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If you're running a car dealership, having a strong online presence is key to attracting local customers. Today, many people search online for cars, compare prices, and look for nearby dealerships. That's why automotive local SEO is so important. By optimizing your website and online listings for local search, you can make sure that potential customers find your dealership easily.

What is Automotive Local SEO?

Automotive local SEO means improving your dealership's online presence so that your business shows up in local search results. This is important when people search for terms like "car dealerships near me" or "used cars in [city]." Instead of targeting a broad audience, local SEO focuses on reaching people nearby who are more likely to visit your dealership.

Why Does Automotive Local SEO Matter?

• Increased Visibility: Local SEO helps your dealership show up higher on search engines, especially for location-based searches.
• Targeted Traffic: You’ll attract local customers who are searching for what you offer, leading to more qualified leads.
• Stay Ahead of Competitors: Many dealerships don’t take full advantage of local SEO, giving you a chance to stand out.

When improving your dealership’s online presence, focusing on the right strategies for automotive local SEO is essential. Local SEO ensures that when potential customers search for a car dealership in your area, your business is one of the first they see. Below are the most important steps to take when implementing automotive local SEO.

1. Optimize Your Google Business Profile

Your Google Business Profile (formerly Google My Business) is a crucial part of automotive local SEO. This profile helps your dealership show up in local search results, especially in Google Maps and the Local Pack (the top three results for local searches). If your profile is not optimized, you risk losing visibility to competitors.

What Should You Include in Your Google Business Profile?

• Accurate Information: Make sure your dealership's name, address, phone number (NAP), and website URL are correct. Inaccurate information can confuse potential customers and hurt your local rankings.
• Photos: High-quality images of your showroom, vehicles, and services give potential customers a visual idea of your dealership. This makes your listing more attractive and engaging.
• Business Hours: Ensure your hours are updated, including holiday hours, so customers know exactly when you’re open.
• Services & Special Offers: Highlight what your dealership offers, such as financing options, test drives, or service center availability. Updating special promotions can also draw attention.
• Encourage Reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave positive reviews. More reviews can improve your dealership’s credibility and ranking on local search results.

Why is Google Business Profile So Important?

• It directly impacts whether your dealership appears in the Local Pack or on Google Maps.
• Google often pulls information from your Business Profile when answering customer queries.
• It boosts trust—customers feel more confident about choosing a business with updated information and good reviews.

2. Use Local Keywords

Using the right local keywords on your website and in your content is one of the most effective ways to improve your automotive local SEO. Local keywords are terms your potential customers are likely to search for, such as "[City] car dealership" or "[Brand] dealership near me."

How to Use Local Keywords:

• Title Tags and Meta Descriptions: Include local keywords in your website’s title tags and meta descriptions. These are the first things search engines and potential customers see, so it's important to have them reflect local intent.
• Headings and Content: Use local keywords naturally in your website’s headings and throughout your content. For example, writing blog posts like “Top 5 Best Cars for Families in [City]” helps target local buyers.
• On-Site Pages: Create pages focused on specific services and include local terms, like “New [Brand] Cars for Sale in [City].” This signals to search engines that your dealership serves a particular area.

Why Do Local Keywords Matter?

• They help your website rank higher for location-based searches, meaning more people in your area will find your dealership.
• Local keywords can also lead to better engagement, as potential customers find exactly what they’re looking for.

3. Make Sure Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

With most people using their phones to search for cars, having a mobile-friendly website is vital for automotive local SEO. If your website doesn’t work well on mobile, visitors are more likely to leave, which can hurt your rankings and cost you potential customers.

How to Ensure Mobile Optimization:

• Responsive Design: Make sure your website automatically adjusts to fit any screen size, whether on a desktop, tablet, or smartphone.
• Fast Load Times: A slow website can lead to higher bounce rates, which negatively affects your SEO. Compress images, reduce redirects, and use faster hosting to improve speed.
• Click-to-Call Buttons: Make it easy for mobile users to contact your dealership with a single tap by adding click-to-call buttons.

