Car dealerships that are researching ways to enhance their visibility online and reach new customers might be focused on boosting advertising and becoming more active on social media. While both advertising and social media outreach are effective tools to promote the dealership and appeal to a wider audience, these aren’t the only strategies to effectively increase the visibility.
If consumers are researching car topics or looking for vehicles via search engines, will they find the dealership? Content marketing for dealerships is an integral part of a comprehensive outreach strategy. A blog that integrates SEO best practices can help boost the dealership’s web rankings and visibility on search engines. Use these five SEO-guided blog article ideas to ensure that the dealership rises to the top of user search queries:
- Best of ____ articles
- Common car tips
- Trending auto topics
- New vehicle previews
- Feature snippet articles
What is SEO?
Most dealerships are probably familiar with the term SEO, but for those who are confused by this acronym it simply stands for ‘search engine optimization.’ When content is ‘optimized’ for the search engine, it includes common phrases used by individuals who are performing a search query via an engine.
For example, a popular search query phrase might be “Mazda 2022 model.” An article would include this phrase several times in the content to ensure that the engines catch the keywords and include it as part of a user’s search results.
SEO practices can be termed ‘white hat’ or ‘black hat.’ Content must avoid the latter; black hat SEO is anything that goes against an engine’s guidelines. One example includes incorporating keywords into content over and over again to try to trip up the engine into identifying the content as relevant to a search. This is dubbed ‘keyword stuffing.’
Black hat techniques could be penalized by the search engines. In fact, a site could be completely removed from search queries if they are using nefarious SEO tricks.
White hat SEO uses keywords organically in content and aims to provide information relevant to a search query. Using the keyword ‘Mazda 2022 model,” a white hat SEO pro might write an article discussing new “Mazda 2022 models driving into dealerships.”
When creating content that’s optimized for search engines, the writer should provide relevant information and help consumers find the answers that they are searching for online. While keywords are still a part of content, they aren’t repetitive and serve as a functional part of the text; they don’t distract the reader.
What Else Needs to Be Optimized?
When writing blog articles optimized for search engine queries, dealerships will need to research the keywords they wish to target for their writing. For example, they might focus on specific makes/models, auto topics or common automotive questions.
Again, articles need to answer any questions related to a search term. All keywords should flow organically within the text, too.
To ensure that an article is fully optimized, the keyword also should be integrated into the meta title, meta description, the URL that links to the article and the headline of the article. In addition, the keyword also should appear within the first 100 words of the content.
Don’t Burden Readers with Too Much Text
When creating content for a dealership blog, organize text into short paragraphs that are easy for readers to digest. In addition, blog articles might range in length from 500 words to 1,500 words. However, dealerships should write longer content if the topic requires more descriptive content; don’t wordsmith just to hit 1,000 words.
Paragraphs should be two to three sentences. In addition, dealerships should be sure to include images to break up the text and add visual interest.
Dealerships can use car stock photos from EVOX Images to integrate into blog articles. EVOX Images also offers 360 degree spin photos, which could add an interactive and fun element within an article. Spin photos would be a great choice to accompany an article about a new vehicle model.
Blog Article Ideas and How to Optimize Them
Dealerships might brainstorm their own ideas for articles to include on their blog. However, for dealerships that have never written blog articles optimized for search engines, here is a more in depth look at how to flesh out five different articles and why they can help boost rankings and visibility online.
1. Best of ____ articles.
Create a series of articles that highlight the best restaurants, parks, coffee shops, etc. in a big city near the dealership. These articles could focus on recommendations from staff in the dealership (make sure to mention this, too). This type of localized content is a popular search query and could help bump the dealership’s visibility. Hubspot even used an example of a company listing local events on their page. Go local.
2. Common car tips.
Research keywords associated with common car questions or tips. Then focus articles on these topics. Be sure to integrate keywords organically and focus on answering any questions consumers might have related to these keywords or car topics.
3. Trending auto topics.
What’s trending on the search engines? These phrases and popular topics could become part of content marketing strategies. Share thoughts on the chip shortage or how it’s impacting the dealership, talk about new color trends, etc. Again, dealerships should research relevant keywords to integrate into content.
4. New vehicle previews.
New vehicles could be trending topics. If the dealership is expecting new models to roll into the showroom, focus an article on them. Be sure to include pictures and, of course, optimize with relevant keywords/phrases.
5. Feature snippet articles.
A feature snippet typically includes a bullet point of information that answers a specific question or is related to a keyword phrase. In addition, search engines like Google will have questions about what others are searching for or asking related to a specific search phrase or question. Dealerships might use these questions and integrate them into content; use bullets as the answers. The goal is to have this content show up as the featured snippet that answers a popular question that’s queried on the search engines.
Don’t Forget the Google My Business Listing
Another way that a dealership can be sure that they are visible online is to claim their Google My Business listing. Make sure all the information is up-to-date about the dealership. Add other information as needed, and think about encouraging customers to leave a review, too.
Whatever contact information and address is included on the Google My Business listing also should be used on any other listing throughout the web. This includes ad content, the dealership website, etc. All information about the business should match up to Google My Business. Consistency is crucial.
Get Blogging
Dealerships that don’t currently integrate a blog into their content marketing strategy might consider adding this resource via their website. A blog can provide customers and site visitors with useful information about the dealership and help them learn about upcoming models and events, too.
Dealerships also can include a link to blog articles on their social media accounts to ensure that followers see all the latest updates. Not only can blog articles serve as yet another resource for potential customers, but it also can help the dealership reach a wider audience by offering content that is designed to answer common questions and offer useful information related to these trending topics.