Optimize Meta Data for Dealership SEO

by Dale H | Nov 16, 2023 | SEO

Optimize Meta Data for Dealership SEO

Having optimized meta data on your dealership website is crucial for search engine optimization (SEO). The meta data provides information about your web pages to search engines like Google, allowing them to better understand and rank your content.

As a dealership, you’ll want to focus on adjusting key meta tags like title, description, and keywords to improve your site’s visibility and traffic.

In this article, the Dealers United SEO team informs you on some of the best ways to use meta data throughout your car dealership website.

What is Meta Data as it Relates to SEO?

Meta data refers to information that describes and gives context to other data – in this case, the webpages on a website. When it comes to SEO, meta data helps search engines understand both the content, and relevance, of webpages in order to rank them appropriately in search results.

There are few different terms you’re going to want to remember when it comes to meta data for your auto dealership website:

Page titles: The title tag, which appears at the top of the browser and as the clickable headline in search results. Titles should be descriptive, concise, and contain relevant keywords.
Meta descriptions: A short summary of the page content that shows up under the title in search results. The description should provide a compelling overview that encourages clicks.
Structured data: Coded information, like schema markup in JSON-LD format, that allows search engines to understand complex data like reviews, sales events, vehicle types, etc.

Keep in mind that meta data is often the very first interaction that a user has with a website. This is your first impression for 95% of all searchers.

Here is an example of how meta data is seen from a searcher’s point of view:

Having great meta data can increase the click through rate dramatically on your site, leading to a direct increase in vehicle sales.

Page Titles

The title tag appears at the top of the browser and is the first thing users see in search results, so it’s important to make it descriptive, concise, and keyword-rich.

An effective title structure for dealership pages is: [Target keyword] – [Dealership name] – [Location]

For example, if you owned a Toyota dealership in Miami, this may be a great title tag for your dealership website: Certified Pre-Owned Toyota Vehicles – ABC Toyota – Miami, FL

Aim to keep titles under 60 characters. Include your target keywords, dealership name, and location in the title so search engines can quickly grasp what the page is about.

Do not try to ‘stuff’ keywords in the meta description. This will not help you accomplish much of anything. In fact, if you try to cram too many keywords within your meta data, it can do more harm than good!

Meta Descriptions

The meta description gives a summary of the page content in search results. Craft compelling descriptions 150-160 characters long that capture the essence of the page and entice users to click through. Include target keywords naturally in the description.

For instance, a certified pre-owned vehicles page may have a meta description like:

Browse our extensive inventory of certified pre-owned Toyota vehicles. All CPO cars and trucks come with a vehicle history report and limited warranty. Financing available.

Structured Data

Structured data refers to code or markup that adds additional context and information to a webpage in a way that search engines can understand.

When implemented properly, structured data can help dealership websites rank better by providing search engines with more insights about their content and offerings. Here are some key ways it can help:

Rich Snippets: Structured data enables rich snippets which are special listings in SERPs that stand out with images, reviews, pricing and other details. These rich results tend to garner more clicks.
Enhanced Listings: Markup can provide extra info like working hours, address, and dealer contacts for an enhanced business listing in SERPs.
Improved Understanding: Structured data gives clarity about inventory, reviews, events and other website content. This helps search engines comprehend and index pages better.

To make matters even more confusing (sorry!) There are three formats of schema that you can use: JSON-LD, microdata, and RDF. Keep in mind one thing: Google prefers JSON-LD to other formats of schema.

While Google claims to support all formats, structured data implemented in JSON-LD is more likely to be displayed as rich results in the SERPs. The company recommends JSON-LD for maximum compatibility and performance. For dealership sites, JSON-LD can provide SEO value by highlighting inventory, dealer info, events and other key details in the search results.

Why is Meta Data Important For SEO?

Meta data is especially important for car dealership websites because it helps improve their visibility and rankings in search engine results pages (SERPs).

Click here to learn more about how Dealers United can help your dealership optimize your meta data to improve your SEO.

