In partnership with
Read time: ~10 minutes
Welcome back.
In this edition, you’ll learn why and how to optimize passages, not pages for LLM visibility, our favorite tool for creating more effective YouTube videos, and why you need to pay attention to Compass’ lawsuit against Zillow.
If you're new here, don't worry. We've got you covered. Our previous editions are a treasure trove of tips, tools, and news. Check them out to stay ahead of the game.
Or, if you’re caught up, let’s jump right in.
In this, and every, edition you can expect…
One actionable tip that can immediately boost your lead generation
One handy tool that can simplify your tech stack management
One essential news story
…and to get at least 1% better at generating more of the right type of leads.
🚨 Want to become famous(er), grab more customers, and 100X your reach?
Stop burning budget on ads and hoping for clicks. Podcast listeners lean in, hang on every word, and buy from guests who deliver real value. But appearing on dozens of incredible podcasts overnight as a guest has been impossible to all but the most famous.
PodPitch.com is the NEW software that books you as a guest (over and over!) on the exact kind of podcasts you want to appear on – automatically.
⚡ Drop your LinkedIn URL into PodPitch.
🤖 Scans 4 Million Podcasts: PodPitch.com's engine crawls every active show to surface your perfect podcast matches in seconds.
🔄 Listens to them For You: PodPitch literally listens to podcasts for you to think about how to best get the host's attention for your targets.
📈 Writes Emails, Sends, And Follows Up Until Booked: PodPitch.com writes hyper-personalized pitches, sends them from your email address, and will keep following up until you're booked.
👉 Want to go on 7+ podcasts every month? Book a demo now and we'll show you what podcasts YOU can guest on ASAP:
How to Turn “Passage-First” SEO into Qualified Leads
Google’s 2021 “Passage Ranking” update changed the rules: the algorithm can now pull a single paragraph from deep in a page—even if the page as a whole isn’t perfectly optimized—and surface it as the best answer.
In practice, that means a well-written 80-word passage about “Chicago transfer tax for sellers” can outrank Zillow’s entire article on closing costs.
If your traffic feels flat, passage-level Relevance Engineering can unlock new query positions, featured snippets, and ultimately more buyer and seller leads. Below is a step-by-step playbook tailored to real-estate content.
1 | Identify “micro-questions” buyers and sellers actually ask
Featured snippets skew toward narrowly defined queries:
Stage | Micro-question | Tool to validate volume |
|---|---|---|
Early buyer research | “What is earnest money in Texas?” | AnswerThePublic, SEMrush |
Neighborhood compare | “Is Lakeview Chicago in a flood zone?” | Google “People Also Ask” |
Seller prep | “How much are title fees in Maricopa County?” | Search Console → Queries |
Aim for topics with 20–500 monthly US searches—low enough that big portals ignore them, high enough to drive leads.
2 | Structure every post as a series of discrete passages
Think of each section as its own mini-landing page:
<h1>Complete Guide to Closing Costs in Phoenix</h1> <h2 id="seller-title-fee">What Is the Seller Title Fee in Phoenix?</h2> <p><strong>Short answer (snippet-ready):</strong> Most Phoenix sellers pay a title insurance fee of 0.5 % of the sale price, or roughly $2,500 on a $500k home.</p> <p>Longer context…</p> <h2 id="hoa-transfer">HOA Transfer Fees Explained</h2> <p><strong>Short answer:</strong> HOA transfer fees average $250–400 in Maricopa County and are negotiable.</p>CopyEditRules of thumb
<strong>One H2 per micro-question</strong>.
Immediately under the H2, place a “short answer” sentence (40–55 words).
Expand with supporting detail, charts, or links below—this keeps both algorithms and humans happy.
3 | Use passage-level signals Google can read
Signal | Implementation | Benefit |
|---|---|---|
Clear headers (H2/H3) | Use exact-match phrases: <h2>Is a home inspection required in Florida?</h2> | Google maps query to passage faster |
Logical HTML order | Avoid buried accordions; keep passage visible | Crawlers read it immediately |
Scannable markup | Bullet lists, tables for fees, bold key data | Improves snippet eligibility |
FAQPage schema | Wrap Q&A pairs in JSON-LD | Adds another rich-result channel |
According to a 2023 SISTRIX study, pages with marked-up FAQ blocks captured 2× more “People Also Ask” placements than non-structured pages.
