As an industry, we have advanced to the point that many dealers are really starting to take advantage of social media, particularly Facebook. I've been doing audits of both KPA and non-KPA dealers in preparation for a big announcement next month and the results were surprising in both directions.

The first surprise was in how many dealers are not only "getting it" but have advanced to start doing some things I had never seen before. Mind you that I spend more of my waking hours engulfed in search and social than I do in the "real world" (being married to a loving wife who makes sure I don't forget to eat or shower is a blessing), so when I come across such freshness being used by dealers, it's very encouraging.

The second surprise is when I come across the very basics getting missed. In an effort to fix that, here's a quick list of some of the mistakes I found in my adventures. The fact that these aren't getting done means that someone needs to wear a dunce cap: ME! It seems that I have done the industry a disservice by not making sure that these types of mistakes were completely eliminated.

• - Use a custom Facebook URL. If you have enough Likes (it's been a while but I believe the minimum is 25) then you can change your page URL one time to something unique. Go to facebook.com/username/ as the admin and change it. Keep in mind that dots and capital letters are important, but they all redirect. In other words, if you type in facebook.com/tkcarsites it will still take you to facebook.com/TK.Carsites. Choose wisely - you only get one shot without major hassle. Make it branded - don't try to do an SEO play here.
•  
• - Post daily. I cannot stress this enough. Use tools like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule posts for your days off. EdgeRank is important for how high your posts show up on users' walls and breaks from posting will push your EdgeRank down.
•  
• - Be professional. I know that Facebook is about fun and sharing, but be mindful of what you're posting. I saw way too many inappropriate pictures, many of which were actually branded with the dealers' logo on them. Your dealership is a business. Don't try to be "one of the guys" by posting scantilly-clad women or funny-but-offensive images.
•  
• - Reply, darn it! If someone takes the time to ask a real question on your wall or in one of your posts, answer them. I actually saw a post about a special where someone asked the dealer in a comment whether their certified preowned vehicles came with a better warranty than regular used cars. Two days later the same person replied to her own comment by saying, "Nevermind, XXXXXXX at XXXXXXXXXX answered my question and sold me a car today. Thanks anyway!"
•  
• - Diversify. Your Facebook page shouldn't be a one-trick-pony. While it's great to post testimonials, for example, don't let them be the only thing on your page, especially if you're only getting two or three a month.
•  
• - Interact with other pages. This one might not be a Facebook basic, but it's easy and works for those who are active. Your page can like other pages. When you like other pages, you can interact with them and post on their walls. This is great locally as you can get some branding and publicity to a different audience by posting on their walls. Don't spam, but if it's appropriate then go for it. For example, if you're having Stan's BBQ bringing smokers to your big tent sale, you should definitely post a thank you on their page, conveniently posted the day before. "Thank you Stan for being the grill master at tomorrow's big tent sale at XXXXXXXX Motors! Can't wait to give away some of your amazing ribs!"

These weren't the only things I found, but they were definitely the ones that stood out. Facebook and social media in general is really starting to emerge as an ROI based form of marketing and communication. Dealers are making strides and it's a wonderful thing.

Just don't forget the basics.

As an industry, we have advanced to the point that many dealers are really starting to take advantage of social media, particularly Facebook. I've been doing audits of both KPA and non-KPA dealers in preparation for a big announcement next month and the results were surprising in both directions.

The first surprise was in how many dealers are not only "getting it" but have advanced to start doing some things I had never seen before. Mind you that I spend more of my waking hours engulfed in search and social than I do in the "real world" (being married to a loving wife who makes sure I don't forget to eat or shower is a blessing), so when I come across such freshness being used by dealers, it's very encouraging.

The second surprise is when I come across the very basics getting missed. In an effort to fix that, here's a quick list of some of the mistakes I found in my adventures. The fact that these aren't getting done means that someone needs to wear a dunce cap: ME! It seems that I have done the industry a disservice by not making sure that these types of mistakes were completely eliminated.

