You’re probably aware that, in order for your used car dealership to succeed, it’s got to connect with consumers online—because there’s where most buyers turn for information about vehicles and sellers. You may also know that these online connections don’t happen by accident. Strategy is required—specifically, a search engine optimization (SEO) strategy.
SEO is a sprawling world unto itself, however, and many dealers approach it with trepidation. As you consider an SEO plan for your dealership, here are a few basics to keep in mind.
SEO Results Don’t Happen Overnight
SEO isn’t something that’s going to yield immediate results. In fact, it may be something you chip away at for weeks or even months before you see a big improvement.
Think about it in terms of a relationship. In order to win the favor of Google, you’ve first got to earn trust. You’ve got to prove to Google that your site provides helpful, value-adding content that readers will really benefit from. And you’ve got to show a commitment to content creation over the long haul. All of that takes some time, but hang in there—with the right balance of commitment and strategy, SEO success is achievable.
SEO Requires Continuous Engagement
Did you know that Google’s search engine algorithms are always changing? That the precise stipulations for SEO success evolve and adapt? It’s true—and if you want to achieve effective, long-term SEO, it means you have to be flexible. You have to produce content on an ongoing basis, and also ensure that your content is optimized to match current SEO guidelines.
Not All SEO is Created Equal
Eventually, you’ll probably want to seek professional help with your SEO work. As you do so, make sure you remember the distinction between black hat and white hat SEO.
Black hat SEO is all about gaming the system and cheating Google; it can produce quick results, but they’re always short-lived. White hat SEO plays by the rules, and may not produce results quite as quickly—but the results it does produce will be long-lasting and secure.
All SEO is Local
For used car dealerships, in particular, it’s vital to achieve search engine visibility within your community, and among the local buyers who are seeking information.
That’s what makes it so important to include geographically specific keywords, such as “[City] used car dealership” and “[City] used vehicles,” in your content.
SEO Doesn’t Happen in a Vacuum
One final point to make about SEO: It’s not something you should do in isolation. SEO makes the most sense when it’s one part of a broader, integrative marketing approach—one that includes other disciplines such as PPC, content marketing, and email marketing. For used car dealerships, we also highly recommend Craigslist.
Maybe you’re ready to put an integrative marketing strategy in place. We’d love to show you how. Reach out to Get My Auto to start facilitating the online connections you need to make your dealership grow!