There is a divide in the SEO community between behaviors that are considered unethical and those that are merely pushing the rules to the limit. As a dealer, you have the opportunity to choose who performs your SEO and what tactics they use to enhance your rankings. It’s up to you to make sure that your SEO’s tactics fall in line with Google’s quality guidelines in order to maintain a long term ranking strategy.

As with any industry, unethical behavior is a grey area. Everyone has an opinion about what is acceptable and what is not – the key is to educate yourself enough to be able to make your own judgments. However, I’d like to make the argument that an SEO should know, understand and abide by the quality guidelines set forth by the search engines in performing optimization services. In my book, not doing so quite often constitutes unethical behavior.

Gaming the Search Engines

The quantity and quality of links pointing to your site have a direct impact on your rankings. As a result, many SEOs will attempt to inflate rankings by participating in link schemes. Popular methods include purchasing links from third parties or creating a portfolio of websites solely intended to boost client rankings. The latter method is fairly prevalent in the automotive industry, so I’ll explain in more detail.

In this example, your SEO will have a portfolio of websites that they create/host/manage themselves, which will likely have some sort of “Popular Links” section in the sidebar area of each website. They will build up their portfolio over time, adding more websites to the mix and adding additional highly optimized direct-match keyword links in the “Popular Links” section. They will sell SEO “services” to clients, but a large part of that will include adding links to these sites.

Is this SEO? Hardly. It’s lazily gaming the search engines in an effort to inflate rankings. In the short term, this method has the potential to work wonders – but do you really think that Google will allow this sort of “SEO” to flourish in the long term? Is your SEO doing you a disservice by only providing you with links that violate the quality guidelines? What happens when you stop paying for services from this company – will the links that you purchased remain intact?

No Shortcuts

As with any sort of advertising/marketing, there are no shortcuts. Good SEO/inbound-marketing takes time, patience, and creativity – none of which are exemplified by SEOs who solely participate in link schemes. They’re out for a quick buck, and you deserve a more ethical approach for the price that you pay. Do your research, explore the previous work performed by your SEO, and use backlink search engines like Open Site Explorer to verify where your SEO obtains their links. Knowledge is power in this field, and we shouldn’t encourage such behavior in our industry.

Will a few directory submissions and paid links kill your rankings? Probably not, but it all depends on the diversity of your link portfolio. In fact, with the current state of Google’s algorithm, it might even be necessary to possess a portion paid links with exact match anchor text to rank for certain location specific queries – so long as you understand the long term risks that those links carry. If your entire link portfolio consists of paid links or links from your SEO’s farm of websites, you’d better think about looking elsewhere before the algorithm changes to discount the value that those links provide.

Long Term SEO

The real key to a long term SEO strategy is to create something of value for the user. Create something that people want to link to. Unfortunately, dealers are at a bit of a disadvantage here largely due to customer demographics and lackluster website solutions like Cobalt (and don’t even get me started on Cobalt’s “SEO” products).

Will someone with the skills necessary to make a website think your Cobalt site is great enough to link to it? I highly doubt it. You’ll need something new, innovative, fresh, and useful. Be the first in your niche to offer a custom “build-your-vehicle” feature or a simple & clean shopping cart solution to save vehicles of interest for return visits. Write a highly informative blog post about the newest offering from you manufacturer with more information, photos, and media than the manufacturer has on their own website and submit the page to Reddit or post it on Facebook. Do your best to provide resources that other websites don’t have, but don’t expect to grab a strong portfolio of links when your website looks, feels, and functions in the exact same way as your competitor down the street – and no, adding your logo to the top of the page doesn’t constitute “innovation.”

The days of set-it-and-forget-it website solutions are over. For a long term SEO strategy, you need to be constantly providing value to your users in an attempt to grab links, attract social followers, and sell vehicles. It’s the future of marketing and customer retention, and if you’re not already on-board, then you’re already losing the race.

How do you feel about SEO in the automotive industry?

Do you believe that paid links are unethical?

Are you ready to start 2012 with a competitive online game plan?

The Digital Dealer Workshops are bringing you everything you need to succeed online. Two distinctively different tracks will be offered and are customized to your level of experience: the dealer who feels behind on their e-commerce education and the dealer who is prepared but wants to excel.

