THE LAFAYETTE REPORT: GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES - GOOGLE BASE FOR MANAGING YOUR LISTINGS ON GOOGLE MAPS

GOOGLE TOOLS FOR REALTORS SERIES

In this Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will cover, review and provide how-to tips and strategies for Google's suite of productivity tools including such tools as:

• Google Calendar
• Google Alerts
• Google Wave
• Google Base
• Google Documents
  
• Google Maps
  
• Google Earth
  
• Google Local Business Center
  
• Google Adwords / G-Mail Ads
  
• Google Blogger
  
• FeedBurner
  
• Google Analytics
  
• Google Groups
  
• Google Sites
  
• G-Mail
  
• Picassa
  
• YouTube
  
• Google Talk
  
• Google Voice
  
• Google Search
  
• Google Toolbar
  

GOOGLE BASE

In the third installment of the Google Tools for Realtors Series, we will take a look at how Realtors can effectively use Google Base in their real estate practice including such topics as:

• What is Google Base
• Google Base Offers Competitive Advantages
• Why Use Google Base
• How to Feed Your Listings to Google Base
• How to Create Your Google Base Listing Feed
• How to Manage Your Google Base Listing Feed
• Conflicting Feeds
• How Google Base Displays Your Listings
• Google Base Strategies

WHAT IS GOOGLE BASE

Google Base is an easy way to upload your online and offline content to the Internet.  For Realtors, the importance of Google Base is to get your listings displayed on Google Maps with the most current information and to drive traffic to your website or blog. Google Base can be searched directly.  More importantly, listings entered into or fed to Google Base are more easily found in Google Maps and Google search results. 

GOOGLE BASE OFFERS COMPETITIVE ADVANTAGES

Here is an example of the power of Google Base.  Using the local MLS, a search of Lafayette Square shows 31 condominiums listed for sale.  However, when you search Google Maps using the same search parameters, there are only 4 highlighted map pins.  Google Base gives you a competitive advantage to agents who take the time to directly feed their listings into Google Base. 

Here is the map from the MLS Search and from the Goolge Maps Search:

MLS Search - 31 Listings for Condos for Sale

Google Maps - 4 Listings for Condos for Sale

WHY USE GOOGLE BASE

Google Base offer the following benefits:

• EXPOSURE:  As shown above, Google Base provide increased exposure to your listings on Google and Google Maps.
• CONTROL OF LISTING DATA:  By uploading directly to Google Base, you control your listing content and data.  It will preempt duplicate feeds from other services.
• DIRECT CONSUMERS TO YOUR WEBSITE OR BLOG:  Although there are several other services that feed or allegedly feed to Google Base (e.g. Trulia, Hotpads, Point2Agent, Postlets, Real Estate Book, etc.), these feeds often direct consumers to sites that include other competing listings.  With Google Base, you can direct consumers to your website or to your blog, not to third party sources of the feed.
• DATA ACCURACY:  By uploading directly to Google Base, you control the accuracy of the data.  That is, price changes, open houses, etc. appear in hours as opposed to days or weeks.
• MLS RESTRICTIONS:  Some multiple listing services feed listing to Google Base.  However, the feeds are limited by the MLS regulations.  For example, some multiple listing services prohibit self-promotion in the marketing comments or place restrictions on photographs or on branding of video and virtual tours.  By uploading directly to Google Base, you can better brand your listing and can avoid MLS restrictions on content.

HOW TO FEED YOUR LISTINGS TO GOOGLE BASE

You can submit listings to Google Base in three ways:

• Upload via File Transfer Protocol
• Upload via Third Party Service (e.g. Postlets, Point2Agent, Hotpads, etc.) using the Google Base API
  
• Directly Upload to Google Base

As discuss above, this post only addresses how to upload your listings directly to Google Base.

HOW TO CREATE YOUR GOOGLE BASE LISTING FEED

Step 1 - Create a Microsoft Excel file.

