Top Rankings are losing ground
So the SEO game seems to be evolving a bit. Over the past few years, content has been king and linking has been vital for rankings. But the idea of ranking is now shifting and the where, why, and how you rank is changing. Pretty soon, keyword ranking as we know it will be obsolete.
This is not something to be alarmed about. It’s actually a good thing. It gives more dimension and dynamic to searching and softens the elitist effect that websites often establish by out-spendig competitor sites.
For instance, dealers love to show up in the top positions of keyword searches such as brand+state or brand+dealer. But these 2-word phrases lack important information that filters in quality site visitors. Brand+state does not tell a search engine what about the brand you want. Do you want a car, a part, service, financing, a dealer, and where in the state do you want this and why? Sure a dealer has all these things but the 2-word phrase does not distinguish this. A brand+dealer phrase does not pinpoint a geo market, thus the search engine at best would filter your results based on the geo proximity of your ISP.
As a result, showing up in the top ranks of these searches brings more lower quality traffic to your site than something like brand+dealership+city which tells a search engine precisely what about the brand you are seeking and more precisely where. The quantity of searches between the two often confuses people because the brand+state and brand+dealer phrases receive significantly more searches than brand+dealership+city. Thus, if you have the capital you can afford to position your site in these less specific keyword markets.
This is all Search 101 but the reason I bring it up is because soon Google will be filtering results for people based on previous searches and sites being visited, information stored on your computer as cookies. Thus a brand+state search will start showing different results for someone that has been searching for parts related to a brand versus someone searching for financing related to the brand. However, you won’t be able to position your site in targeted markets like you can today because your position will be influenced by user variables you do not control.
What this comes down to is that showing up in the top rankings is losing its significance. You will not be able to position your site in specific keyword markets as effectively because the same keyword phrase will have different meanings for everyone searching based on their recent behavior. Thus, the key to driving quality traffic to your site will be more impacted by how effectively you can appear in un-anticipated keyword markets AND offer a sticky experience to these un-anticipated users.
Lots more to come on this subject.
Automotive Providers not addressing Consumer Needs
Cobalt and Yahoo have been rolling out some good data on automotive consumer behavior trends and I had the fortune of sitting in on their training session Sunday at NADA in the San Francisco this year.
I was really taken at how they had actual data to show what buyers want today:
- Competitive prices
- A good buying experience
If you think about it though, what customers want today hasn’t really changed. What has changed is consumers’ access to the right information and the ability to attain real leverage in the buying process. Dealerships that are genuinely responsive to this are the winners.
The challenge though is “how”?
When I look at the Automotive Search Marketing products and techniques out there, I don’t see this “consumer interest” truly being met the way it should be. A lot of the reason why has to do with the fact that most providers are not responding to the consumers’ true needs and interests. They provide technology for dealers to manage a process, or, they provide marketing that caters to old-school dealer sales techniques. What confuses dealers is that they have outdated marketing strategies wrapped around complicated technology.
Blogging of course is changing this. Blogging not only addresses the SEO need. It also addresses the 32% factor, that is, the 32% of buyers that do not buy within 90 days of submitting their first web inquiry. A good blog that is incorporated effectively should accomplish what a newsletter does except that it works for you ALL MONTH LONG, not just one week a month.
If you break it down to the bare bones benefits (SEO and CRM), it shouldn’t be confusing to dealers.
My message today with dealers is that when leads and prospects come into their realm,
“The goal should be to attain a relationship, not a sale.”
Dealers need to demonstrate to customers that they can and will assist them with their immediate automobile needs and interests as well as their long-term interests.
Online Marketing through Blogging
Imagine having hundreds or thousands of local customers who knew that the next time they buy a car, they’re buying it from you. That’s what blogging can get you.
Think blogs are just online journals? Think again. According to a recent article in Dealer’s Edge, customers are not only visiting dealer blogs — they’re coming back. Blogs inherently create a community feel, maybe as a result of their diary style origins. The sense of community in the blogging world can create intense customer loyalty and can get people involved and in touch with your business, even when they’re not yet in the active buying stage.
Blogging can “show consumers that your dealer employs real people, gives back to the community, and operates a business under ethical standards,” says Jeff Kershner, founder of Dealer Refresh, an automotive sales and Internet marketing consulting firm and blog. Customers and readers can ask questions and leave comments in a much more informal style than would be necessary with a traditional, static website, and that can make your potential customers much more comfortable initiating contact.
Once your potential customers have initiated contact, you have the opportunity to create a two-way relationship with them. You can position yourself as an expert, someone your readers can go to when they need help or advice. One recent entry on Checkered Blog, the offshoot blog of the Checkered Flag website, featured the question of a reader who wanted to know what to do when someone keyed their car. The manager of the Collision Center answered the question for all of their readers to see, creating the start of a valuable community resource.
The person who reads that entry today may not have had their car keyed, but six months from now, they’ll remember you answered the question and there’s a good chance they’ll come back.
The possibilities here are only limited by your imagination. You don’t just have to talk about selling cars, either you can discuss maintenance issues, after market ideas, even talk about the benefits of getting a new paint job. With each new entry, you can gain more and more search engine traffic, and give more and more people a reason to come back.
The beauty of this strategy is that you’re not limited to an audience of people already in the market to buy a car. Modern consumers are educated and savvy, and often on the defensive when it comes time to buy. As you become a trusted resource — one that isn’t pushing for a sale or asking for anything in return for their advice and information — you stay on your customer’s radar for years to come. When it comes time to buy a new car, they’ll think of you, and not your competition.
Chances are, pretty much everyone in your area is going to buy another car someday. They may as well buy it from you, and a sharp social media marketing strategy might be just the way to make that happen.