Topics include social media to website analytics and maximizing your CRM to converting leads. The workshops have been carefully crafted to give you the essential information to grow your business. Digital Dealer understands how critical education is to your success so they are bringing the best information to you.

WHEN:
Tuesday, January 17, 2012, 8:00am – 6:00pm
Workshops begin at 10:00am.

WHERE:
Hilton Houston Post Oak
2001 Post Oak Blvd., Houston, Texas, 77056
Less than one mile from the Galleria area
Tel: 1-713-961-9300

REGISTRATION:
TADA Members: $199
Non-TADA Members: $399

Click here to register

WHO SHOULD ATTEND:
Dealers, GMs, GSMs, Internet Sales Managers, e-Commerce Directors,
CRM Managers, BDC Managers and Fixed Operations Managers
Dealers, bring your managers. Managers, bring your dealers.

FOUR WORKSHOP TRACKS:
Track 1: 360 Degrees of Automotive e-Commerce
This track is designed for dealers that know they “don’t get it” but understand the importance of it. This classroom style workshop will run the entire day with four consecutive workshops that will take you through the fundamentals of digital marketing and online sales. This workshop will have you leaving with the confidence to approach your Internet strategies.

Tracks 2-4: Intermediate to advanced education: Attendees can choose any workshops within these tracks as desired throughout the day.
Track 2: Social Media and New Technologies
Track 3: Sales, Process and Fixed Operations
Track 4: Websites, Marketing and Analytics

At the one day Digital Dealer Workshop you will learn essential information for online success, including:

• Maximizing online sales
  
• Improving online marketing
  
• Developing strategies for SEM and SEO
  
• Maximizing your social media and reputation management
  
• Creating e-commerce strategies
  
• Maximizing brand recognition
  
• Improving sales processes
  
• Demonstrations on emerging technologies
  
• Gaining market share
  
• Reducing costs and increasing gross profit
  
• Maximizing other profit centers

AGENDA:
7:00-7:50am Registration and Exhibit Floor Open
8:00-8:50am Breakfast: Dealer-to-Dealer problem-solving roundtable session
9:00-9:50am Exhibitor Floor Open
10:00-10:50am Workshops
11:00-11:50am Workshops
12:00-1:50pm Lunch: Dealer-to-Dealer problem-solving roundtable session
2:00-2:50pm Exhibitor Floor Open
3:00-3:50pm Workshops
4:00-4:50pm Workshops
5:00-6:00pm Cocktail Hour; Exhibit Floor Open

REGISTRATION:
TADA Members: $199
Non-TADA Members: $399

Click here to register

If you’re traveling from out of town we have secured a discounted room block for $129 plus tax per night.  Reservations can be made from the Digital Dealer Workshops website, or ask for the Digital Dealer Workshops when booking.

Questions?
Contact  [email protected]
Website:  http://www.digitaldealerworkshops.com
Facebook:  Login to view embedded media View: https://www.facebook.com/events/272274909491031/

Hashtag: #DDW

Sessions:
360 Degrees of Automotive e-Commerce
April Rain, CEO of Digital Rain Training
Marc McGurren is the Internet Director for the Jerry Durant Auto Group
This workshop will give you the confidence to approach your Internet strategies and will help you build success when handling lead management, e-commerce, digital marketing and online sales. You’ll be empowered by learning about the tools that will maximize your resources. Learn the best practices for working and closing online customers.

It’s all about the Show, Baby!
David Metter, President of Automotive for HookLogic.
The evolution of Internet lead management has lead dealers to understand that their main focus has to be on driving quality customers from their leads into the showroom floor.

Mobile Marketing and the Dealer
Ben Anderson, President of AutoMotionTV
Creating, Promoting, and Executing an Effective Mobile Marketing Strategy for Your Dealership

Using Auto Shopper Data to Learn More about Every Lead
Jason Ezell, President and Co-Founder of Dataium LLC
By collecting every keystroke and click of over 34 million auto shoppers in the market today, we have a better understanding of their behavior, shopping trends, advertising effectiveness and vehicle sales predictions than ever before.

Practices to Improve Customer Retention
Bill Wittenmyer, Vice President of eLEAD CRM
Managing a customers life-cycle for maximum profit and long-term value.