4 | Write snippet-ready answers (the 3-2-1 formula)
30–50 words (≈2 sentences).
Include the keyword once, naturally.
Numeric detail (percentage, dollar amount, days) or a clarifying definition.
Example:
Most Arizona sellers pay a title insurance fee of 0.5 % of the sale price—about $2,500 on a $500,000 home. This cost covers the buyer’s owner-policy and is typically deducted from proceeds at closing.
If Google quotes that passage, curious sellers land on your page—next to your valuation CTA.
5 | Internally link each passage to matching service pages
Flow authority to your money pages:
From H2 “What is earnest money?” → internal link: /first-time-buyer-guide/
From HOA section → link: /sell-my-condo-phoenix/
Use anchor text that mirrors the micro-question to reinforce topical relevance.
6 | Publish, then monitor for wins
Step | Tool | KPI |
|---|---|---|
Baseline rankings | Ahrefs → Top Pages | Positions for target micro-queries |
Publish & request indexing | Search Console → URL Inspection | N/A |
Track 28 days | Search Console → Performance → filter by query | + impressions / click-through on each micro-question |
Screenshot snippet captures | Chrome incognito or SERP API | Visual proof |
Expect to see “People Also Ask” or snippet pickups first, then incremental traffic. If a passage climbs to position 11–15, tweak the short answer for clarity and add internal links.
7 | Common pitfalls to avoid
Mega paragraphs – If the “short answer” drifts past three sentences, Google may truncate.
Missing context – Answer blocks alone won’t rank; you need supporting depth beneath.
Overlapping H2s – Different pages answering identical queries can cannibalize each other. Consolidate or canonicalize.
Final takeaway
SEO no longer rewards pages that ramble for 2,000 words hoping to hit every keyword. Modern search engines pick precise passages that nail the query in seconds.
By engineering your articles into crystal-clear, snippet-ready sections—and backing them with schema, internal links, and data points—you’ll earn more top-of-SERP placements, drive targeted visitors, and convert them into listing appointments and buyer tours.
✅ Action item: open your highest-traffic blog post, add one 50-word “short answer” under its first H2, re-submit in Search Console, and watch for fresh impressions. Passage-first SEO is the quickest on-page win you’ll execute all quarter.
Start Creating YouTube Videos That Get Views
Video content like virtual tours and market updates performs far better than static photos—but producing standout videos requires sharp insight into what works.
For effective video content, you need tools that can take the guesswork out of what to publish and how to best position it for maximum visibility.
This edition’s spotlight tool helps real estate agents uncover winning video ideas, thumbnails, and formats—so your content connects faster and with more potential clients.
Tool: ViewStats Pro – YouTube Growth Tools for Agents
Overview: ViewStats Pro is a suite of advanced YouTube analytics tools designed to help creators spot trending formats, test thumbnails, and monitor outlier videos. For real estate professionals producing property walkthroughs or market insights on YouTube, ViewStats Pro delivers targeted features—like Outlier Detection, Thumbnail Search, Alerts, A/B Tests, and Collections—to optimize content performance.
Key Features:
Outlier Video Discovery: Find high-performing real estate videos (long-form or shorts) across YouTube, learn what resonates, and model your own content after them.
Thumbnail Search: Search by keyword or image to see proven thumbnail designs that drive clicks—perfect for showcasing curb appeal or interior highlights.
A/B Test Insights: Dive into thumbnail and metadata tests used by other creators to improve click-through and engagement on property videos.
Video Alerts: Set custom alerts to get notified when new content in your niche (e.g., “DIY home staging”) hits performance thresholds.
Collections for Ideation: Curate sets of video examples, thumbnail styles, and market angles to streamline planning and script prep.
Benefits for Real Estate Agents
ViewStats Pro equips you with data-driven content tools tailored to real estate marketing:
Uncover What Works: Discover top-performing listing tour and neighborhood video formats, even across different length formats (long vs. shorts).
