In case you missed our webinar on Driving Traffic (and Likes) to Your Facebook Page, you may not be aware that many apps on Facebook pages across the Interwebs will be cut off on the right side starting August 23rd. Last year, Facebook announced on their development blog that they would be reducing the width allowed on tabs. Many developers scrambled to fit their apps into the right size. Oddly, months after the announcement, no change had been made. The change is finally here. On August 23rd, Facebook will cut the size allowed on tabs to 520 pixels - 200 pixels shorter than before. Some apps auto-size nicely to fit. Most, however, cut off on the right side, leaving no way for people to see what is displayed there. The effect will be felt as the right side is where many buttons, links, and other calls to action are placed. Even if the apps do not put their buttons there, it still makes many pages look, well, weird. If you are the page admin, you can get a preview of all of...

So, you have a Facebook page for your dealership. You have apps, inventory, photos, and status updates galore. All you need now are a few eyeballs reading it and profiles liking it. The question is, "How?" Our webinar last week on Driving Traffic and Likes to Your Car Dealer Facebook Page goes into detail about many different ways to drive traffic, but one of the most relevant ways is to use straight-forward Facebook advertising. Advertising is simple, but here are few tips that may answer some of your questions. 1) Compel wiht your Ad Thumbnail and Copy In the example above, there are two major points. It's common to use the dealership logo for the thumbnail. It works just fine and is excellent for exposing your brand. I prefer to use a geo-targeted image whenever possible. The text should also be compelling but ONLY to the point of being realistic. Do not promise more than you can deliver. Tell people exactly why they should like your page, then deliver...

Last month, we posted a request to put together an SEO vs. PPC vs. Maps Panel. As we wrap prepare to launch, I wanted to do one last sweep through to see if anyone else was interested in being on the panel. I know there are several vendors who are here on Driving Sales that offer one or more of these products - it would be amazing to have as many involved as possible. So far, we have a potentially VERY strong panel including Brian Pasch, Paul Rushing, Eric Miltsch, Jared Hamilton, Ralph Paglia, Dave Erickson, and Volker Jaeckel, with several others chiming in and (hopefully) wanting to participate as well. Is there anyone else? I would like to get this together and make it available prior to the Driving Sales Executive Summit in October. There are many format options, but as a whole I would love to have a comprehensive discussion through video panels and articles that can assist every car dealer in America in making their choices between the 3 options. As Adam Stone from Toyota...

Despite the fact that it's a 2-year-old infographic, the 4 basic concepts remain unchanged. It's a clear way of looking at the way that we in the automotive industry should be looking at utilizing social media in our reputation management... ... by doing the things it takes to engage well with our customers. ... by being aware that having a Facebook page is not reputation management. ... by deciding that it doesn't take much time or effort to do it right rather than "manufacturing" a positive reputation for our dealerships. I'll go more into detail about why this infographic is important and how dealers can apply it, but for now take a look and try to understand why this makes perfect sense (or feel free to ask me if you don't see it clearly). * * * Via Infographics Bin. Learn more about Car Dealer Internet Marketing on Driving Sales. ...

In recent weeks I have been asked to rank the top factors for optimizing car dealer websites. Google reports to having over 200 factors, while the other search engines show similar, undeclared complexity within their own algorithms.
We posted the Top 10 Automotive SEO Factors on our blog a couple of months ago, an article that also appeared in Auto Dealer Monthly, but it was a cursory look. Here at Driving Sales, we will explore each more thoroughly. Those that we have little or no control over, such as the age of the domain, will not be covered, but we'll take a look at everything you CAN improve.
Let's start with...

Inbound Links: Diversity
In the original article, we discovered that:


"This is the least important aspect of the most important factor in SEO: link-building. Diversity is when you’re getting inbound links from many different websites on different Class-C IP addresses. The more diverse, the better, but no matter what anyone tells you, an inbound “spam” l...

As was posted on one of the official NADA Blogs, the convention will be a social media "tipping point" for many. Dealers are ready to make the jump into Web 2.0 and what better venue to learn and choose a social media partner than in a place where EVERYONE is selling social media services?

While it's a good idea to take advantage of what the NADA Convention presents as a place where everyone who has services will be pitching them, be warned: there are good ways and bad ways of engaging in social media, and both sides will be represented at NADA.

