Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

The thread debates whether dealers should handle SEO in-house, through their website provider, or via outside consultants, with participants emphasizing that effective SEO requires coordination across technical implementation, content creation, and link-building rather than being siloed to one party. A key consensus emerges that website providers should handle foundational SEO infrastructure (meta tags, URLs, site structure), while dealers or outside consultants must drive keyword strategy, content creation, and link-building—and that most SEO campaigns fail because dealers either lack a cohesive strategy or are unwilling to invest the time and money required for results. The thread acknowledges that SEO is a difficult sell in the automotive industry because it requires sustained effort rather than providing immediate, tangible returns.

The thread discusses Seth Godin's SEO strategy framework and applies it to automotive dealerships, with contributors debating the most effective keyword targets. Consensus emerges that dealerships should prioritize owning their own dealership name in search results, followed by local and brand-specific searches, while emphasizing conversion tracking and actual lead generation over vanity rankings. The key insight is that SEO success requires focusing on keywords that actually convert customers rather than simply chasing the most popular or competitive search terms.

An Indie Results representative presents five SEO tactics designed to help dealerships improve search rankings against competitors, emphasizing that these methods are cost-effective and can be systematized for consistent implementation. The post provides minimal detail in the forum itself, with the core content contained in a linked PDF. The key premise is that dealerships don't need expensive or complex SEO strategies to gain competitive advantage—actionable, repeatable steps are sufficient.

J.D. Rucker's post breaks down four common myths that SEO vendors pitch to car dealers — that thousands of indexed pages are necessary, that shoppers search by VIN or individual car, that SEM certification equals SEO expertise, and that Flash sites are unsalvageable. Replies from dealers and vendors largely validate the myths, with notable debate around inventory indexing and long-tail keyword strategy, while a recurring theme emerges that SEO success at dealerships requires team-wide buy-in and smart pricing, not just technical tricks.

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This thread outlines the community guidelines for DealerRefresh's marketing and digital strategy forum section, establishing rules against rudeness, spam, advertising, and low-quality posts. Key policies include prohibitions on personal attacks, meaningless content, post-count manipulation, and spamming across all platform channels, with a 12-hour minimum wait time before bumping posts. The rules aim to maintain a professional and constructive environment for automotive professionals discussing websites, SEO, SEM, and related marketing topics.

Alex Snyder argues that the 2008 recession is the wrong time for dealers to cut spending and the right time to elevate the Internet Director into a senior executive role with real authority and compensation to match. Replies from industry professionals largely agree, debating whether the position should sit at the GM/GSM level, how ISMs are often undervalued and underpaid relative to their impact, and how digital channels are increasingly central to the entire dealership operation, not just vehicle sales. The thread's key insight is that dealers who treat the Internet Director as a top-level strategic role rather than a tech-savvy salesperson will gain a lasting competitive advantage over those who shrink back during the downturn.

Jeff Kershner pushes back against the automotive trade press for aggressively promoting Search Engine Marketing to dealers, arguing that vendors benefit financially at the dealer's expense and that conversion readiness must come before ad spend. Replies expand the conversation into practical territory: whether internet managers should handle PPC in-house, how to track SEO rankings with a reporting tool, how agency fee structures should work, and why exclusivity clauses matter when choosing an SEM vendor. The thread's core takeaway is that dealers should approach SEM skeptically, audit vendor relationships carefully, and ensure their own sites convert before pouring money into paid traffic.

A guest post by Audrey Knoth argues that Web 2.0 and user-generated content are essential tools for dealerships to survive the economic downturn, emphasizing that consumers increasingly trust peer reviews over brand messaging. Replies from industry professionals expand on the theme of dealers losing control of their brand narrative online and debate the cultural shift required — from chasing vehicle leads to building an engaged customer audience. The thread concludes with broad agreement that the crisis is actually an opportunity for forward-thinking dealers to adopt interactive marketing, with concerns raised about vendor readiness and the slow pace of adoption in the industry.

Alex Snyder, part of a third-generation dealership family, opens a discussion about where dealers should draw the line on expense cutting during the economic downturn, drawing on lessons from his grandfather who survived the Great Depression. Replies explore the psychology of fear in the showroom, the challenge of accurately measuring ROI across internet, TV, radio, and print channels, and whether cutting marketing spend does more harm than good. The key tension that emerges is that dealers struggle to justify keeping vendors without reliable attribution data, yet cutting marketing risks accelerating the very decline they fear.

Jeff Kershner shares an observation about Google testing a location/make/model search form tied to Google Base inventory feeds, sparked by a rival Toyota ISM noticing his Mercedes dealer site ranking for Toyota terms. The thread turns into a practical resource discussion, with Kershner naming tools like DeskLot, eBizAuto, BluSolutions, and Autobytel for building inventory feeds, and Brian Pasch pitching his GB Feeder service as a turnkey solution for dealers lacking technical resources. The key takeaway is that getting inventory into Google Base offered a real SEO advantage at the time, and multiple feed options existed for dealers at varying levels of technical ability.

