Backlinks are still a core element of any organic search results strategy. The key to mastering this activity is knowing the quality factors Google is looking for when they're evaluating the links they scan every day. 

Even if you're not actively building your own backlinks, it's still a wise move to understand the guidelines Google has created. Maybe you're looking to hire an outside agency to assist with your organic search results. If so, you need to be prepared to ask about their methodology to protect your dealership's website. 

Here's a list of 11 backlink types Google doesn't want to see. And if they do discover any of these activities happening within your website, you could either be penalized or even worse - stripped from the organic listings altogether. 

1. Google does not like paid links

Buying and/or selling links that pass PageRank can negatively impact your website's ranking in search results. This includes exchanging money for links, or posts that contain links; exchanging goods or services for links; or sending someone a 'free' product in exchange for them writing about it and including a link.

Do not buy or sell backlinks if you don't want to risk your website or blog rankings.

2. Google does not like excessive link exchanges

Exchanging links with other websites is fine. It happens all the time between websites. So, websites about electric or green cars can cross-link to other websites about electric or green cars and not worry about getting in trouble.

If the cross-linking looks unnatural (the electric cars websites links to a bike store and vice versa), Google might think that you're trying to build unnatural links.

Use common sense when exchanging links with other sites. If the link exchange makes sense for a human website visitor, everyone will .

3. Google does not like large-scale article marketing or guest posting campaigns

It's okay to publish your articles and guest posts on other websites as long as you don't do it in bulk. If you do guest posts just to get keyword rich backlinks, your website might get penalized.

Only publish articles and guest posts on other websites if you really want to contribute a valuable article.

4. Google does not like automated programs or services that create backlinks to your site

You've probably seen the ads for tools and services that promise hundreds (if not thousands) of backlinks with very little work. Don't use them. Ever. 

Avoid tools and services that automatically build backlinks to your website. Google is very, very smart. If you (or your vendor) found them, Google already knows about them as well. 

5. Google does not like text ads that pass PageRank

If you place a text ad on another website, be sure the ad uses the rel=nofollow attribute in the link. Google sees these as a manipulative backlink. 

6. Google does not like advertorials and ads that include links that pass PageRank

Simple rule: Always use links with the rel=nofollow attribute if you pay for an article or an ad. If the ad includes a paid link that passes PageRank, it might trigger a penalty.

7. Google does not like links with optimized anchor text in articles or press releases

If your article contains paragraphs that look like the following, you might invite Google's spam algorithm to take a closer look at your website:

"With so many automotive parts stores on the market, if you want to have buy online parts, you can visit the best online parts store in the region. You can find the automotive parts you're looking for easily at our website's eCommerce parts store."

8. Google does not like links from low quality directories or bookmark sites

If you're submitting your website to hundreds of Internet directories that will never send you a single visitor, don't waste your time as most of them will be classified . These links won't help your Google rankings.

If a directory sends your website visitors, it's worth getting the link. You can ignore other lower quality directories. (Keep in mind, a high quality directory that doesn't send traffic to your site is still worth the effort) 

9. Google does not like widely distributed links in the footers of various websites

Some websites put keyword rich links to other websites in their footers. These links are always paid links and you should not use them to promote your website.

This doesn't apply to 'About us' or 'Privacy policy' footer links but to backlinks such as 'buy insurance' or 'buy automotive parts.' This is simply a no-no today. It worked years ago but won't float today. (It was also a great way to earn extra income from your website - I did it on my blog until the algorithm updates warned against it) 

10. Google does not like links that are embedded in widgets that are distributed across various sites

Some widget developers offer free widgets that contain links to other websites: "Visitors to this page: 4,723 - buy car parts"

If a widget developer offers you a widget to advertise on your blog, just make sure the links use the nofollow attribute. But you also need to consider the utility of the widget as well - is it really something someone needs? Or are you simply doing it to help boost rankings and/or earn a payout on it?  

11. Google does not like forum comments with optimized links in the post or signature

There are automated post commenting tools that can be used in forums - Google isn't a fan of these as well. The efforts need to resemble natural human efforts - not something that is going to generate 7,000 low quality links in 48 hours. That's simply not possible by even the most dedicated and focused employee.

"That's an awesome blog post with great information! Thanks so much lot!
Randy
buy online automotive parts buy car parts best aftermarket car parts"

Just don't do this. Google hates this. Avoid tools that automatically post your links to forums. It's really simple: Google does not like bulk links and they also don't like artificial links.

