Dealers Are Missing Huge Keyword Gaps Because There VDPs Don’t Rank!

[DjSec]

At my agency, we are diligent about trying to not represent competitors. I actually had to tell a long time customer (I've recently changed companies) that we wouldn't work with them because of our company's partnership with a competitor. If it is unavoidable to work with a competitor, we have very separate teams working for their dealer. Yes, the tactics can then become similar as we are doing it our way, but the strategies are never exactly the same or discussed.

As for your VDP question, we build to rank, with search, for AI to read and utilize and to be useful for the consumer and dealer. I don't know why you say the VDP "goes away" when sold, as it shouldn't. The third parties have an edge as they are showing large numbers of very similar vehicles, With a OEM dealer, there has to be a decision to what pages are built, what inventory is featured, and then the ranking. You can't have a strategy of put it up, take it down with a Ford dealer gets an Infiniti on trade. If you get too specific, the customer clicks and doesn't see the inventory because they don't have it, the consumer will bounce and the site lose ranking. I did a random search with the longer tail keywords and found some dealers sprinkle in to the third parties. It comes down to SEO being done right for the dealer, not the cheap fix many get sold, but doesn't work.

1. Separate teams don’t solve the problem:​

The agency itself still benefits from keeping performance “balanced.” If one dealer is getting 10× more traffic and 10x better rankings than dealer B ... dealer B is going to want to know why.

At that point the agency has two choices:

• Copy the strategy and give it to Dealer B
• Admit they’re intentionally allowing one client to outperform another

Almost every agency chooses the first option, because they don't want to say the team working on your competition is better than the team working on your site.

So even with separate teams, the system doesn’t allow one dealer to dominate the others.

2. On VDPs:​

Most dealerships are on:

• Dealer.com
• DealerOn
• Sincro
• Dealer Inspire
• or OEM-mandated templates

My understanding from what I have seen is:

• The VDP status changes
• It’s often removed from the sitemap
• The canonical changes
• The page loses category links
• The dealer’s inventory feed overwrites the page
• It gets deindexed or falls out of visibility because it’s no longer linked anywhere

Google sees it as orphaned or gone, which kills long-term ranking potential.

Third-party sites avoid this because they maintain full inventory archives, structured clusters, pagination, and stable URLs.

Dealer sites don’t.

This is why:
No OEM dealer VDP ranks long-term for any meaningful long-tail keyword.

If this wasn’t the case, we’d see dealers outrank Cars.com, CarGurus, Edmunds, Autotrader, and TrueCar on long-tail search.

3. "Customers Bounce”​

Normally customers only bounce when:

• the page doesn't actually match the query
• the content is generic
• there’s no content
• the VDP template is identical to 10,000 other dealers
• the page takes to long to load

Long-tail pages convert precisely because they match how buyers search:

• “trucks under 15k near me”
• “awd suvs under 20k Dallas”
• “used f-150 xlt 4x4 black Houston”

When we build clustered buyer-intent pages, we’re not promising the exact VIN, we’re ranking the category and intent, not the single unit.

4. “It comes down to SEO being done right”​

If SEO were being done correctly across the industry:

• dealer VDPs would rank
• dealer category pages would outrank third parties
• dealers would appear for long-tail commercial-intent searches
• OEM-mandated websites wouldn’t all show identical templates
• dealers wouldn’t rely 95% on third parties for organic traffic

But for 15+ years, the pattern has never changed.

Every agency says they “build for ranking,”
but the results across thousands of dealer sites say something else.

Dealers can work with OEM programs and good agencies,
but the competitive edge comes only from the assets they control themselves:

• their own long-tail pages
• their own content clusters
• their own local search strategy
• their own technical setup
• their own independent website structure
• and an information moat that can’t be copied or pushed to all their competitors

That’s the part agencies (even the good ones) cannot and will not deliver.
Not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t give one dealer a monopoly over another dealer they serve.

 

[AnnAllen]

1. Separate teams don’t solve the problem:​

The agency itself still benefits from keeping performance “balanced.” If one dealer is getting 10× more traffic and 10x better rankings than dealer B ... dealer B is going to want to know why.

At that point the agency has two choices:

• Copy the strategy and give it to Dealer B
• Admit they’re intentionally allowing one client to outperform another

Almost every agency chooses the first option, because they don't want to say the team working on your competition is better than the team working on your site.

So even with separate teams, the system doesn’t allow one dealer to dominate the others.

2. On VDPs:​

Most dealerships are on:

• Dealer.com
• DealerOn
• Sincro
• Dealer Inspire
• or OEM-mandated templates

My understanding from what I have seen is:

• The VDP status changes
• It’s often removed from the sitemap
• The canonical changes
• The page loses category links
• The dealer’s inventory feed overwrites the page
• It gets deindexed or falls out of visibility because it’s no longer linked anywhere

Google sees it as orphaned or gone, which kills long-term ranking potential.

Third-party sites avoid this because they maintain full inventory archives, structured clusters, pagination, and stable URLs.

Dealer sites don’t.

This is why:
No OEM dealer VDP ranks long-term for any meaningful long-tail keyword.