7 Online Strategies to Double Your Fixed Ops Profit in 2012
Jeff Clark, DealerOn Inc., VP of Sales & Business Development
Dealers will learn seven online strategies they can implement in 2012 to double their Fixed Operations Net Profits

LIVE Mystery Phone Shop
Jerry Thibeau, founder and president of Phone Ninjas
How would your dealership measure up if mystery shopped by telephone?

7 Secrets To Internet Marketing
Larry Bruce, CEO of MicrositesByU
This session will help intermediate to advanced internet managers and dealers better understand the components of internet marketing and how they all work together to produce greater results.

360 Degrees of Automotive e-Commerce
Jeremy Anspach, co-founder of PureCars
This is a classroom style workshop running the entire day with four consecutive workshops that will take you through the fundamentals of digital marketing and online sales. If you are a dealer that just doesn’t get it yet, but understands its importance, then this is the workshop for you.

Connecting with Customers in Every Moment of Truth
Ed Parkin, VP of Sales for ContactAtOnce
As the concept of ZMOT (Zero Moment of Truth) gains traction within the industry, learn how to be present at Every Moment of Truth during the sales process.

The Future of Digital Finance
Pete MacInnis, founder of DealerCentric
How Dealers will respond to consumer demand for terms of loan approval, while car shopping online!

How Search Has Radically Changed The Way Consumers Shop For Cars
Julio Gonzalez, Internet Director at Moore & Scarry Advertising
Figures and Stats on why Search Engines are changing the search landscape and what you need to do to stay ahead. How to target, budget, and increase traffic to your website.

I read this article on Searchengineland.com the other morning. The basic point is this: brick-and-mortar stores that have ecommerce websites (so that they can conduct actual click-to-sale transactions online from their paid search advertising) receive $6 worth of OFFLINE, IN-STORE sales from their paid search spending for every $1 they receive in click-to-sale revenue online.

I find that to be a truly startling statistic. If a brick-and-mortar business that sells online is only looking at click-to-sale ROI, are they under-counting the return on their paid search by a factor of 600%?

The ramifications for car dealers are tremendous. If you are only evaluating your PPC from the website leads and subsequent sales that your ad budget is generating, you may be dramatically mis-evaluating your program and mis-allocating your marketing budget.

According to NADA Data 2011, only 24% of the average franchise dealer’s 2010 marketing budget is Internet-related spending. The average dealer spent $6,600 per month in online advertising in 2010.

Here’s a quick breakdown of Dealer Spending by Marketing Channel in 2010.



As you can see, while online spending is higher than any other single channel, it is still not even a quarter of a typical dealer’s total spend. I wonder if dealers aren’t spending more online because they are under-valuing the return on their paid search budgets by only tracking form submissions. I always recommend to our dealers that if you are doing paid search advertising, you should ABSOLUTELY use call tracking so that you can account for the phone calls you’re driving with your ad spend.

It is incredible that it has taken until 2010 for Internet ad spending to FINALLY pass newspaper spending in the average car dealer’s marketing mix. Here are the changes that have taken place over this decade in Internet vs. Newspaper:



While the Internet has passed newspaper in car dealer’s ad budgets, dealers are still spending over 20% of their advertising dollars on print. I know many dealers who have turned their marketing mix “upside down” and are now 70%-90% online vs. traditional and EVERY one of them who has done this has dramatically increased their sales during the process.

Generally, dealers need to be doing paid search. If you’ve had a bad experience with paid search in the past, there may be a myriad of reasons:

1. Wrong Vendor
   
2. Poor Tracking/Reporting
   
3. Too Expensive
   
4. Too Much Time

None of these should be a barrier for a dealership at this point. There are a number of agencies and website companies that can effectively manage paid search on a dealer’s behalf. You should be able to get call tracking as well as website lead tracking for your paid search spend so that you can see exactly how many and which leads came from your PPC campaigns.

If you have Google Analytics on your website, you should be able to get any vendor to provide URL tracking so that you can see visits, bounce rate, time on site, and leads at the keyword level. Remember that for every website lead that you ARE able to track via your form submission reporting (whether it is from your website company or your CRM), you may not even be accounting for several more.

Would you agree that your paid search is driving floor traffic and sales for your dealership?