by Terry MacCauley - Posted 1 month ago
Today's auto shoppers are nearly fully digital; the journey to purchasing a vehicle starts long before a customer sets foot on a dealership lot. For independent retail dealerships and Buy Here Pay Here (BHPH) dealerships, establishing a solid online presence is no longer optional; it is essential. Local Search Engine Optimization (SEO) has emerged as a critical strategy for dealerships to enhance visibility, attract nearby customers, and compete effectively against larger, franchise-owned competitors. At Big Time Advertising, we see a tremendous lift for our dealers who invest in SEO. SEM (Search Engine Marketing and SEO are a lot like peanut butter and jelly. You can't have one without the other.
Imagine a potential customer searching for "affordable used cars near me" or "trusted independent dealership in [Your City]." Without local SEO, your dealership might remain invisible to this ready-to-buy audience. Local SEO ensures that when customers in your area search for services you offer, your dealership appears prominently in search results.
High Intent Searches: Local searches often indicate immediate intent to purchase. According to Google, 76% of people who conduct a local search on their smartphone visit a business within 24 hours, and 28% of those searches result in a purchase.
Mobile Dominance: With the rise of mobile device usage, local searches have skyrocketed. Ensuring your dealership is optimized for these searches captures this significant traffic segment.
Independent and BHPH dealerships may not have the vast marketing budgets of national chains or large OEM co-op budgets, but local SEO provides an avenue to compete effectively.
Visibility Where It Counts: According to a study by BrightLocal and our own results for many of our dealers, smaller dealerships can increase their online visibility by up to 200% by focusing on local SEO.
Building Local Trust: Emphasizing your roots and commitment to the community can resonate more deeply with local customers than the generic messaging of larger chains.
Traditional advertising methods can be costly and less targeted. Local SEO offers a more affordable and efficient way to reach potential customers.
Higher Conversion Rates: Smart Insights reports that local searches have a 14.6% conversion rate, significantly higher than traditional advertising methods, which meander average results around 1.7%.
Long-Term Benefits: Unlike paid ads that stop working when the budget runs out, SEO efforts continue to drive traffic over time, compounding your investment.
Your Google Business Profile is often the first impression potential customers have of your dealership.
Complete Your Profile: Include accurate business hours, contact information, and high-quality photos of your dealership and inventory.
Regular Updates: Post at least weekly updates about new inventory, promotions, or events. Google's algorithm favors active profiles.
Example: A dealership that regularly updates its Google Business Profile can see a 50% increase in profile interactions, leading to more website visits and calls.
Consistency in your dealership's Name, Address, and Phone number (NAP) across all platforms is crucial. This means consistency with a highly critical eye.
Avoid Confusion: Inconsistent information can lead to customer frustration and negatively impact search rankings. Make sure the business type is described precisely the same to avoid confusion about the search algorithm category.
Check Directories: Regularly audit online directories and listings to ensure your information is up-to-date and listed consistently across all directories.
Creating content that speaks directly to your local audience boosts engagement and SEO rankings.
Use Local Keywords: Incorporate phrases like "used cars in [City]" or "BHPH dealership near local [Landmark]" naturally into your content.
Highlight Local Events: Blog about community events, sponsorships, or partnerships to showcase your local involvement.
Example: A blog post titled "Top Road Trip Destinations Near [Your City] for Your New Car" not only provides value but also incorporates local keywords.
With most local searches happening on mobile devices, your website must be optimized accordingly.
Responsive Design: Ensure your site adjusts seamlessly to different screen sizes.
Fast Load Times: Websites that load within 2-3 seconds retain visitors more effectively, reducing bounce rates. Anything longer needs professional help. Do not let anyone tell you it is not that bad or say it loads fast on my phone. Cache's remember your visits and will reload faster. Use professional Google tools like Lighthouse for proper pressure testing.
Positive reviews build trust and influence purchasing decisions.