Many dealers have invested a lot of smart money in a lot of dumb things when it comes to their website. And by dumb things, I mean those things that are causing people to leave your site. I'm sure you remember being on a website that frustrates you. You remember that site and may even go out of your way to avoid it again. 

Think about the experience you're providing your visitors. Is it simple? Are their obtrusive items? Is it easy for shoppers to get the info they need to make a decision? 

Here's a list of some of the key culprits. And yes, I understand that you may not be able to control every single item. If so, speak up to your website vendor and let them know you want help with the changes. And if a website vendor tells you there will be a charge for it, simply ask them why they're charging you to help them improve their product. 

1. Music or auto attendants who automatically start playing - and are also difficult to stop. Would you run up to a new showroom customer and start blasting music at them or just start shouting out your newest specials? 
2. Traditional Captchas. Please stop showing these squiggly words. You can't possibly have that much of a spam problem, you probably don't get that much traffic to even warrant it on your site. If you still think you need it, there are much easier solutions - such as asking you what 1+2 equals. 
3. Pop-up coupon offers that cover the entire home page - and are extremely difficult to close. If you must use them, make them appear off-center, make them smaller and make them very simple to close. 
4. Multiple pop-ups on the home page. This is more of a personal preference, but I recently visited a dealership site that had a coupon pop-up, a drop-in chat window, a right-hand margin "ask a question" tab and a bottom pane tool bar that all loaded at the same time - it looks like an old west shooter game. I didn't know where to look first. Plus, all of these scripts slowed the entire site down and each page took way too long to load. 
5. Survey pop-ups on the home screen. Again, you don't ask your showroom visitors to answer CSI surveys when they walk in the front door.
6. Immediate newsletter sign-ups. Same deal. Please stop. 
7. Too many required fields in the contact forms. Name, email, phone number. That's all you need. I would even test name & email and let the phone number be an optional field. You don't need my home address if I'm submitting a form. (This is a sticky situation with the vendors as the OEM's may require this - it needs to change as it's a key factor why forms don't get used as much as they could) 
8. Blank specials pages. I want to see the specials. Where are the specials? I clicked on this expecting specials! 
9. Mobile sites that don't have the click to call function. Users expect this. 
10. Not showing all of your vehicle photos on your mobile site. One photo doesn't cut it. 

What other items do you keep seeing that may contribute to your site's high bounce rate? Let's get a solid list of items and wipe these problems out with the help of the website vendors. You'll enjoy better website performance and your online visitors will appreciate the improved experience.

Many dealers have invested a lot of smart money in a lot of dumb things when it comes to their website. And by dumb things, I mean those things that are causing people to leave your site. I'm sure you remember being on a website that frustrates you. You remember that site and may even go out of your way to avoid it again. 

Think about the experience you're providing your visitors. Is it simple? Are their obtrusive items? Is it easy for shoppers to get the info they need to make a decision? 

Here's a list of some of the key culprits. And yes, I understand that you may not be able to control every single item. If so, speak up to your website vendor and let them know you want help with the changes. And if a website vendor tells you there will be a charge for it, simply ask them why they're charging you to help them improve their product. 

1. Music or auto attendants who automatically start playing - and are also difficult to stop. Would you run up to a new showroom customer and start blasting music at them or just start shouting out your newest specials? 
2. Traditional Captchas. Please stop showing these squiggly words. You can't possibly have that much of a spam problem, you probably don't get that much traffic to even warrant it on your site. If you still think you need it, there are much easier solutions - such as asking you what 1+2 equals. 
3. Pop-up coupon offers that cover the entire home page - and are extremely difficult to close. If you must use them, make them appear off-center, make them smaller and make them very simple to close. 
4. Multiple pop-ups on the home page. This is more of a personal preference, but I recently visited a dealership site that had a coupon pop-up, a drop-in chat window, a right-hand margin "ask a question" tab and a bottom pane tool bar that all loaded at the same time - it looks like an old west shooter game. I didn't know where to look first. Plus, all of these scripts slowed the entire site down and each page took way too long to load. 
5. Survey pop-ups on the home screen. Again, you don't ask your showroom visitors to answer CSI surveys when they walk in the front door.
6. Immediate newsletter sign-ups. Same deal. Please stop. 
7. Too many required fields in the contact forms. Name, email, phone number. That's all you need. I would even test name & email and let the phone number be an optional field. You don't need my home address if I'm submitting a form. (This is a sticky situation with the vendors as the OEM's may require this - it needs to change as it's a key factor why forms don't get used as much as they could) 
8. Blank specials pages. I want to see the specials. Where are the specials? I clicked on this expecting specials! 
9. Mobile sites that don't have the click to call function. Users expect this. 
10. Not showing all of your vehicle photos on your mobile site. One photo doesn't cut it. 