Believe it or not, it isn't easy. As simple and straight-forward as social media as an entity is, there are pitfalls that dealers must avoid. Here are a few of them:

Mass Account Creation without Management - There are benefits to creating dozens, even hundreds of social media profiles to help cross-link and generate strong search engine reputation management potential, but there are also times when this can be a detriment. Stagnant a...

Should OEM's be more active in helping their dealers in social media? I have my own opinions, but I want to start by asking the question and seeing how the community at Driving Sales feels.

Stop, think about how you currently feel, then read on.

As I've stated in previous posts, social media is a personal experience that is best handled on the local level when it comes to automotive. When I posted Car Dealer Social Media Basics: YouTube, the idea was that dealers would be able to have all of the tools that they needed to put together a proper video marketing plan. Brian Pasch did the same with Car Dealer Facebook Page Tips, and Paul Rushing showed us Automotive Blogging Advice - both of which are self-service, do-it-yourself style posts that dealers can use.

My next question is: "Why are we having to do this?"

Shouldn't the manufacturers be putting out a gameplan for their dealers? Shouldn' t they be offering training, support, and resources for their dealers to use when th...

More time has been spent watching videos online in 2009 than reading emails. This is the first time that has happened in a year, but it won't be the last. YouTube is the biggest video site on the Internet, so we will discuss it as the primary source of video marketing, but it's definitely not the only one.

This is one part of a five part series that will be posted on various sites. It covers the basics: a 30,000 foot view of the various social media sites as well as easy, practical ways that the sites can be used.
Why Do Car Dealers Need YouTube?
Videos are the easiest way to get a message out. Why? People will watch videos before they'll read. It's that simple. Videos require the least amount of effort, offer visual and audio stimulation, and are often associated with emotional responses. Some are funny, others are gross. Some are exciting, others are boring. Regardless of the intent, video encompasses what people are looking for on the Internet in a quick and neat little packa...

If car dealers thought they needed to worry about getting negative reviews before, now there's something else to fear - the paid review.

This screenshot was taken from Mechanical Turk, a site that specializes in letting businesses "outsource" mundane activities for pennies.

Worried now? You should be. Here is a respected site that is PAYING people to review your dealership. What are the people going to write? It doesn't matter. The idea is to get enough unique content on the pages to help them to rank for your dealership name.

This ties in well with next week's show (9am PST, 12pm EDT every Wednesday) about "Controlling Google Page 1 for your Dealership Name". More than ever, people are checking businesses, including car dealers, to find out what others are saying about you. They are looking for reviews, social media buzz, and anything that they can use to determine whether or not to call on you for their next purchase.

Is it right that you may lose a potential sale based u...

Listen to 10 important minutes of Jared Hamilton's keynote speech at Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas on October 14, 2009.  Jared discusses the evolution of automotive marketing over the last 25 years and how social media and other online marketing tactics are replacing the old ways of marketing more and more every day.

On thing was definitely made clear at the Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas: even the fiercest competitors can agree when it comes to how to do proper Internet Marketing.

Paul Rushing, Brian Pasch, and I went on stage in preparation for a fire storm. There was little doubt that in the highly competitive field of Automotive SEO, putting 3 of the industry leaders was certainly going to bring about clashes, debates, arguments, and perhaps even a little bloodshed.

It didn't happen. The discussion was not only cordial and informative, but it was evident that we were preaching the same sermons. That's the beauty of Automotive SEO - there's a right way to do it and many wrong ways to do it. Luckily, the three on stage on October 13, 2009, all know the right way to market to dealers. Fortunately (or unfortunately) there was no bloodshed.

Here is a teaser clip of the discussion. As you'll see, it's easy to agree when everyone believes in the right ways of doing things.

Mor...

Through Twitter and a couple of different blogs, we will be covering the Driving Sales Executive Summit in Las Vegas. Follow it here or on the homepage to see what's happening, when it happens.  Most of it will be brought via Twitter feed. If you have something to say about it, whether you're here or not, join us by using the hashtag #DSES on Twitter.



More information about Driving Sales Executive Summit is available here.

Update 1: Skip Streets from Compete.com discusses behavior, helping marketers build their digital intelligence.

Takeaway 1: Nobody buys a car unless they're interested in a car, but they may be interested in a car without buying it.
Takeaway 2: Cash for Clunkers was a nice boost, but sales, traffic, and conversion have gone down since.
Takeaway 3: Until recently, market demand has been in decline Y/Y.
Takeaway 4: OEMs are making progress in getting traffic to their sites while 3rd party sites have been declining until very recently.
Takeaway 5:...