Boost CTR with Better Thumbnails: Find thumbnail templates that spark engagement—like sunset exteriors or behind-the-scenes staging shots.
Optimize Through Testing: Learn from proven A/B test results to fine-tune your own assets and drive better viewership.
Stay Ahead with Alerts: Get instant notifications when trending video topics emerge in your market, keeping your content relevant.
Streamlined Content Workflow: Use Collections to organize insights and inspirations—making content planning faster and more focused.
How to Get Started with ViewStats Pro
Sign Up for Pro: Visit ViewStats Pro and choose a monthly or annual subscription (around $50/mo)
Install Browser Extension: Add the ViewStats Chrome or Firefox plugin to view insights directly while browsing YouTube
Set Up Alerts & Outlier Tracking: Enter keywords like “open house tour” or “luxury home walkthrough” to detect standout videos in your niche.
Analyze Thumbnails & A/B Tests: Search for high-performing thumbnails and explore past test results to identify best practices.
Build Collections: Save top-performing examples and use your curated bank for future content planning.
Why ViewStats Pro is a Game-Changer for Real Estate Marketing
With ViewStats Pro, you no longer rely on guesswork—you're leveraging hard data to enhance video performance. By adopting proven content formats, optimizing thumbnails, and learning from real-world tests, you can create more engaging tours and market updates that convert browsers into leads. It's the smart approach to building a content engine that fuels your listings and your brand on YouTube.
Ready to create real estate videos that perform?
Explore ViewStats Pro and start building a data-driven YouTube strategy tailored for real estate success.
Compass Sues Zillow Over “Zillow Ban” on Listings
Compass, one of the largest brokerages in the U.S., has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Zillow in federal court.
The issue?
Zillow’s “Zillow Ban” policy, which blocks any listing that was marketed elsewhere (e.g., a brokerage’s own website or email campaign) for more than one day before appearing on Zillow, Trulia, or Redfin.
Compass alleges the policy restricts competition and limits sellers’ marketing flexibility—particularly those seeking to quietly soft-launch homes, test price sensitivity, or preserve listing discretion.
Claims made by Zillow, MLSs & NAR, to justify retaliating (with bans and fines) against agents that market off their platforms, are self-serving, financially motivated, and the opposite of the truth
🔍 What This Means for Realtors & Lead Generation
Shift in Lead Flow Control
Traditionally, listings reached buyers via MLS and Zillow. Zillow’s ban forces sellers and agents to prioritize its platform first, potentially rerouting lead opportunities and limiting marketing autonomy.Disruption to Off-MLS Strategies
Off-market, private-exclusive, or "coming soon" listings—popular for exclusivity and price testing—now risk losing visibility on Zillow if delayed. Agents using these strategies may lose fertile leadIncreased Buyer Fragmentation
As smaller brokerages are blocked from Zillow-feeding for early listings, buyers may miss out on options—pushing clients to agents who can provide complete visibility beyond Zillow.
✅ 3 Actionable Strategies for Agents
Diversify Listing Exposure
Don’t rely solely on Zillow. Promote new listings across MLS, email campaigns, social channels, local brokerage portals, and community networks. This builds lead pipelines independent of single platforms.Strengthen Private & Referral Networks
Cultivate a robust sphere of influence—past clients, local businesses, investor groups—for off-market or early-access listings. Communicate directly through newsletters or exclusive previews while waiting to comply with Zillow.Position Yourself as a Trusted Guide
Use this legal tension to educate sellers. Emphasize your ability to craft a marketing strategy—MLS, public listings, and private networks—aligned to their goals. Promote transparency and sophistication as your differentiators.
⚖️ What's at Stake
The outcome of this lawsuit could reshape listing visibility norms and control who gets lead access. If Compass is successful, agents may regain greater flexibility in listing strategy. If Zillow prevails, its model of exclusive-first listings on its platform may become the standard—not just for listings, but also for lead flow.
Real estate agents should stay alert—and ready to adjust. The message is clear: don’t depend on a single portal for leads. Build your brand, networks, and multi-channel presence now.Thanks for reading.
See you next week.
The Real Estate Marketing Update Team @ imFORZA