As a professional in the automotive space, you want your website to perform the best it can. While paid ads on Google and various social media platforms can help to grab the attention of some online users, the fact is: focusing on a Pay-Per-Click (PPC) strategy is not making the most of your online presence. A large portion of online traffic leading to in-person sales at your dealership actually begins with organic clicks, the listings below ads on the Search Engine Results Page (SERP). It goes without saying that the higher you rank on that page, the more likely users are to find your website, click on it, and start their car-buying experience with you. This is more challenging than simply paying a monthly ads bill, though, as the only way to achieve this is via automotive Search Engine Optimization (SEO). What is automotive SEO, though? Why do you need to invest in it? Let’s take a look.
What is Automotive SEO?
Automotive SEO, in simple terms, is a group of actions taken to increase and improve the visibility of your car dealership’s website on search engines. There are many ways to do this, and it can, without a doubt, be complex. The most important part of creating a successful SEO strategy is content marketing. This content needs to be properly optimized by including keywords relating to your unique offerings and internal links that will keep both users and search engines moving through your site. In addition to this optimized content, there are technical SEO pieces such as writing meta titles, crafting optimized alt tags, and building a sitewide linking structure, all of which should include geos, topics, and keywords that you have found to be profitable to your individual dealership, along with those found during in-depth expert research.
This is not an easy undertaking, which is why we suggest working with a trusted marketing partner. Not only can an agency dedicate more time to making sure your dealership website ranks well on the SERP, but they will also offer a level of expertise that you likely won’t get from an in-house marketing team. Partnering with an automotive SEO company will make you and your dealership more powerful than you ever imagined possible.
Why Does Automotive SEO Matter?
As the marketing manager or general manager of a car dealership, you do not want to put money into something that won’t make a difference. Automotive SEO is not one of those things; it will make a noticeable difference in both your online and in-showroom traffic. This research-based content and technical work will bring your dealership’s website higher on the SERP. The higher your site ranks, the more visibility it will receive. The more users who see your site when performing a search for a new car, vehicle service, etc., the more clicks you will get and traffic you will see on your site.
The goal with automotive SEO is to be an authoritative source for users researching or shopping for something car-related. If you do just that, you will simultaneously be rewarded with higher rankings and the trust of potential customers. Plus, SEO is the only way to indelibly hold onto market share, which puts you above the competition. If you were to stop paying for PPC today, you would see an immediate decrease in traffic. In contrast, SEO continues to build upon itself, even without shoveling more dollars out of your dealership’s budget. In all, automotive SEO matters for you and your dealership because it is the best way to grab hold of the market from your competition and keep it in your hands.
How to Know Your Automotive SEO is Working
SEO is complex work. If you are putting time and/or money into it, you want to be sure your efforts, or your provider’s efforts, are actually having an impact. There are a couple of important ways to measure SEO’s success on your website. The first is to monitor organic traffic and user actions (pageviews, time on page, behavior flow, etc.) going to the site. Is this work actually bringing more users onto your website? Are they staying on the site long enough to read your content? Long enough to find themselves on your contact page or one of your inventory pages? Sure, clicks are great, but the best way to measure actual success is to look at whether your dealership has or is going to profit from user visits.
The other significant factor in measuring the success of your SEO efforts is how well you are ranking for the keywords you are targeting. This level of monitoring is more specific and allows you to verify whether or not you are meeting the specific goals set by your dealership from those wanting their vehicle service center to show up for locals to dealers pushing to get rid of the massive inventory of that one vehicle they just cannot seem to get off the lot. In general, these measurements can help to identify pieces of content or technical SEO actions that led you to greater online success, allowing you to make more informed decisions when crafting future strategy.
Contact Wikimotive Today!
If you do not currently have an SEO partner, or you are not so sure that you are getting what you pay for, contact us at Wikimotive today. We will sit down with you, explain to you how your website is currently performing, and show you where we can take it.
It is easy to push SEO out of the picture when you do not know how powerful it is, so let us show you. You will not regret it.
FAQ
Q: What is Automotive SEO and why is it important?
A: Automotive SEO refers to the process of optimizing a car dealership’s website to improve its visibility on search engines. It includes actions like content marketing, optimizing keywords, and building a sitewide linking structure. It is important because it can significantly increase online traffic and in-showroom traffic, making the dealership more visible and authoritative in its market. Automotive SEO is also a long-term strategy that builds upon itself, allowing the dealership to hold onto market share without having to constantly spend more money on PPC ads.
Q: Why is content marketing important for Automotive SEO?
A: Content marketing is an essential part of Automotive SEO because it involves creating content that is optimized with keywords relating to a dealership’s unique offerings. This type of content helps to attract potential customers who are searching for specific information related to cars or car dealerships. Properly optimized content can also improve a dealership’s rankings on search engines, making it more visible to users.
Q: How do you know if Automotive SEO is working?
A: There are two main ways to measure the success of Automotive SEO. The first is to monitor organic traffic and user actions, such as pageviews, time on page, and behavior flow. This will help determine if the work is actually bringing more users to the website and if they are staying long enough to find the information they need. The second way is to monitor how well a dealership is ranking for the specific keywords they are targeting. These measurements can help identify pieces of content or technical SEO actions that led to greater online success, allowing the dealership to make more informed decisions when crafting future strategies.
Q: Why should a car dealership partner with an automotive SEO company?
A: Partnering with an automotive SEO company can help a dealership rank higher on search engines, attract more potential customers, and increase in-showroom traffic. An agency can provide a level of expertise and dedication that an in-house marketing team may not have. Working with a trusted marketing partner can also take the pressure off of dealership staff, allowing them to focus on other aspects of their business.
Q: How can Wikimotive help with Automotive SEO?
A: Wikimotive is an automotive SEO company that can help car dealerships improve their online presence and attract more potential customers. They offer a variety of services, including website design and optimization, content creation, social media management, and reputation management. Wikimotive can sit down with a dealership to explain how their website is currently performing and show them where they can take it to improve their online presence.