To say there’s been a lot going on in the automotive industry during the first part of this year would be an understatement. Between potential brand mergers and incoming tariffs, I’m surprised we don’t all have whiplash yet. Some of these changes will have an impact on your automotive SEO strategy, while others may not. Here’s a quick rundown of what’s been going on and what you need to pay attention to.
Honda and Nissan Merging?
Early in the year, rumors of Honda and Nissan merging brands started to surface. With Nissan seeing a decline in profit, the idea of merging with Honda, a brand that continues to thrive, was a good one. But after many negotiations, it was announced that this would not happen. Speculation has it that this idea might return, which could certainly impact automotive SEO.
A big question with Honda and Nissan merging would be whether or not Nissan would keep its respective name. If the deal stated that all of Nissan’s models would be rebranded as with Honda models, this could make a huge difference on dealers’ organic performance.
Think about it: right now, the search “Nissan Rogue for sale” gets about 18,000 searches per month in the United States, whereas “Honda Rogue for sale,” unsurprisingly, gets none. Now, Google does serve Nissan Rogue inventory pages in the search engine results page (SERP) for the Honda iteration of the search because it knows what the user is ultimately looking to find. However, in terms of optimization, dealers who directly target the Honda version of the model would have a leg up if this change were to be implemented.
Now, even if two OEMs merged and kept their individual names, other considerations must be made. In fact, such a big change might even offer an opportunity with a potential surge in search volume. What does that mean for you? Well, in general, any major news or change in the world could increase search volume for a certain manufacturer or model. This just means that you should always be working on your SEO strategy and working to rank for terms important to your dealership; when search volume surges, you want to be the one in that coveted top spot.
As of now, the Honda-Nissan merger isn’t happening. But that doesn’t mean it’s off the table for good. Nor does it mean that something like this won’t happen in the future with other brands. For now, we’ll have to wait and see; it will be interesting to see how it goes. When it comes down to it, though, it’s important to be prepared for anything.
Tariff Fears
When the current administration announced that it would be implementing major tariffs, the economy instantly went crazy. Not only did the stock market immediately take a dip, but serious fears about how this would impact the ability to purchase simple products grew. This included the potential for major increases in vehicle prices, which is scary not only for consumers but also for dealers themselves.
On April 9th, the president announced that he would be putting a 90-day pause on the reciprocal tariffs for all countries aside from China. So, as of now, we don’t know what will or won’t be implemented in the long run. But it’s important to be informed about the impact the tariffs will or won’t have if they are ultimately put in place.
First and foremost, not all manufacturers are going to see the same impact, some may be hit harder than others. Some models may be specifically impacted as well. But the good news is that, even if these tariffs are executed, the United States, Mexico, Canada Agreement (USMCA) will stay in place.
This agreement means that as long as 75% of your product is made in the United States, Mexico, or Canada, you will avoid tariffs for those parts and manufacturing costs. Anything outside of that 75% could still have a tariff applied, but it would be significantly less than if you were dealing with tariffs on the entire cost of the vehicle. Most OEMs already fall into this category, with the majority of their parts and/or manufacturing falling under the USMCA agreement; those that don’t will likely make changes to do so.
In short, if the tariffs happen, there will be an impact on car prices. But realistically, it shouldn’t be nearly as much as what was originally projected in the media.
With all of that, how does this impact SEO? It honestly might not impact it a whole lot. Your first instinct might be to try to target keywords like “cars without tariffs,” but those types of keyword phrases aren’t actually being searched. Like, at all.
Here’s an example from Mangools, a keyword tool that shows the search volume for “cars without tariffs” is 0.
If no one is searching for those things, there’s no reason to put your eggs in that basket. It is possible that if new car prices increase due to tariffs, consumers will lean toward purchasing pre-owned. It’s too early to say what will or won’t happen, though. So, for now, you shouldn’t be making any major changes to your SEO strategy.
With that said, there are other marketing opportunities surrounding this topic. While SEO isn’t an effective lane for this scenario, it’s still important that you can be a resource for your customers. Email campaigns and social media posts about the topic can be extremely effective in helping to ease consumer fear surrounding the tariffs. We also created an Auto Tariff FAQ page that you can copy and utilize as a resource for your customers. Remember, this is not a page aimed at ranking and search engine optimization; it is a resource.
Right now, we don’t know if the tariffs will happen or if they’ll be the same as those previously laid out. For now, we’ll have to wait, stay informed, and help car buyers understand what is happening as well..
Stay Informed With Wikimotive
The start of 2025 has been a busy one for the automotive industry. Potential manufacturer mergers and tariff implementations all within the first four months of the year… It’s been a lot to keep up with. That’s why we at Wikimotive are here to help keep you informed with the latest and most important details regarding how automotive news impacts your SEO strategy. So, keep up with our blog and LinkedIn to ensure you’re on top of it all.
Have questions? Contact us today! We’re happy to help you understand what’s happening and how it impacts your dealership.