Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

A dealer explores strategies for marketing fleet and corporate vehicle programs to local businesses, moving beyond traditional outreach to build genuine relationships with decision-makers. Contributors emphasize that authentic networking—whether through social media, local conferences, or community involvement—yields better results than direct sales pitches, with one participant noting that the depth of relationships matters more than the breadth of connections made.

Alex Snyder argues that dealer search engine marketing has evolved into a third stage requiring more sophisticated paid search strategies, noting that over half of U.S. dealerships still don't use PPC at all. The thread quickly becomes a debate about Dealer.com's 'Total Control Dominator' product, with tension over promotional comments in what was intended as a non-commercial post, ultimately resolved when Alex loosened the rules to allow product discussion. Key questions emerge about whether automated SEM tools offer real advantages over skilled manual Google Ads management for automotive dealers.

A dealer asks why Google Analytics reports only 7 visits from Google Places while Places itself shows 114 click-throughs in the same period, and whether to trust one source over the other. Respondents explain that different tracking tools use different measurement logic and definitions (e.g., how they count "leads"), making exact matches impossible, and recommend selecting one primary reporting source while using others for validation and standardizing how you define key metrics across all tools.

A vendor seeking a template contract for providing SEO and website services to a dealership asks for a basic starting point. The single reply suggests checking Microsoft Office Online templates for generic vendor contracts, while acknowledging that professional legal counsel would likely be necessary for a customized agreement. The thread offers limited concrete solutions beyond these two broad directions.

A dealer seeks low-cost options to create and distribute newsletters to sold and unsold customers through their CRM. The thread discusses multiple approaches including Blogger, WordPress, RSS feeds, and dedicated email services like MailChimp and Constant Contact, with consensus that WordPress on a custom domain is preferable for flexibility and ease of updating. **Key insight:** While low-cost solutions exist, participants emphasize that success depends more on quality content and professional presentation than the platform chosen, and that using a dedicated email service (rather than embedding content in emails) is essential for deliverability and CAN-SPAM compliance.

A new sponsorship representative seeks advice on approaching automotive dealers with a sports complex sponsorship opportunity in Virginia, offering naming rights, vehicle placement, and signage to an anticipated 300,000+ annual visitors. Experienced community members recommend direct outreach to dealer owners and GMs using a car raffle angle as an entry point, and suggest leveraging industry associations like VADA and HRADA to build initial connections. The key insight is that personal, targeted outreach combined with industry organization networking is more effective than passive sponsorship pitches.

TuneyFish (Scott) offers a free one-month trial of content publishing and SEO services for dealership websites, starting April 20, 2010, highlighting how frequent, unique blog content drives Google rankings and generates first-page results for dealer brands. Multiple dealers express interest and request information through private channels, with Scott confirming he's sent proposals to interested participants. The thread demonstrates strong market demand for turnkey blogging solutions among dealership professionals, though no technical details or results are discussed in the public forum.

Members discuss using Facebook's Static FBML app to display vehicle inventory on dealership fan pages as a low-cost alternative to expensive solutions. While the original poster's implementation works reliably, several users experience inconsistent results across browsers and Facebook accounts, with some suspecting Facebook's upcoming platform changes and deprecation of certain features may be causing the technical issues.

Dealers share frustrations with AutoTrader.com's 'blitz' tactic, where out-of-area sales reps descend on markets to push upgrades or new sign-ups, with complaints about aggressive pitches, pricing, and photo caps on packages. An AutoTrader employee defends the product by comparing its cost favorably to traditional media, while others note the blitzes were reportedly discontinued. The thread devolves into a messy back-and-forth between dealers, anonymous insiders, and competing reps from Cars.com, revealing deep skepticism about third-party listing site value.

The thread discusses a technique for generating website traffic by posting questions on Yahoo Answers using fake accounts and then answering those questions with links back to your site, with emphasis on targeting long-tail keywords rather than broad search terms. Participants share their experiences testing this method, with one dealer confirming it still works when combined with proper keyword research and link building, though another admitted his earlier attempt failed due to poor keyword targeting.

A DealerRefresh user reports rumors and confirms that AutoTrader.com has acquired vAuto, with an official press release expected to follow. While the acquisition is confirmed, community reaction appears cautious, with at least one dealer expressing uncertainty about what the consolidation means for the industry. The thread is brief and lacks substantive discussion of the deal's implications.

