Car dealerships face ongoing challenges related to local online searches, including the need to obtain online visibility via search engines and the need to retain visibility. This can seem like a never-ending battle, but it is one that a service area business like yours must win on a consistent basis. Properly utilizing your Google My Business listing will set you well on the path toward ongoing success in this area.
Some businesses that struggle to see consistent benefits from a Google My Business listing simply create a listing and wait to see results. This fails to take many factors into consideration, such as SEO practices, competitors' efforts and more. It is important to focus on how you can effectively maximize the benefit of a Google My Business listing and to potentially get an edge over the competition as a result.
When a user searches for a car dealership near him or her, the user will receive a pack of businesses located in close proximity to the user. Other factors are also taken into consideration besides geographic area, and these other factors are critical if you are a car dealership that is trying to obtain business from customers throughout a large metropolitan area rather than from only the immediate neighborhood or community within a few miles of your place of business.
In addition to working within Google’s criteria in this area, you may also attempt to identify and remove some of the spam listings that are cropping up on search results. These are ineligible listings that possibly have fake reviews as well. If you identify and report these listings to Google, you may have them removed. This can immediately improve your website’s ranking in the pack of returned results. Before reporting any ineligible listings, however, you need to be aware of the guidelines and thoroughly research the listings to ensure that they are ineligible. Keep in mind that you also need to ensure that your own listing meets the eligibility guidelines.
Another strategy that you can use to boost results from Google My Business listings is to get creative with city pages. This essentially means that you are creating unique website pages for all of the suburbs and cities that your dealership services. However, this should be done strategically. Each page should be created using well-researched keywords, and you may even refine your keywords based on that specific, localized market. In addition, each page should have completely fresh content. Duplicate content could have a negative impact on your ranking. These pages also must be optimized for viewing on desktop and mobile devices.
There are a few additional tactics that you can use to get your listings the attention that they deserve when they are returned in a pack of localized search results. For example, you can use carefully selected thumbnail images. The right images, such as of your latest models, may attract attention and spur the user to take the desired action. An alternative to a photo of a model is to use an image of your company’s logo. Immediate brand recognition can work in your favor. You may also use review snippets. However, you cannot control what the reviewers say about your business. You can only control how you treat each and every customer. Because it may be difficult to please everyone, the addition of review snippets should be done strategically.
If you are still not able to get your listing in a preferred location in pack results, keep in mind that can use a Google Ads campaign to pay for placement. This may not be necessary for all of the localized areas that your dealership is targeting, but it may be very cost-effective in competitive niche areas.
As you can see, creating an effective Google My Business listing and maintaining its effectiveness require carefully research and strategic efforts. Many of these factors are moving targets, such as ineligible listings popping up in submarkets that you are targeting and selecting the right keywords to target for each submarket. You understandably need all of the help that you can get from an experienced marketing team. At Customer Scout, we are focused on providing exceptional marketing services for car dealerships like yours. To learn more about what we can do for you, contact Customer Scout and our GMB solutions.
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Do you see the posting tool under the GMB to be a good tool to attract more shoppers with inventory and branding posts?
They have been demoting it lately and now it is well below the fold almost hidden. Have you heard if they will be doing any upgrades to this feature (or just outright getting rid of it)?