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Car Dealer SEO: How to Generate More Leads Online 

Kathleen Alipio

In recent years, car dealerships have faced a wave of challenges

Slow economic growth and high interest rates have curbed consumers’ buying power. This, combined with an increase in vehicle supply has put downward pressure on vehicle prices. 

And changing consumer preferences to shop and buy cars online has made it harder than ever to build relationships and generate trust.

That’s where SEO comes in. This marketing technique is one of the best ways to display your dealership’s automobile expertise online while also generating leads from customers ready to buy cars.

This guide explains car dealer SEO in detail, including what it is and how to get it right. 

What is Car Dealer SEO?

Car dealer SEO is the process of making your website rank higher in relevant online searches to attract more customers. 

When people search for car dealerships or specific vehicles in your area, a well-optimized website increases your chances of being seen in the search results. 

This visibility makes it easier for potential buyers to find you when they need a new or used car. 

Essentially, SEO works by enhancing your dealership’s online reputation and establishing you as a trusted resource in the automotive market. 

What are the benefits of investing in car dealer SEO?

Investing in SEO for your car dealership leads to several benefits, including:

✅ More website traffic

When your website ranks higher in search results, more people will visit it. For example, if someone searches “new car dealership near me” and your site appears at the top, you’re more likely to gain their interest and business.

✅ Local customer focus

SEO helps you target potential buyers in your area. By optimizing for phrases like “car dealership in [your city],” you attract people who are looking for vehicles nearby, ensuring that your marketing efforts reach the right audience.

✅ Increased leads and inquiries

A well-optimized website not only attracts visitors—it also turns them into potential customers. SEO makes it easier for people to find your contact details, request more information, or schedule a test drive, leading to more quality leads.

✅ Competitive advantage

While many dealerships still rely on traditional advertising or word-of-mouth, investing in SEO lets you stand out online and outrank competitors who haven’t embraced digital strategies.

✅ Long-term results and great returns

Unlike paid ads that stop working once you stop funding them, SEO delivers lasting benefits. 

For example, according to SEO tool Ahrefs the search term “used car dealership Houston” gets around 700 searches per month. 

If you rank number one for that term then you could get around 40% of this traffic—or 420 visitors. 

The average conversion rate for used car websites is 2% (although some get more). That’s more than eight deals per month. 

In 2024, the average profit per car sold in the US was $2,408, meaning your SEO efforts could bring in $19,264 per month or $231,168 per year.

According to Ahrefs, SEO services cost $2,917 per month on average, or $35,004 per year.

That’s a return on investment of more than six times!

Authority Builders’ Step-by-Step Guide to Car Dealer SEO

Here are the steps we take to help car dealerships build authority online and generate more leads using SEO. We’ve put the most important steps first so that you can focus on what matters most.

  1. Set up your local SEO

Local SEO involves ensuring your business appears when people nearby search for vehicles or dealerships online. 

For instance, if someone types “car dealership near me” into Google, a strong local SEO strategy increases the likelihood that your dealership will show up. 

Since buying a car is a local decision—customers need to visit in person for test drives and negotiations—investing in local SEO is essential.

What do local SEO results look like?

When you search for a car dealership on Google, you’ll often see a map with three dealerships listed below it. This area is known as the “Local Pack.” 

It displays key details such as the dealership’s name, address, phone number, website link, and customer reviews. Ranking in this Local Pack is crucial because it’s one of the first things potential buyers see and click on.


Understanding local citations

To appear in local search results, your business must have as many local citations as possible. These are any websites where you can publish your dealership’s name, address, and phone number (NAP).

Examples include:

  • Local, national or industry-specific directories 
  • Review platforms
  • Social media 

These citations are important because they help search engines verify your business’s location and legitimacy, boosting your overall SEO efforts.

How to improve local SEO

🗺️ Ensure NAP consistency: Make sure your dealership’s name, address, and phone number are identical on your website, in local directories, and on social media profiles.

