Naples Florida Real Estate: I Know You're There...I Can Hear You Breathing!

I Know You're There...I Can Hear You Breathing!

Remember that movie "Sixteen Candles"?  Samantha's grandfather answered her phone late one

night...when the caller didn't say anything he said, "I know you're there...I can hear you breathing".  That's the feeling I get sometimes when I see specific hits on my website. 

Due to the fabulous technology brought to me by Google Analytics, it is now possible to review not only the terms people use to find my website but it also tell me how many pages they looked at...what town they are in, what pages they reviewed etc.  The only thing it doesn't tell me is "who" they are....which at times can be so intriguing...which leads me to my joke of the day....How do you keep a geek like me in suspense...just let me look at my web statistics...AGHHHHHH!!!

Now some of you might be thinking...oh come on Shannon, it can't be that suspenseful, you need to get a life!  Oh not so quick my skeptical friend. Here are some examples as to what keeps me questioning who's lurking behind that computer screen!

Who are my London friends?  I don't personally know anyone who lives in London (I don't think) but for months people from that area searches my website, http://www.shannonlefevre.com/ using these keywords:

  • Shannon Lefevre real estate
  • Shannon.com
  • http://www.shannon.com/
  • Shannon Lefevre
  • Shannon Le Fevre
  • Shannon Lefevre's fabulous listings

If these were normal Naples, Florida search terms...I probably wouldn't notice but I can't help but wonder who they are since it's apparent they know me...but I don't know them....BOOO!

I do think it's interesting when I see several page views from one location.I wonder...are you really that bored....are you that interested in Naples or are you another Realtor getting website ideas??? Who knows...sigh...!

Just yesterday somebody from Littleton, Colorado searched 98 pages on my site...stared at that silly site for almost an hour yet...no phone call from anybody in Littleton.  Oh COME ON!!! Seriously...98 pages and you don't even want to pick up the phone and say hello?  Bummer!

Then there's the other stark realty about people USING me and my site to get what they want and then call "their" Realtor when it's time to get down to business.  I know...hard to believe but it is true.  I have other local Realtors call from time to time wanting to show "one of my listings" only to find out that it isn't one of mine but one that showed up through the IDX system on my site....HEY!  THAT'S MY SITE YOUR PEOPLE ARE USING!  I want half!  Just teasing!  Always a bridesmaid...actually that's not true so although this seems like a sad story it really isn't.  I still get credit for the page views and I have had a few deals go through with people who used someone else initially but didn't perform...eaak! 

Then there are the people who do call...ask questions...tell me where they're from and later magically...I spot them on the stats...TOO COOL!

Anonymity isn't all bad.  I don't think I'd want to know "everybody" who stumbles on my site.  Those who found me by searching wacky terms like:

  • Real Home Girl
  • sexy feet
  • foot fetish
  • bare breasts

A.  I don't even want to know how my site came up for any of those search terms but I do know the people searching those terms were miserably disappointed after clicking on my site.

B.  Fortunately all of those search terms were used months and months ago so I'm hoping the search engines have indexed my pages appropriately by now! :)

What is also really great about web stats  is that it allows you to have something interesting to discuss with clients and potential customers.  Over the holidays I found myself at a party standing next to another Realtor when someone asked, "hey, what's going on with the real estate market"? Perfect opportunity to shine right?  I respectfully gave the floor to the other Realtor who almost challengingly gave it back to me...(thinking quietly to myself...uhm...your loss...) I said, oh well there are some really great things going on right now...and gave a full report of what the trends were according to my web stats and then market stats and concluded with..."do you have anything to add"? to the other Realtor....uh no.  Cool! 

So what are the top search terms on my website this month so far:

In closing just like Howard said on "Sixteen Candles"...I know you're out there...I can't hear you breathing which is a good thing...but I do see you looking...which is a great thing!

 

 

 

Serving my purpose through content rich informaton about Naples, Florida real estate!

Best Regards!

