Closed Buick dealership

With news surrounding the closures of numerous Chrysler and GM car dealerships, its no wonder why the dealers that are keeping their doors open are embracing new media. Unfortunately, traditional dealership marketing methods such as direct mail and television advertising have not only lost their luster in their ability to communicate with potential customers, but one web design Omaha NE company observes that in recent years they've become increasingly costly with worsening ROI.

Today car dealers are embracing Web marketing because it enables customers to communicate to a specific, targeted demographic without the steep cost of traditional media. For example, if you're a Richmond, Virginia car dealership that wants to promote your service department and highlight the fact that you service all makes and models, why not utilize a Richmond Virginia Oil Change microsite to better communicate with local residents? In addition to the ability to tailor websites and mircrosites to specific goals and messaging, automotive SEO can go a long way in attracting customers for a relatively low cost.

Mentioned above are just two methods that dealers can no longer ignore. With demand for new cars on shakey ground, being able to promote your dealership with cost effective marketing solutions can still be achieved. Check back on this car dealer SEO blog to find out more soon.

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Search engine optimization tips

Google has been making subtle but significant changes to improve the search interface. Indicated on Google’s blog, the search engine has introduced greater experiments into synonyms for searches.  

Changes to how synonyms are presented in the SERPs are part of Google’s attempt to made the search results even more relevant to the searcher. The algorithm change that looks at titles and descriptions now looks keyword stems and synonyms based on the search query. For example, for searchers looking for Denver Used Cars, the keyword “car” may also be highlighted within results in the SERP.

Increasingly, Google has been looking at synonyms to add further relevancy. As such, websites now need to consider more than just the keyword density of a single keyword. Greater use of synonymous within the content, including Meta data and title tags, will help increases the changes that Google will know the true meaning of your website’s content. Focusing too heavily on a single keyword is simply no longer the sure thing for rankings. Looking at a page on Nashville Credit Finance for example, we’ll see that the page contains a wide variety of synonyms for the page’s main topic, including ‘auto finance’ or ‘car loans.’

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More on Universal and Blended Search coming soon.

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Search Remains Crucial as Sales Slow

Some automakers are more visible than others when it comes to Search. In the latest study by iCrossing, the digital marketing company found that Chrysler, Nissan, and GM are most visible in Paid and Natural Search Visibility.

Chrysler, GM, and Nissan were found to have the highest combined visibility in terms of organic and paid search. Other automakers that did well were Ford who led in natural search visibility with an estimated 22 percent of share of market, and Hyundai who led in the greatest paid search visibility.

Interestingly, for the top 25 highest volume general auto keywords, such as “used car,”
“auto loan,” and “used car prices,” no auto manufacturer had search visibility. Many dealers of these manufacturers on the other hand are much more aggressive in their search optimization and show up for these broader terms.

Behind Ford’s lead in natural rakings are Chrysler, Honda, and Pontiac prospectively. For paid search, General Motors, and Chrysler followed before Hyundai.

In many ways, car dealers are simply better at search engine optimization than the manufacturers. However, it’s in many ways easier for car dealers since they only need to focus on localized areas when it comes to both natural and paid search. That being said, many car dealers are dominating in the SERPs nonetheless. For instance, a Louisiana Honda dealer is able to dominate for a statewide search query which is still an impressive feat. But dealers are also more nimble when it comes to aggressively marketing their profit centers, such as Richmond Ford who is eager to promote auto repair Richmond VA in their marketing strategy, especially as service is quickly becoming a dominate profit center for dealers as auto sales remain at its lowest point in over a decade.

In any event, the dynamic automotive environment has forced both the auto manufacturers and car dealers to emphasize Search in their overall marketing strategy. It’s truly a simple solution to put your marketing dollars to what converts. After all, why not show up in front of those that are actively looking for your services and your products?

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Find the latest auto SEO news on this blog.

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Despite confusion and a lack of understanding surrounding SEO, the most common questions have the simplest explanations! Below are the answers to some of these repeated questions, and as you’ll see, the answers aren’t as complicated and complex as you might think.

What is the importance of link building?

Links are equivalent votes for your site. The more votes your site has, the higher the rankings it will have.

Why are some links more important than others?

The most important inbound links are the ones from relevant websites. For example, a link from a non-automotive related website will have less impact than a link from a content-packed auto website such as a blog or editorial focused site.

When does link building end?

Never. Your competitors will not stop, and neither should you. Until your website is ranked number one for a keyword you’re after, link building should be a continual process.

Why can’t I just buy a bunch of links?

A link to your site is heavily weighted because of its inherent editorial value. If it’s determined via search algorithms or from your competitors reporting you that your links are paid for, the search engines will know your inbound links are not high quality or of an editorial nature and they could end up hurting you more than they’ll help you.

What’s the importance of a 301 redirect?

Unlike other redirects, a 301 redirect tells the search engines that the old page is permanently moved to the new page, helping to transfer all SEO power to the new page.

What is duplicate content?

Search engines don’t want to index content that is copied from another webpage. If they find duplicate content, the copied page will be penalized as it’s not the original source of the content.

The search engines want to show diversity and relevancy in their search results. Multiple pages of the same content are therefore not permitted.

Why should SEO be a part of my dealership’s marketing strategy?

Car buyers are increasingly web savvy and begin their new car research online. If they can’t find you, they will find your competitor.

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Automotive Dealer SEO

The automotive industry has faced a turbulent year. Car sales have declined dramatically and have hit levels that haven't been seen in over a decade. Amid dwindling sales, car dealers looking for new ways to drive cost effective leads. With consumers constantly changing their buying habits and the way in which they shop for cars, the Web is playing an increasingly important role, and search engine optimization is becoming the true key to success online. But many dealers don't take full advantage of an SEO strategy while others perform tactics that don't fall into the category of "white hat."

This blog is here to promote the benefits of SEO for car dealers, and will hopefully serve as a resource for auto dealers who are looking to improve their online marketing strategy. Thanks for visiting!

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Watch for more Automotive SEO features and news soon.

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