• - Use a custom Facebook URL. If you have enough Likes (it's been a while but I believe the minimum is 25) then you can change your page URL one time to something unique. Go to facebook.com/username/ as the admin and change it. Keep in mind that dots and capital letters are important, but they all redirect. In other words, if you type in facebook.com/tkcarsites it will still take you to facebook.com/TK.Carsites. Choose wisely - you only get one shot without major hassle. Make it branded - don't try to do an SEO play here.
•  
• - Post daily. I cannot stress this enough. Use tools like Tweetdeck or Hootsuite to schedule posts for your days off. EdgeRank is important for how high your posts show up on users' walls and breaks from posting will push your EdgeRank down.
•  
• - Be professional. I know that Facebook is about fun and sharing, but be mindful of what you're posting. I saw way too many inappropriate pictures, many of which were actually branded with the dealers' logo on them. Your dealership is a business. Don't try to be "one of the guys" by posting scantilly-clad women or funny-but-offensive images.
•  
• - Reply, darn it! If someone takes the time to ask a real question on your wall or in one of your posts, answer them. I actually saw a post about a special where someone asked the dealer in a comment whether their certified preowned vehicles came with a better warranty than regular used cars. Two days later the same person replied to her own comment by saying, "Nevermind, XXXXXXX at XXXXXXXXXX answered my question and sold me a car today. Thanks anyway!"
•  
• - Diversify. Your Facebook page shouldn't be a one-trick-pony. While it's great to post testimonials, for example, don't let them be the only thing on your page, especially if you're only getting two or three a month.
•  
• - Interact with other pages. This one might not be a Facebook basic, but it's easy and works for those who are active. Your page can like other pages. When you like other pages, you can interact with them and post on their walls. This is great locally as you can get some branding and publicity to a different audience by posting on their walls. Don't spam, but if it's appropriate then go for it. For example, if you're having Stan's BBQ bringing smokers to your big tent sale, you should definitely post a thank you on their page, conveniently posted the day before. "Thank you Stan for being the grill master at tomorrow's big tent sale at XXXXXXXX Motors! Can't wait to give away some of your amazing ribs!"

These weren't the only things I found, but they were definitely the ones that stood out. Facebook and social media in general is really starting to emerge as an ROI based form of marketing and communication. Dealers are making strides and it's a wonderful thing.

Just don't forget the basics.

At the Automotive Boot Camp last week, I had the pleasure of going over analytics with a dealer who was at a loss for why they weren't getting more traffic to their website. One of the first things I noticed was that the website looked good on Internet Explorer and Firefox but had errors in Google Chrome and failed to display properly at all in Opera and Safari.

"As long as it works in Internet Explorer, we're fine," the dealer told me. "Our area is not tech-savvy and almost everyone we know uses Internet Explorer."

I was aghast. I literally didn't know what to say. I thought these days were behind us.

I was wrong.

It doesn't matter where your dealership is. People are using the internet. They know how to use the internet. Even if they don't, someone in their family does and has helped them know the basics.

Internet Explorer is still big, but check your stats before thinking that "everyone is using it." Last week, Chrome overtook IE as the most used browser in the world. Even in North America which is still IE-heavy, it only accounts for around 40% of the non-mobile web traffic.

Do you want to reach 40%? How about 90%, assuming your website works in IE, FF, and Chrome?

Why not go for 100%?

The story ended well. We looked at his analytics and he was partially correct: a high 44% of his visitors were using IE. It wasn't the number he was thinking and it opened his eyes to the importance cross-browser website performance. Have you looked at your numbers lately?

* * *

Find +JD Rucker on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

At the Automotive Boot Camp last week, I had the pleasure of going over analytics with a dealer who was at a loss for why they weren't getting more traffic to their website. One of the first things I noticed was that the website looked good on Internet Explorer and Firefox but had errors in Google Chrome and failed to display properly at all in Opera and Safari.

"As long as it works in Internet Explorer, we're fine," the dealer told me. "Our area is not tech-savvy and almost everyone we know uses Internet Explorer."

I was aghast. I literally didn't know what to say. I thought these days were behind us.

I was wrong.

It doesn't matter where your dealership is. People are using the internet. They know how to use the internet. Even if they don't, someone in their family does and has helped them know the basics.

Internet Explorer is still big, but check your stats before thinking that "everyone is using it." Last week, Chrome overtook IE as the most used browser in the world. Even in North America which is still IE-heavy, it only accounts for around 40% of the non-mobile web traffic.

Do you want to reach 40%? How about 90%, assuming your website works in IE, FF, and Chrome?

Why not go for 100%?

The story ended well. We looked at his analytics and he was partially correct: a high 44% of his visitors were using IE. It wasn't the number he was thinking and it opened his eyes to the importance cross-browser website performance. Have you looked at your numbers lately?

* * *

Find +JD Rucker on Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest.

In April, 2012, Google began rolling out major changes to their search algorithm. The update, known as "Penguin", had dramatic effects on many of the searches that people do on a regular basis. In the automotive industry, the effects were felt by thousands of dealers. Some moved up if they had quality SEO practices being employed on their sites. As a result, others moved down.

This graphic goes into a little detail about the philosophies that dealers and their search partners should employ to take advantage of the changes. Penguin is a good thing. It helps to level the playing field for those who want to do better and gives those willing to be exceptional the ability to fly to the top.

Click to enlarge.

In April, 2012, Google began rolling out major changes to their search algorithm. The update, known as "Penguin", had dramatic effects on many of the searches that people do on a regular basis. In the automotive industry, the effects were felt by thousands of dealers. Some moved up if they had quality SEO practices being employed on their sites. As a result, others moved down.

This graphic goes into a little detail about the philosophies that dealers and their search partners should employ to take advantage of the changes. Penguin is a good thing. It helps to level the playing field for those who want to do better and gives those willing to be exceptional the ability to fly to the top.

Click to enlarge.