The first thing that many car dealers will think when they read the headline is, "I'm not interested in going to a party. I want to sell cars!" Dealers and businesses in general have been walking a fine line between "having fun and being interesting" on social networks like Twitter and Facebook and truly using them for business. What most dealers do not understand is that having fun (and more importantly, being interesting) is the first step towards being able to promote your business through social media.
In Paul Rushing's post about how dealers shouldn't spam social media, he clearly lays the framework for what I'm about to say.
Future posts will outline what to do and how to do it on social networks. Automotive social media is about conversations and engagement, so first it is important to understand how they work.

Going to a Dinner Party
Whether you go to social events or not, you can imagine the scene...
You walk in and there are dozens, even hundreds of...

I get teased at work sometimes.
"Aren't you supposed to be going after Google? Why are you spending so much effort on Twitter?"
When I tell them that Twitter is the future of search and the reason that Google has shown so much interest in buying them, they normally laugh. "What, are people going to search for 'What's JD Rucker doing right now?'"
With changes made yesterday to Twitter search, it appears that CNET, Mashable, and Techcrunch/Washington Post are finally starting to agree with me.
Twitter is going to start to index the links that are posted on their site in Tweets. This is a significant development in the world of search engine optmization as the need for real-time data that Google and the other search engines have never been able to master will come to life in the world of Twitter.
Most believe that the interest shown by major companies like Google, Apple, and Facebook in buying Twitter has been a result of its exponentially-increasing pop...

This post is in part a con. While I'm definitely interested in offering advice and not a sales pitch to any DrivingSales member who has SEO or Internet Marketing questions, I have an ulterior motive.
If you aren't on Twitter, you might be missing out. If you haven't heard of Twitter, you need to watch more news, read more newspapers, and spend more time online.
Twitter is a microblogging and lifestreaming platform that has taken the Internet and the rest of the world by storm. It has been credited with helping Obama win the election, for helping Britney Spears improve her faltering reputation, and for giving Skittles a new direction in their marketing campaign.
Still not convinced? Do a search on Google for "Twitter". Hit the "News" button up at the top. Check out some of the headlines and the dates on these stories. You'll notice immediately that Twitter is hot and it's on the rise.
How is Twitter going to be used in business? How can it help car dealers, manuf...

For Searchers
The way it looks initially, searches will be experiencing a paradigm shift in the way they search.  Sounds pretty dramatic, but between changes coming in Universal Search and the SearchWiki functionality rolling out right now, searchers will (hopefully) be able to get the information they need more easily without having to use multiple attempts at different keywords to get what they want.
Before, typing a search for "Toyota Dealers" would yield mostly national searches in the organic section.  The sponsored section was normally geo-targeted results, but unless you happened to be close to dealership whose website was very well optimized, you probably had to do the search again.  If localized, universal, and personalized search make good on their promises and meet their goals of relevancy, that could all change.
For Website Owners
The real question should be, "Is your website provider or marketing firm ready for what's coming down?"
B...

As with many of my posts lately, I'm going to ride the fence.  There are advantages and disadvantages to having your website inventory indexed.  This issue has popped up more and more lately as a lot of gurus are pointing towards indexed inventory as a strong SEO tool.
To me, it's a gray issue.
Advantages of Indexed Inventory:

More pages

More opportunities to rank for long-tail keywords

Searchers land on specific vehicles versus navigation

Internal link potential (if done properly) to help other pages rank well

Disadvantages:

Temporary listings that can become 404 errors or redirects when the search engines crawl the page next time

Duplicate content

Lack of focus on primary linked pages


For those who want the verdict without the details, I can say that IF the website provider is doing everything else that is required to properly optimize the homepage and landing pages, the benefits can outweigh t...

There is a debate going on, though few are involved and even fewer understand it.  First, the definitions:
Long: Searches that are specific, normally 3, 4, or more words, that are highly targeted by minimal for traffic.  They are normally an extension of a primary keyword.  Example: "New Honda Accord Shreveport"
Medium: Less specific than long keywords, usually 2 or 3 words, with higher volume and lower conversion.  Example:  "Shreveport Honda"
Short: Very general terms.  High volume, low, low conversion.  Example: "Honda"
These definitions are loose simply because the automotive industry is so locally targeted, the traditional definitions of "long-tail" vs "short-tail" don't do it justice.  Technically, all relevant automotive keywords for a dealership are long-tail, so it is important to add the middle definition.
With that said, you can throw the "Short" out the door for SEO.&nbs...

