Will Automotive SEO Still be Important for my Car Dealership in 2020?

Every auto SEO strategy has to begin with a target in mind. This doesn't necessarily mean the goal of ranking #1 for a set of keywords, either. What separates one automotive SEO company from another is often begins by simply knowing which keywords are the most valuable, and how to maximize the client's growth potential.

At Wikimotive, each client receives a custom set of target keywords based on intense (local) market research. We don't just pick any set of keywords to target; we pick the absolute best - believe me! Huge! lol. These keywords are intent-based and volume-based to ensure that our work is focused on driving targeted traffic made up of ready-to-buy customers. To quote President Trump, "They know keywords! Wikimotive knows the best keywords!"

Many companies simply use a generic keyword list for all clients, then work in a little page optimization and call it a day. Or worse, they use automated coding to create generic metadata often creating duplicate or completely irrelevant keyword optimization. When they send you a report, you see all of these wonderful rankings, but no explanation of the overall value.

The truth they're not telling you? Those keywords don't receive traffic. That's right. It's likely your hard-earned money is being spent on optimization for keywords that generate little to no search in any given month. (As a company that prides itself on high-quality SEO for car dealers, this hurts us too because it damages the reputation of our industry as a whole.)

After finalizing keyword targets, Wikimotive creates content to build authority around those target keywords. We don't just mention them on a page over and over in hopes Google will associate your site with them, though. Our content is crafted to be valuable to your potential customers; creating content specifically for search engines is just not a viable strategy. It also happens to be something Google is able to detect; its algorithm continually evolves to better catch spam and "useless" or "redundant" content. This is why we only use white-hat SEO techniques outlined in Google's Webmaster Guidelines.

How Does Content Marketing Affect SEO?

Content Marketing is a term that is thrown around a lot, but its meaning is often confused with other terms used in modern digital marketing, including SEO. While the two can (and should) be used together, SEO and content marketing are truly separate services with completely different focuses.

SEO works to make a website more search-engine friendly, through optimization, content, link-building and other efforts. These are not necessarily targeted at the end user, but at search engines instead. Content Marketing, on the other hand, is all about creating content and context for a target audience in order to create a connection between the individual consumer and the products or services your business provides. This content can be video, imagery, or written content based upon the audience and budget.

One of the most successful examples of content marketing is Dollar Shave Club, a subscription-based razor business that created a funny video promoting its service. It was short, sweet, high-quality, and extremely entertaining. Within days of its release, it had gone viral, receiving millions of views. Three years after its released, the video has been viewed nearly 20 million times, and Dollar Shave Club is valued at over $615 million after receiving $75 million in a recent round of funding. And while its service is outstanding, the company's content marketing helped propel it into the mainstream, allowing the company to grow at a rate that would have otherwise been impossible.

That's amazing for Dollar Shave Club, but you're probably wondering how you can do the same for your dealership, right? Well, the viral video approach is one you can try, but success is never guaranteed and the budget necessary to create a truly memorable and marketable video means it's not a safe investment for most dealerships. However, Wikimotive's approach to content marketing, which enhances our already powerful automotive search engine optimization service, works like a charm.

Through our social media services, we promote brand-focused content to users in your dealership's local area to people who are specifically interested in buying your brand. We utilize advanced targeting on Facebook, and even re-market to your customers in order to build more interest in your inventory through quality, entertaining content. Users love the content because it's not trying to sell them anything in a direct way; it's simply showing them of what your brand's vehicles have to offer and entertaining or informing them through a variety of topics.

In many ways, this is promotion in disguise. Users get to enjoy great content related to your vehicles, but they're also doing so through your business's Facebook page. The connection we build helps facilitate increased sales and brand loyalty thanks to the reach this content receives.

Why Choose Wikimotive?

Founded by Timothy Martell, a 21-year dealership sales, management, fixed-ops and marketing veteran, Wikimotive was built with the goal of creating a line of advanced digital marketing services that don't just promise results but one that actually delivers results -- tangible results that can be measured in dollars (not just ideas and concepts pushed by others in the auto SEO industry).

Nothing speaks louder than results, and that's how we like it. Forget the false promises, too good to be true ideas, and lets get back to reality. Digital marketing is not easy. There's a reason you won't find the same quality product or service in other companies. The ideas may be similar in theory, but only the best can execute their services in a way that actually benefits a car dealer's SEO and grow their leads and sales in the process. Don't take our word for it. Just ask Keith McCluskey about how Wikimotive helped McCluskey Chevrolet move from 1,174 cars sold/year (2008) to 7,294 cars sold/year (2018).

Always exclusive. You just hired an awesome new vendor only to find out that before the ink was dry on your contract they walked right down the street to your competitor and signed them up too! Doesn’t that just grind your gears? Not at Wikimotive! We were the first automotive vendor to include exclusivity as part of every deal! We draw a radius around every dealership and refuse to work with your competitors there. But we don’t stop there. We know that different markets can’t always conform to a radius and sometimes your biggest real competitor lies just outside that radius, thats why we even let you pick specific dealerships beyond your radius to create a list guaranteed to keep your competitors out in the cold!

Also, don't forget the fact that SEO is always changing. That's not just a selling point or an excuse for poor results. Google changes the rules of the game quite often (daily, in fact). Those who take risks with their client's business will eventually get caught and punished; Wikimotive is known for approaching SEO aggressively, while still putting ethics first. We never use tactics that could be considered "black hat." When you follow Google's best practices, the results are forthcoming.

Our automotive SEO product is always being refined to provide clients with the absolute best service in the automotive industry. We don't take short cuts, though. Our product follows Google's guidelines and adapts in order to better serve our clients, not to circumvent any new algorithm updates released by search engines.

In the end, we realize that your success is our success! We love working hard to see you grow. Contact us today and let's start working on a plan for you to get ahead of, and stay ahead of, your competition online.

A word about retention

Of the dealer's who have given us that chance, only two have canceled! (In our 11 year history). In the toughest cases it can take a year to generate big ROI numbers, but our minimum benchmark is to deliver 500% ROI to our clients.

How do we know we're right? Google says so!

True SEO professionals have long theorized that content and links were the most important factors when thinking about SEO. But recently and for the first time ever, Google has confirmed what has long been suspected. On March 23, 2016 during a Q & A with Google, Google's own Andrey Lipattsev defined the most important ranking factors: "I can tell you what they (most important factors) are. Its content. And its links pointing to your site." Number 3 on that list refers to Google's machine learning algorithm, RankBrain, which is part of the larger Hummingbird algorithm. You can watch the complete Q & A below.

10 Tips to Increase Your Car Sales

“How can I increase my car sales?” It’s a question asked by almost every dealer principal, general manager, marketer, and salesperson out there. And, if you asked us (as so many have), you might be surprised by our answer. It’s an unpopular opinion, but we’re firm believers that there aren’t any tricks to help you increase your business. There aren’t any hidden secrets that hold the key to unlocking record sales. Potential for success comes down to an open mind and a simple willingness. A willingness to invest the resources at your disposal, to utilize the tools that are available to you, and to follow-through on strategies that are designed to deliver results. In the simplest terms, we’ve just described automotive SEO. Then again, we’ve also described marketing in general. So…how dare we serve up an article titled '10 Tips to Increase Your Car Sales?'

Simply put, these 10 tips may already play a foundational role in your marketing and operational strategies. If they do, that’s great (we’d love to hear more about your results). But if they don’t, take note because we’re here to provide you with tools. Some are digital and some practical. Some are based in marketing, while others are operational. How effective these tools are, comes down to your willingness to put them to use, but every one of them can help your dealership to tell a more compelling story.

1. Be Available

Accessibility is key to any successful business. Whether we're talking about (i) the number of days that you're open each week (ii) your hours of operation, including your willingness and ability to offer extended hours (iii) your in-house customer service or (iv) the online support you provide, it's imperative that your dealership is there to answer the needs of both existing and prospective clients. Remember: those needs will be different for each customer. The same applies to the unique demands of their budget and lifestyle. The extent to which you acknowledge those differences while prioritizing overall satisfaction is tangible. Invest in your availability, and you will reap the benefits.

2. Be Analytical in Your Pricing

How often do you audit the pricing of your local competitors? More importantly, do you perform regular audits at all? Consider this: banks perform weekly audits of competitive interest rates from nearby institutions to prevent themselves from being priced out of local business. Now consider the growing prevalence of comparison-based websites that make it easy for users to compare pricing. Regardless of how much importance you place upon comparative pricing, it's the primary focus of your potential customers. Fail to be competitive, and you'll sabotage your own potential.

3. Be Unique in the Incentives You Offer

While it's important for any business to recognize and optimize their revenue streams, it's equally important to recognize the potential ROI of low-cost perks and incentives that could help to make your dealership more enticing. More importantly, it's important to set yourself apart from the sea of keyring punch-cards for a free oil change by doing something unique. A willingness to explore all of your low-cost products and services, and to identify those that could help you to stand out without hurting your bottom-line could be exactly what you need.

4. Be Efficient

Your willingness to streamline your processes in the interest of creating the most expedient experience is a huge component of battling perception. This begins with your online presence, making sure that your website is user-centric, responsive, and designed with mobile users in mind. Incorporation of digital and app-based operational tools can help to improve both your customer experience and your team's efficiency. This means more satisfied customers and more customers being serviced.

5. Be Communicative

Communication matters in any relationship. It's no different when it comes to the relationship between your dealership and your team, the relationship that exists within your team, and your relationship with customers. But communication exists on a number of levels both internally and externally. Improving your team's familiarity with your CRM can help to refine their understanding of the expectations placed upon them. Increased support in product and sales training can be instrumental in refining their approach, and a focus on effective follow-ups through calls, emails, and texts could prove hugely impactful on your month-end numbers.

6. Be Accountable

More specifically, make accountability a cornerstone of your operation and honor it from the top down. By refining expectations and defining the manner in which those expectations are enforced, you're creating a stronger infrastructure within your operation. The use of an effective CRM tool can play an instrumental role in this process, enforcing the importance of delegation, and improving management's visibility of your dealership's 'moving pieces.'

7. Be Mindful of Data

If you're sick of hearing us mention your CRM, you're probably utilizing the wrong one, or it's not properly integrated into your overall process. Internal data (such as sales and service records, customer contact info, leads, etc.) is a critical component of both short and long-term strategies, so why wouldn't you want to have the most effective means of collecting, analyzing, and applying that data? And if you have a great tool already in place, why wouldn't you want to find every means of putting it to use?

8. Be Conscious of Demographics

Just as important as internal data sets are those that are available to you outside of your own CRM. Third-party aggregation is big business, and the right partner from that industry could help you to fortify the lead information that you already have access to, better defining the demographics that make up your both existing and targeted audience. Research your options, and gain a more thorough understanding of who you're doing business with, and who you need to be doing more business with.

9. Be Knowledgeable

As a general rule, consumers are better informed than they've ever been. Accessibility of information and the ability to perform online research on one's own time and one's own terms has increased the expectations that each prospective customer places on your team. An uninformed employee is no longer excusable, and their breadth of information should extend from the OEM to product knowledge, and include familiarity with all aspects of your dealership. Anything less is becoming progressively more unacceptable.

10. Be Willing to Rebrand

Some of the most successful and lucrative dealerships have proven the potential impact of large-scale rebranding. From a full cosmetic overhaul to the inclusion of new customer-centric amenities, there are no limits to how ‘big’ a rebranding effort can be. That said, there’s also no limit to how modest an effective effort can be. At the end of the day, rebranding can mean a lot of things, but it comes down to recognizing a shortcoming and rectifying it. If you’re unsure, start small; just be sure to be consistent, and to tell the story of whatever changes you’ve made.

Remember, you have a direct line to your consumer base through your website, CRM, and social media platforms (in addition to traditional marketing platforms). People want to know when you’ve begun to do something differently, especially when it’s something that helps to distinguish you from competitors or conveys a commitment to continual improvement.

So There You Have It

We’re pretty sure that there weren’t any real surprises here. Most of you have probably enacted each of these 10 tips in some form or fashion. But if you haven’t, remember, these are small actionable steps that you can build upon to increase your car sales. They’re just starting points, but they’re points in the right direction.

9 Easy Ways to Promote Your Car Business

When it comes to marketing, a dealership is really no different than any other kind of business. In any business, the owner will typically ask how they can promote their business. The automotive world is no different. Dealer-principals are faced with the question, "how can I promote my car business?" And then, their respective marketing teams are charged with the task. The answer to that question, of course, is a well-executed automotive SEO strategy, but let’s not get ahead of ourselves. First, we need to understand how that digital component fits into a wider, forward-thinking marketing strategy.

Move Your Dealership Forward

To create a forward-thinking marketing strategy it’s important to recognize that a successful one operates on a number of levels. It’s executed across both the physical and digital space that your dealership occupies. It echoes through your internal culture and the environment that you offer to your customers. It should be almost tangible, felt in all forms of communication, and in everything that bears your name.

That said, when it comes to marketing, the automotive landscape has never been known for its sense of subtlety. It’s more commonly associated with loud, fast-talking voices, repetitive statements, and big attention-grabbing promotions. This is especially true at the dealer level, where it’s hard to escape the damning shadow of the ‘wacky, waving arm inflatable tube man.’

But understand this: while the challenge is universal, the solutions aren’t. There are no easy answers or one-size-fits-all solutions (and a marketer who implies otherwise isn’t worth your spend). What works for one dealership may not work for yours. But, since the challenges are universal, there are lessons to be gleaned from dealerships who have been successful in redirecting themselves. And it’s with that in mind that we share these nine simple insights as to how you can promote your car business…

#9 Increase Your Exposure

It’s a common misconception that ‘increased exposure’ means greater ad spend. It doesn’t. I mean, sure, it’s important to get your name out there, across as many platforms as possible, but it’s also important to do so with purpose. Television commercials, radio spots, and print ads are fine - as long as people are paying attention to them. The same applies to your website and social media profiles, but at some point, both traditional and digital marketing efforts become redundant unless you’re proactively grabbing hold of people’s attention. ‘Increase Your Exposure’ might be number 9 on our list, but it’s from this point on where we tell you how to make it happen. It comes down to what your dealership has to offer, and how you go about telling that story.

#8 Optimize Your Online Presence

Most of us have heard the phrase "Traditional Marketing is Dead." And while we’ve recently seen a grassroots rekindling of our love affair with traditional marketing, there’s no getting around the importance of an optimized online presence. After all, over 90% of consumers begin their search for a new vehicle online, comparing models, researching pricing, locating potential dealerships to do business with, reviewing available inventory, and valuing their trade-ins.

And 9/10 of online searches are performed through Google. When answering a query, Google ranks websites by interpreting their search signals and assessing their likelihood of meeting their user’s needs. As such, a website might as well be invisible if your search signals aren’t optimized to improve your search engine ranking position. This is where Search Engine Optimization (or SEO, a key facet of any digital marketing strategy) comes into play. Without an SEO strategy, you’ll never increase your exposure or stand out from the crowd.

