0% Click through rank for great keywords

[webmaster]

Here are some quick stats for you:
Conversion Rate: (Unique visitors to leads) 5.5% - (We aim for 5% so I am happy with this)

Average pageviews per visitor: 5.25
Bounce Rate - ~40%

Example phrases ranked top 20 in Google (As per Google webmaster tools top search queries meaning out of all rankings these created the most impressions)

minneapolis real estate (First page of Google)
real estate minneapolis (Second page of Google)
minneapolis homes for sale (Second page of Google)
minneapolis st paul real estate (First page of Google)
minneapolis realtor (First page of Google)
realtor minneapolis (First page of Google)
minneapolis home search (First page of Google)

Decent website performance stats, Good terms good rankings right?

So what's the problem.

Problem #1 - Google Webmasters tools reports that out of all of those terms listed above (Very relevant, targeted etc) not a single one of them got clicked on. (Lots of searches not a single click) That makes absolutely no sense to me - but hey webmaster tools could be broken right?

Problem #2 - Google analytics confirms that actual unique visitors sucks! Reports a total of 600 unique visitors for the month. In this market with those rankings those numbers are WAY off base in my estimation and professional opinion (And I have worked this market for others so it's not like I am not familiar with the available traffic volume, I have websites on page 6 in smaller markets with better traffic than that) - Point being, the site (Again opinion) should be pulling an easy 100 uniques a day, not averaging 20.

Problem #3 - This customer kicks butt (Is a great guy) and deserves a better explanation than "You have rankings, and those that click on your site are converting at a decent percentage, but for some reason noone clicks on your link in the SERPS" -

Would you buy that from a supposed SEO expert? I certainly wouldn't! But the fact remains - Google webmasters tools, anayltics and lead tracking all confirm that virtually noone

Has anyone ever seen this before? Where your top search terms (With great keywords) in Google webmasters accounted for ZERO clicks in the top clicked queries?

I am vexed, and need to know that I am not crazy. Could it be the title that shows up in the SERPS that turns them off? I really don't think so - the Title is

"Minneapolis Real Estate & St Paul Minnesota Homes, Condos, Lofts, Townhomes, For sale" << I don't see big fat (DONT CLICK THIS LINK ITS SPYWARE) or something, like that.

How about the meta description?

"Minneapolis & Saint Paul Real Estate Information, Community Profiles, & Real Estate Listings Call 952-829-1562 for immediate assistance from a Realtor" << Nothing offensive here, you would think at least ONE person would click it, no? (rhetorical question Farly)

There is only one thing left that shows up in the serps and that is the domain name, in this case it is his name "http://www.jerryclifford.com" << This doesn't say hitler what is the problem? I mean I have tons of customers that use their name as their domain - Jake Marsh, Ed Kirkland etc - noone seems to mind clicking a SERP for them.

I am pulling these stats directly from Google webmaster tools and analytics so that me searching from Canada does not play into the equation - Does anyone see anything here that I don't?

[MikeNY]

In the order of the keywords you listed this is the placement I see when I search from my computer:

3
3
3
1
1
2
1

I'm not expert but would changing the title help? What about trying Minneapolis MN Real Estate as well or in place of Minneapolis Real Estate? I also see there are so many sites fighting for Minneapolis Real Estate

I think I would also remove his phone # in the description to make room for better words/phrases. If I was searching and saw his site plus the #1 site right now next to each other, by the description the other guy has I would go with his site.

Lasty - If I was searching, I would never make it to page 3 so I think it is more important for him to be page one then what it says in his title, keywords etc. I am shocked you have agents on page 6 doing well, God bless em if that is the case!

[JoeFrow]

I looked at a couple keywords and for me they were not as high as your post indicated. For me minneapolis real estate was on page 3 (#21) and real estate minneapolis was on page 3 (#28).

This aside the biggest thing I see is the description in the SERP's of the website.

Minneapolis & Saint Paul Real Estate Information, Community Profiles, & Real Estate Listings Call 952-829-1562 for immediate assistance from a Realtor.

It is not bad but the "Call to action" in it is literally telling them to call someone. They are online which means they are trying to avoid it. They will pass this site by because it does not give the impression they can get easy access to what they want on line.

If you can drop the "Call....Realtor" part and replace it with a tag that tells them that the above information is only a click away on this site it may yield better results.

This is only my opinion as every market is different, but in my area when you tell people up front that you want them to call or that this is a Realtor website they keep on trucking.

[RonnieG]

I agree that the description is not the best place for a strong call to action, and it looks "pushy" to me. If you look at Jake Marsh's, it says:

"Guide to Denver Real Estate: Find Denver Homes and Condos for sale. Denver MLS search, map search, featured listings, community info and more ..."

and mine, a bit simpler:

"Denver home search by city, subdivision or interactive map. Personalized Denver real estate services for home buyers, sellers and investors."