🗺️ Encourage online reviews: Ask satisfied customers to leave reviews on Google or other platforms, as positive feedback builds trust and improves rankings.

🗺️ Optimize for local keywords: Use location-specific phrases like “car dealership in [city name]” throughout your site’s content.

🗺️ Create localized content: Publish blog posts or FAQs addressing local automotive trends or events.

🗺️ Use local directories: List your dealership on platforms such as Yelp, Yellow Pages, and other automotive directories.

Set up your Google Business Profile

The biggest thing you can do to improve your local SEO is set up a Google Business Profile. This ensures you can appear in the Local Pack.

  • Sign in: Go to Google Business Profile and sign in with your dealership’s Google account. If you don’t have one, set one up.

  • Search or add: Click “Manage now” and search for your dealership’s name. If it’s not listed, click “Add your business to Google.”

  • Enter details: Choose the type of business you run—this will most likely be a local store, as customers will visit your dealership. Select “Car dealer” as your category. Next, add your dealership’s name, address, phone number, and website. 

  • Verify your business: Follow Google’s instructions to verify your dealership—usually via a postcard with a verification code.
  • Enhance your profile: Add photos, your logo, and detailed information like your service area and hours.

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2. Technical SEO

Technical SEO focuses on the behind-the-scenes elements of your website that help search engines crawl and understand your content better. 

When your site is technically sound, it loads quickly, is easy to navigate, and provides a positive experience for visitors. It is about ensuring your website’s foundation is solid and user-friendly.

Google understands this and so considers technical SEO factors in its search rankings. 

Here are the ones car dealerships should focus on improving. It’s worth noting that most of these require some technical knowledge and you may have to hire a professional to help you.

✅ Image optimization

Optimizing images is key to reducing load times. Start by compressing images to decrease file size without losing quality. 

This is particularly important for car dealerships as they often have lots of images of the cars on sale which can quickly slow down their website. 

Use descriptive file names and add alt text that clearly describes each image. This helps search engines understand the content of your images, which can contribute to better rankings.

✅ Mobile optimization

With more customers browsing on smartphones, your website must work seamlessly on mobile devices. Ensure your site design is responsive, meaning it automatically adjusts to different screen sizes. A mobile-friendly site improves user experience and is favored by search engines, especially for local searches.

✅ Internal links

Internal linking means connecting various pages on your website via hyperlinks. This helps search engines find and index your content more efficiently, while also guiding visitors to related topics or services. A clear internal linking structure can boost your site’s overall SEO performance and keep users engaged longer.

✅ Fix broken links

Broken links can harm your site’s usability and signal poor maintenance to search engines. Regularly review your website for any links that lead to error pages and update or remove them. Fixing broken links ensures that both visitors and search engines can navigate your site without frustration, ultimately supporting your SEO efforts.

3. Find relevant keywords

Keywords are the words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for something. For car dealerships, these could be terms like:

  • Car dealership near me
  • Used cars in [city]
  • Affordable car financing [city]

You can add these keywords and related terms to your website content. This helps search engines understand what your website is about and ensures it appears in relevant searches.

How do keywords work?

When someone types a keyword into a search engine, it looks for web pages that are most relevant to that keyword. 

The better your website matches what people are searching for, the higher it will rank in the search results. 

Targeting the right keywords allows search engines to connect your website with potential customers. Using relevant, high-volume keywords will improve your visibility and increase traffic to your site.

How to do keyword research

Keyword research is the process of identifying the best keywords to target. Here’s how to do it:

🔶 Step 1: Start with seed keywords

Think about the vehicles and services your dealership offers. Write down 5–10 terms like: 

  • New cars for sale
  • Used cars near me
  • Auto financing
  • 2024 Honda Civic
  • Second hand Silverado 

These are your seed keywords—broadly relevant topics to your business but often highly competitive.