A GSM proposes implementing SMS text-for-more-info functionality for vehicle inventory, prompting discussion of whether automotive dealers should adopt real estate-style texting solutions versus mobile web and QR code approaches. Two vendors (DealerHD and BlueAuto Interactive) share positive implementations offering vehicle information delivery via SMS with links to mobile sites, with one dealer noting that "send to mobile" service coupons are outperforming inventory texting. The emerging consensus suggests integrated mobile marketing solutions provide tangible value through lead generation and conversion, though the thread leaves open the question of which approach (SMS versus QR codes) will dominate long-term.

The thread argues that dealerships should prioritize customer feedback and reputation management as social media goals rather than focusing solely on sales and lead generation. Multiple contributors emphasize that implementing automated review request processes for both sales and service customers—despite initial fears of negative feedback—actually builds dealership culture, demonstrates transparency, and generates predominantly positive results that can be addressed constructively when issues arise.

Dealers debate whether price quote emails should use graphics/professional layouts or plain text, with concerns about spam filtering and mobile compatibility offsetting presentation benefits. The consensus recommendation is a balanced approach: PDFs offer the best solution as they bypass spam filters, display professionally on all devices, and can include attachments like window stickers, while plain text emails with minimal branding elements are safer than graphic-heavy designs. Key technical considerations include server whitelisting, spam score testing, and understanding that image-heavy emails often require recipients to manually enable image viewing anyway.

This thread debates how Google Instant's auto-complete feature will reshape search behavior and digital marketing strategy for car dealers, with particular concern that it will suppress long-tail keyword searches in favor of shorter, more generic queries. Participants discuss downstream effects including reduced organic search visibility for local dealers, increased PPC impression metrics (potentially inflating performance reports), and lower click-through rates, ultimately suggesting that dealers must invest heavily in PPC advertising to maintain visibility as users rely more on auto-suggested short-tail searches rather than typing complete local queries.

Dealers discussing PCG's CarPortApp for WordPress microsites report mostly positive early results, with users like Miami Used Cars and Stevinson Lexus noting increased leads and improved search rankings after a few months of implementation. While the product appears flexible and SEO-friendly, one user cautioned about integration challenges with existing WordPress themes and slow setup support during busy periods. The consensus suggests CarPortApp is a solid tool worth considering, though success depends on patience for results and smooth technical implementation.

Dealers and marketers debate whether Google Instant poses a threat to automotive SEO, particularly long-tail search terms that drive dealership traffic. The thread splits between those who see it as a content-first opportunity and skeptics like Joe Pistell who argue most users lack the technical savvy to benefit from predictive search. The emerging consensus leans toward content quality remaining paramount, while acknowledging reduced organic real estate and an uncertain impact on long-tail keyword strategy.

Dealers using Cobalt's mandated website platform discuss whether they can create a separate, custom-branded website while keeping Cobalt solely for factory leads, with multiple respondents confirming this dual-site strategy has no negative SEO or manufacturer consequences. The thread also covers best practices for platform migration (301 redirects, URL structure preservation) and includes debate about whether to customize existing CMS platforms or build entirely new sites, with most agreeing that running parallel websites—one for brand differentiation and customer experience, one for factory compliance—is an effective solution.

Automotive dealers seek examples of female-focused automotive blogs to build a local version, and discover "Lauren Wants To Know" by McCarthy Auto Group as an excellent model that combines Ask Patty-style advice with strong video and blog engagement. The discussion highlights the success of Lauren's content strategy and sparks interest from multiple dealers wanting to learn from her approach or collaborate with her. The thread underscores demand within the dealer community for more professional female voices and content creators in automotive marketing.

Dealers and vendor partners debate whether SEO is dying, with discussion spanning social media's rise, a reported 16% decline in search volume, Google Instant's launch, and the role of the down economy. The thread's key takeaway is that SEO isn't dead but is evolving — quality content, strong link-building, and social signals are increasingly intertwined, and dismissing any single channel is premature. Google Instant generated particular debate, with mixed reactions split largely along generational lines.

The thread examines traffic data from Compete.com for automotive dealer review sites and debates which platforms dealers should prioritize. Participants broadly agree that DealerRater.com and Google Maps are the most valuable platforms, but stress that success requires active dealership involvement — training salespeople, responding to reviews, and resolving negative feedback — rather than simply creating a profile. A key takeaway is that online reviews are increasingly outpacing traditional advertising in consumer influence, particularly among younger buyers.

The thread debates whether automotive marketers' zealous promotion of SEO/PPC as superior to third-party classified sites mirrors religious dogma, with the original poster drawing parallels to how the industry once dismissed print advertising. Participants conclude that dealers' complaints about classified site fees stem from specific frustrations (lost early-adopter advantages, changing ROI metrics), and that the real issue is not which channel is "evil" but rather that marketing dollars should follow where consumers actually shop—whether that's Google, AutoTrader, or Cars.com—rather than following guru ideology.