Websites, SEO, SEM, Display, Social, Marketing

Google removed right-side ads from desktop search results, reducing available ad inventory and causing PPC prices to spike for high-performing keywords—a change that particularly impacts dealership brand campaigns and broad match strategies. Scott Zagurski warns that small-budget dealerships will struggle to compete in this new landscape, while dealers managing their own campaigns may benefit from the shift toward mobile-like auction dynamics. The key takeaway is that dealers need to closely monitor their PPC spending and vendor strategies in response to these structural changes in Google's ad placement.

Aaron Wirtz makes the case that dealerships need to get serious about video production as traditional digital advertising faces growing threats from ad fraud, ad blockers, and ad-free subscription services. He shares a YouTube video with practical guidance on shooting high-quality dealership video content, framing it as an essential skill as video is projected to dominate internet traffic. The thread positions video creation as a competitive necessity rather than an optional marketing tactic.

A dealer explores implementing informational marketing—educating prospects before selling through guides, recorded messages, and drip campaigns across multiple channels—to nurture leads across all buying stages. A skeptic counters that internet leads already researched their vehicle and primarily want pricing information, with education better delivered in-person during demos. The original poster clarifies they're proposing a segmented system to capture prospects at various points in the buying journey, not as a replacement for traditional marketing.

Eley Duke asks GM dealers whether they rely solely on CDK-mandated websites or maintain a separate primary site with CDK as a secondary option, noting an apparent trend of dealers consolidating back to CDK sites. He highlights that CDK sites offer significant operational advantages, particularly automatic rebate and bonus cash updates that require no manual effort, plus other GM-provided updates. The inquiry seeks peer experiences from dealers who have made the switch from alternative vendors to CDK as their primary platform.

A female automotive professional shares her personal anxiety about visiting dealership service departments — fearing being upsold, talked down to, or taken advantage of — and uses her own flat tire experience as a jumping-off point to discuss how dealers fail female customers. The thread explores the root causes of this distrust and likely offers actionable advice on how service departments can improve communication, transparency, and the overall experience to better serve women, who represent a significant portion of service customers.

Dealers debate whether new dealer-to-dealer trading platforms and data-driven tools for used car acquisition will actually be adopted by buyers in the field, who are typically comfortable with traditional auction and trade methods. While advocates point to the "MoneyBall" model of using data for competitive advantage, practical objections emerge around habit, trust in remote purchasing, and subjective quality standards—suggesting that technological superiority alone won't guarantee adoption if it conflicts with dealers' existing workflows and comfort levels.

A veteran used car pricing consultant shares three hard-won lessons drawn from 19 years of experience, 25+ weekly dealer meetings, and nearly 1,500 price changes per week. The central insight is that trying to differentiate budget cars like Malibus or Altimas with lower miles and extra features backfires because dealers overpay at acquisition, pushing retail prices above what budget-minded shoppers will accept. The thread offers practical guidance on aligning inventory sourcing strategy with actual market demand.

The thread opens with a nod to CES 2016 innovations like customer-greeting robots and self-driving cars, then pivots to argue that dealers shouldn't overlook mobile — still the dominant and proven technology driving customer behavior. The core insight is that chasing shiny new tech is tempting, but optimizing for mobile remains the highest-ROI focus for dealership marketing in 2016.

Jeff Kershner poses a hypothetical question about the value dealers would place on a lead provider or marketing service that delivers a customer ready to purchase with payment in hand on an in-stock vehicle. The thread explores what dealers consider the true worth of a "done deal" lead versus traditional lead generation metrics. The question aims to establish a baseline for understanding sales floor efficiency and lead quality rather than volume.

The thread explores why auto dealers struggle to see ROI from social media despite OEM brands finding success there, referencing a 2015 New York Times article on the gap between dealers and social media effectiveness. The discussion examines whether the problem lies in consumer disinterest in following local dealers or in poor campaign execution. The key tension is whether dealers need a fundamentally different social media approach than broader automotive brands.