Here are some key reasons why optimized meta data matters for dealerships:

Helps search engines understand dealer pages: Meta descriptions, titles, and keywords teach search engines about the dealer’s inventory, services, specials, etc. This leads to better indexing.
Attracts local searchers: With location-optimized titles and keywords, search engines can better understand that a dealer serves local customers in a particular city or region.
Describes inventory accurately: Metadata can categorize inventory pages by make, model, trim, year, etc. making it easier for customers to find the right vehicle.
Encourages clicks on SERPs: Compelling meta titles and descriptions can entice searchers to click instead of going to competitor pages.
Builds authority and trust: Professional, consistent meta data gives the impression of an authoritative, trustworthy dealership.
Supports paid SEM campaigns: Optimized metadata improves click-through rates and quality scores for paid search ads.

Dealers who overlook meta data are missing out on an opportunity to improve website visibility, traffic, and conversions. The right metadata strategy can attract more high-intent customers searching for their next car.

Summary – Meta Data is Still Important

Meta data is still very important for SEO. While meta tags like keywords have decreased in emphasis, meta titles, descriptions, and structured data remain crucial.

At a minimum, make sure your title tags, and description tags are made with user intent in mind. If you want to take a more advanced position on your dealer site, include items like JSON schema.

Want to learn how Dealers United’s SEO services will help refresh your meta data periodically with keyword-optimized titles, descriptions, and keywords that help improve your dealership website’s visibility on Google search?

If you need help, we are equipped with a team of experts trained to focus on crafting compelling, informative meta data about your inventory, or services, that effectively conveys your offerings to searchers.

Want to learn more about Dealers United’s SEO Solutions?

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Written By Lauren Blackwell
Lauren Blackwell is a skilled content marketer who has spent the past 3 years working in automotive advertising technology and now brings her unique experiences to Dealers United. From running ad campaigns, to curating auto-specific resources, Lauren is empowered to create valuable content to help automotive dealers thrive on social media.

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Google Ads For Car Dealerships: The Beginner’s Guide

by Dale H | Nov 14, 2023 | SEM

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Google Ads For Car Dealerships: The Beginner’s Guide

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Google Ads can be a powerful tool for car dealerships looking to drive more website traffic and sales. With the ability to target local audiences and track leads, Google Ads help dealerships connect with high-intent customers at the right time – while they’re actively searching for vehicles.

This might sound relatively straight forward, but at Dealers United, we’ve found that setting up and managing a Google Ads account requires strategy and optimization to maximize ROI.

Click here to learn how we can help your dealership maximize your ROI with Google Ads.

That’s why we wrote this guide, to help walk car dealerships through best practices for success with Google Ads.

Keyword Research Focused Around Car Dealerships

The foundation of any Google Ads account is keyword research that revolves around your car dealership. You need to identify the terms and phrases customers are using to search for vehicles in your locality. Focus on specific vehicle makes/models, general terms like “used cars”, and modifiers like “certified pre-owned.” Also look for buyer-intent keywords like “Honda dealership near me.” You can leverage Google Keyword Planner and Google Trends to build your list.

Leverage Geo-Targeting

One of the biggest advantages of Google Ads for local businesses is the ability to target customers in a specific geographic radius. This is referred to as ‘geo-targeting.’ Make sure to set up location targeting to only show your ads to searchers in your area.

You can define your target location down to a 20 mile radius. This prevents wasting money on out-of-area traffic.

Copy for Car Dealership Google Ads

Your ad copy needs to motivate high-intent customers to click and visit your site. Include your dealership name, top brands you carry, competitive advantages like “lowest prices”, and calls-to-action like “Deals Available Now”.

Subject lines should highlight savings or inventory. Ad extensions can add contact info, location, links to Vehicle listings, and lead forms for extra visibility.

Landing Pages Are Important For Google Ads

Send traffic from your ads to relevant landing pages on your website. Create tailored pages for each ad group that match the searcher’s intent. For example, ads about used Toyota deals should send traffic to a landing page promoting your used Toyota inventory. This improves conversion rates. Make sure pages load quickly on mobile.

We all understand that landing pages play an important factor when it comes to conversion rates. However, most people underestimate the need of a landing page for their ad campaigns.

