Local SEO Strategies for Car Dealerships

Buying a car is a long winded and, at times, exhausting process for consumers. It can take months for them to find the ideal vehicle, let alone a dealership they want to work with. Do you want that dealership they choose to be yours? Of course, you do! That's the business you're in, after all. But, dealerships have been struggling lately due to the increased usage of online resources for car buying.

If you want a chance at getting your dealership noticed by customers, you must show up repeatedly, standing out from the other dealerships.

Car Dealership

How do you stand out though? It starts with appearing in their online searches. A study published by Think with Google documented that 76% of people who search on their smartphones for something nearby visit a business within a day. For this reason, making your dealership easily found on search engines should be a top priority. To do so, enter CMG Solutions and car dealer SEO.

CMG Solutions uses a unique marketing approach explicitly made for your business to optimize your site and gain organic SEO traffic. With the right partner, your dealership can reach thousands of customers searching for precisely what you have to offer.

What Is SEO For Car Dealers?

First, let's explain what SEO is. SEO stands for search engine optimization, which enhances your website and web presence so that search engines can more easily find your site and offer it as an option for related queries. Specifically for a car dealership, this could refer to your offered car models and services. SEO for car dealers combines onsite and offsite optimizations to improve your site's ranking in the search results to attract as many relevant consumers as possible.

Why SEO For Car Dealerships Is Important

Research has shown that people in the market for a new car spend 60% of their time online rather than in-store. Their interactions with your dealership online will play a big part in their decision to enter your brick-and-mortar location. Understanding why this is and how it matters to your dealership is crucial in improving your SEO.



Like any other consumer, customers looking for a new car will research the car they want and the right dealership. Factors that influence this decision include:

  • Cost

  • Location

  • Features

  • Reviews

Entering a dealership is the final step in the car-buying process. This is where buyers make final assessments, test drive, and purchase their new vehicle. Naturally, you want the dealership they do this with to be your own. That's why car dealer SEO matters. When it becomes time for this final step, they'll find the dealership they want to work with online. If your dealership's SEO is too far behind the times, you won't show up for that "where-should-I-buy-it" moment and, in turn, miss out on the profits.

Benefits of SEO For Car Dealerships

When wanting to revamp your dealership's SEO, there are countless ways to stand out. Perhaps the three simplest ways are clearly displayed: detailed pricing information, interactions with past customers, and third-party site advertising. CMG's comprehensive SEO plan will capitalize on these methods to bring customers who genuinely need your services.

Additionally, working with CMG on your SEO will significantly benefit your dealership. Use CMGs SEO expertise to gain:

  • A competitive edge, ranking your web pages above the competitors

  • Increases organic traffic to your website

  • More targeted and qualified leads

  • Increased brand awareness

  • Improved search engine results (SERPs) ranking

  • Building brand trust and credibility

  • Boosts your website's user experience

  • Higher engagement rate, traffic, and conversion rates

  • An affordable long-term strategy

  • Results are easily quantifiable

Search engine optimization is the way to go when you're looking to generate longevity in brand awareness, increase your target audiences, and earn more. SEO has the power to improve your site while adding content, optimizing keywords for a better rank, maximizing the effectiveness of campaigns, and expanding your reach.

SEO has immense benefits for websites and can lead to long-term exponential growth. Investing in SEO for your car dealership can build credibility and trust with audiences, making it a pivotal part of a digital marketing strategy.

5 SEO Tips For Auto Dealerships

Now that we have a firm grasp on what SEO for car dealers is and why it matters, it's time to put it to use. CMG recommends the following SEO practices to ensure your dealership ranks high in the SERPs.

Have Optimized Local Service Landing Pages

A landing page is the part of your website that informs the search engine whether or not you're credible. It contains your address, contact info, and other information relevant to your location/service area. This is the ideal spot to take advantage of location and industry-related keywords for a more favorable search ranking. To optimize your local SEO page:

  • Use creative headlines with keywords

  • Include product and internal links

  • Shine a spotlight on your local talent

  • Create unique ad copy

  • Use a local CTA

  • Track web page interactions

  • Showcase locally recognizable images

  • Use HTML title tags

  • Build backlinks

Build A Mobile-Friendly Website

Search engines have changed how they do things, basing results on mobile website formats rather than desktop versions. They've made the switch based on research showing that 71% of users' interactions happened on mobile configurations. Hence, delivering a positive experience for car buyers who research on their phones is essential. To ensure customers stick around once they get to your site, have an easy-to-follow web design, fast site speeds, and that each page is responsive on a mobile platform. Keep the most relevant information promptly displayed, as most people will only spend 54 seconds looking at a page.

Utilize Your Google My Business Profile (GMB)

A Google My Business profile is a tool that enables users to manage a Business Profile on Google. Despite what some people believe, creating a Business Profile doesn't allow you to edit the business listing. For that, you need to create a free Google My Business account. Google My Business (GMB) gives you the power to customize, manage, and enhance your listing on Google, allowing you to interact with customers, highlight your business, gain insight, and improve your local car dealer SEO.

A GMG profile will allow you to add images, an important part of the beginning of a car buyer's journey. It's also a valuable place to win over potential customers by keeping tabs on your reviews and promptly responding to them.

Use Google Posts

Google Posts allows users to post directly on search engine results pages (SERPs). Posts can be up to 300 words and should include a photo, a date range if events happen, and a call to action customers can click on. Keep in mind these posts are only active for seven days. However, they're a great way to show potential clients you regularly check your listings to ensure accuracy. It's also a great way to catch the attention of search engine crawlers.

Register Your Business With Local Business Directories

Your local business directory should have any and all information relevant to your business, such as your dealership's name, address, phone number, website, business hours, and other basic information on the web. The local listing pops up when someone searches "XYZ dealership Ohio." When sharing your information with the local business directory, make sure that:

  • The information listed is consistent with how it's presented in other listings.

  • The information is accurate and up-to-date.

CMG: Boosting Your Car Dealership Visibility One Key Stroke at a Time.

Building recognition and trust for your car dealership through SEO is no small task and won't happen overnight. That's why you need a marketing partner you can rely on, one that's been in the game for a long time and can anticipate upcoming trends. You need a team that can genuinely make your dealership appear in the search results, reach your target audience, and help you achieve your business goals. You need CMG Local Solutions.

Why should you choose CMG as your SEO partner? Our content reaches 52 million people each week. We only work with industry leaders. You're bound to see meaningful results when you combine top-level SEO management with the firm that gets its clients noticed. When you choose CMG, you'll see improvements in your SEO each day. Everything we do is centered on conversions - not just grabbing eyeballs but impacting your bottom line. We create customized marketing solutions to solve your dealerships' needs and drive real results that matter to you.

To improve your standing in the SERPs and optimize your SEO, contact CMG Solutions.


Are you ready to get started?


Facebook Marketing Partner
Google Ads Partner
graphical user interface, text, chat or text message
optimize 360 logo
logo, icon
logo, company name
graphical user interface, application, Word
logo, company name
logo, company name
a drawing of a face
Facebook Marketing Partner
Google Ads Partner
graphical user interface, text, chat or text message
optimize 360 logo
logo, icon
logo, company name
graphical user interface, application, Word
logo, company name
logo, company name
a drawing of a face

Our Partners and Publishers

When it comes to your digital marketing, we only partner with the top leaders in the industry to help get you the best results possible. Because we're a part of CMG, digital advertising with us is credible, accessible, data-driven and transparent.