A Chevy dealership seeks advice on marketing strategies to increase new car sales by 40 units monthly, but multiple respondents challenge the premise by identifying internal operational bottlenecks—including weak lead-to-show and show-to-close ratios, poor BDC processes, and mishandled inbound calls—as the real obstacles rather than insufficient marketing spend. The consensus emerging from experienced dealers is that the dealership should first optimize existing customer touchpoints (service department mining, database marketing, call handling, pricing transparency) and internal sales processes before investing heavily in new digital marketing tactics like social media and SEO.

Rick Buffkin introduces Google Analytics Measurement Protocol (server-side tracking) and explores practical dealer-specific use cases like tracking unauthorized image usage, PDF downloads, and spreadsheet opens—applications other participants initially question as having limited value for typical dealership websites. The discussion evolves to reveal the protocol's real potential: enabling CRM systems to tie offline conversions (appointments, sales) back to specific online sessions by passing Google Analytics Client IDs between systems, creating end-to-end attribution from website visit through appointment to sale.

The thread warns against over-investing in online reputation management strategies that lack solid foundations, using the example of vendors who promoted review-loading tactics that were later penalized by Google's enforcement actions. Contributors illustrate how a poor reputation (like a dealership with a 1.4 rating dominated by negative reviews) can undermine any advertising efforts, emphasizing that authentic customer reviews—not manipulated content—are what consumers actually trust and what drives business outcomes. The thread is notable for prescient discussion of review authenticity trends that later became industry news.

A dealer asks whether video or text testimonials perform better on dealership websites, balancing SEO benefits against user experience. One vendor shares data showing that branded customer reviews (pulled from DealerRater API) generate 4-6x longer page views and lower bounce rates compared to plain text testimonials, while video testimonials garnered minimal views (10-25 each). The consensus suggests that third-party reviews from established platforms may outperform self-generated testimonials in terms of visitor engagement and credibility.

The thread argues that despite the automotive industry's heavy focus on technology and marketing strategies, dealerships are neglecting the most critical factor: people. Citing a 2015 NADA study showing sales staff turnover at 72-80%, the original post makes the case that workforce strategy deserves the most attention in 2016. The core insight is that no amount of digital or operational investment can overcome the drag of chronic employee turnover.

The thread promotes Facebook as a powerful advertising platform for car dealers, highlighting its targeting capabilities such as geographic radius targeting for service vs. sales customers and custom audience uploads. The core argument is that with over 85% of U.S. consumers on Facebook, dealers who master its ad tools can drive real business results. The post positions Facebook not merely as a social network but as a viable storefront and precision marketing channel.

Chris Leslie opens 2016 with a blunt critique of automotive digital marketing, calling out the industry's skill gap and the noise created by self-proclaimed experts. He shares five priorities he believes dealers should focus on in 2016, framing them against a backdrop of frustration with those who resist online sales and those who spread shallow digital advice. The thread is part rant, part actionable list, aimed at cutting through the clutter for dealers serious about digital.

Nick Spolec, a Digital Marketing Director, seeks advice on structuring a performance-based bonus plan for his position, initially considering metrics like website traffic and leads. The consensus from experienced forum members is that tying digital marketing compensation to traditional metrics (traffic, VDP views, leads) is problematic due to uncontrollable variables and measurement accuracy issues; instead, experts recommend either a salary-based model with regular reviews or, if the role influences overall dealership operations, tying compensation to dealership gross profit percentage—which incentivizes holistic thinking about the business rather than short-term metric manipulation.

A dealer inquires about Autoxloo, a website platform he discovered, expressing positive impressions about its features including live chat, texting, inventory search functionality, and an intuitive slider for browsing vehicles. He's particularly interested in why similar inventory search features aren't more common across dealer websites and appreciates the platform's homepage design that segments users by dealer type. The post appears to be a request for other DealerRefresh members to share their direct experience with the company.

Automotive industry professionals share their predictions for 2016, with discussions ranging from dealership consolidation trends and financing pressures to vendor market dynamics and technological shifts like mobile ad blockers. Key predictions include plateauing new car sales, increased dealer consolidation (potentially down to 3,000 dealer principals), rising interest rates putting pressure on captive financing, and smaller vendors gaining ground through faster innovation before being acquired by larger players. The thread reveals a consensus that 2016 would be a challenging year requiring operational excellence and adaptation, with consolidation and vendor reshuffling as dominant themes.