What other items do you keep seeing that may contribute to your site's high bounce rate? Let's get a solid list of items and wipe these problems out with the help of the website vendors. You'll enjoy better website performance and your online visitors will appreciate the improved experience.

Online shoppers want answers to questions. They expect easy access to this information. And they don't want to waste time getting those answers. 

One of the easiest ways to help your online visitors is to create a Frequently Asked Questions page. For those feeling extra ambitious could even create multiple FAQ's for different sections of the site. The point being, provide the answers to the questions you already know your guests are going to ask you. They'll appreciate the value in this effort incredibly.

Keep in mind, as Internet users continue to search using conversation search queries such as "How does leasing work?" "Where can I find 0% financing in Pittsburgh?" & "How do I trade-in my used car?" there will be more opprotunities for your content to get discovered. Plus, that's the type of helpful content users remember and share socially. 

Your stores are filled with experts, it's time to leverage their respective knowledge. This is how I created my dealership's FAQ content in just a few days.

1. Create a list of the subject matter experts in your store(s) [Service managers, GM/sales managers, top sales people, BDC staff, F&I, buyers, etc]
2. Ask your experts to write down the 10 top questions asked by customers. [Extra points for video answers]
3. Explain to them why you need this info; educate them on shopper behavior, how it creates a better user experience and how it contributes to your search marketing efforts as well.
4. Organize the questions/answers by categories. [Sales, Financing, Service, Used Cars, Parts, trade-ins, etc]
5. Use plenty of images to help make the content easy to scan - nobody likes to see a page full of text.
6. Use your keywords as anchor text for links in the questions/answers to link to relevant content. [this is what helps improve usability and your internal deep linking efforts]
7. Include additional call to actions/submit buttons and/or a form within the page to drive visitors to take action.
8. Include additional contact information to the contributors of the content when possible.[phone #'s, email, twitter, etc]
9. Use a separate tracking number to track phone calls from this page.
10. Add social sharing.
11. Keep adding new questions, or at least update your content once a month, to keep it accurate and current.

Do you have an FAQ page for your dealership? If so, please share yours in the comments below! 

Online shoppers want answers to questions. They expect easy access to this information. And they don't want to waste time getting those answers. 

One of the easiest ways to help your online visitors is to create a Frequently Asked Questions page. For those feeling extra ambitious could even create multiple FAQ's for different sections of the site. The point being, provide the answers to the questions you already know your guests are going to ask you. They'll appreciate the value in this effort incredibly.

Keep in mind, as Internet users continue to search using conversation search queries such as "How does leasing work?" "Where can I find 0% financing in Pittsburgh?" & "How do I trade-in my used car?" there will be more opprotunities for your content to get discovered. Plus, that's the type of helpful content users remember and share socially. 

Your stores are filled with experts, it's time to leverage their respective knowledge. This is how I created my dealership's FAQ content in just a few days.

1. Create a list of the subject matter experts in your store(s) [Service managers, GM/sales managers, top sales people, BDC staff, F&I, buyers, etc]
2. Ask your experts to write down the 10 top questions asked by customers. [Extra points for video answers]
3. Explain to them why you need this info; educate them on shopper behavior, how it creates a better user experience and how it contributes to your search marketing efforts as well.
4. Organize the questions/answers by categories. [Sales, Financing, Service, Used Cars, Parts, trade-ins, etc]
5. Use plenty of images to help make the content easy to scan - nobody likes to see a page full of text.
6. Use your keywords as anchor text for links in the questions/answers to link to relevant content. [this is what helps improve usability and your internal deep linking efforts]
7. Include additional call to actions/submit buttons and/or a form within the page to drive visitors to take action.
8. Include additional contact information to the contributors of the content when possible.[phone #'s, email, twitter, etc]
9. Use a separate tracking number to track phone calls from this page.
10. Add social sharing.
11. Keep adding new questions, or at least update your content once a month, to keep it accurate and current.

Do you have an FAQ page for your dealership? If so, please share yours in the comments below! 

Check out my man Willie. He's a Wal-Mart greeter and he's one of their best. 

Walking into Wal-Mart isn't necessarily an exciting or memorable experience, but Willie does his best to make sure it is for anyone who comes through those front doors on his shift. He makes people feel special. He makes his introductions unique. And he gets people to remember him. 