Step 2 - Create spreadsheet headers across the top of the spreadsheet matching the attributes used by Google Base:

• title
• agent
  
• area
  
• bathrooms
  
• bedrooms
  
• broker
  
• description
  
• expiration_date
  
• feature
  
• hoa_dues
  
• id
  
• image_link
• link
  
• listing_status
  
• listing_type
  
• location
  
• lot_size
  
• mls_listing_id
  
• mls_name
  
• open_house_date_range
  
• price
  
• price_type
  
• property_type
  
• provider_class
  
• publish_date
  
• school
  
• school_district
  
• year
  
• zoning

You can also create custom fields for other information like:

• links to video
• blog site
• brochure download

Step 3 - Under each header, fill in your information.  Note:  Where a URL is specified, you have to use the actual URL as opposed to a hyperlink.  If there is missing information or information in an incorrect format, you will receive a Google Base summarizing all required changes.

Step 4 - Save the file as a tab delimited text file (.txt).

Step 5 - Register your data feed.  Go to http://base.google.com/base/bulkuploads.  Click on New Data Feed.  Select the target country (United States) and type of feed (Housing) and type in the name of the file created above (PREAHousingFeed.txt).  Click on Save Changes.

Step 6 - Go to your Google Base Dashboard.  Locate the feed you just registered and click on Manual Upload.  Click on Browse to locate the file.  Click on Upload and Process this File.

Step 7 - Google Base will process your listing feed.  Depending on the size of the file, it will take between 30 minutes and 2 hours.  If there are errors in the file content, you will receive an errors or exception report via e-mail.  Simply, correct the errors and reload the file using the steps above.

Step 8 - Go to Google Maps.  Search for your listings.  Click on your files to verify that the information is correct.

Step 9 - Repeat by uploading new file every 14 days (preferred is to upload daily).

HOW TO MANAGE YOUR GOOGLE BASE LISTING FEED

From the Google Base Dashboard, you can see each of the feeds submitted to Google Base.

You can also click on Active Items to see each item by title included in the feed.  You can also see the expiration date for each item and can track the # of impressions and clicks.

By clicking on the item, you can also see the individual item as displayed on Google Base.

CONFLICTING FEEDS

The first step for eliminating conflicting feeds is to control where you send your information.  For example, the MLS often allows you to opt-out of their feed (not advisable).  However, even if there are more than one feed sent to Google Base, Google Base manages the conflicts process.  When it receives the same listing from two or more sources, it automatically groups the separate listings into a single search result and then orders the search result by recency (ie. latest update has higher priority) and completeness (ie. update with the most data gets priority).

HOW GOOGLE BASE DISPLAYS YOUR LISTINGS

By creating a listing base feed, you expose your listings to consumers in four primary ways:

• Google Search Results
• Google Base Search Results
• Google Map Results
• Third Party Sites (e.g. RealBird.com)

However, it is important when creating your Google Base listing feed that you remember what will be seen on sites like Google Maps.  Often, it is only the lead image and the first part of your marketing comments so plan out your comments and photos with this in mind.

GOOGLE BASE STRATEGIES

Google Base gets you on Google Maps.  Now, the key is to then drive consumers to your website or blog.  One strategy is to use the link in Google Base to direct people to a blog post on your ActiveRain blog.  In the blog post, you can integrate such information as:

• General Listing Information
• Embedded Photo Slideshow
• Embedded Video
• Mortgage Information (including monthly payment information)
• Tax/HOA Fee Information
• Insurance/Utility/Service Information
• Downloadable Brochures and Other Forms
• Request for Showing Button
• Lead Capture Forms 
• Google Call Me Button
• Links to Your Other Listings in Area
• Links to Your Market Reports
• Links to Your Local Neighborhood Reports
• Embeddable Real Estate Search Engine

INTERESTED IN LEARNING MORE ABOUT HOW TO USE GOOGLE TOOLS IN THE MARKETING AND SALE OF REAL ESTATE? Contact Ryan Shaughnessy at 314-971-4381 or send an e-mail to Ryan@PREASignatureRealty.com.