Effective SEO Strategies for Car Dealership Websites
According to the National Automobile Dealers Association (NADA), there are more than 20,000 auto dealerships in the United States. Not surprisingly, this means there’s a lot of competition online for car dealerships looking to attract the attention of buyers. There are many challenges that need to be taken into account when optimizing a car dealership website. Whether you’re investing in organic or local SEO in San Diego, consider the following strategies on how to boost your dealership’s online visibility.
Start with Google My Business
High visibility on search engine results page (SERPs) increases the odds of getting website visits. For dealerships targeting local car buyers, this means taking steps to earn a place in Google’s Local 3-Pack (top searchers in a specific geographic area). The odds of achieving this goal can be increased with an optimized Google My Business listing that includes:
• Correct NAP (dealership name, address, phone number) info
• The most appropriate category (e.g. car dealer, used car dealer)
• Photos (not mandatory, but definitely good for showcasing top-selling models)
• Short videos that autoplay on mobile devices
• Reviews (My Business shows average quality ratings)
• Answers based on questions being asked about your dealership (based on what’s seen with the My Business Q&A feature)
Submit Listings to Relevant Car Directories
Backlinks can also boost a car dealership website’s credibility in the eyes of Google. An effective way to enhance your dealership’s backlink profile is with submissions to relevant online car directories. Many of these directories also show up on page one results on Google, which can mean more visibility. Just make sure the NAP info matches what’s in your My Business listing.
Encourage Online Reviews
Overall quality of service is a big deciding factor when searchers choose one dealership over its competitors. Make it easier for potential car buyers to see what’s good about your dealership by encouraging happy customers to leave reviews. Some review sites even allow satisfied car buyers to single out dealership employees who were especially helpful. Get more mileage out of your feedback by adding a page that includes reviews and comments.
Use Long-Tail Keywords
The rise of voice search means more people are using conversational phrases to find stuff online, like local car dealerships. Attract more attention to your website by including groups of relevant and related keywords naturally within your site’s content. Long-tail keywords also allow you to get more specific with what you have to offer (e.g. “2018 Chevy Sonic” instead of “Chevy cars”).
Optimize Images
Every year, more and more people search for pictures of various vehicle brands and models online. You can use the alt tag to give search engine crawlers details about your images in a way that gives you some SEO power (e.g. “photo of 2018 Ford Explorer available at XYZ Ford Dealership”).
Emphasize Local Connections
Emphasize some of your local connections on your dealership’s website. For instance, you can make reference to community events or charities you support on your About Us page. Another tactic is to get a listing on your local Chamber of Commerce page that includes a link back to your car dealership’s website.
Google estimates the average car buyer actually visits only two dealerships, suggesting that a lot of the decision-making process takes place online. The most effective way to steer customers to your physical location is to be just as proactive about directing traffic to your car dealership’s website, which includes regular monitoring of overall online visibility, website performance, NAP info accuracy, and reviews.
If you’re running a car dealership and need help boosting your search engine ranking, reach out to Saba SEO. We offer high-quality SEO services San Diego businesses and organizations all over the world can trust. As a premier digital marketing agency, we use state-of-the-art tools and tactics to help our clients increase their online visibility and attract high-quality leads. We have over ten years of experience in providing customized and quality-assured SEO solutions for a wide variety of industries. To schedule an appointment with one of our competent SEO Managers, give us a call at 858-951-1717 today.