Ask for Reviews: After a sale, encourage customers to leave a review on Google or Yelp. Every single time, not just when you remember.
Respond Promptly: Addressing reviews shows you value customer feedback. Responding to negative reviews professionally will help mitigate potential damage.
Big Time Statistic: All businesses that respond to reviews receive 35% more engagement than those that do not.
Backlinks from reputable local websites signal to search engines that your dealership is trustworthy.
Local Partnerships: Collaborate with local businesses for events or promotions, earning backlinks from their websites.
Sponsor Local Organizations: Support local charities or sports teams. These often feature sponsors on their websites. For each sponsorship you support, demand a backlink from their website to your own.
Implementing structured data helps search engines understand your dealership's website content. Schema markup is a set of tags, also known as structured data or microdata, that are added to a website's code to help search engines understand the content of a web page.
Enhance Listings: Schema markup can add rich snippets to your search listings, such as star ratings or inventory highlights.
Improve Click-Through Rates: Enhanced listings are more eye-catching, leading to noticeably higher click-through rates.
An independent dealership in a highly competitive urban market, invested in local SEO strategies.
Challenge: Despite a loyal customer base, they struggled to attract new customers online.
Strategy Implemented:
Visibility: Appear in the coveted "Local Pack" on Google, which can lead to a 700% increase in clicks over lower-ranked results.
Customer Engagement: Businesses with complete Google Business Profiles are 2.7 times more likely to be considered reputable.
Sales Growth: According to a study by HubSpot (a large CRM provider), effective local SEO can result in a 20-30% increase in sales for small businesses, including dealerships.
Educational Resources: Guide financing options that are especially useful for BHPH customers and those who need help finding financing even at a conventional retail dealership.
Video Content: Virtual tours of your dealership or highlight videos of popular models can engage visitors.
Local Hashtags: Use location-specific hashtags to increase visibility. Do this every single time with consistent hashtags, not just every now and then when you remember.
Engage with the Community: Share and comment on posts from local businesses and events. This makes your dealership an active member of your community, and people support businesses and leaders with this behavior.
Set Up Alerts: Use tools like Google Alerts to monitor mentions of your dealership. This will allow you to react almost instantaneously which shows an awareness and will translate to more sold units.
Regular Audits: Periodically review your online listings and website for accuracy and opportunities for improvement. Our recommendation is to do this at least quarterly.
Prioritize Efforts: Focus on high-impact areas first, such as your Google Business Profile and website optimization.
Use Affordable Tools: Utilize free or low-cost SEO tools to aid in keyword research and performance tracking.
Continuous Learning: Follow reputable SEO blogs or consider online courses to stay updated. Google it, there are many available.
Professional Assistance: Partnering with an automotive-focused digital marketing agency experienced in local SEO for dealerships can provide expertise and save time. WE JUST MIGHT KNOW ONE.
For independent and BHPH dealerships, local SEO isn't just a "marketing tactic", it Is a roadmap to sustainable growth and community connection. By investing in local SEO, dealerships can expect:
Embracing local SEO positions your dealership not just as a business, but as a trusted local partner in the car-buying journey. The digital landscape is ever-evolving, but one constant remains: customers value convenience and relevance.
By investing in local SEO, independent retail and BHPH dealerships can meet customers where they are; both online and in their community. Driving not just traffic, but meaningful connections and sustained growth.
-by Terry MacCauley, Founder & CEO
We are thrilled to welcome Philip Russell as the newest member of the Big Time Advertising team, stepping in as our Vice President of Engineering. With over 20 years of experience in developing and programming for both independent and OEM dealership industries, Philip brings unmatched expertise to the table. As our agency continues to grow, his leadership in tech sustainability, programming, connectivity, and AI integration will help ensure we meet the evolving needs of our dealers.
We’re excited for the future as we continue delivering top-tier solutions for our dealers, with Philip guiding our tech innovation for years to come!
