Things have changed. Advertising in the Yellow Pages and newspaper are no longer effective because people have simply stopped using them. Today more than 90% of consumers use online search engines like Google, Bing, and Yahoo to quickly and easily find out information about local businesses with just a few keystrokes. It is important for dealerships to understand that search engines like Google, Yahoo and Bing, drive the majority of traffic to their websites. The higher your dealership’s website ranks for important keywords, the more traffic it will receive. 95% of all search engine traffic goes to the first five websites that appear at the top of the search results, so it is very important that your website ranks well for highly searched local terms. It is important to view search engines as “Influence Engines” because they influence the user as to which businesses they eventually will contact and conduct business with. Search engine optimization (SEO) is the process of getting your dealerships website to the top of the search engine results for the most important keywords and search phrases related to your dealership.
Why should dealerships invest in SEO?
A well designed website can be your dealerships most effective tool for marketing its vehicles and services as well as acquiring new leads and customers. The problem is, most dealers invest very little time, effort and resources into maximizing the potential of their website. SEO is your chance to showcase your most appealing products and services to potential customers that are actively searching for the exact products and services your dealership offers. A targeted SEO campaign focusing on the right search terms can generate thousands of additional unique visitors to your website each and every month. Every time your dealerships website is displayed at the top of the search results, its serves as a direct doorway that potential customers can take to find out more information about your dealership. SEO is a cost effective way to steadily increase visitors to your dealerships website, which will lead to a significant increase in phone calls, form leads and walk-in traffic to your dealership.
How do I know if my website needs SEO?
Search the following term in Google: Used Cars <insert your city>. Where does your dealership’s website rank for this search? Try it with a few more searches such as: Used <Your Brand><Your City> or <Your Brand> Service Coupons <Your City>. These exact search terms and others like it are being searched thousands of times a month by shoppers and potential customers in your local area. Do your competitors rank higher for these key search terms? If your business isn’t listed on the first page of Google and other search engines, it is time that you investigate the many benefits of SEO for your dealership.
With 90%+ of all new and used car shoppers using the internet for research and information, you cannot afford to ignore the fact that a well executed SEO campaign should be integral part of your overall marketing strategy.
Jared Stika is the president of iMotive Consulting and Spotlight Local SEO.