Naples Real Estate

Shannon Lefevre, PA
Your Naples Smart Girl!
239-595-6223
www.ShannonLefevre.com

“The opinions expressed herein are those of the author and do not necessarily represent the views of John R. Wood Realtors.”

 

41 comments • Shannon Lefevre, PA • January 17 2008 01:08PM

Comments

maybe the person who looked at 98 pages was looking for the bare breast and left disappointed.
Posted by Mary Bowen, The Woodlands Texas Real Estate & Relocation Specialist (Coldwell Banker United, Realtor) over 4 years ago

Great post.  How creepy that some of those searches found your site?  I think I would be too obsessed with the stats if I had that.... might have to look into it.  : )

www.stagingwebsites.com

Posted by Chris Fisher (Your Virtual Assistant) over 4 years ago
MARY:  ooops...never one to enjoy disappointing...until now! :)
Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
CHRIS:  Seriously...I have had to train myself to spend less time looking at the stats...it's unproductive unless I'm doing it to tweek my site! :)
Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
I had to leave a comment so you wouldn't think I was just breathing on your blog!  Isn't it cool what the web stats can teach you?  Everytime I post about something new, I find a whole new group of folks searching for those terms.  Just keeps pushing me to add more, more, more!
Posted by Lisa Heindel, New Orleans Real Estate Broker (Crescent City Living LLC) over 4 years ago

LISA...you silly one!  I don't have it set up on my blog...heck I'd never work if I did! :)  and I too feel ya!  Everytime I see a traffic bump that thing in my head goes off...CREATE MORE PAGES...FIND BETTER CONTENT!!! :)

Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
Shannon, I'll have to take a look at Google Analytics.  It would be useful to know what search words were the most popular for my website...
Posted by Brian Schulman - Your Lancaster County, PA Real Estate Expert (Coldwell Banker Select Professionals, Lancaster PA) over 4 years ago
Ok -- You can rule me out -- I have not been on your site -- however, it sounds like a great site, so I will go check it out.  When you see a hit from New Hampshire, you will know it is me.  I also wonder about all of those who lurk!  The important thing is that people are coming to your site!
Posted by Joan Whitebook Southern New Hampshire (BHG The Masiello Group) over 4 years ago

Yes eventually it will be nice to convert those pieces of data into understanding of how to fine tune your site until it becomes more effective.

Ross Quintana - Team Quintana Real Estate

Spokane , Washington

Spokane Real Estate Experts

Posted by Spokane Washington Real Estate - Ross Quintana 509-362-1966 (Team Quintana Real Estate - Keller Williams Realty Lic#3015) over 4 years ago
Hi, Shannon - I love wathcing my stats too.  I get what you are saying!  I watch Denmark search my site month after month but they have never signed up for auto searches or called me.  Same thing with 3 folks in FL and more from other states.  I would love to know who they are, the area they are interested in, the price range, etc.  Maybe I could do a custom search and give them more info... Keep following those states and keywords searched.  It pays to know what is bringing folks to your site. 
Posted by Shelby Morris (Realty Exchange) over 4 years ago
Cyber stalking is a whole new game.  Someone is definetly keeping track of your site and hopefully it means the phone will ring.
Posted by Pat Fenn (Marketing Specialist for CJ Realty Group/Cindy Jones Broker ) over 4 years ago

BRIAN:  It is such a great tool once you get past staring at it for hours on end. 

JOAN:  Oky Doky darlin!  I don't have anybody from NH today (so far) so I'll be looking for ya and remember...no creepy search terms! :)

ROSS:  I know there are times when I could so easily say...hey I noticed you were looking at listings in Pelican Marsh..I know one that's not listed right now that is SUCH A DEAL!!!

SHELBY:  Oh you SO know what I'm talking about!  Isn't it almost like having to sneeze but not being able to?  ah ah ah ah ah ahhhhh choo!

Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
PAT:  The phone IS ringing WHOOO HOOO!  That's why I felt bad for saying always a bridesmaid...this bridesmaid is walking down the isle tomorrow and showing one of several scheduled appointments so FAR this month!  HAPPY DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN!!! :)
Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago

Sorry, Shannon, I have a thing for feet.  I'll try to refrain from Googling that term in the future ;)

ROTFLMFAO!

Posted by Paul Slaybaugh, Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (Realty Executives) over 4 years ago
PAUL:    There you go my friend! :)
Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago

The internet can be very interesting at times.

 

Posted by Richard Lecinski (Long Realty Company) over 4 years ago
Shannon-Pretty funny but with a serious message.  Me, I had a guest-book overtaken....and believe me some of the people on there i wished they'd gone back to wherever they came from :)  I don't want to know who everyone is either......
Posted by Kathy McGraw, Riverside County CA Real Estate (CELLing Realty) over 4 years ago
Great post, very interesting how some people found you. Now I'm very curious how some people find me.
Posted by Tower Realty over 4 years ago
Ahhhhh yes... more fun with google analytics- I do have to admit that you have funnier "eclectic" web searchers visiting you.
Posted by Chuck Willman, Arizona Realtor® 480.292.0600 (Gentry Realty) over 4 years ago
Entertaining post Shannon. And you do have way too much time in your hands! And I definately do not have a foot thing! I quess I will go check for my search terms. Thanks.
Posted by Tigard Oregon Homes for Sale, Wayne B. Pruner, Realtor, GRI (Oregon First) over 4 years ago

Shannon - LOL as I read - "searched 98 pages on my site...stared at that silly site for almost an hour yet...no phone call from anybody in Littleton." I don't know about breathing perhaps they fell asleep and its snoring you hear. How about the ones who give phony information but are on your web site every week for almost 2 years

Posted by Kathy Clulow ASP® SRES® Uxbridge Ontario Real Estate (RE/MAX All-Stars Realty Inc. Brokerage) over 4 years ago

Keep in mind that your site could simply have web bots and / or web spiders surfing around your pages hunting for info and content.   I wouldn't put it past such things today.   I don't know for certain if Analytics can detirmine whether or not your hits are from bots, but I bet a great deal of it comes from such things.

For example, one day I noticed on our company website that every single agent page got 1 hit....every one!  Am I to believe that one person looked at every single agent?   Nah...I think our site got crawled, as such an occurance never happened again.

Posted by Nick Ruta over 4 years ago

RICHARD: I agree! :)

KATHY: I can ONLY imagine! :)

COLLETTE: It never ceases to amaze me! :)

CHUCK: Oh good...well I'm glad to see the trend end that's for sure!

WAYNE: Glad to know that wasn't you typing in foot keywords! :)

KATHY:  Isn't that silly...people are so funny!

NICK:  Actually you can kind of tell when they are web spiders.  They typically check out every page on your site and I have well over 400 so I don't think that particular person was a bot. Not to mention I can see where they began and how long they were on each page.  Thanks for commenting.

Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
Hey, where'd my link go?  What a gyp!  ;)
Posted by Paul Slaybaugh, Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (Realty Executives) over 4 years ago
PAUL, my funny friend you had your shot and lets face it...your real friends now you bookmarked the site the first time you went to visit it! :)
Posted by Shannon Lefevre, PA (John R. Wood REALTORS Inc.) over 4 years ago
Shannon, it's always interesting to me to view my statistics and see how people found me and my blog, as you so well described here in your post.  You would have burst out laughing last week at the Inman conference when one of the blogger panelists mentioned that she wrote a blog post about the airport metal detectors going off because of the underwire of her bra.  She got tons and tons of hits to her blog for people searching for "blog and boobs"!!!  There was another post she mentioned as well, but I know your blog is a family-friendly one, so I will restrain myself.  Ask Patricia Kennedy or Tom Plant about it (or send me a private e-mail).
Posted by Brian Block -- Northern Virginia & D.C. Real Estate (RE/MAX Allegiance, Managing Broker/Branch Vice President) over 4 years ago
I get some funny ones, too.  I assume the ones from India, China and Niger are scammers.  I have done a good job filtering out the bots.  But, I get a lot of Canadians as well as a lot of southern Californians.  Most of my hits are local, though.  
Posted by Lane Bailey - REALTOR & Car Guy (Century 21 Results Realty) over 4 years ago
I love the comment from Mary..... Thanks for given me this insight.... I haveto check it out on my website too..
Posted by Donna Paul- Long Island Home Specialist Search for Long Island homes (Keller Williams Realty Greater Nassau) over 4 years ago