If this wasn’t the case, we’d see dealers outrank Cars.com, CarGurus, Edmunds, Autotrader, and TrueCar on long-tail search.

3. "Customers Bounce”​

Normally customers only bounce when:

• the page doesn't actually match the query
• the content is generic
• there’s no content
• the VDP template is identical to 10,000 other dealers
• the page takes to long to load

Long-tail pages convert precisely because they match how buyers search:

• “trucks under 15k near me”
• “awd suvs under 20k Dallas”
• “used f-150 xlt 4x4 black Houston”

When we build clustered buyer-intent pages, we’re not promising the exact VIN, we’re ranking the category and intent, not the single unit.

4. “It comes down to SEO being done right”​

If SEO were being done correctly across the industry:

• dealer VDPs would rank
• dealer category pages would outrank third parties
• dealers would appear for long-tail commercial-intent searches
• OEM-mandated websites wouldn’t all show identical templates
• dealers wouldn’t rely 95% on third parties for organic traffic

But for 15+ years, the pattern has never changed.

Every agency says they “build for ranking,”
but the results across thousands of dealer sites say something else.

Dealers can work with OEM programs and good agencies,
but the competitive edge comes only from the assets they control themselves:

• their own long-tail pages
• their own content clusters
• their own local search strategy
• their own technical setup
• their own independent website structure
• and an information moat that can’t be copied or pushed to all their competitors

That’s the part agencies (even the good ones) cannot and will not deliver.
Not because they don’t want to, but because they can’t give one dealer a monopoly over another dealer they serve.

Good breakdown on how VDPs can miss organic traffic opportunities. While exploring https://casinosanalyzer.com/free-slots-online/Lightning-Roulette / , I noticed that visibility and targeting matter a lot whether you are optimizing listings or promoting games.

Thank you so much for explaining, I appreciate you for taking the time to write it in brief.

 

[sfrank082215]

SRPs, not VDPs, are usually what you want to go after SEO-wise. So, for KWs like

• “used tahoe under 25k atlanta”
• “4x4 trucks under 20k near me

Build custom inventory pages for used Tahoes and 4x4 trucks under 20K. Internally link to these pages from all related pages, like the main Used Cars page, Used Chevy Pages, etc. Have a good title tag, and some custom content below the inventory.

For something really granular like “2022 f150 xlt black crew cab for sale” you're unfortunately more reliant on a VDP. Make sure the title tag is good (something like "2022 Ford F-150 XLT for Sale in Atlanta, GA [View Pricing & Features]") and that the VDP has all the important info in there. That's your best bet. But keep in mind it takes time for pages to rank and VDPs are (hopefully) temporary.

 

[DjSec]

SRPs, not VDPs, are usually what you want to go after SEO-wise. So, for KWs like

• “used tahoe under 25k atlanta”
• “4x4 trucks under 20k near me

Build custom inventory pages for used Tahoes and 4x4 trucks under 20K. Internally link to these pages from all related pages, like the main Used Cars page, Used Chevy Pages, etc. Have a good title tag, and some custom content below the inventory.

For something really granular like “2022 f150 xlt black crew cab for sale” you're unfortunately more reliant on a VDP. Make sure the title tag is good (something like "2022 Ford F-150 XLT for Sale in Atlanta, GA [View Pricing & Features]") and that the VDP has all the important info in there. That's your best bet. But keep in mind it takes time for pages to rank and VDPs are (hopefully) temporary.

We’re actually aligned on almost everything ...
Custom SRPs should do most of the heavy SEO lifting for broad and mid-tail terms like “used Tahoe under 25k” and “4x4 trucks under 20k.”

Where we differ is on the VDP side.

You mentioned that granular queries (like “2022 f150 xlt black crew cab for sale”) end up relying on the VDP, but that ranking is tough because VDPs are temporary. And that’s exactly where we differ:

I don’t agree with deleting the VDPs.
When sold units stay live, you eliminate the “temporary page” problem entirely. The VDP becomes a permanent, indexable asset that can keep its URL, keep its authority, and keep passing internal link value back into the ecosystem. It also lets you build the larger vehicle-content cluster that supports both the SRPs and the active inventory.

So we’re almost saying the same thing, SRPs are the foundation, however I keep the VDP so that the long-tail opportunity isn’t lost every time a vehicle sells.

This combination (custom SRPs + permanent VDPs + supporting content) is what fills the keyword gaps dealers usually miss and captures all the buyer-intent traffic the listing sites dominate today.

 

[sfrank082215]

I hear what you're saying and from an SEO standpoint I agree. It's more of a platform challenge. Keeping the same URLs are tricky on dealer sites because VDPs often have the VINs in them. Third party URL structures are more repurpose friendly. And since they aggregate inventory, it's easier for them to recycle. The other thing is UX. Landing on a sold vehicle page hurts trust imo. I get that there's no way to completely eliminate that, but still. I feel it's best to limit it.

 

[DjSec]

Keeping the same URLs are tricky on dealer sites because VDPs often have the VINs in them.

VINs do not hurt SEO.