🔶 Step 2: Come up with long-tail keywords

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific phrases. They might get less traffic, but they’re generally easier to rank for. For example, instead of targeting “car dealership,” try “best Nissan dealership in [City].” 

🔶Step 3: Use Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer

Ahrefs by clicking on the “Keywords Explorer” and entering your seed keyword.

Ahrefs will display a wealth of data. Scroll down the section labelled “Keyword ideas”. Here, you’ll find keyword ideas grouped into four main areas:

  • Terms that include your seed keyword
  • Questions related to your seed keyword
  • Terms that pages ranking for your keyword also rank for
  • Topics mentioned in articles featuring your keyword

See which ones suit your business and add them to your list.

🔶 Step 4: Prioritize keywords

Next, add all your keywords to a spreadsheet and run each one through Ahrefs’ Keywords Explorer. 

Key data points to note are:

  • Keyword difficulty: How much competition there is to rank for the keyword.
  • Search volume: The number of people searching for the term.

The best keywords will have a high search volume combined with low difficulty. Use your spreadsheet to pinpoint the best opportunities for your dealership’s SEO strategy.

4. Create high quality content

High quality content is information that is well-researched, engaging, and valuable to your audience. 

For car dealerships, this means content that answers common questions, provides expert insights on vehicles, and addresses the specific needs of car buyers. 

It should be original, well-written, and designed to help customers make informed decisions.

How content helps SEO

Quality content is essential for SEO because it signals to search engines that your website is a valuable resource. 

When users engage with your content—spending time reading articles or watching videos—search engines recognize your site as relevant and authoritative. 

This increased engagement can lead to higher search rankings and more organic traffic. 

Additionally, informative content often attracts natural backlinks from other reputable sites, further boosting your online presence.

Content ideas for car dealers

Consider producing various types of content, such as:

🎥 Videos: Showcase vehicle features, provide virtual tours of your showroom, or offer behind-the-scenes looks at your dealership operations.

📙 Car buying guides: Develop detailed guides that walk customers through the car buying process, including financing options and negotiating tips.

⭐ Car reviews: Write comprehensive reviews of new and used models to help buyers make informed decisions.

🆚 Model comparisons: Create side-by-side comparisons of similar vehicles, emphasizing differences in features, performance, and pricing.

🔍 Guides to specific features: Produce content that explains advanced features—like driver support systems, safety technologies, or infotainment options—to help customers understand their benefits.

Here’s a good example on YouTube by dealership Mike’s Car Store. The company produces videos that provide consumers with car-buying tips.

5. Optimize your on-page SEO

On-page SEO refers to the changes you can make directly on your website to ensure that both users and search engines understand your high quality content. 

By optimizing your pages, you help your well-crafted articles, videos, and guides rank higher in search results, connecting potential customers with your dealership.

Meta titles

The meta title appears as the clickable text in search results. Make sure your title is clear, includes your main keyword (for example, “Car Dealer in [City]”), and is under 60 characters.

Meta descriptions

The meta description is the brief text below the title in search results. Write a concise summary (under 160 characters) that outlines your page content and incorporates relevant keywords.

Headings (H1, H2, H3, etc.)

Headings organize your content for both readers and search engines. Your H1 should be your page title and include your primary keyword. Use H2s and H3s for subheadings to add structure and include secondary keywords where appropriate.

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URL structure

Keep your URLs short and descriptive. For example, use “/used-cars/[city]” instead of a generic “/page123” to clearly indicate your page’s focus.

Alt text for images

Alt text helps search engines understand the content of your images. Write descriptive alt text for each image—such as “Showroom at [Car Dealer] in [City]”—and include relevant keywords.

Internal linking

Use internal links within your content to guide visitors to related pages on your website, such as car buying guides, reviews, or financing information. This not only improves navigation but also reinforces the SEO value of your content.

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  1. Build backlinks

Backlinks are links from one website that point to another website. Search engines use the number and quality of backlinks as a ranking factor.

