Zoopla is to up the ante in the property portal stakes by removing all non-property related third party advertising from its listings from today.
It will undoubtedly take a hit to the bottom line but said the change is designed to limit distractions from agents’ listings, and follows feedback from agents themselves.
The move will also optimise website page speed and drive marketing reach through SEO.
A spokesperson told us that any third-party adverts, for example from retailers, will be taken down, although those from suppliers that provide a service to home-movers will stay, which could presumably include the likes of removals firms.
The ‘de-cluttering’ operation is described as “part of Zoopla’s ongoing enhancements to the website to deliver a better service to agents and to increase the focus on driving leads and instructions for agent partners through a better user experience”.
Charlie Byrant, managing director of Zoopla’s property division, said: “We’ve listened to feedback from agents and this change is one of a number of small but important steps we are taking to ensure we are best positioned to support the day to day needs of our agents and consumers.
“It’s vital to set the standard for the property search experience and this is all part of that process.
“Listings are the lifeblood of agents and we need to have the best search experience available around those listings.
“Our focus is to become the number one property destination in the UK and to enhance each agent’s reach and visibility.
“At the end of the day we’re in the business of helping agents to sell and rent properties, and so it seemed to us to be a logical step to ensure we are championing the agent on our site whilst at the same time improving the overall user experience and SEO performance.”
Comments (25)
“Listings are the lifeblood of agent” not really. What I need from Zoopla are good quality leads from buyers wanting to buy property. I don’t get any leads from Zoopla some months so I’ve left.
What’s the secret to running a sucessful business without any listings Thinker, you clearly know something no one else in the industry does! Tell us your secret please…?
1TB…. did you get out of your Zoopbed on the wrong side today?
You’re not very festive today?
Have a Zooptastic Christmas!
Listing in a place that generates buyer interest is what I need, not listing where I get no interest.
Love the way Zoopla make out they are doing us a favour …
So what you are saying is, Zoopla driving more traffic to the site though SEO isn’t good for agents then. Err, okay then…
“The move will also optimise website page speed and drive marketing reach through SEO”.
1TB – So what you are saying is that Zoopla have suppressed traffic through poor website page speed and SEO reach for their agents?
I guess what you are saying is that prices will have to go up to pay for these additional improvements?
Zoopla listens to agents. Zoopla makes positive change. Agents slam Zoopla for making positive change.
Fair play for making a changes, even if it is late but they have obviously seen the backlash on RM and are trying to be more agent-friendly. Maybe Robert’s Rummage4 ‘Not a portal’ has got them thinking already?
I respect Zoopla for diversifying their business in the shadow of Rightmove and I agree that they are in many respects, damned if they do or don’t, with regard to “listening/reacting” to agents.
I don’t need a 3rd Portal and OTM need to make a sustained impact/have a unique USP if they are genuinely here to stay.
Why OTM has shunned the glaring opportunity before them who knows.
There are other “Avenues” now.
Likewise, no fan of Zoopla however they obviously are motivated to make the change for a reason, on the surface it seems a reaction to OTM.
Rightmove’s pages are a disgrace in terms of pitching agents against each other with the “Value your home, Select from these Agents” Panel just one example of their divide & conquer approach to Our Industry.
Meanwhile OTM pootle along in the background and I can’t help but see the same pattern developing as OTM V1, a monumental lack of PR to keep the Brand alive/in the mind. I get the “here’s some more Subscribers announcements” however where are the focused updates on the property market or estate agents or Good News stories etc. I get “it’s all digital media, it’s all online” however where is OnTheMarket? ……. they’re going OffTheMarket again!
OTM seem incapable of making Positive Noise consistently? – instead of focusing on their millionaire pots of gold they could actually employ a dynamic PR Company tasked to consistently drive Positive OTM News.
Meanwhile Zoopla’s relentless knocking at my office door for a meeting continues unabated!
I had an OTM rep calling to try and get an appt to sign me up last week. Talked about the fact I would be able to buy banners & such with them in Jan. looks like they will be taking a similar approach
Unless OTM substantially raise their PR impact they will lose the game.
If they think repeated ‘We’ve signed a new agent’ messages are enough to create an aura of success and convince everyone who matters that they are a dynamic, winning enterprise, they are deluded.
Someone with real charisma should be leading the charge and be all over the pages of the media, getting the messages across to the public and to agents. It should be constant, exciting, lively, supercharged and inspiring.
What we currently have is the equivalent of watching beige paint drying.
GPL, I am a little confused as to how you come to the conclustion “on the surface it seems a reaction to OTM”??? And not just a business making tweaks for better SEO and consumer experiance, as online businesses do. Seemingly no knowledge whatsoever on SEO and a site visitors experiance clearly (you do use websites other than pie right?!) – starter guide for you to come out of the dark ages… https://support.google.com/webmasters/answer/7451184?hl=en
Personally, I’ve always hated a large amount of 3rd party advertsiing on any site. Zoopla is no exception, and to me, it also cheapens the look and feel of the site. So I for one, very much welcome the change.
1TB….. you are confused, that’s correct.
Some clarity for you….. neither you nor I know what is motivating Zoopla? …… why has it taken them so long to realise that their Portal Offering is substandard, after all, they are the Tech Bunnies.
What I do know is that they have been No 2 for as long as I can remember, so, my “seems a reaction to OTM” is a reasonable view as they (Zoopla) are losing to OTM.
However, whatever you think is fine by me because I don’t own the inside of your head so I can’t control what you think….. nor would I ever wish to.
Fair play. No fan of Z, but knock if they do knock em if they don’t isn’t fair.
Rightmove allowing Compare the Market on my areas LHP is no better.
In fact RM (To my Rep), NO COMPANY who has not got a property for sale in the village or post code sector an applicant is searching in, should be allowed to advertise on that section of the website. I am looking at non-agency (Builders) adverts as I type this, promoting property miles away from the area I have typed! Not fair on your local agents or any who are trying to sell property in the area the house hunter has typed in the search box.
Keep area pages local! keep adhoc banner adverts between properties in the list LOCAL as it is a LOCAL search after all.
Creating non headlines is what they are doing by removing pay per click advertising
Interesting… Rightmove have always had this approach.
maybe Z leaking too much traffic to distractions or not getting high enough minutes per visit.
Perhaps this action by Zoopla is driven by Onthemarket gaining some traction?
Yes it’s just like the hare and the tortoise.. tbf the tortoise is sat in a villa somewhere and the wolf already won the race… but yes.. zoopla must be scared.
I suppose us leaving the EU is because of OTM too??? Some of you connect everything and anything to OTM. Good grief…
Well…. they both used suspicious methods to recruit supporters.. and now we are left trying to work out what happened…
Or they looked at the site and thought it looks pretty s*** with all **** adverts all over the show.
Zzzzzzzz
Now get rid of pay any way agents and I will come back to zoopla.
Pity the spokesperson from Zzzzzzz does not know the difference between renting and letting…. all the agents I know are seeking to let property?