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hat do you think about when it comes to improving your online presence? More than likely, it conjures images of more PPC campaigns, extra ads on classified sites, and extra banners about your specials and discounts. That’s not all digital marketing has to offer, though. Online presence also refers to the placement of your website on a search engine results page. It might not seem like a big deal if you’ve got lots of ads everywhere, but if you’re concerned about receiving more high-quality traffic and leads, it’s time to look into search engine optimization (SEO). SEO is the secret online marketing strategy that will make a profound difference for your dealership. 

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of what SEO entails, let’s have a quick lesson about how the internet works. You may have noticed that if you repeat keywords into a search engine query bar, the results of the websites and ads you see change over time. That is because every search engine has lots of bots that constantly crawl and index sites on the internet. This means that they’re constantly re-reading content on websites to give them a score. That score number is called page rank, and it is the basis for how sits get organized on a results page. 

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Small Business Advertising

Search engines do not reveal precisely how to achieve a perfect page rank score. However, consultants offer guidance to SEO experts because their job is to increase a site’s page rank. The components that affect page rank range widely from page load time and how pixelated images are to whether the content is relevant to the site’s subject. While most dealerships have websites that work decently and have lots of information about the vehicles they sell, they often do not have other pertinent information. For example, we all know that car shoppers spend months researching the car buying process. Yet, to get that information, they need to visit all sorts of websites that are not dealerships. Why is that? 

Many dealerships focus solely on selling vehicles and offering maintenance services. Sure, that is your primary job as a dealer, but consumers want more. The internet has made shoppers thirsty for information, not just about the product they want to buy or lease. Instead, they want details about the entire car-buying process. Having a few blog-like entries that explain how leases work, the ins and outs of trade-ins and tips for first-time buyers offer a whole new world of engagement with shoppers. Not only does this make your store a much more friendly place for auto buyers, but it also impacts your page rank. Original and relevant content is the key ingredient to SEO and, therefore, improving your page rank. 

When you’re ready to explore your options, talk to your current vendors. If they don’t offer these services, try searching for an SEO company directory. It might take a bit of digging, but in no time, you’ll find a marketing vendor that knows how to improve your page rank. A few blog entries, some extra backlinks, and a revamp for your site could be all you need to increase your traffic and leads. Your site and ads will appear on the first page of a search result in no time at all. With that kind of visibility, expect your profits and ROI to increase significantly.