Don't you hate it when you lose a sale?  It could be a poor inventory, not clicking with a customer, or a conflict in trade difference that causes a lost sale.  Luckily, all of these are easily fixed - we all know how to handle those.
Sometimes, a lost sale starts from your website where the chance is missed to convert a visitor into a lead.  This, too, is easily fixed with a better website.
We can look at our salespeople or check the statistics on our websites and identify problems with these forms of lost sales, but there is another lost sale that affects many dealers and most don't even know they are losing them
Search for your dealership by name.  You should (we hope) see your dealer website at the top.  Now scan down on the page.  Anything out of place?  There should be the vendors who are vying for your business - nothing you can do about those.  No, what you're looking for is something bad.

For example, a search for Rountree Ford sho...

The old saying that "content is king" is just that... and old saying.  In automotive search engine optimization (any SEO for that matter), the importance of content has been superceded by quality, relevant inbound links.
Content still has its value, of course.  In the race to the top of the search engines, every little bit helps.  The way that SEO has evolved over the last couple of years has placed a strong emphasis on what other websites are saying about your website.  They know that you can manipulate your content, play with the percentages, and stuff keywords.  That is why content, while still important, is not the factor that it used to be.

Take a look at First Honda.  They are ranked #1 on Google for Los Angeles Honda.  If you take a look at their source code, you'll see that the term "Los Angeles" is in the Meta Description once and the content twice.  Not exactly keyword stuffed, but when you consider the dealershi...

Gas mileage is a hot topic to automotive consumers. Search engine optimization (SEO) is a hot topic to automotive dealers. With today’s economic conditions, getting the most mileage out of a vehicle has many parallels with getting the most out of your SEO.
In both cases, we want more for less. Search engine marketing is becoming more expensive, so smart dealers must position themselves on the organic section of the search engines to get the most bang for their buck. Here are some tips to help achieve the most possible clicks for the least amount of money.
Buy a Hybrid
Just as hybrid vehicles are rolling off showroom floors at record rates, hybrid SEO campaigns are becoming more popular for car dealer Web sites. A hybrid SEO campaign is one that properly utilizes both onsite and offsite optimization techniques.
In the past, having proper SEO on a Web site itself was enough. Today, the search engines like to see more in the way of relevant, high-quality inbound links from other...

When we take on a new client, I have the opportunity to really dive into the Search Engine Optimization that has been done the sites by various vendors.  There are certain things we do that others do not do and visa versa.  Everyone thinks they have the right formula -- it's all a matter of knowledge and taste.
One thing that is definitely not up for debate is the keyword selection.  This essential part of the equation can help set a proper SEO campaign in the right direction.  It can also be the part that ruins the optimization of a website and sends it down the dark path of oblivion.
Dramatic? Yes.
True?  Absolutely.

Perhaps the biggest mistake that dealers make is that they want to optimize for everything.  They want their websites to rank well in 100 different cities.  Regardless of where people are and how often they search for a particular keyword, the dealer often wants it.  In search engine pay-per-click marketing, this isn't a bad ...

Leave it to Google.  Just when search engine optimization companies were starting to get a better understanding of what it takes to get their clients on top of the search engine results pages, Google starts to make some major changes.
There have been major changes in the past, but only two in the last couple of years.  One was Universal Search, which many companies are starting to get into.  The other was the effect of paid links on PageRank.  These two are miniscule compared to what is coming down the road.


In true Google style, they have not come out and made any major announcements.  Like a ninja, they are simply setting themselves up quietly to make silent kills.  That's how they work.
Because this blog is read by both our clients and our clients' competitors, I cannot go into too many details here.  This is just a heads up.  A warning.  Ask your SEO company or website provider about the following current and upcoming changes to t...

One of three things happens whenever a car dealer is talking to their marketing company and asks the question, “Should I focus on search engine optimization or pay per click marketing?”

SEO is touted as the end-all, be-all form of search engine marketing and pay-per-click is trashed as a waste of money, or…
PPC is touted as a must-have marketing investment because it is instant and controllable, or…
The dealer is told that they shouldn’t do either because it’s all just a waste of money.