In fact:

• A VIN is a 100% unique identifier
• Guarantees no duplicate content
• Google has no problem ranking long or ugly URLs
• VIN-based URLs are standard across every OEM platform
• Every listing site (Cargurus, Cars.com, Autotrader) uses VINs heavily
• VIN-based URLs are stable if you don’t delete them

Google does not punish VINs in URLs.
Google punishes URLs that disappear.

So the issue is not the VIN, the issue is the dealership website vendor deleting the page.

The other thing is UX. Landing on a sold vehicle page hurts trust imo. I get that there's no way to completely eliminate that, but still. I feel it's best to limit it.

This can be true only when the page is useless.

A typical sold VDP is:

• “This vehicle is no longer available”
• with a small CTA
• and nothing else

Yes that harms trust.

But what if the sold VDP is the opposite:

• Pros/cons
• Feature breakdown
• Comparisons
• Photos and walkarounds
• FAQs
• Trim/package explanation
• “What changed in this model year”
• Alternatives with matching features
• Price ranges
• “Similar inventory currently available”
• Internal links back to SRPs
• Internal links back to model research pages

This is not a dead-end page.

It’s a research asset.

Think about how people use Autotrader or CarGurus:

• People use them to research trim differences
• People compare options
• People look at pricing
• People click “View similar listings”

Why doesn’t it “hurt trust” on Autotrader?

Because the page provides value.

A sold VDP is only a “bad experience” if your platform makes it one.

However done correctly a VDP can be a good user experience:

• it educates
• it compares
• it provides options
• it links to similar available inventory
• it answers questions
• it gives context

If the VDP is setup correctly the visitor doesn't have to leave, as a matter of fact if it is setup correctly it would encourage them to continue their journey through the website.

 

[sfrank082215]

I never said VINs in URLs hurt SEO. That was never my argument. Every OEM platform uses them.

My point was about user experience.

The items you listed, such as pros and cons, FAQs, and trim or package explanations, are better suited for separate research pages that link to related SRPs. And Platforms like DDC and DealerOn don't support the kind of dynamic or content-rich sold vehicle experience you're describing.

Third parties can do this because they aggregate large amounts of inventory across many sellers. Dealers don't have that capability.

Great research content is important. It just needs to be placed where it belongs. Research content should go on research pages. Transactional content should remain on VDPs and SRPs.

 

[DjSec]

I never said VINs in URLs hurt SEO. That was never my argument. Every OEM platform uses them.

My point was about user experience.

The items you listed, such as pros and cons, FAQs, and trim or package explanations, are better suited for separate research pages that link to related SRPs. And Platforms like DDC and DealerOn don't support the kind of dynamic or content-rich sold vehicle experience you're describing.

Third parties can do this because they aggregate large amounts of inventory across many sellers. Dealers don't have that capability.

Great research content is important. It just needs to be placed where it belongs. Research content should go on research pages. Transactional content should remain on VDPs and SRPs.

I agree, research content should have its own dedicated pages. I’m not suggesting replacing research pages with VDPs. I’m saying the VDP can support those research pages instead of removing what is already there.

The VDP already exists, and Google already crawls it. When it gets deleted, it creates broken internal links, and lost equity. So instead of letting that happen, why not keep the VDP URL live, preserve the authority it has, and then use the research pages to complement it?

The VDP doesn’t need to become a full research article, it just needs enough structured content and context to prevent it from being an SEO dead-end. The deeper research still lives on the research pages, but the sold VDP can point to those resources instead of disappearing entirely.

Platforms like DDC/DealerOn don’t support this today ... I agree. But that’s a platform limitation, not a best-practice limitation. Third parties can do it, which proves users don’t mind evaluating sold units as long as the page sends them somewhere useful.

So the way I see it:

• research pages live where they belong
• SRPs handle the transactional queries
• and VDPs should NOT be thrown away the moment they finally become valuable to Google

You don’t have to choose one or the other, you can keep the VDP and use it to support the research content, while using the research content to support it.

 

[Ryan Everson]

Third parties focus on ranking SRPs, not VDPs.

 

[DjSec]

Third parties focus on ranking SRPs, not VDPs.

You're not trying to copy third-party sites you're trying to beat them.

And the question isn't, “Should dealerships try to rank VDPs like third parties do?”
The real issue is: What happens when you delete a page Google already indexed?

Whether a dealer actively tries to rank VDPs or not, the damage is identical every time a vehicle sells:

• You lose crawl history
• Internal links break
• URL equity is wiped
• Google has to trust a brand-new URL again

This creates a level of SEO churn that no third-party site suffers from, because they don’t delete pages the moment inventory changes.

So the opportunity isn’t in just “ranking VDPs.”
The opportunity is in eliminating unnecessary SEO loss that dealerships experience every single day.

Just keeping VDPs live, even if they’re marked sold, expired, or redirected puts you at an advantage:

• Your SRPs become stronger
• Your topic clusters become deeper
• Your site maintains stable authority signals
• Google sees consistency instead of volatility

So if keeping VDPs live already creates a structural SEO advantage...
Why not turn that advantage into a core SEO strategy?