At Dealers United, our team of digital marketing experts excels in optimizing landing pages to sell as many cars as humanly possible.

Call Tracking

To measure the effectiveness of Google Ads at driving phone calls, use call tracking numbers. Set up a unique forwarding number for each ad group. When customers call this number, you’ll know exactly which ad generated the lead. Most call tracking services integrate directly with Google Ads for simplified setup.

Remarketing & Audiences With Google Ads

Remarketing and custom audiences help you reconnect with shoppers across devices and capture more sales. Create remarketing lists of visitors who browsed your vehicle inventory but didn’t convert. Show them ads across Google’s Display Network. You can also build custom audiences of existing leads or customers to keep your business top-of-mind.

Measuring Results From Google Ads For Car Dealerships

Continuously monitor analytics and make adjustments to optimize your account. Getting the best bang for your buck when it comes to running Google Ads for car dealerships is heavily reliant on measuring your results. Here are some tips to help:

Look at metrics like click-through rate, conversion rate, cost per conversion, and return on ad spend
Adjust budgets, bids, keywords, and ad copy accordingly
A/B test different ad variations. Add negative keywords to avoid irrelevant searches.

A well-optimized Google Ads account will be a consistent driver of high-quality leads.

Don’t want to have to worry about monitoring your analytics? Click here to learn more about how we can help your dealership with Search Engine Marketing on Google.

With the right strategy tailored to your dealership, Google Ads can significantly bolster your marketing efforts and sales. Follow these best practices to connect with customers throughout their car buying journey. Measure results and continuously refine your account for maximum ROI. With Google Ads, dealerships can drive more traffic and sell more vehicles.

Want to learn more about Dealers United’s SEO Solutions?

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How To Boost Auto Sales With Car Dealer Marketing

by Dale H | Nov 9, 2023 | Digital Marketing, PPC, SEM, SEO

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How To Boost Auto Sales With Car Dealer Marketing

Want to boost inventory sales at your car dealership? We hear this all of the time from dealers…

Our advice for them is always the same: To boost inventory sales at your car dealership, you’re going to need a strong car dealer marketing strategy.

It’s simple — an effective digital marketing strategy will help you reach more qualified buyers and sell more vehicles.

And since Dealers United is stacked with experts in specifically car dealer marketing, we thought we would help by creating a guide that covers some of the key strategies for marketing your car dealership, online.

Craft People-First Content That Delivers Value

First things first – regardless of the platform you are using, focus on delivering quality content to your viewer base. Focus on creating content that would be useful for potential customers even if they didn’t find it through a search engine.

Provide original insights, data, tips, or analyses beyond just summarizing other sources.

Make it easy for viewers to trust you by citing sources clearly and establishing your dealership’s expertise.

Remember, the goal is to help car buyers make informed decisions, not just gain search traffic.

We can’t tell you how many different campaigns that we have audited for dealers that resulted in an increase in traffic, but the traffic was not the type meant to convert into car sales. Keep the focus on delivering value – not just increasing traffic.

Optimize Your Dealer Website for SEO

Search engine optimization (SEO) helps potential customers find your website when searching for terms related to buying a car in your area. If you aren’t actively optimizing your dealer site for SEO, you are way behind the curve.

While a comprehensive SEO campaign can be somewhat complex, we went ahead and narrowed down some of the key areas to optimize:

Use Relevant Keywords

Include keywords car buyers may search for, like “Chevy dealers [City]” or “buy used trucks,” naturally throughout your content. Avoid overusing keywords. Craft content for users first. Search engines no longer require someone stuffing a ton of keywords all over your page in order to determine what a page is about. Please do not do this. It will scare your viewers away, and likely not lead to any sales.

Create Useful Meta Data

Optimized metadata, including page titles and meta descriptions, helps car dealerships improve their search engine rankings and click through rates. Compelling title tags that accurately describe the content help search engines understand what each page is about. Meta descriptions that summarize the page in an engaging way can entice more searchers to click on your listing over competitors. This increased clickthrough helps improve your search rankings over time.

Crafting meta titles and descriptions that speak to car buyers’ needs and include relevant keywords can significantly boost traffic from organic search, making metadata optimization a valuable activity for any dealership’s SEO strategy.

