In the old days, all a dealership needed to stand out from the crowd was a killer TV commercial and maybe a giant inflatable gorilla on the roof. These days, there’s a plethora of things you need to do behind the scenes to stay relevant. One of the most effective tools in any dealer’s belt to gain relevance in their market is a website blog.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, “Why would we need a blog? We’re a dealership, not a magazine.” It all comes down to Search Engine Optimization (SEO). SEO is the practice of optimizing the content and structure of your website to increase your search engine ranking. That ranking is what determines how high up you appear in search engine results. Basically, the better your ranking is, the easier it is for customers to find you on search engines like Google. In this crowded industry, it is imperative that you rank highly and get in front of customers as quickly as possible. Most customers have many dealerships available to choose from, so you need to take advantage of any edge you can get.
One of the best ways to streamline your SEO is with content on your site. You most likely already have an About Us page filled with great automotive SEO keywords, but a blog is a fantastic way to round out your website content with topics that don’t make sense on any other page. A blog is also a great way to boost up your local SEO. Local SEO is a form of SEO that concentrates on a single area, rather than the entire country. It’s the most effective way to boost your search ranking for your specific market. While National SEO is important as well, Local SEO should be the primary focus when developing your blogs.
The most effective content strategy for boosting local SEO is to post blogs that are specific to your market. Writing a blog about the next big model launch can be beneficial, but product blogs like this don’t do much to expand the reach of your site. Search engines should already be ranking you on automotive topics, so you can cast a wider net by focusing your blogs on local topics. This will allow you to rank higher for both customers looking to buy a car and anyone making local searches. These localized posts might not provide actionable leads, but it will build your awareness in the local community so that when it is time to buy you’ll be first on their mind.
As far as topics go, just about anything can be effective, so long as it pertains to your local community or your industry. Some great options include community news, local business reviews, and guides detailing upcoming community events. Another very popular option is creating “Top 5” lists for your area. Rank the best places around town to grab a burger or a cup of coffee. Around the holidays, you can rank the top choices for Christmas festivals. Over the summer, you can rank the best water parks within driving distance. As long as it adds to your local SEO, it’s fair game. You can also use your blog to highlight any local events or charities that you sponsor. This is a great way to expand your local SEO, highlight the fact that you are involved and give back to the community, and give some exposure to a cause you’re passionate about. That’s what we call an SEO win-win-win!
One thing to keep in mind is that at the end of the day, you’re a car dealer, not a magazine. Your blogs don’t need to win any Pulitzer prizes to be highly effective for your SEO. The goal should always be to create high-quality, engaging content, but as long as you are utilizing keywords properly and focusing on local topics you’ll be just fine.
If you’re ready to start climbing the search rankings, The Automotive Advertising Agency is here to get you where you want to go. Our SEO experts will develop a robust blog strategy to give your website the boost it needs. Give us a call at 512-610-7300, or contact us at TheAutoAdAgency.com/contact/ for more information.
