What Actually Moves the Needle in Dealership SEO

[Rick Buffkin]

Me personally (and this is just me speaking here), if your website has a fat ass (I don't mean to offend anyone) and is slow to load and isn't somewhat structured well, it takes 10x the SEO effort to move the needle (If you can move it) with content and link building. Content is great and each site needs fresh good content on it but, really jumping in and cleaning up some of the bloated code to increase the site load times I think will move the organic needle faster than anything else. Why would Google recommend their user to your website if you're website is going to give their user a poor experience.

 

[MattCopley]

Nice pic but I’m not sure about a lot of things or what you’re trying to say.

450 referring domains, sourced because the dealership has good content? Could be organic, could be a directory dump, could be bought. The count doesn’t lead. And it doesn’t speak to relevance, if they pass any authority, or if a single one drives quality organic traffic. It’s a tally of links, not a measure of link quality, and quality is the only part that moves rankings or sells cars.

Local, meaningful, intent driving, authoritative links matter and if this is that… sign me up. My small mind can’t imagine that world is real.

We'd love your feedback @Mitch Gallant... It's not a service or an agency. Just pure software platform for builders to drive better performing content - You can try the platform for free anytime at Hrizn | Content Operating System for Modern Dealership Visibility

 

[BisNoman]

I'd focus on nailing local SEO basics first, then earn links through real community involvement rather than chasing generic backlinks.

 

[BisNoman]

I’ve been using this website for link building and it’s helped a ton with the kind of dealership outreach you’re describing, sponsorships and community ties are exactly where I saw results, not just random content.

 

[Chris Nichols]

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New & Used Audi Dealer Near St. Augustine | Audi Jacksonville FL

Discover Audi Jacksonville your destination for luxury and performance. Serving Jacksonville, Jacksonville Beach, Atlantic Beach, Ponte Verda Beach, & St. Augustine

www.audijacksonville.com

I agree that good quality content is important. Looking at that site's blog, though, there's a lot left to be desired. There's no real structure to the posts; they lack internal linking to relevant pages, there's no author to build credibility, and they feel like a wall of text.

You might also want to take a look at this one; there's no copy, just a picture of a tire - Blog Post

I get that people are trying to automate content production with AI, but this is sloppy. I don't see how someone could be paying for that.

As for the backlinks, you really have to map those to each article being produced. A screenshot from SEMRush isn't specific enough.

 

[MattCopley]

I agree that good quality content is important. Looking at that site's blog, though, there's a lot left to be desired. There's no real structure to the posts; they lack internal linking to relevant pages, there's no author to build credibility, and they feel like a wall of text.

You might also want to take a look at this one; there's no copy, just a picture of a tire - Blog Post

I get that people are trying to automate content production with AI, but this is sloppy. I don't see how someone could be paying for that.

As for the backlinks, you really have to map those to each article being produced. A screenshot from SEMRush isn't specific enough.

We don't provide a service Chris so it really gets down to how a dealer uses it... and none of it is automated. Here's one on the opposite end of the spectrum - Blog - Jackie Cooper BMW

 

[Gayle Rogers]

It's been a loooong time since I've posted here - but this is a good conversation and I'm jumping in...2 pennies worth

Agree with @MattCopley on this one, and I'd take it further. If you focus on optimizing a site and you’ll have an optimized site.

If you focus on building a brand with custom content you can build a moat…you get an optimized site + backlinks + AI citations + a dominant brand. That’s much harder to replicate.

In my experience, creating dealership driven content (using video as the source material) at scale, and delivering it across multiple platforms, wins because it’s a proactive strategy. On the other hand, a “well optimized” site is passive…It’s waiting for someone to find it. Are links, schema, mobile performance, GBP optimization important? Sure, but they aren’t differentiators.

IMO - Optimizing your website for local search shouldn’t be the goal. It should be a byproduct of better marketing. You don't win at “local SEO” by having the basics dialed in. You win it by building a dominant brand.

 

[Gayle Rogers]

Me personally (and this is just me speaking here), if your website has a fat ass (I don't mean to offend anyone) and is slow to load and isn't somewhat structured well, it takes 10x the SEO effort to move the needle (If you can move it) with content and link building. Content is great and each site needs fresh good content on it but, really jumping in and cleaning up some of the bloated code to increase the site load times I think will move the organic needle faster than anything else. Why would Google recommend their user to your website if you're website is going to give their user a poor experience.

BTW - I think this is a really good point - A broken site or one that is just a poor user experience isn't going to really help you. That said, recognizable brands will outperform hyper fast websites, and that's because people choose brands they recognize and trust over the "unknown" - in spite of poor experiences. You see this play out everyday. Google prioritizes recognized brands because people click on and engage with their sites more. What's more is that will translate to every other platform as well.