Enhance Mobile Experience

Mobile is everything: Today the average person has approximately 40 mobile apps on their phone, and their time is primarily spent on 18 of them – in fact, users spend ~224 minutes/day on these apps…

Users are constantly on mobile, and mobile usage only continues to grow – that’s the truth.

With that being said, ensure your site is mobile-friendly and easy to use on phones.

Update Site Architecture

Make it easy for search engines to crawl and index your site with a sitemap and internal linking between relevant pages. Our SEO specialists at Dealers United can perform a detailed audit of your site and recommend ways to improve SEO.

Get Your SEM Campaigns Up and Running

Search engine marketing (SEM) refers to paid search activities, like Google Ads, along with SEO. Use both SEM and SEO together for maximum impact.

Paid search that comes from a source like Google quickly drives traffic, while SEO delivers long-term sustainable results. These days, you need both.

Develop your dealership SEM campaigns with relevant ad copy and landing pages for keywords potential car buyers in your area search for. Geo-target ads to reach local customers.

Let Dealers United handle the busywork of managing paid search campaigns while you focus on your dealership. Our SEM strategists stay on top of the latest best practices for driving conversions.

Leverage Social Media Ads

Social platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube let you display targeted ads to likely car buyers based on location, demographics, interests and more. We’re going to be very honest with you – a majority of car dealers need to advertise on social media platforms, but they neglect doing so.

We’re in a new age of social media, and you need to capitalize on this movement.

Create ads showcasing current inventory or special offers. Retarget people who have already engaged with your dealership to drive them to convert. Implement remarketing ads across channels.

Social ads complement your overall marketing mix as another way to engage prospective customers. If interested, our team can help you effectively incorporate social ads to sell more cars. This is what we’re known for.

Summary – Gain More Market Share by Using an Effective Marketing Strategy For Your Dealership

This article covers primary digital marketing strategies for car dealerships. We took some tips out of the Dealers United playbook, and gave them directly to you to use…

Remember that no single tactic works alone – you need a strategic combination across channels.

Not interested in doing all of this yourself? Dealers United offers a full suite of services, including SEO, SEM, and social media advertising, to generate more leads and drive inventory sales.

Schedule time here to let us customize a data-driven marketing plan tailored for your dealership’s specific needs and goals.

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Written By Dale Hewett

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Expert Automotive SEM Services and Campaigns for Car Dealers

by Dale H | Nov 7, 2023 | PPC, SEM

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Expert Automotive SEM Services and Campaigns for Car Dealers

In today’s digital age, a vast majority of car shoppers start their search for a new vehicle online. Here at Dealers United, we’ve noticed having an effective search engine marketing (SEM) strategy for your dealership is crucial to connect with these motivated shoppers and drive more qualified traffic to your dealership’s website and sales team.

What is SEM (search engine marketing)? Search engine marketing enables dealerships to gather low funnel traffic anytime a user types in “local,” a competitor, or in-market keyword.

SEM encompasses a range of paid advertising services that allow dealerships to appear prominently in search engine results when customers search for vehicles to purchase.

From pay-per-click (PPC) ads to targeted search campaigns and beyond, professional automotive SEM delivers results by putting a dealer’s inventory and offers in front of active, high-intent customers.

In this article, we’ll explore some of the most effective SEM tactics and services for car dealerships looking to boost their digital presence and capture more qualified leads.

Automotive SEM Services

Search engine marketing (SEM) is an integral part of any digital marketing strategy for car dealerships looking to drive more qualified traffic to their website.

Professional SEM services by Dealers United are tailored specifically for the automotive industry, and can help dealerships target high-intent customers searching for their next vehicle online. Some of the most effective SEM campaigns and services for car dealers include:

Pay-Per-Click (PPC) Ads: PPC ads placed on Google and Bing allow dealerships to appear prominently in search results and reach customers as they search for vehicles to purchase. Dealers can create targeted PPC campaigns optimized for vehicle makes/models, geographic areas, and other parameters.
Vehicle Listing Ads: Specific ad formats on Google that showcase inventory and display vehicles right in search results. These visual ads help grab the attention of and clicks from shoppers.
Remarketing: Re-engage website visitors through ads across the web after they’ve visited a dealership site. This helps turn site visitors into customers.