Why Does Mobile Optimization Matter?

• Google favors mobile-friendly websites in its rankings, especially for local searches.
• Potential customers are more likely to stay on your site if it’s easy to use on their phones, increasing the chances of a visit or phone call.

4. Build Local Citations

Local citations are mentions of your dealership’s name, address, and phone number (NAP) on other websites. Citations help search engines verify your business’s location and legitimacy, which can improve your rankings for local searches.

How to Build Local Citations:

• Submit Information to Directories: Get your dealership listed in reputable directories like Yelp, Yellow Pages, Cars.com, and Edmunds. These platforms are commonly used by potential car buyers.
• Consistent Information: Make sure your NAP is consistent across all platforms. If there are differences in your business information, search engines may get confused, leading to lower rankings.
• Monitor Citations: Regularly check that your information is still accurate on all listings. If you move or change your phone number, make sure your citations are updated immediately.

Why Are Citations Important?

• Consistent citations build trust with search engines and customers.
• They increase your chances of showing up in search results when someone looks for a dealership in your area.

5. Get More Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are essential to automotive local SEO. Not only do they influence potential buyers, but they also play a role in your dealership’s ranking on search engines. More reviews (especially positive ones) can improve your local ranking and encourage more people to visit your dealership.

How to Encourage Customer Reviews:

• Ask for Reviews: After a sale or service, politely ask satisfied customers to leave a review on your Google Business Profile or other review platforms like Yelp or DealerRater.
• Respond to Reviews: Whether positive or negative, responding to reviews shows that you value customer feedback. Potential buyers are more likely to trust a dealership that engages with its customers.
• Showcase Reviews: Highlight positive reviews on your website or social media to build trust with potential customers.

Why Are Customer Reviews Important?

• Google uses reviews as a ranking factor, so the more positive reviews you have, the higher your dealership could rank in local search results.
• Reviews influence buying decisions, especially for people who are unfamiliar with your dealership.

Common Questions About Automotive Local SEO

How long does it take to see results from local SEO? Local SEO takes time. It can take a few months to start seeing noticeable changes in your rankings, but consistent effort and regular updates will pay off.

Do I need to keep updating my Google Business Profile? Yes! Keeping your Google Business Profile up to date with accurate information, new photos, and responses to customer reviews can help maintain and improve your local rankings.

Can I do local SEO myself, or should I hire a professional? While some local SEO tasks, like asking for reviews or updating your Google Business Profile, can be done in-house, working with a professional agency ensures that all technical aspects are optimized. Agencies like THAT Agency specialize in local SEO and can help get you better results faster.

Local SEO for Car Dealerships: Advanced Tips

If you've already implemented the basics of local SEO for your dealership, it's time to take things to the next level. Advanced strategies can help you further improve your rankings and gain even more visibility in your local area. These techniques not only help search engines find your business more easily, but they also provide better, more relevant content for potential customers.

Create Location-Specific Landing Pages

If your dealership serves multiple areas, having a single website page may not be enough to capture all local searches. Creating location-specific landing pages can boost your automotive local SEO by allowing each page to target different cities or neighborhoods.

Why Should You Create Location-Specific Landing Pages?

• Higher Relevance: Search engines like Google prioritize content that matches a user's specific search query. If someone searches for "car dealerships in [City]," a landing page dedicated to that city will likely rank higher than a general one.
• Improved User Experience: Customers want to know if you serve their area. By creating a dedicated page for each location, you make it clear that your dealership is available to them.
• Targeting Local Keywords: Location-specific pages allow you to use local keywords more effectively. This can help you rank for specific searches, such as "[City] used cars" or "car service in [City]."