Willie becomes the image of Wal-Mart in this town. He goes way beyond the expectations of the Wal-Mart greeter. Does the first person to greet your customers make a difference like this or are your guests simply met with a bland, "Hello, welcome to boring motors"

Who's your dealership's Willie?

Check out my man Willie. He's a Wal-Mart greeter and he's one of their best. 

Walking into Wal-Mart isn't necessarily an exciting or memorable experience, but Willie does his best to make sure it is for anyone who comes through those front doors on his shift. He makes people feel special. He makes his introductions unique. And he gets people to remember him. 

Willie becomes the image of Wal-Mart in this town. He goes way beyond the expectations of the Wal-Mart greeter. Does the first person to greet your customers make a difference like this or are your guests simply met with a bland, "Hello, welcome to boring motors"

Who's your dealership's Willie?

A popular topic of debate is whether or not dealers should be posting pictures of their customers with their cars at delivery. 

I say GO FOR IT! And here's why: 

1. It creates memorable, personal interactions with the customer
2. Celebrating moments and telling stories about your brand is what social media is all about
3. It helps drive the digital culture within your dealership
4. Posting from mobile devices helps create more engagement
5. Plus, why does it just have to be a photo? What about a Vine, or an Instagram video? Instragram now lets you upload video from your camera roll. Or, you could even try YouTube's awesome new video app: MixBit.

And here's the challenge - doing it with creativity. Don't just line up your customers in front of their car and force them to stand there lifeless. Everybody is doing that. Have fun with it. 

Add some context to their image as well. Tell the customer's story as to why they chose that vehicle. Where did they come from? Is there a special reason or story behind the purchase and/or usage? What were they driving before? Did they trade something in? 

Here's the biggest reason why I think you should be taking as many of these pictures and sharing them: Facebook's algorithm favors interaction with pictures. By creating more creative, fun pictures for your dealership's page, you're increasing the likelihood users will view them. By doing so, you're creating more opportunities for your images to show up in the content stream.

A new element of their algorithm is actually called "Last Actor." Facebook sees the last 50 people you have interacted with, such as people viewing your photos or liking your news feed stories. If a user is looking through your photos - because they're interesting enough - Facebook gives your content priority and show more of it to that user. The Last Actor change has already been enacted and is having an effect on content within the web and mobile news feed..

Start sharing. And have fun with it too. 

A popular topic of debate is whether or not dealers should be posting pictures of their customers with their cars at delivery. 

I say GO FOR IT! And here's why: 

1. It creates memorable, personal interactions with the customer
2. Celebrating moments and telling stories about your brand is what social media is all about
3. It helps drive the digital culture within your dealership
4. Posting from mobile devices helps create more engagement
5. Plus, why does it just have to be a photo? What about a Vine, or an Instagram video? Instragram now lets you upload video from your camera roll. Or, you could even try YouTube's awesome new video app: MixBit.

And here's the challenge - doing it with creativity. Don't just line up your customers in front of their car and force them to stand there lifeless. Everybody is doing that. Have fun with it. 

Add some context to their image as well. Tell the customer's story as to why they chose that vehicle. Where did they come from? Is there a special reason or story behind the purchase and/or usage? What were they driving before? Did they trade something in? 

Here's the biggest reason why I think you should be taking as many of these pictures and sharing them: Facebook's algorithm favors interaction with pictures. By creating more creative, fun pictures for your dealership's page, you're increasing the likelihood users will view them. By doing so, you're creating more opportunities for your images to show up in the content stream.

A new element of their algorithm is actually called "Last Actor." Facebook sees the last 50 people you have interacted with, such as people viewing your photos or liking your news feed stories. If a user is looking through your photos - because they're interesting enough - Facebook gives your content priority and show more of it to that user. The Last Actor change has already been enacted and is having an effect on content within the web and mobile news feed..

Start sharing. And have fun with it too. 

This is so simple.

Step 1. Post from your mobile device.

That's it. 

Facebook likes mobile. In fact, they love it. They're all about mobile usage, mobile interaction and most important - for shareholders - mobile revenue. So, their EdgeRank formula is even giving some extra preference to a brand's post made from mobile devices. Posting from your phones can provide up to 39% more interaction. (Another thought could be that most mobile posts contain more images & videos, which help create more engagement.) 

Facebook also notes that mobile posts doesn't mean grreater reach. 

I would get into the habit of posting to your dealership pages from your phones all the time to take advantage of this opportunity. Plus, there's a better chance you'll capture something that's more engaging, personal and spontaneous when you're posting from your phone. (Besides being more efficient) 

Read more about mobile vs. non-mobile post results here.