I love knowing that people are out there, looking, reading and learning. It proves you are making an impression on others...that's for sure! :)

Posted by Kelly Sibilsky (Licensed Through Referral Connection, LTD.) over 4 years ago

Shannon...this is a really thought provoking and funny post...I would bet that the some of the lurkers were Realtors checking out your site...I check mine once in a while and I have someone from New York that has been checking me out for years - though I don't remember any buyers from New York...I often wonder what they think of all my picture and hairdo changes :)

 

Posted by AnnMarie Clements (Remax Realty Group) over 4 years ago
Yes Shannon, I have checked out your site and I was very impressed. The layout, coloring and graphics fit you very well. Also, I surely wouldn't have subscribed to your blog without looking at it. I thank you for the information that you have posted and look forward to reading more of your posts.
Posted by Fernandina Beach Realtor® Danial Dansereau (Watson Realty Corp.) over 4 years ago
I've got to check out your site -  I'll be there soon, but then you'll know when I've been there, won't you.
Posted by Elaine Hanson, REALTOR® ~ Topanga, CA Real Estate Agent (Snyder Sutton Real Estate) over 4 years ago
Sounds a tad creepy. Please be careful. There are way too many people with time on their hands doing the wrong thing.
Posted by Robert L. Brown~Grand Rapids Real Estate Bellabay Realty, West Michigan (www.mrbrownsellsgr.com) over 4 years ago

 

Well....

 

They don't call it the World Wild Web for nothin'...bloggers are out there, aren't they?

 Steve

http://obeoman.blogspot.com

Posted by Obeoman Glade Jones (www.obeo.com) over 4 years ago
Agree it is creepy that some of those search terms found you. Well at least they found you - right.
Posted by Benjamin Realty LLC over 4 years ago
Shannon - I have had some weird terms on my reports before, too, and I often wonder how in the heck they manage to find my site.  This was a well-deserved featured post!
Posted by Jason Crouch, Broker - Austin Texas Real Estate (512-796-7653) (Austin Texas Homes, LLC) over 4 years ago
Alright, Crouch, you can't drop that line without fessing up.  Where are you being found?
Posted by Paul Slaybaugh, Scottsdale AZ Real Estate (Realty Executives) over 4 years ago
I love analytics. I showed another agent in my office, you would have thought I showed him the Holy Grail. What did he want? "SEX" 
Posted by Overland Park Real Estate and Homes for sale :: Michael Russell (Overland Park KS Realty Executives ) over 4 years ago
I can't imagine having those search terms.....lol. That's too funny. I think I need to check mine. That is too funny. I can imagine someone going through 98 pages looking for that....thinking this real estate thing has to be front.....
Posted by Christy Powers - Pooler, Savannah Real Estate Agent (Keller Williams Coastal Area Partners) over 4 years ago
Shannon- I like your humor that you can put on the webstats. I get strange things too. But even worse and on the serious side, on my google alerts I discovered 2 people who stole my name, my own name, to use as bait to get their rankings up higher on google! My name has nothing to do with their sites. Isn't that something? Katerina
Posted by Nestor & Katerina Gasset Realtors® Wellington Florida Homes For Sale (International Properties and Investments LLC) over 4 years ago
This is really funny!  I get some really strange ones too.  It goes to show how important key words can be- i get "Marin Pot".  GREAT!  It would be interesting to know who spent that entire hour on your site.
Posted by Ginger Wilcox (Trulia) over 4 years ago

Participate

(optional)
What does the graphic say?