From time to time, storms collide to form a "perfect storm", a convergence of forces that creates something more powerful than the sum of its parts. This is not one of those times, but it certainly was a blast doing an "ask the experts" webinar about search engine optimization with Gary May and Eric Miltsch.

When you get an hour to spare, a good way to spend it would be to listen to this webinar.

From time to time, storms collide to form a "perfect storm", a convergence of forces that creates something more powerful than the sum of its parts. This is not one of those times, but it certainly was a blast doing an "ask the experts" webinar about search engine optimization with Gary May and Eric Miltsch.

When you get an hour to spare, a good way to spend it would be to listen to this webinar.

I was having a discussion with our founder over the best ways to separate the good from the bad SEO providers in the automotive industry when I realized that very few (VERY few) vendors presented all three components to help dealers make a decision about who to choose. There are three major components that a savvy dealer will want to look at when comparing vendors.

The first one is arguably the most common but still very important. Requisites are "Things that are necessary for the achievement of a specified end." In the field of search engine optimization, knowing what it takes to achieve the goal of higher rankings for the right keywords is essential to success.

SEO is both a science and an art. While there are definitely techniques that can be used and repeated to help towards that end, it's necessary to apply creative thinking during nearly every aspect of the SEO process. It's not simply a robotic experience. Here are the four primary requisites that every SEO vendor should be focused on in 2012 and beyond:

• * High-quality, unique content on the site. For years it has been hammered into the automotive consiousness that "content is king" but one of the components that is rarely discussed is that not all content is created equal. It's not about keyword stuffing. It's not about feeding news articles onto your site or automating content through "spinning" tools that generates tons of pages. Not anymore. Today and going forward both Google and Bing are able to recognize high-quality content and reward it over automated content on your websites.
• * Inbound links from relevant, trusted sources. This is the big one that is currently being addressed by both Google and Bing. It isn't just a sheer numbers game anymore. More is good, but higher-quality is even better. Is the vendor sending links from hundreds, even thousands of low-quality sites? If so, they're not being as effective as they could be if they were generating organic links from trusted sources.
• * Application of "Social Signals" on content pages of the site. Social media has been pushed onto the car business as a golden ticket to success. Whether it is or not is up for debate, but one thing that is clear about social is that it can dramatically affect search results when applied properly. This isn't about putting up buttons on every page. It's about building the trust factor from other humans on content pages on your site that Google and Bing will read as "quality and trusted content." Social media is their way of crowdsourcing the quality of their results.
• * Proper keyword research. This can never be discussed enough. The best optimization practices in the world are wasted if the target keywords are poor. Going for the right keywords is the absolute first step to search success.

The second and third portions of sifting through automotive SEO providers are published on other networks. I hope that we can go around the whole circle of the three major automotive social networks to provide real understanding to dealers around the nation.

This video talks about all three:

I was having a discussion with our founder over the best ways to separate the good from the bad SEO providers in the automotive industry when I realized that very few (VERY few) vendors presented all three components to help dealers make a decision about who to choose. There are three major components that a savvy dealer will want to look at when comparing vendors.

The first one is arguably the most common but still very important. Requisites are "Things that are necessary for the achievement of a specified end." In the field of search engine optimization, knowing what it takes to achieve the goal of higher rankings for the right keywords is essential to success.

SEO is both a science and an art. While there are definitely techniques that can be used and repeated to help towards that end, it's necessary to apply creative thinking during nearly every aspect of the SEO process. It's not simply a robotic experience. Here are the four primary requisites that every SEO vendor should be focused on in 2012 and beyond:

• * High-quality, unique content on the site. For years it has been hammered into the automotive consiousness that "content is king" but one of the components that is rarely discussed is that not all content is created equal. It's not about keyword stuffing. It's not about feeding news articles onto your site or automating content through "spinning" tools that generates tons of pages. Not anymore. Today and going forward both Google and Bing are able to recognize high-quality content and reward it over automated content on your websites.
• * Inbound links from relevant, trusted sources. This is the big one that is currently being addressed by both Google and Bing. It isn't just a sheer numbers game anymore. More is good, but higher-quality is even better. Is the vendor sending links from hundreds, even thousands of low-quality sites? If so, they're not being as effective as they could be if they were generating organic links from trusted sources.
• * Application of "Social Signals" on content pages of the site. Social media has been pushed onto the car business as a golden ticket to success. Whether it is or not is up for debate, but one thing that is clear about social is that it can dramatically affect search results when applied properly. This isn't about putting up buttons on every page. It's about building the trust factor from other humans on content pages on your site that Google and Bing will read as "quality and trusted content." Social media is their way of crowdsourcing the quality of their results.
• * Proper keyword research. This can never be discussed enough. The best optimization practices in the world are wasted if the target keywords are poor. Going for the right keywords is the absolute first step to search success.

The second and third portions of sifting through automotive SEO providers are published on other networks. I hope that we can go around the whole circle of the three major automotive social networks to provide real understanding to dealers around the nation.

This video talks about all three: