This post was originally written by Kerry Sugrue, former Social Media Specialist at Apartments.com.
Two weeks ago we discussed Google’s algorithm change and how it could potentially affect your website’s traffic. After having some time to review their web analytics and traffic reports, Larry Cotter, VP of Apartments.com and General Manager of Apartment Home Living (AHL), saw positive effects from the change! I had the opportunity to chat with Larry about the jump in traffic AHL is seeing and asked if he would share his findings as a blog post.
Apartment Home Living, part of the Apartments.com family of websites, has reaped the benefits of Google’s algorithm change. The modification was made to promote original content that resonates with real life people, not just computers, which is why AHL fared so well.
When this change, which is referred to as the ‘Panda’ update, was announced, it gave some Internet Listing Sites (ILSs) a reason to worry. It increased the value placed on brands that create an experience for shoppers, with memorable content. It also benefitted ILSs that have direct relationships with communities that are creating original content for each listing. Our brand inherently provides this type of experience, with aspects to our site like the nationwide no-bears pet policy, AHL radio, our constantly updated homepage and our quality customer base. These features on our site were never intended to be traffic drivers; they are there to provide users with an enjoyable apartment shopping experience, which, in this case, is exactly why Google loves us.
Now to the numbers. Since the February 24th update our median SERP (Search Engine Results Page) placement has improved by 26% and our organic traffic increased by 21%. We have seen increases across the board, including mobile, where our median placement improved by 33% and our traffic is up 40%. We also have over 16,000 videos on YouTube where we saw an 11% increase in traffic.
We understand shopping for an apartment can often be a time-consuming and stressful process for renters, which is why AHL delivers a streamlined search experience within a live-for-fun environment. Having the best results, presented in the most desirable way, is not only appealing to Google, but to the millions of apartment hunters who visit ApartmentHomeLiving.com.
Live for Google, Live for Fun.