SEM For Car Dealerships

An effective SEM strategy is crucial for any car dealership looking to drive more qualified website traffic and leads in today’s digital landscape. SEM allows dealerships to connect with qualified customers right when they’re searching for vehicles online. Key benefits of professional SEM services for car dealerships include:

Increased visibility and traffic: SEM puts dealership websites and vehicle inventory in front of motivated customers actively searching relevant terms.
Measurable results: Dealers can track SEM campaign metrics like impressions, clicks, conversions, and ROI in real-time.
Flexible targeting: Dealers can hone in on geographic areas, specific vehicle makes/models, and other parameters to target the most qualified searchers.
Brand awareness: SEM can be used to bid on branded terms and increase visibility for a dealership’s name and reputation.
Competitive edge: SEM helps dealerships stand out from other local competitors also bidding on valuable vehicle search terms.

Vehicle Listing Ads

One of the most effective SEM formats specific to the automotive space are Vehicle Listing Ads on Google. These specialized ads allow dealerships to showcase their inventory right in the search results, including images of vehicles, pricing, and other details. When a shopper searches for a specific car make and model, like “Toyota Camry for sale,” Google will display relevant vehicle listing ads above the organic results.

The visual nature of these ads intend to grab attention, while the inventory details and call-to-action buttons make it easy for interested shoppers to learn more or reach out to the dealer. Dealerships simply provide a feed of their current inventory and pricing, and Google will optimize and serve the most relevant listing ads to searchers. This creates a powerful opportunity to put actual vehicles that are for sale in front of motivated shoppers during those critical purchasing moments when they have turned to Google to start their research.

PPC Campaigns Through Google

One of the most common and effective forms of SEM for car dealerships is Pay-Per-Click (PPC) advertising through Google Ads. Google Ads provides an advertising platform that allows dealerships to show up at the top and side of Google search results when customers search for vehicles. Dealers only pay when someone clicks their ad, so it delivers immediate website traffic.

PPC through Google gives dealers the ability to target ads by vehicle make/model, custom locations, demographics, and more. Google provides data and tools to optimize PPC campaigns and improve results over time.

PPC ads can also show on thousands of websites across the Google Display Network. For example, car dealers can bid on their own dealership name and vehicle brands for increased visibility and brand protection. This is an example of a branded PPC campaign.

Overall, we believe that Google PPC represents an efficient way for dealerships to reach customers searching for vehicles in their area and drive those high-quality leads back to their website and sales team. When combined with website optimization and conversion tracking, PPC delivers a significant competitive edge.

Try Dealer United’s Auto Dealer SEM Services

If you’re a car dealership looking to boost your online visibility and connect with more motivated shoppers, it’s probably just time to consider professional SEM services tailored for the automotive space.

Here at Dealers United, we offer strategic SEM campaigns optimized for capturing qualified leads and driving website traffic from Google and other search engines.

We have different packages that are all custom tailored to meet your dealership’s marketing goals. Ask about our Essentials, Advanced, or Ultimate SEM packages, today!

Our team stays up-to-date on the latest automotive SEM tactics, including pay-per-click ads, targeted search campaigns, vehicle listing ads, and more. We’ll help you stand out from the competition in search results when consumers are actively looking for vehicles just like yours.

The investment in our automotive SEM expertise could deliver a significant competitive advantage and ROI for your dealership. Reach out today to learn more about partnering with Dealers United to take your online presence and qualified traffic to the next level through proven, results-driven SEM.

What’s the Difference Between SEM and SEO?

What do all of the top performing car dealerships have in common? They use a comprehensive SEO and SEM strategy.

Dealers United believes that SEM and SEO go hand-in-hand when it comes to digital marketing for dealerships.

SEM focuses on driving immediate traffic and conversions through paid ads, while SEO builds organic visibility and rankings in search engines over time. Dealerships need both – SEM for short-term results and SEO for long-term authority and traffic growth. We cannot stress this enough.

Summary – Dealerships Need SEM Services

SEM has become an indispensable component of digital marketing for today’s car dealerships. Whether you conduct SEM campaigns yourself, or hire someone like us to do them for you, please make sure you include an SEM campaign in your marketing plan.

By leveraging targeted PPC ads, vehicle listing ads, re-marketing, and comprehensive SEM campaigns, dealerships can connect with customers during the critical vehicle research and shopping phase of their journey. SEM provides the ability to find and engage high-intent customers as they search for specific makes, models, and dealerships.

When coupled with strong SEO, content, and website optimization, SEM gives dealerships a way to stand out from the competition and drive more qualified traffic and sales. For car dealers looking to expand their reach online, enhance their visibility, and stay top-of-mind with prospective buyers, a strategic investment in professional SEM services is key for short-term and long-term success.

Want to learn more about Dealers United’s SEM Solutions?

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Looking For An Automotive SEO Company? Start Here:

by Dale H | Nov 3, 2023 | Digital Marketing, SEO

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Looking For An Automotive SEO Company? Start Here:

Search engine optimization (SEO) has become essential for those in the automotive industry, where the competition for ranking highly on search engines is intense. Partnering with an experienced automotive SEO company can provide significant benefits for auto dealerships, repair shops, parts suppliers, and other automotive businesses. In this article, we’ll discuss some of the different ways a tried and tested SEO company that specializes in the automotive world can help increase the number of cars sold per day. Yes, per day.

How Automotive SEO Companies Help Your Website Rank Higher

Automotive SEO requires an understanding of both SEO best practices as well as the nuances of the automotive industry. An automotive SEO company will have experience optimizing websites for local searches related to cars, trucks, repairs, parts, and more. They know which keywords are most valuable and how to optimize your site architecture, metadata, and content accordingly.

Specific services an automotive SEO company may provide include:

Keyword research: this is a necessity to identify high-value search terms and phrases. These relate to makes/models, parts, services, location-based searches, etc.
On-page optimization: by optimizing title tags, headers, meta descriptions, image alt text, and schema markup, you can give search engines a better understanding of exactly what your website is about.
Content creation: blog posts, guides, local pages, and videos (to name a few pieces of content) are all necessary to develop the framework to rank higher.
Technical website audits: to identify and fix issues hurting SEO, these audits must be done. These audits include site speed, mobile optimization, internal linking, and proper site structure.
Link building: backlinks need to be built through high-quality directories, blogs, and other automotive websites to increase authority.
Ongoing optimization and reporting: a true search engine optimizer is never ‘done.’ There is always some sort of refinement or optimization that should be conducted to help remain at the top of search engines, like Google or Bing.

Chart of Automotive SEO Company Services

Choose an Automotive SEO Company with Industry Expertise

Not all SEO agencies understand the automotive industry well enough to deliver strong results. When researching automotive SEO companies, ensure they have specific experience with auto-related websites.

Look for case studies, client examples, and a portfolio that demonstrates their success in increasing organic visibility and website traffic for automotive businesses. The ideal automotive SEO company will also be up-to-date on the latest Google algorithm updates and how they impact automotive sites.

Investing in a strategic partnership with an automotive SEO company almost always provides a positive ROI. By making your website more visible for relevant local searches, you can connect with more qualified customers and grow your business.

Try this! Before you select an SEO company, check how that company’s SEO stacks up! Type in keyword strings like “auto dealer SEO” and see where they land in the search results.

Top Rated Automotive Search Engine Optimization Companies

Dealers United is considered one of the top-rated automotive SEO companies within the United States. With over a decade of experience specializing in automotive digital marketing, we have a proven track record of boosting leads, sales, and most importantly, reputations, for dealerships across the country. Our expertise across on-page and off-page optimization makes us a top choice among the many other automotive SEO companies you’ll find when searching for one online.

Our highly qualified SEO department knows all of the in’s and out’s of what it takes these days to rank a website in organic search engine results pages, also known as SERPs. Gone are the days where you can simply make a page and stuff it with different car dealership keywords, and watch it sky rocket to the top. This is a highly competitive industry, and dealers continue to choose us over the competition because we know what it takes, and we deliver results – nothing less.

Automotive Search Engine Marketing vs. Automotive SEO

Automotive search engine marketing (SEM) and automotive SEO are two major digital marketing strategies used by car dealerships and auto-related businesses to drive increased web traffic and sales. While both focus on improving search visibility, there are some key differences between these two terms.

The most fundamental difference is that SEM centers around paid advertising platforms, like Google Ads and Bing Ads. Dealers will buy ad placements that appear at the top and side of search engine results pages when users search for relevant keywords. This allows dealerships to essentially pay for instant visibility and traffic. In contrast, SEO involves ongoing optimization of a website to earn high unpaid organic rankings in search engines through relevance and authority building.

While SEM delivers direct visitor traffic instantly when ads are clicked, SEO provides indirect traffic as visitors find your site through earned prominent organic results placements.

The Difference Between Automotive SEO and Automotive SEM

When it comes to effort, SEM requires regular budget investment to fund continuous ads. SEO demands investment into website optimization elements like metadata, content, technical site enhancements, and off-page authority building through digital PR and link earning strategies. The rankings and visibility gained through SEM can fluctuate daily based on advertising bids and budgets. However, organic rankings achieved through effective SEO are more stable, and typically more trusted from a user’s point of view. We live in a world where everyone knows that the top results are tagged with terms like ‘sponsored’ or ‘paid’, and aren’t as trusted as an organic search results that isn’t labelled as such.

Search users tend to believe that since a dealer paid for the top placement, it isn’t necessarily as accurate of a search match as something that organically comes to the top. Roughly 90% of search users will skip past all paid placements, and choose organic search results.

Common Questions About SEO For the Automotive Industry

Dealerships will usually have several questions when it comes to how search engine optimization works for their automotive website, and rightfully so. While we prefer to cover most of your questions and concerns on a quick call, here are some of the more common inquiries we get at Dealers United.

How long does it take to rank my automotive site in Google?

The amount of time it takes to rank an automotive site in Google will vary depending on site history, the amount of backlinks your have, prior SEO work done, and your site structure (among other criteria). That said, we tell most car dealerships to expect to see great results in roughly 9 to 12 months. This doesn’t mean you cannot get good results sooner, this is just a very general answer to a very common question that is tough to answer without digging into your website details.

What are examples of some automotive SEO services?

While we have different services depending on the package you choose, you can expect the following SEO work to be done (regardless of your package):

Keyword Research: Identifying high-value keywords and analyzing keyword difficulty to target for the client’s website and content.
On-Page Optimization: Optimizing title tags, meta descriptions, headings, image alt text, internal linking, etc. to improve relevance for target keywords.
Content Creation: Writing new blog posts, guides, local pages, etc. optimized for ranked keywords.
Monthly Reporting: Providing insights into website analytics including organic traffic, rankings, conversions and more.
Local SEO Tactics: Building local signals like Google My Business and citations to rank for local searches.

What is local SEO?

Local SEO refers to the optimization of your automotive site for local terms and phrases. For example, car dealers (generally) want to sell to people in their general area of operations. A car dealer in Tampa, Florida, would want to rank for ‘Tampa Car Dealer’ related terms, not ‘Seattle Car Dealer’ terms. We make sure to effectively target your local area when it comes to search users and your vehicle inventory. All of this is developed as part of our on-boarding process with your dealership.

What Is Local SEO For Car Dealers?

How do you track SEO results?

Dealers United will monitor your rankings, organic traffic, and even conversions – depending on the package you choose. We use data platforms like Google Analytics, Google Search Console, Page Speed Insights, and a few others.

What are the most important ranking factors for a car dealership website?

Optimizing for local SEO signals like city name and dealer names, location-based schema markup, and overall user experience prove to be the most important ranking factors that we have seen. Keep in mind that Google is constantly updated their algorithm, so we always have to stay on top of the latest trends and news from Google Search Central. Many SEO agencies fail to do this, and you end up with outdated ranking tactics that simply fail over time.

Want to learn more about Dealers United’s SEO Solutions?

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Written By Lauren Blackwell

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