For used car dealerships, local search visibility is a key marketing goal. Simply put, when someone in your community wants to buy a vehicle, and they use Google to locate the best nearby dealership, you want yours to show up.
This goal is straightforward, but actually achieving it is anything but. That’s because Google’s search algorithms are notoriously complicated. There are no short cuts or easy answers, but there are a number of important factors that you should consider.
Here are five you can focus on as you strive to see your dealership’s rankings improve.
5 Local SEO Factors to Pursue
Google will be more likely to reward your dealership if it’s perceived as being notable within your local community—but how do you make that happen? Sending out localized press releases can help. Something else we recommend is looking up local directories—a Chamber of Commerce page, a list of local automotive dealerships, etc. Find these directories and ask to have your dealership included. Even if you have to pay a fee, these local citations can be well worth it!
Something else to know about the search algorithms is that they reward businesses that accrue reviews—and Google reviews, in particular. The more
you get (and the more positive those reviews are), the more Google perceives your dealership to be a popular option among local buyers. A practical suggestion: Reach out to your best, most satisfied customers and ask them for their feedback.
The ultimate goal of Google is to provide its customers with a solid product—that is, to provide search engine users with content that is valuable and relevant to their needs. Thus, your
is more likely to see solid rankings if it provides helpful information to the end user. That’s where a blog can be invaluable; just focus on writing for your buyers, and let the algorithms take care of the rest.
Yes, Google will reward you based on the social media activity you generate. First, make sure your
profiles all include the name, address, and phone number of your dealership. Second, maintain regular posting and engage with your fans whenever you can. You don’t necessarily have to be active on every platform, but we do recommend both Facebook and Twitter, and possibly Instagram as well.
Make sure you have your city and state referenced throughout your dealership website. This is an important way to tell the algorithms how to classify your page. You don’t need to overdo it with these
; one per page is just fine!
These are just some of the ranking signals Google takes into account as it determines how to categorize your website—and attending to them will lay a good foundation for local search visibility. We’d love to talk with you more about this! Contact
today and let’s chat.
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