SEO? Join OHOS and create sales pages that rank on Google.