This is because they assume that people post links to content on other websites because they trust it and think it will be valuable for their readers. Therefore, search engines see backlinks as votes of confidence in the quality of a website or its content.  

Backlinks don’t just help with search rankings. They also:

🔗 Drive visitors directly to your website.

🔗 Increase your brand’s exposure to new audiences in your area. 

🔗 Give you a competitive advantage over dealerships that don’t invest in SEO.

Let’s take a look at some of the ways you can build links to your website.

Press links

Digital PR backlinks are a way to earn backlinks through press releases, media coverage, or interviews.

People trust media organizations because their content tends to be well-researched and relatively balanced. Therefore, links from these websites tend to have a greater impact on your rankings than those from other sites. 

Digital PR involves building relationships with local journalists. Some ways to gain coverage include:

📰 Offer interesting content

📰 Comment on relevant recent events

📰 Host an event

📰 Do something newsworthy

For example, Miami-based car sales and rental company Braman Motors has been linked to in this Florida Politics article after they donated money to a local Republican Party politician. 


Become a source on Qwoted

To establish your car dealership as a trusted source and earn valuable backlinks, consider using Qwoted, a platform connecting experts with journalists seeking insights.

It’s free and easy to set up. However, responding to requests can be time-consuming and only about one in ten will lead to a link.

How to use Qwoted for backlinks:

✔️ Sign up for a free account on Qwoted: Complete your profile with detailed information about your dealership’s expertise, such as automotive trends, vehicle maintenance tips, or insights into the car buying process.

✔️ Set your preferences: Specify the types of queries you want to receive, focusing on topics related to the automotive industry.

✔️ Monitor queries: Regularly check for media queries from journalists seeking expert opinions in your field.

✔️ Respond promptly: When a relevant query arises, provide a well-thought-out response, including your insights, credentials, and a link to your dealership’s website.

Here’s a good example of a request from NDT TV. They are looking for quotes on why it’s a good time to buy a new car. This would be an ideal request for a car dealership to respond to.

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Guest posting

Guest posting is the practice of writing and publishing an article on another website in your industry. 

For car dealerships, this means contributing articles to automotive blogs, local news sites, or industry publications. 

The primary benefit is that it provides a backlink to your website. Beyond building links, guest posting also:

✔️ Drives targeted traffic from interested readers directly to your site. 

✔️ Enhances your credibility as a trusted authority.

✔️ Opens opportunities for further collaborations with other industry experts. 

✔️ Attracts potential customers and generates leads. 

In the example below, a UK-based car dealership, The JCB Group, has written an article on the role of loyalty schemes in car dealerships for BestSellingCarsBlog. 

This is good because the two websites are relevant to each other and have similar audiences. Also, it allows JCB Group to display its industry expertise and talk about its own loyalty scheme.

Here’s how to do guest blogging for your automotive dealership:

Step 1: Identify guest blogging opportunities

Search for reputable automotive blogs, car review sites, and local news outlets that accept guest posts. To streamline your search, use Google search operators. 

For example, type phrases like “automotive guest post” or “write for us car dealership” to uncover websites interested in industry-related content.

Step 2: Pitch your ideas

Contact the site owner with several topic ideas that resonate with their audience. Consider local market trends, car maintenance tips, or dealership news. Ensure your pitch is tailored to the site’s focus and offers valuable insights for readers.

Step 3: Write a high-quality post

After your pitch is accepted, create a well-researched article that informs and engages readers. Include a link to your dealership’s website where it naturally fits into the content.

Step 4: Engage with readers

Once your post is live, share it on social media to help it generate traffic. Participate in the comments to answer questions and build relationships, further establishing your dealership’s expertise in the automotive field.