#7 Embrace the Power of Social Media

If SEO is about attracting traffic to your website, social media is about delivering your message directly to the general consumer. Plus, Social Media activity counts as one of the search signals that you want to optimize as part of your SEO strategy. Simply put, it provides various platforms to…

#6 Share What Makes You Different

No-one has even been successful at standing out or setting themselves apart by doing the same things as their competitors. You need to embrace (and emphasize) what makes you different, and if that’s a department that you lack in, it’s time to get creative.

The steps you take to rebrand your dealership as a destination will do more than attract new business…it will enrich the relationships that you already have. You need to do more than emphasize a vast selection and “low-pressure sales environment.” You need to do more than just offer complimentary coffee and a dwindling selection of semi-fresh donuts. You need to create a welcoming environment (more importantly, you should create a unique experience) built around the wants and needs of the customer while anticipating (and exceeding) any expectations. Remember, you’re being judged against a long-standing stereotype. Identify the elements of your dealership that you have the freedom to reimagine and be bold in doing so. Nothing calls for "increased exposure" quite like new products, services, amenities, or a refreshed aesthetic.

#5 Think Locally

It doesn’t matter whether we’re talking about traditional or digital marketing efforts; you need to recognize the community you call home as your strongest asset. The local populace will inevitably make up a large share of your business and, if treated right, can provide incremental sales opportunities. That said, you need more than just the convenience of proximity in your corner. You need to recognize the important role you have to play as a local business. You need to invest as much energy into marketing your community to the world as you invest in marketing to your dealership to that community. It’s a great reason to…

#4 Partner Locally

Your willingness to support local events and organizations through sponsorship, hosting, or online promotion strengthens your relationship with your community and emphasizes the core values of your dealership to prospective car buyers everywhere. It can also inspire great local blog content that holds serious SEO value, highlighting your dealership as an established voice within your geographic area. Whether you’re part of local stories, or simply helping to start conversations about them, you’re supporting your community and helping it to stand out among neighboring communities in your country, state, or region. And guess who else will stand out…that’s right, your dealership.

#3 Embrace Feedback

Let’s address the elephant in the room. You can’t please all of the people all of the time, and you’ll inevitably attract feedback that’s "less-positive" in nature. In fact, you’re more likely to receive criticism (constructive or otherwise) than you are to receive praise. That said, these situations can provide great opportunities to correct a less-than-satisfying experience, redeem your reputation, and convey your willingness to do right by your customers in a timely fashion - all in the public eye. By embracing feedback, in whatever form it may take, you’re making it clear that your customers are a priority. Plus, there are ways to secure positive reviews in an honest and organic way.

#2 Reward Your Reviewers

Satisfactory experiences should be shared more often than they actually are, but what’s the best means of securing positive reviews without directly soliciting them? Why not create an in-house program that incentivizes customers to share their stories on your website, social media, and/or third-party review sites? The reward of a discount, complimentary service, or outside perk might be a perfect investment. Not only will it have a real-world payoff, but it may pay out immeasurably online.

#1 Rebrand Yourself as a Thought-Leader

You have insights to offer. Whether you’re a dealer-principal or a marketer, you designate a valued member of the management team or a skilled team member, or if we’re referring to your dealership as a collective entity, there’s value to be found in your willingness to share those insights. And you can do so through blogging and posting via the social media platforms that your dealership utilizes.

From products and services to industry headlines, culture, and management to local news stories, you have the opportunity to create thoughtful content that inspires support and engagement while fueling inbound traffic in both the digital and physical realms.

Make it Work for You

These are just broad-strokes, of course. They’re proven strategies, but it’s important that you think of each as a starting point. Build outwards, understand how each can be best-employed in an organic manner within your own culture. But even if you’re already employing some of these strategies, lend some serious thought to how you might employ them ‘better’ with the aim of improving the results.

Bottom line, there is always room for improvement. Assess your results, evolve the manner in which you incorporate these techniques, and you might be surprised by the results. Better yet, you could partner with a trusted partner like Wikimotive, assuring the best possible results without having to personally navigate the nuances of these strategies.