SEO Case Study: 99acres SEO Success Over Time
Published by: SEO Marketing Agency
Introduction
99acres is one of India’s leading real estate portals, offering listings for residential and commercial properties across the country. As part of the Info Edge group, 99acres faced intense competition from other real estate giants like MagicBricks and Housing.com. Despite this, 99acres executed a long-term, multi-phase SEO strategy that helped it dominate Google’s search results and become a trusted name in real estate search.
In this detailed case study, we break down how 99acres grew its organic visibility from modest beginnings to becoming a high-traffic real estate platform, ranking for millions of keywords across India.
Phase 1: Building the SEO Infrastructure (2012–2015)
SEO Focus:
- Website Crawlability
- Location-Based URL Hierarchy
- Foundational On-Page SEO
99acres began by focusing on foundational technical SEO to accommodate millions of real estate listings and user-generated content.
Key Actions:
- Implemented structured location-based URLs (e.g., /property-in-delhi)
- Optimized title tags and meta descriptions using city and property type keywords
- Created sitemaps dynamically updated based on property data
- Canonical tags added to reduce duplicate content issues from filters
Results:
- 10x increase in indexed pages (from ~5,000 to 50,000+)
- Improved site speed and crawl depth
- Early rankings for core transactional keywords like “flats in Mumbai” and “property in Bangalore”
Phase 2: Content and Location-Targeted Expansion (2015–2017)
SEO Focus:
- City & Locality Pages
- Educational Real Estate Content
- Blog and FAQs
With technical SEO in place, 99acres shifted focus to building thousands of SEO-rich landing pages based on city, locality, and property type.
Key Actions:
- Created dedicated pages for cities, neighborhoods, and localities (e.g., “3BHK in Indiranagar Bangalore”)
- Added FAQs and educational content for buyers and renters
- Developed a real estate blog covering trends, laws, and investment tips
Results:
- 4x growth in organic sessions from long-tail location keywords
- Increased average time on site by 35%
- Lowered bounce rates through rich, intent-aligned content
Phase 3: Mobile SEO & UX Optimization (2017–2019)
SEO Focus:
- Mobile-First Indexing
- Page Speed Enhancements
- Mobile UI/UX for Listings
As mobile searches overtook desktop, 99acres invested heavily in a mobile-friendly site architecture and user experience.
Key Actions:
- Deployed a responsive site with mobile-first HTML structure
- Compressed images, deferred JS loading, and leveraged caching
- Designed listing cards and filters specifically for mobile behavior
Results:
- Mobile traffic increased by 180%
- Page load times dropped by 45%
- CTR improved by 28% on mobile devices
Phase 4: Link Building and Brand Mentions (2019–2021)
SEO Focus:
- Off-Page SEO
- Digital PR & Authority Building
To improve domain authority and support rankings in competitive metro and Tier-2 city keywords, 99acres focused on backlinks.
Key Actions:
- Released data-driven real estate reports for media outreach
- Built backlinks through partnerships with real estate blogs and government portals
- Sponsored content and PR campaigns about rental and buying trends
Results:
- Domain Rating increased from 55 to 75 (Ahrefs)
- Secured backlinks from NDTV, Economic Times, and YourStory
- Strengthened ranking positions in top 3 for commercial and residential terms
Phase 5: Structured Data and SERP Enhancements (2021–2023)
SEO Focus:
- Schema Markup
- Rich Snippets
- Google My Business (for Builder Projects)
With competition rising, 99acres optimized for rich results and local pack inclusion.
Key Actions:
- Added schema markup for real estate listings, breadcrumbs, and reviews
- Optimized GMB profiles for real estate agents and projects
- Introduced FAQ schema to boost visibility in “People Also Ask”
Results:
- 2,000+ FAQ results captured in SERPs
- Improved CTR by 33% with rich snippet exposure
- More builder project listings ranked in Google Maps
Phase 6: Programmatic SEO & AI Content Scaling (2023–Present)
SEO Focus:
- Programmatic Local SEO
- AI-Assisted Property Descriptions
- Voice Search Optimization
To manage millions of listings and locality pages, 99acres adopted programmatic SEO tactics and began using AI to scale content.
Key Actions:
- Used templates and AI to create unique locality descriptions
- Optimized content for voice queries like “best flats under 50L in Gurgaon”
- Expanded programmatic coverage for tier-2 and tier-3 cities
Results:
- 1M+ keyword rankings achieved
- Significant growth in voice search traffic
- 65% YoY growth in Tier-2 city traffic
Overall SEO Growth Snapshot (2012–2024)
- Organic Traffic: ~20K/month -> 6.5M+/month
- Top 10 Keyword Rankings: ~1,200 -> 135,000+
- Indexed Pages: ~5,000 -> 2.2M+
- Domain Rating: 40 -> 75+
- Conversions via SEO: Increased by 6.8x
Why 99acres SEO Worked
- Location-Driven Architecture: Hyper-relevant pages for every area and property type.
- Mobile and UX First: Optimized for the modern property search journey.
- Evergreen Content: Education + property-specific content.
- Authority Building: Data-led outreach created sustainable link growth.
- AI-Driven Future: Early adoption of programmatic and voice search tactics.
Lessons for Real Estate SEO
- Don’t overlook technical SEO when scaling millions of listings.
- Focus on both informational and transactional intent.
- Mobile-first design is non-negotiable.
- Use structured data and schema to own SERP real estate.
- Programmatic SEO is the future—plan early.
Want Similar SEO Results for Your Real Estate Brand?
At SEO Marketing Agency, we specialize in helping real estate marketplaces grow organic traffic, leads, and revenue. Whether you’re looking to dominate metro cities or scale to Tier-3 India, our team delivers results.