Automotive SEO for Car Dealers Steps Up in Competition
For car dealers, Grease is no longer the word. SEO is the word when it comes to buzz in the automotive industry.
As the market becomes exceedingly competitive, dealerships are forced into a battle with each other that goes beyond the standard price wars of the recent past. Positioning on Google and Yahoo! (and a little with MSN) can be the difference between getting deals and not even talking to customers.
People do their research online, especially in the automotive market. Most prefer to keep direct interaction with car dealers to a minimum, so more and more people are searching inventories, reviewing specials, and applying for car credit online. Being at the top of the search engine rankings is the key to success.
Still, search engine optimization remains a mystery to some. They know that they need it, but they don't know exactly how to get it. Many are listening to the "experts" in the field -- the automotive website design firms. This can be disastrous, as most have yet to understand the complexities of the monster that is automotive SEO.
Dealers can be susceptable to sales techniques that bring lesser known, lesser searched terms to the front of thought. As a result, many dealers are being wowed by poor techniques and inadequate service. Most companies are still operating with 2005 SEO tactics in mind.
It is important to have a company that is familiar with the newer terms, such as Universal Search, Social Marketing, and nofollow attributes. Most couldn't tell you a thing about these, yet their services are still high in cost and low in results.
Ask questions. Check references. A dealer like Washington DC Honda is able to place for search terms not only in their area, but in competitor's areas as well. Perhaps a better example is Mechanicsburg Ford. With 9 Ford dealers in a small metro area, it is important to place in town, around the area, and across the state.
While some companies are touting their ability to place for the long tail searches, dealers like Boston Toyota Dealers are able to place well for broader searches such as "Toyota Dealers" While that in itself does not create more leads, it is a good sign that the SEO is working properly on the optimization.
As always, the best advice I can give -- check references.
Car Dealer Network
