The O'Herlihy Group
Real Estate SEO Case Study
How a Malibu Real Estate Team Reached #1 on Google After the Palisades Fire, and Took a Brand-New Office to #1 Too
searches where they've hit #1 on Google
for "Channel Islands real estate agency" since February 2026
organic result for "real estate agent Malibu" in Malibu
About The O'Herlihy Group
The O’Herlihy Group is a Malibu and Channel Islands real estate team led by Cormac and Wailani O’Herlihy with Sotheby’s International Realty. For more than 30 years, they’ve helped clients buy and sell exceptional coastal properties, earning recognition from RealTrends, Los Angeles Magazine, and The Wall Street Journal.
They’re a wonderful team of good-hearted agents who serve their community well, and they support many local non-profits.
They came to us to win back visibility in one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country, and to give their new office a strong start.
Tough competition, then a devastating fire.
Malibu is one of the most competitive real estate markets in the country. National brokerages like Compass, Coldwell Banker, and The Agency compete for the same buyers and sellers with massive marketing budgets.
When we started in late 2024, the O’Herlihy Group’s website was held back by weak authority signals, thin content that didn’t show the team’s deep expertise, and technical issues that kept Google from clearly understanding the site. They also needed far more reviews to compete in the map pack.
Then in January 2025, the Pacific Palisades fire devastated the community they serve, and the team had to shift to a new office. They needed to stay visible to Malibu clients while building a brand-new presence in the Channel Islands.
Rebuilding authority, content, and local presence.
Winning in a market like Malibu takes more than a few blog posts. We rebuilt the foundation Google uses to judge a real estate site, then made sure the team’s expertise showed up everywhere buyers and sellers search, including AI tools.
Technical SEO & Authority
Technical SEO & Authority
We fixed the technical issues blocking clear visibility and ran a steady link campaign with targeted anchor text, growing the site's authority score by more than 50%.
Expert Content
Expert Content
We rewrote thin community pages into in-depth neighborhood guides and published real estate articles that put the team's local expertise front and center.
Local & AI Visibility
Local & AI Visibility
We optimized the Google Business Profiles for both offices, added regular property posts, and started tracking how the brand appears in AI answers.
#1 on Google in Malibu and the Channel Islands.
Searching from Malibu, the O’Herlihy Group’s site is now the #1 organic result for “real estate agent Malibu.” They’ve held a top-two spot for “best real estate agents Malibu CA” every month since December 2025, and they’ve hit #1 on Google for 43 different searches in the last 100 days.
The new Channel Islands office went from no visibility to #1 for “Channel Islands real estate agency,” “Channel Islands real estate agent,” and “real estate agent Channel Islands,” and it has held #1 every month since February 2026. It also ranks #1 for 93% of local “real estate agency near me” searches.
The rewritten community guides are paying off too. The Faria Beach guide ranks #1 for about half of all Faria Beach searches.
| Search | Google Position | Detail |
|---|---|---|
| channel islands real estate agency | #1 | Every month since Feb 2026 |
| channel islands real estate agent | #1 | Every month since Feb 2026 |
| real estate agent channel islands | #1 | Every month since Feb 2026 |
| real estate agency near me | #1 | 93% of searches, Jul–Oct 2026 |
| real estate agent malibu | #1 organic | Searched from Malibu, Oct 2026 |
| best real estate agents malibu ca | #1–2 | Every month since Dec 2025 |
| faria beach | #1 | About half of searches, Jul–Oct 2026 |
| Metric | Apr–Sep 2025 | Apr–Sep 2026 | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Organic search sessions | 1,299 | 1,558 | +20% |
| Sessions from Malibu | 50 | 72 | +44% |
| Sessions from Ventura County cities | 57 | 105 | +84% |
| Metric | Before | After | Change |
|---|---|---|---|
| Website authority score | 16 (Nov 2024) | 25 (Oct 2026) | +9 |
| Share of Malibu AI answers mentioning the brand | 15% (Aug 2025) | 32% (Jul 2026) | 2× |
| Average Google position, all searches | 20.5 (Jul 2025) | 13.0 (Sep 2026) | 7.5 spots higher |
Highly Recommended
Professional and attentive. We highly recommend Jason. He plays close attention to what is happening online.
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Action Plan
Fix The Technical Foundation
Fix The Technical Foundation
We resolved the technical issues keeping Google from clearly crawling and understanding the site, so every page could compete.
Build Domain Authority
Build Domain Authority
A steady monthly link campaign with targeted anchor text grew the site's authority score by more than 50% while keeping a natural link profile.
Rewrite The Community Pages
Rewrite The Community Pages
We turned thin neighborhood pages into in-depth community guides that show the team's local expertise.
Launch The Channel Islands Office
Launch The Channel Islands Office
We built out the new office's Google Business Profile and office page so the location could rank for its core agency searches.
Showcase Agent Expertise
Showcase Agent Expertise
Real estate-focused articles and stronger expertise signals help Google and AI tools see the team as trusted Malibu specialists.
Grow Reviews And AI Visibility
Grow Reviews And AI Visibility
We're growing reviews on both profiles and tracking how the brand shows up in AI answers from ChatGPT, Google, and Perplexity.
What Our Clients Say on Google
Digital Marketing Services Rendered
Meet the Team Behind 805 SEO
Leading 805 SEO is Jason Vaught, a digital marketing expert with over 20 years of experience helping businesses grow online. From his early entrepreneurial ventures to shaping advanced SEO strategies today, Jason brings a mix of know-how, curiosity and a commitment to client success. He’s always looking for smarter ways to get results and uncover opportunities others might miss.
Our team is made up of skilled SEO and digital marketing professionals, each with expertise across AI SEO, traditional search, local optimization, web development, content strategy and paid media. Together, we combine experience, creativity and practical knowledge to deliver strategies that get real results for our clients.
Jason Vaught
Founder, Director of Strategy
Filip Marić
Content Specialist
Ivana Eror
Maps & Reputation Management
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Frequently Asked Questions
How much does SEO for real estate agents cost?
It depends on how competitive your market is and how many offices you need to rank. A luxury market like Malibu takes more authority building than a smaller town. We scope every engagement after a free audit, so you know exactly what’s included before you start.
How long does real estate SEO take to work?
Most real estate teams start seeing ranking movement within a few months, with bigger gains building over six to twelve months as authority and content compound. Highly competitive luxury markets usually take longer than smaller ones.
Can SEO help a new real estate office get found?
Yes. A new office needs its own Google Business Profile, a dedicated office page, and local signals that tie it to the area. That’s how the O’Herlihy Group’s Channel Islands office reached #1 on Google for its core agency searches.
Does AI search matter for real estate agents?
More buyers and sellers now ask ChatGPT, Google’s AI Overviews, and Perplexity to recommend agents. We track how often your team is mentioned in those answers and build the content and citations that help AI tools recommend you.
Do you work with real estate teams outside Malibu?
Yes. We work with agents and brokerages across Ventura, Santa Barbara, and San Luis Obispo counties and coastal Los Angeles County, and we support businesses in other markets too.