Whether you’re behind the wheel of a dealership, running a tire shop, or steering any other type of automotive business, mastering SEO remains an indispensable component of a successful marketing strategy.
Today’s automotive consumers are more connected and informed than ever.
Moreover, the preference for organic search results over paid advertisements remains strong, highlighting the critical importance of SEO in today’s digital-first consumer landscape.
However, staying up-to-date on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) and algorithm changes requires diligence.
To further illustrate this, consider these insights:
- 88% of potential car buyers now turn to digital channels to gather information.
- Car buyers dedicate 14 hours and 39 minutes to online research and finding the perfect car for their needs.
- 95% of car shoppers checked social media platforms during their car-shopping journey.
- 81% of car shoppers find online activities improve their overall buying experience, citing both saving time (93%) and price transparency (valued by 78%) as key benefits.
- Nearly half (46%) of car dealers surveyed made at least 9% of their sales through entirely online purchases.
Armed with these insights, let’s explore the top seven automotive SEO strategies for 2024, designed to put your business in the lead and drive it toward success.
1. Craft Compelling, Original Content And Leverage Rich Snippets
In SEO, content is still king. For automotive businesses, this means creating in-depth, informative content that engages and informs your audience.
Focus on valuable resources like blog posts, buying guides, and vehicle reviews that blend informative details with engaging storytelling.
Here is a great example of more informational content from a dealership in Miami. They do an excellent job of incorporating CTA’s within the helpful content to funnel users to their selection of vehicles:
Image from bramanmiami.com, April 2024On individual car listing pages, they even add Dealer Notes to further add more uniqueness to their pages so it isn’t just a regurgitation of the manufacturer’s information:
Image from bramanmiami.com, April 2024Rich snippets enhance your visibility in search results, providing a snapshot of your content’s value.
Implementing structured data markup also helps search engines understand and display your content more effectively, increasing the likelihood of clicks.
Screenshot from Google Search Central, February 2024Helpful automotive-related schema resources:
Read more: How To Optimize For Rich Snippets: A Complete Guide
2. Elevate Your Strategy With Video SEO
Video content has become an indispensable tool for businesses. It provides a dynamic platform to showcase vehicles, demonstrate features, and share customer testimonials.
A recent survey shows that, by leveraging video content, 86% of marketers experienced increased web traffic, and 87% saw a direct boost in sales.
As a brand, you should use this opportunity to embrace video SEO and amplify your visibility on search engines and social platforms.
Incorporate relevant keywords in video titles, descriptions, and tags to ensure your video aligns with search queries.
You may also use short, engaging videos that highlight your inventory’s unique selling points to captivate potential buyers and drive traffic to your site.
Look at this great example from Mazda of North Miami that leverages video on their car listing pages to show the car off to potential customers:
Image from mazdaofnorthmiami.com, April 2024Even better, they marked up this page using structured data and are now benefitting from their listing page showing the video element in the SERPs which should only further improve their organic CTR:
Image from Google, April 2024Read more: How Short Videos & User-Generated Content Impacts Marketing
3. Optimize For Mobile-First Indexing
With the majority of online searches now conducted on mobile devices, a mobile-optimized website is essential for SEO success.
Google’s mobile-first indexing means the mobile version of your site is the primary version Google considers for ranking.
Make sure your website is responsive, mobile-friendly, and intuitive. This is crucial for capturing the mobile audience.
This is a perfect example of how a dealership should incorporate a mobile-first design. They do an excellent job of showing the most pertinent information for a consumer to browse (pictures, specs, pricing, CTAs).
Screenshot from bramanmotorsbmw.com, April 2024Read more: 14 Mobile Optimization Best Practices You Need To Know
4. Boost Your Local Presence
Local SEO is vital for automotive businesses looking to attract nearby customers.
Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.
Strategically include local keywords in your website content and engage with local community events to enhance your visibility in local search results.
Also, testimonials and reviews act as powerful social proof. In automotive digital marketing, 82% of consumers turn to online reviews for local businesses.
To help future buyers feel confident in their choices, encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews about their experience.
![Google search for [st louis car dealerships]](https://www.searchenginejournal.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/02/st-louis-car-dealerships-Google-Search.png)
Screenshot from search for [st louis car dealerships], Google, February 20245. Build Authority Through Strategic Link Building
Backlinks signal to search engines that your site is a credible and authoritative source of information.
Automotive businesses should aim to acquire high-quality backlinks from reputable automotive blogs, local business directories, and industry publications.
These backlinks not only improve your site’s SEO performance but also drive targeted traffic, enhancing your online visibility and reputation within the industry.
This dealership in Miami does a great job of leveraging sponsorships to local events in their community to capture additional inbound links to improve their authority:
Screenshot from Ahrefs, April 2024Read more: How To Get Quality Backlinks: 12 Ways That Really Work
6. Prioritize Technical SEO For A Healthier Website
Technical SEO ensures your website is accessible and readable by search engines, addressing issues that could hinder your site’s performance.
By conducting regular technical audits, you can identify and rectify problems such as slow loading speeds, broken links, and duplicate content.
A technically sound website provides a solid foundation for your SEO efforts, ensuring your content and keywords can be effectively indexed and ranked.
Read more: How To Do Technical SEO For Ecommerce Websites
7. Enhance User Experience With E-E-A-T Principles
Google has placed increasing emphasis on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) when evaluating websites.
For automotive websites, this means creating content that not only showcases your knowledge of the automotive industry but also provides users with valuable, trustworthy information.
This could include detailed guides on choosing the right vehicle, practical tips for car maintenance, or insights into the latest automotive technology.
By demonstrating firsthand experience and expertise in your content, you can significantly improve your site’s authority and trustworthiness in the eyes of both users and search engines.
Look at how Edmunds.com leverages authorship to further validate EEAT principles:
Image from Edmunds.com, April 2024Example: You could share a series of blog posts written by your experienced mechanics on how to maintain vehicles during different seasons, offering practical car care advice. This would demonstrate your in-depth knowledge of the topic and position your brand as a reliable source for your customers.
Read more: What Is User Experience? How Design Matters To SEO
Summary
In 2024, the importance of a robust, data-driven SEO strategy for automotive businesses has never been clearer.
Drive your organic presence to new heights by:
- Creating high-quality content.
- Optimizing for video.
- Adopting a mobile-first design.
- Managing your local listings.
- Building a strong backlink profile.
- Maintaining your website’s technical health.
- Focusing on E-E-A-T principles to provide a positive user experience.
Implementing these seven strategies will not only enhance your visibility in search engine results but also position your business as a leader within the automotive industry.
More resources:
- Google Introduces New Vehicle Ads Format
- Creating Content That Satisfies Search Intent & Meets Customer Needs
- SEO Strategy: A Full Year Blueprint (+Template)
Featured Image: iQoncept/Shutterstock
Compelling content examples: Brannon Miami screenshots
Video SEO example: Mazda of North Miami screenshots
Google SERP & Ahrefs screenshots: Taken by author
EEAT image: Edmunds.com screenshot