In both cases, and in many other examples I looked at, I think the key is offering the consumer a way to address their home search needs, in a relatively non-threatening way, and without the in your face: "I'm a real estate agent and you need to call me" approach.

However, Google also sometimes modifies what it presents in the Description text in its search results, to focus on the particular keyword matches, in the description and/or in the page text, closest to the user's search terms.

[RonnieG]

1) Webmaster Tools stats seem to be typically 2-3 weeks behind. So in comparing stats between Webmaster Tools and Analytics for any monthly period, I would also want to select and use Analytics stats from 2-6 weeks back.

2) When I look at average page views by keyword/visitor in Analytics, the keywords that typically get the greatest average number of page views per visitor, and that probably also represent the greatest number of registered leads by keyword, do not correspond to any of the top 20 searched keywords, or any of the top 10 clicked keywords, as reported by Webmaster Tools. They are generally visitors from the "long tail" keyword phrases, perhaps because those visitors see greater value in the landing page they end up on, as it relates to their specific search terms.

3) When I look at the top 20 keywords in Analytics that send visitors to my site, only two of them are also in the top 20 search terms as reported in Webmaster Tools, and they represent only 14 clicks, or ~1.3% of all new visitors. Therefore, I really do not rely on or even care about what Webmaster Tools tells me. I really only care about what Analytics reports.

This doesn't explain why being in the top results for those primary market related keywords doesn't result in any click-throughs at all. However, at least in my mind, these stats are why I don't particularly care whether or not I get click-throughs for "Denver" related keywords. I prefer to place well for, and get clicks from, seldom used and neighborhood specific long tail keyword phrases, especially for the neighborhoods in my primary market areas in south Denver.

My last 30 days Analytics stats, all organic, no PPC, no significant SEO work or link building done, except for careful layout / composition of my own original page content, titles, descriptions, etc., and representing a period of about 60-90 days after implementation of REW IDX:
Total Visitors: ~1400 (~46/day and improving weekly), ~40 bounce rate. Average 11.66 pages/visit
New visitors: 1064 (~35/day, also improving weekly), Absolute Unique Visitors: 1124 (~37/day)
Conversion Rate (I prefer to use New Visitors to Leads): 1.9% - Unacceptable, and 2 areas have been identified to work on.

[jamesww]

I feel that the ad copy is trying to be everything to everyone and this never works well. Also he does not list any benefits only features. In any direct marketing or sales for that matter you need to offer benefits, benefits. Plus most people that are going online and clicking on PPC ads are usually early in the home buying process. Therefore, mentioning that he is a realtor and that it is a realtors website throws up red flags for consumers that are trying to dodge talking to a sales person. And finally if the URL does not match the key words in some manner it really reduces CTR.

[Jaysonnhs]

Remove

Call 952-829-1562 for immediate assistance

Replace with a soft call to action

"You can quick Search new homes and real estate"

[langard]

Couple of things you might consider:

1. Google just encouraged everybody on the planet to consolidate their Google accounts into one -- for everything including AdSense, Analytics, dah, dah -- which I did for a few domains out there.

Next time I accessed Urchin (Analytics) for one domain, it had been flat-lined at zero for about ten days. Traffic was there (which we always measure by other methods anyway), but the stats were gone. WebTools is just a step-child of the same phenomenon.

In short, their consolidation has taken it's toll in web-stats.

2. If you want a wierd one, I had Hell promoting a business located in "Angel Camp" California a few years ago because, as it turned out, the word "Angel" appears in so many times in the billions of web pages out there that it is almost like an old STOP word for the engines.

It actually did far better when I left Angel-anything out completely, even though that's the name of the town itself.

Not to be pious, but try it without St. Paul and see what happens. If you do, tell me if things improve just for kicks.

[Malok]

"Minneapolis & Saint Paul Real Estate Information, Community Profiles, & Real Estate Listings Call 952-829-1562 for immediate assistance from a Realtor"

For me, if I was a customer quickly scanning the search results, the 2 words that would stand out for me would be "information" and "profiles".

I'd swap it up & put in something about a Home Search, or some such VERY early in the description - because at a glance, it looks like some sort of Tourist Bureau.

If I actually made it as far as seeing the phone number - I'd be like, "Wow - this person is pushy as hell, time to move on".


My 2 cents.

[thataway61]

I agree with Malok,

If I actually made it as far as seeing the phone number - I'd be like, "Wow - this person is pushy as hell, time to move on".

Surfers might feel a bit reluctant to click - they are just looking at this point - instead of trying to get them instantly, try making them feel they are going to not be descended upon or that they have to call a number (they don't want to). The call to action should be softer over time through the drip campaign IMHO.

Surfers aren't really ready to engage just because they typed in a search term.