Post on social media

Social media backlinks don’t confer as much ranking benefit as those from blogs or media websites. But they are still worth building, especially for the:

👍 Audience interaction

👍 Direct traffic

👍 Brand awareness

Share valuable content

If you’ve created valuable content for your blog, social media is a great place to share it and generate an audience. You can also create engaging posts such as behind-the-scenes videos, customer success stories, or “deal of the week” posts. 

When you post content that adds value, users are likely to share it, generating social media links that drive traffic back to your site.

Here’s a good example of a deal of the week post from Twins Auto of Dublin.

Collaborate with influencers

Reach out to local influencers and auto enthusiasts for collaborations, such as vehicle reviews or event promotions. Their endorsements and social shares provide quality links and improve your dealership’s credibility.

For example, in the post below, car parts provider Soul Performance Products and tuning service M-Engineering collaborated with automotive influencer Miami Miles

Host events and promotions

Organize dealership events, online contests, or giveaways. Encourage participants to share posts and tag your dealership. This not only increases engagement but also creates additional backlinks from social platforms.

For example, Hybrid Solution Diagnostics regularly gives away free car products. They share videos of winners receiving their prizes.  

Leverage hashtags and tagging

Use targeted hashtags and tag local businesses or community pages in your posts to expand your reach and improve link visibility.

Here are some examples of hashtags that you can use in your posts to ensure they are seen by relevant users:

#CarDealership

#CarSales

#NewCars

#UsedCars

#CarShopping

#AutoSales

#CarLife

#DriveYourDream

#TestDrive

#Showroom

#AutoDeals

#LuxuryCars

#BudgetCars

#LocalCars

#YourCityCars

Sponsor local events

Sponsoring local events is a practical way for your car dealership to build valuable backlinks while strengthening your community presence. 

When you sponsor events such as car shows, charity fundraisers, or local sports tournaments, your dealership’s name often appears on the event’s website, brochures, and social media pages—each typically including a link back to your site. 

These links not only boost your search engine rankings but also enhance your reputation within the community.

Building these links is relatively simple:

✔️ Find relevant events and reach out to the organizers and ask to become a sponsor. 

✔️ Make sure your sponsorship will involve a backlink.

✔️ Encourage further linking by writing about your involvement on social media, in blog posts and in press releases.  

Customer testimonials

Customer testimonials do more than build trust—they can also be a great way to earn valuable backlinks for your dealership’s website. When a satisfied customer shares their positive experience, it not only convinces potential buyers but can also lead to external websites linking back to your site, boosting your search engine rankings.

How to use customer testimonials for backlinks
  • Start by reviewing feedback from recent sales, service interactions, or online reviews. Create a list of customers who have expressed satisfaction with their experience at your dealership.
  • Request a brief testimonial from them. Explain that their positive story can help other customers make informed decisions. Make it easy by suggesting a few simple prompts, such as:
    • What made you choose our dealership?
    • How did our team make the car-buying process smooth?
    • What stands out about your experience with us?
  • If the customer owns a blog, website, or even a social media page where they share personal stories, politely ask if they would consider including a link to your dealership’s website alongside their testimonial. Explain that this small gesture can help more local buyers find your services.
  • Provide clear guidelines to the customer or offer a simple template or step-by-step instructions. 
  • Feature these testimonials on a dedicated page on your website. When other sites see that your dealership values customer feedback, they’re more likely to reference and link back to you when sharing similar success stories.

Authority Builders: Helping You Generate Leads With Car Dealer SEO

A robust SEO strategy can transform your car dealership’s online presence. 

By targeting the right keywords, creating engaging content like car buying guides, videos, and model comparisons, and optimizing your website with on-page SEO techniques, your dealership can attract more local customers and stand out in a competitive market. 

Building quality backlinks further boosts your search rankings and drives valuable traffic directly to your site.

Authority Builders specializes in helping car dealers and other businesses achieve SEO success. Our comprehensive services include building local citations, content strategy, and strategic link acquisition. 

If you’re ready to accelerate your digital marketing efforts and see tangible results, book a call with Authority Builders today. 

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