How the question is answered is almost always determined by what the marketing company or website provider does well and where they can make the most money.  The truth of the matter is that marketing companies and website providers should not be the determining factor when dealers consider how to spend their online marketing budgets.  The only thing that matters to a dealer should be, “What is best for me in my dealership’s ...

It has been brought to my attention that some in the industry are pushing the concept that you absolutely, positively, without a doubt have to have search engine marketing pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns or your website is going to die a fast yet painful death.  These people are using phrases such as "anybody who tells you otherwise is lying to you."
The funny part of that statement is that it is a complete and total misconception ill-conceived around product offerings.  You see, if a company is good at one thing and poor at another, they will spread the idea that the thing they are good at is the key to success and the thing they are bad at is not important.  It's sad, but that's sales.  It's human nature.  I am not upset by this.
The part that upsets me is when dealers fall for it.  They should know better.  It doesn't make sense.  There is too much research on Google and Yahoo searches to believe otherwise.  Do the searches, do ...

Just a few years ago, the notion of car dealers having more than one website was ludicrous.  Many didn't want to be on the Internet at all and wished that someone would just turn the whole thing off.
Today, more and more dealers are expanding upon their web presence to have multiple websites within their porfolio.  For dealers interested in getting into other forms of sites, I have broken down some of the styles with links to live samples.  Browse and enjoy!
Simple
The days of explosions and screaming are gone.  There was a time when people were actually impressed by a lot of hype and hooplah.  Now, they want the cars.  They want to see the cars, the prices, the pictures at different angles, and they don't want to be distracted by anything other than the cars.  Take a look at this San Diego Chevrolet Dealer.  There can be a lot going on with a site and still give the customer what they want.

This is a perfect example of a site that focuses ...

Pay Per Click marketing, often called Search Engine Marketing, is slowly becoming one of the most sought after forms of advertising for car dealers.  It is less expensive and often more effective than conventional marketing through radio, television, or newspapers, and has the convenience of an easily adjustable budget.
The problem with many of the offerings out there is that the products being pushed by companies are not maximized for the dealers' benefit.  While SEM should always be secondary to SEO (which has a much higher and more sustainable return on investment) it is still an important part for many marketing plans.  As such, there are less-than-desirable products being offered.
When looking for a search engine marketing firm, here are five things that you should look for, listed in reverse order from least important to most important:

#5 - Masters of the Automotive Segment
SEM for car dealers is completely different from SEM for realtors, lawyers, or pharma...

I did a follow-up with a lost client today.  We were discussing doing search engine optimization a few months ago and I wanted to make sure that everything was still going well.  I, of course, wanted to see if there was any opportunities to earn their business today.
They had signed with another SEO company a few months prior.  I asked how it was going.  "Just fine," she said.
There was an acute lack of confidence in her voice.  I pushed a little harder, telling her that I wasn't necessarily trying to insult the other company, but that I was surprised that someone had been working on it since their rankings hadn't changed in the four months since last we talked.
She said that she had noticed the same thing, but was told that the results were coming.  It takes time, her SEO company told her.  I agreed, but I said that 4 months was definitely enough time to see a noticeable result.
After a brief silence, she asked me if I would be willing ...

For most dealers, search engine optimization and pay-per-click marketing are the primary methods for driving traffic to the dealership Web site. It is targeted and localized, and the return on investment is amazing compared to other forms of marketing.
Establishing a stronger presence through Web 2.0 can drive traffic to a Web site and greatly improve a dealer’s search rankings on Google, Yahoo and the other search engines. The social Web revolution has been taking the Internet by storm for a few years now, but has only recently become a buzzword in the automotive industry. Blogs, social media and social networks are all excellent forms of traffic-drivers if applied properly.
If mishandled, however, they can actually have the opposite effect.

Dealership Blogs
Blogging is something that many dealerships want to do, but often do not know how to start. Those who are able get rolling are sometimes overwhelmed by the amount of time required to maintain a good blog. A true, qual...

While exploring the new Google Knol, a service that acts like a mixture of Wikipedia and Squidoo/HubPages, I started experimenting with a knol about automotive SEO.  What started off as an experiment turned into a long, drawn out explanation of the basics of automotive search engine optimization.
Rather than duplicate it here, I will put a link to it for later reference.  Future follow-ups will be posted on this blog rather than on Google Knol, but for a good, quick read, check it out.  Also, I posted a video of me in an interview as a Car Dealer SEO.  It should make for some pretty cheesy midday watching.  Grab your popcorn and check it out....