There are 3 steps to the internet lead becoming an 'engaged client'* - Generate traffic to website. Capture lead with compelling offer/service. Incubate lead until personal contact is made. You do the rest.

No traffic, no lead, no deal.

Content is so important when it comes to driving traffic to your site. Beyond terms such as 'real estate,' 'sacramento,' 'homes for sale,' 'realtor,' 'mls' etc that you feel will be your ticket to being found in the search engines, it can be the unexpected that will bring your next lead.

There's only room for 10 sites in the top 10 for any given search. If you aren't in the top 10 for something as exciting as 'Sacramento real estate,' I've got bad news for you: it ain't happening.** But there's some great news. Filling your site full of unique (written by you) content on a regular basis will broaden your exposure with every word you type. Sure the traffic won't be as specific as someone doing a search for 'sacramento real estate,' but the more traffic you drive to your site, the better your odds are at generating leads.

So, taking time to publish your expertise, experiences and updates will make your site more popular. I guarantee it. Say for example you take the time to tell the story of how you helped your new client overcome major hurdles to finally purchase their first home. On top of it, they have sent you a nice testimonial expressing their gratitude. This real life story needs to be on your site immediately. Mentioning the neighborhood they moved to, the hurdles you helped them overcome, their words of appreciation etc, all not only make for a good read, but also will be forever a source of content giving you exposure to others looking for real estate in said neighborhood or looking to overcome said hurdle.

*engaged client - Term I often use to describe an internet lead that has graduated to the point of someone you are in personal contact with, be it on the phone, back and forth emails or in person.

**it ain't happening - Actually, it has happened for one of Sacramento's first consistent real estate bloggers: John Lockwood. John has established himself as a 'top of the search engines result' for many popular real estate terms in the greater Sacrament area. It's no coincindence that he is an avid blogger about his industry.