The thread covers YouTube's addition of HD video playback and what it means for dealerships creating inventory walkaround videos and customer testimonials. Jeff Kershner highlights the affordable Flip MinoHD camera (under $250) as an easy entry point, and one dealer chimes in having already filmed 50 vehicle walkarounds and spontaneous customer testimonials using the same approach. The key takeaway is that HD video on YouTube lowers the barrier for dealers to produce professional-looking content without subscribing to a paid video service.

Jeff Kershner speculates about Google testing expandable paid search ads that could display dealer inventory directly in search results, essentially elevating Google Base to a paid advertising play. Commenters are skeptical about the user experience and whether consumers actually search for specific vehicles on Google, while others raise concerns about paid ads crowding out organic results. The thread concludes without consensus, though contributors see potential if Google refines the format to show more inventory with smaller thumbnails.

This thread is a company profile listing for PureDealer, a New Jersey-based dealer website provider that has been operating since 2000, focused on converting website visitors into leads. Early replies include a thank-you from what appears to be a company representative and a brief positive comment from someone who had spoken with a contact there. The thread offers little in-depth review content, making it more of a directory entry than a substantive discussion.

A vendor profile thread on DealerRefresh spotlights Higher Turnover, LLC, a Virginia-based website and online marketing provider focused specifically on independent auto dealers since 2005. Community responses are sparse but generally positive, with one dealer praising the switch to Higher Turnover as professional and reliable, and another commenter taking a jab at cookie-cutter Cobalt sites. The thread offers little in-depth evaluation but serves as a basic directory entry for dealers researching niche website vendors.

Jeff Kershner warns dealers about New Car America after a dealer discovered a 'customer' admitted being paid $5 per lead form submission via a work-from-home scheme, with Dealix ultimately crediting the dealer for the fraudulent leads. The company's representative (Gary) responded defending the business and offering an alternative explanation, while community members debated the evidence and broader issues with third-party lead quality and incentivized lead generation. The key takeaway is that incentivized or arbitrage-sourced leads are a real risk in the third-party lead ecosystem, and dealers should vet providers carefully.

The thread explores whether dealerships should hire a full-time SEO and internet marketing manager, covering what skills and authority that role should carry. A lively debate breaks out over the technical claims of one dealer's internet director, including a dispute about Google crawl frequency and whether his SEO results were self-made or vendor-driven. Practical takeaways emerge around video marketing for used cars, with one dealer sharing that 160 videos published across eight platforms generated 35,000–65,000 monthly views and dominated local search results.

The thread examines a viral PR disaster at Husker BMW of Lincoln, where a poorly managed eBay auction listing without a reserve price — combined with a mockable GM welcome video — spiraled into YouTube parodies and widespread online ridicule. Commenters debate how the dealership mishandled the fallout by failing to respond quickly and transparently, missing a chance to turn the incident into a positive PR moment. The key takeaway is that dealers must always set eBay reserves, monitor their online reputation proactively, and respond to viral mistakes with honest, human communication rather than silence or defensiveness.

An automotive group internet marketing manager vents about chronic delays from dealership staff in providing specials information, noting that half a month can pass before ads go live. Respondents share practical workarounds including fabricating early deadlines, posting specials on sold vehicles to force urgency, using Edmunds as a fallback source, and looping in GMs to add organizational pressure. The clearest consensus is that buy-in from upper management and structured workflows are essential to solving the problem.

Dealers debate whether blogging is worth the investment, with skeptics arguing most dealerships lack the personnel, consistency, and subject matter to sustain one, while proponents point to real SEO gains and branding benefits for stores willing to commit. The key insight is that success hinges on treating the blog as a genuine community resource rather than a thinly veiled ad, backed by dedicated staff or outside PR help — a model validated by Checkered Flag's award-winning blog after six months of daily posting.

This thread is a vendor profile for iDealerNetwork (Highline Technologies), a dealer website provider based in Irvine, CA, featuring custom-designed sites with inventory tools, SEO, and photo/video features like pan-zoom slideshows. A prospective user named Joe asks probing questions about the platform's client list and VIN decoding capabilities, while an existing dealer client raises concerns about unresponsive support and an unfinished car configurator delayed by a lawsuit. The thread highlights a recurring tension between iDealerNetwork's marketed feature set and its ability to deliver on promises, with the vendor defending itself by citing a holiday closure and promising an imminent product release.

Jeff Kershner shares insights from a Mercedes-Benz Internet Marketing Dealer Advisory Committee meeting in NYC, then opens a discussion about whether dealers should display new car inventory online — including vehicles in transit or not yet in stock. The thread reveals a split between luxury dealers who hesitate to show unavailable inventory and volume dealers who display everything, with a side discussion emerging around DMS vendor alternatives to ADP and Reynolds & Reynolds, and a creative 'Cyber-Share Inventory' idea where out-of-market dealers cross-list each other's stock to appear more competitive.

Dealers debate whether AutoMart.com delivers real ROI compared to SEM and competing platforms like AutoTrader and Cars.com, with mixed results reported across print and digital channels. A recurring theme is that many dealers lack proper tracking tools — Google Analytics, call tracking numbers — making it impossible to evaluate any vendor's true performance. The thread's key takeaway is that rigorous tracking is a prerequisite before spending on any third-party listing or lead source.