How to Create Effective Location Pages

• Use Local Keywords: Incorporate the city or neighborhood name in your titles, meta descriptions, headers, and throughout the content. For example, “Best Car Deals in [City]” or “[City] Toyota Dealership.”
• Include Unique Content: Don’t just copy and paste the same information on each page. Tailor the content to each area you serve. You can mention local landmarks, customer testimonials from that region, or services relevant to that area.
• Add Location-Specific Details: Include your dealership’s contact information, hours, and directions for each location. You might also want to embed a Google Map for each area to make it easy for customers to find you.

FAQs About Location-Specific Landing Pages

• Do I need a separate page for every city I serve?
  If you serve several different cities or neighborhoods, it can be helpful to create a page for each. However, if you only serve a few areas, you can group nearby locations into one page.
• What if I only have one dealership location?
  Even if you have just one location, you can still create a page targeting your specific city or area. This will help capture searches from people looking for dealerships in your region.

Write Local Blog Posts

Another advanced strategy for improving your automotive local SEO is to create blog posts that focus on local topics. These blog posts not only help your dealership appear in local search results, but they also provide useful, engaging content for your audience.

Why Should You Write Local Blog Posts?

• Engage Local Customers: By writing about topics that matter to people in your area, you're more likely to attract their attention and keep them on your website.
• Build Local Authority: When you consistently produce high-quality, locally relevant content, you become a trusted source of information for people in your community.
• Boost Search Engine Rankings: Blog posts give you an opportunity to use local keywords in a natural way, which can help improve your rankings for local searches.

What to Write About in Local Blog Posts

Here are some ideas for topics you could cover in your local blog posts:

• Seasonal Car Maintenance Tips: Write about how to prepare a car for winter, summer, or rainy seasons in your area. For example, "How to Prepare Your Car for Winter Driving in [City]."
• Local Driving Routes: Highlight scenic drives or popular road trip destinations near your dealership. You could create posts like "Top Scenic Drives Near [City]" or "Best Weekend Getaways Near [City]."
• Community Events: If your dealership participates in local events or sponsors community activities, write about these events. This not only shows your involvement in the community but also helps people find your dealership when searching for information about the event.

FAQs About Local Blog Posts

• How often should I write local blog posts?
  Consistency is key, so aim to post at least once a month. Regular updates keep your content fresh and show search engines that your website is active.
• What if I don’t have much local knowledge?
  Do some research about your area! Talk to your customers, ask your team, or even attend local events to gather more information that you can share in your blog.

The Benefits of Automotive Local SEO for Your Dealership

Now that you understand some advanced strategies, let’s talk about why automotive local SEO is so important for your dealership’s success.

How Automotive Local SEO Impacts Your Business

• More Website Traffic: By targeting local searches, you can attract more people who are actively looking for a dealership in your area.
• Increase Showroom Visits: When people find your dealership online, they are more likely to visit your showroom. In fact, many customers start their car-buying journey with online research.
• Higher Sales Potential: The more people who find and visit your dealership, the higher your chances of closing a sale. Local SEO brings in high-quality leads that are more likely to convert.
• Better Competitive Edge: Many dealerships may not invest enough in local SEO, so by doing so, you can stay ahead of the competition.

FAQs About the Benefits of Local SEO

• How long does it take to see results from local SEO?
  SEO is a long-term strategy, so it may take a few months to see significant results. However, the efforts you put in now will continue to pay off over time.
• Can local SEO really make a difference in my dealership’s success?
  Yes! With more people relying on online searches to find local businesses, a strong local SEO strategy can greatly impact your visibility, foot traffic, and overall sales.

Get Started with Automotive Local SEO

Automotive local SEO is one of the best ways to improve your dealership's online visibility and attract more local customers. From optimizing your Google Business Profile to using local keywords and gathering customer reviews, there are many ways to improve your rankings and grow your business. Ready to take the next step? Contact THAT Agency today to see how our digital marketing team can help you boost your dealership’s online presence.

Editors note: This blog was originally published on 8/23/21 and updated on 10/7 for accuracy