It has now been a few weeks since we launched Trulia Pro, our new marketing solution for real estate agents and local businesses. Response from agents has been great, but one question that has come up frequently has been how to select locations for your Local Spotlight Ads. (For those not familiar with the product, Trulia Pro customers can choose up to 20 locations in which to show their ad, where a location is a city, zip, or neighborhood. More here.)

Well, here's my take on what I would do if I was running an ad. In short -- I'd focus on the long tail of locations. What's the long tail? It's the stuff that is less popular, but more valuable. For example, the search term "homes" is a lot more popular than "2 bedroom apartment with great views in Pacific Heights". But the latter is more valuable in that it is a search term employed by an individual who knows exactly what he wants. He's very specific. (As a side note, how could you not want these views?)

So, what's my advice on how to allocate your 20 locations for Local Spotlight? Go with a city or two in your area, as these locations are viewed by more people. These popular "head of the tail" locations help you get quantity. As with any type of sales, you want to get a large volume of people in the door. But then also pick several zip codes and neighborhoods ("long tail" locations). Fewer people on our site use these granular locations, but those who do know exactly what they want. These people are your quality. Sure, you want lots of leads, but given the option of a lead who doesn't quite know what he wants or one who knows precisely what he wants, which would you pick?