If you run a car dealership, it can be tempting to think that having a big marketing budget and paying for lots of television and radio advertisements means you’re covering all your bases. But if there’s one thing that automotive marketing companies know, it’s that any modern marketing approach would be woefully incomplete without accounting for the influence of search engines like Google or Bing and the Search Engine Optimization (SEO) that makes your dealership stand out on those platforms.
If you want people to find your business when they search for dealers in your area, your website needs to appear at the top of the search engine results page (SERP). With automotive groups and car dealerships populating every corner of the country, there is no lack of competition for that coveted first spot, making high-quality SEO a must for any successful dealer.
What Is Automotive SEO?
SEO is the set of practices that ensure that your website receives as much traffic as possible. In the automotive industry, this means funneling potential customers to your site, guiding them to the research information they need, and making it easy and appealing for them to purchase a vehicle from your lot. To accomplish this, you will need original SEO content that answers the questions that your customers are searching for and demonstrates to Google that your website is a reliable source. You will also need to make sure that your website is user-friendly and clearly laid out with an intentional internal linking structure, optimized page titles, and a comprehensive sitemap that is easy for Google to navigate.
Good SEO doesn’t simply happen by accident; it is the result of careful and consistent work.
Why Can’t I Do It Myself?
The short answer is: you can! SEO is not exclusive, and there are many things that you can learn to do on your own that will make a difference in your website’s ranking and visibility. The longer answer is that although many aspects of SEO are easily accessible and can be manipulated by anyone with a website, it takes a great deal of time and dedication to implement them effectively.
For someone without a background in technical SEO, it can be all too easy to make mistakes or overlook critical errors. Things move quickly on the internet, and best practices for digital marketing and SEO change frequently. This makes it essential to stay on top of current guidelines and trends to prevent the waste of time or resources on outdated, ineffectual marketing. In addition to this, most SEO practices need to be implemented on every page of your website, meaning that thorough, consistent SEO takes time –– and lots of it.
If you have the time or resources to address these needs in-house, then, by all means, make the most of what is available to you. However, running an auto group or car dealership is a lot of work, and many people find that they and their teams already have more than enough on their plates. Developing and implementing a new digital marketing strategy from the ground up just isn’t realistic for most. This is where an automotive marketing company like Wikimotive comes into play.
What Are the Advantages of Hiring an Automotive SEO Company?
Hiring a digital marketing company to manage your online presence and SEO strategy gives you a number of advantages over your competitors. You could draw on decades of combined experience in the field rather than guessing your strategy.
Our Technical SEO Specialists spend all day analyzing search engine trends, learning about updates in the industry, and updating our clients’ websites using the best information available. The second large advantage of hiring an automotive SEO company is time. Not only are SEO professionals able to utilize their time more efficiently than someone with other tasks and responsibilities, but they free you and your team to focus on doing the things that you do best: running your business.
Having an external team dedicated to your site means that you have someone that is always watching your rankings, running tests to be sure everything on your site is working as it should, and standing at the ready to fix any issues that may arise. When something goes awry, time is of the essence, and you want to have a good team on your side, ready to spring into action at a moment’s notice.
How Do I Find A Good SEO Company?
With so many traditional marketing companies, digital marketing firms, and SEO professionals all vying for your money and attention, how can you be sure that you are making the most of your resources? Some of the first things you should look for from any reputable SEO company are experience in the field, a commitment to staying current within the industry, and a proven track record of improving their clients’ organic search results. Beyond this, your automotive SEO company should be comfortable with transparency. If they can’t show you what or why they do what they do each month, beware! High-quality SEO is not one-size-fits-all; a good strategy should be custom-built to fit your dealership’s needs and goals.
It takes time to achieve high rankings that maintain their position over time, but any company worth paying for should be working with you every step of the way. And when the alternative is blowing your budget on ads that disappear the second you stop paying for them (or on sub-par SEO that doesn’t get you measurable, sustainable progress), it’s a pretty clear choice to make. Don’t just take our word for it; contact us today and see the difference for yourself. We look forward to helping you rise to the top.
FAQ
Q1: What is Automotive SEO?
A1: Automotive SEO refers to the set of practices used to ensure that a car dealership’s website receives as much traffic as possible, guiding potential customers to the information they need and making it easy for them to purchase a vehicle from the dealership’s lot. This is accomplished through the use of original SEO content that answers customers’ questions and demonstrates the dealership’s reliability, as well as through the creation of a user-friendly website with optimized page titles and a comprehensive sitemap that is easy for search engines like Google or Bing to navigate.
Q2: Can I implement SEO for my car dealership’s website on my own?
A2: While SEO is not exclusive and there are many things that can be done by someone with a website to make a difference in their website’s ranking and visibility, it takes a great deal of time and dedication to implement them effectively. Without a background in technical SEO, it can be easy to make mistakes or overlook critical errors. In addition, best practices for digital marketing and SEO change frequently, making it essential to stay on top of current guidelines and trends. Thorough, consistent SEO takes time, which may not be available to those who are already busy running an auto group or car dealership.
Q3: What are the advantages of hiring an Automotive SEO Company?
A3: Hiring an automotive marketing company to manage your online presence and SEO strategy gives you a number of advantages over your competitors. These include drawing on decades of combined experience in the field, the ability to utilize time more efficiently, freeing up yourself and your team to focus on running your business, having someone who is always watching your rankings and ready to spring into action if any issues arise, and having a custom-built SEO strategy that fits your dealership’s specific needs and goals.
Q4: How do I find a good Automotive SEO Company?
A4: To find a good automotive SEO company, look for one with experience in the field, a commitment to staying current within the industry, and a proven track record of improving their clients’ organic search results. Transparency is also important, so if they can’t show you what or why they do what they do each month, beware! A good strategy should be custom-built to fit your dealership’s needs and goals, and the company should be working with you every step of the way to achieve high rankings that maintain their position over time.
Q5: What is the result of high-quality Automotive SEO?
A5: The result of high-quality Automotive SEO is that a car dealership’s website appears at the top of the search engine results page (SERP), making it more likely that potential customers will find the dealership when they search for dealers in the area. This can lead to increased traffic to the dealership’s website and ultimately more sales. A good automotive marketing company can help a dealership achieve this by creating original SEO content that answers customers’ questions, making the website user-friendly, and implementing other SEO best practices.