SEO within Yacht World listing

[StephenD]

I listed my boat with a broker, and as the weeks have gone by it's been pushed to the back pages. Is there a way (for $ I assume) to push it back towards the top of the listings? The default search criteria is "recommended". My broker seems non-communicative and probably doesn't care as the listing is <$100K.

 

[dlochner]

Since brokers get paid by commission they will naturally put more time and effort into selling higher priced boats. The standard commission is 10% with a minimum of $2,000 commission. If a broker is honest with you, I think they would rather not have a bunch of older less expensive boats in the yard. The only reasons I think brokers take on lower priced boat is to sell a more expensive boat or to get a new sailor in their data base. Brokers also don't like the tire kickers they get for older boats. Folks who consume a lot of time and don't buy a boat.

The alternative is selling yourself and that can be a lot of work. I tried it once and gladly gave it to a broker. It took a long while to sell but then I had 2 offers in one day. If you're not happy with the broker you have, you may want to change brokers once the listing contract has expired.

 

[StephenD]

I have privately sold boats before too. If it were docked next to my house that would be one thing but the marina is almost an hour's drive.
I wasted untold hours driving and enduring the parade of tire kickers, mostly because I lacked a skill that any decent broker has- qualifying the prospects! It's only going to cost me 4-5K to have the broker deal with all that, so I consider it money well spent.

 

[StephenD]

Now back to my original question: How do I get myself bumped back up to the top of the listings? (In yachtWorld)

 

[dlochner]

Now back to my original question: How do I get myself bumped back up to the top of the listings? (In yachtWorld)

I just searched YW for a Hunter 27 and I didn't see any listings for a Hunter 27. I assume that is what you are trying to sell.

As for your question about bumping the listing higher, I don't think there is much if anything you can do. YW is oriented to service brokers and provides additional information on sales, listing and selling prices, and time on the market that is not available to the public. The search results can also be sorted by a number of criteria, so trying SEO optimization to get a higher listing would be easily defeated by the user.

Edit: I just searched YW for a Hunter 27 and I didn't see any listings for a Hunter 27 on the Chesapeake.

 

[smokey73]

I searched YW and found 11 Hunter 27s. None of them were listed in Middle River though. Where is your broker located? Where is the boat located? That has a lot to do with people buying a boat if they don't want to bother with a long move, and for a boat of this size and price point that is a major factor.

As long as your boat is on the site and pulls up when you search Hunter 27 or pulls up when you search for a used sailboat, length criteria that includes 27 feet, price range and other criteria that describes your boat I am not sure where it shows up on the list is that important. As far as Hunter 27s are concerned, there are only 11. It's not like "google search" where people will probably click on the first few that show up. Used sailboat buyers will most likely view all that match their search once they get it narrowed down to a price point. Most used boat buyers, once they have said, "those 198X to 191X Hunter 27s look like a candidate for me" will narrow their search and your boat will show up in a smaller list. They will then scan the whole list. What you need to do is make sure the pictures are great (if the boat is okay), not just okay, and the description is snappy (but truthful), and the price you have placed is realistic or even better, a price a buyer will focus in on in the search. Just my opinion of course and worth only that.

 

[FastOlson]

Does your brokerage contract obligate the broker to do any sort of "listing" service, like YachtWorld??

 

[StephenD]

Sorry, I changed my avatar but not my bio. The hunter 27 was 3 boats ago I'm selling my 31-2.

 

[dlochner]

This one?

2009 Hunter 31 Cruiser for sale - YachtWorld

Find more information and images about the boat and contact the seller or search more boats for sale on YachtWorld.

www.yachtworld.com

If someone is looking for a Hunter 31, there are only 15 listed in NA. Depending on how I sort them, this one comes up at the bottom (default recommended) or second (new to old).

On some pages some boats get oversized ads. I suspect, but have no direct knowledge, that the broker is paying for these larger ads.

 

[Kings Gambit]

I listed my boat with a broker, and “as the weeks have gone by it's been pushed to the back pages.”

Folks who are in the market for a boat generally, or a certain model, “shop.” This means they may check ads or websites every few days or a few times a month. After a few weeks of shopping I wish to see boats that are NEW to the market, not to spend time scrolling through ones I’ve seen already and “rejected.” Good value opportunities are not long on the market. Your broker may be servicing his market by putting up new arrivals ahead of ones that have already had their moments “in the sun.” ANSWER: If you want yours back in there, then give your broker something “new” to hawk. Such as “Price Reduced!” I think that even a languishing high-priced yacht would succumb to that age-old marketing strategy. New stuff up front!

Unless a boat has big problems brokers can usually sell a yacht when its owner wishes it sold. Everybody is out there it seems looking for “a deal” to brag about. That may be what you have to work with.