If you own or manage any kind of car-related business, like a car dealership or a tire shop, making sure your website shows up on Google is really important.

People who want to buy cars or get car services often search online first, so having a good position in Google search results using automotive SEO can help bring in more customers.

Even though there are ads on Google, most people still trust the regular search results more. That’s why it’s essential to keep your website up-to-date and in good shape so it shows up when people search.

But, Google is always changing how it ranks websites, so it’s important to keep an eye on those changes. Here are some important things to think about.

• 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.

Now that we know these important things, let’s look at the top six ways to make your car business stand out on Google in 2024 and help it grow using automotive SEO.

1. Write Compelling, Original Content

   Write engaging and original stuff and make use of special features in Google search results.

   For car businesses, this means writing detailed and helpful content that keeps people interested.

   Examples include blog posts, guides for buying cars, and reviews of different vehicles that tell a good story. The content should also be keyword-rich (but not keyword-stuffing) by including keywords related to the vehicle or product you’re selling. For example, your 2024 Toyota Corolla vehicle page should include keywords related to “2024 Toyota Corolla” in the headings and description section. Adding these keywords will help the page rank for search terms related to “2024 Toyota Corolla”.

2. Leverage Video SEO

   Videos are effective for promoting a car dealership or an automotive business. Videos are a fun way to show off cars, demonstrate their features, and share what customers think.

   A recent survey found that using videos helped 86% of businesses get more people visiting their websites, and 87% made more sales.

   So, as a business, you should take advantage of this and use video to get noticed on search engines and social media.

   When you make videos, make sure to include words that people might search for in the titles, descriptions, and tags. This helps your videos show up when people look for things online.

   You can also make short and interesting videos that show off what’s great about the cars you’re selling. This can catch people’s attention and bring them to your website.

3. Assure that Your Website is Mobile-Friendly

   Most people use their phones to search for things online. That’s why it’s really important to make sure your website looks good and works well on phones if you want it to do well in online searches.

   Google, the big search engine, now looks at the mobile version of your website first when deciding where to put it in search results. That means if your website isn’t good for phones, it might not show up as high in Google’s results.

   So, what can you do to make sure your website is good for people using phones?

   First, make sure it changes to fit different screen sizes automatically. This means it should look good whether someone’s looking at it on a phone, tablet, or computer.

   Next, make sure it’s easy to use on a phone. Buttons should be big enough to tap with a finger, and the writing should be easy to read without zooming in too much.

   Finally, make sure it’s easy for people to find what they’re looking for. A good example is this dealership’s website. They make it easy for people to see important stuff like pictures of cars, specifications, prices, and buttons to click.

4. Improve your Local SEO

   If you run a car business and want to get more customers from your area, local SEO is incredibly important.

   First, make sure you claim and make the most of your Google Business Profile. This helps people find you when they search for car stuff nearby.

   Next, use words on your website that people in your area might search for. And get involved in local events to make sure people know about you.

   It’s also really helpful to have good reviews from people who’ve bought cars from you before. Most people check out reviews online before they buy anything, especially cars. So, if happy customers leave good reviews, it can help bring in more customers.

5. Gain Authority Through Strategic Link Building

   Getting links from other websites tells search engines that your website is trustworthy and knows what it’s talking about.

   If you have a car business, try to get links from good car websites, local business lists, and places where car news is shared.

   These links not only help your website show up better in search results but also bring more people to your website, making more people know about your business and trust it.

   For example, a dealership can earn backlinks from sponsoring local events. This helps their website look more trustworthy and brings in more people who might want to buy cars from them.

6. Keep Your Car Dealership Website Healthy with Technical SEO

   Technical SEO helps make sure search engines can understand and use your website properly, which is super important for how well it does in search results.

   By checking your website regularly, you can find and fix things like slow loading, broken links, or having the same content in more than one place.

   Having a website that works well technically makes it easier for search engines to find and show your website when people search for things online.

Using these six automotive SEO tips will help more people find your car dealership or automotive business online and help you attract more prospective clients through the door!