{"id":1662,"date":"2016-09-21T09:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-09-21T13:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/?p=1662"},"modified":"2024-10-14T14:59:32","modified_gmt":"2024-10-14T18:59:32","slug":"stop-hacking-automotive-seo-start-writing-real-people","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.autoraptor.com\/blog\/stop-hacking-automotive-seo-start-writing-real-people\/","title":{"rendered":"Stop Hacking Your Automotive SEO And Start Writing for Real People"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"automotive<\/a>Forget keyword stuffing and \u201cwriting for Google\u201d \u2014 solid automotive SEO is all about crafting content for your customers<\/h2>\n

BMW. SUV. GMC. These are three-letter initialisms you live and breathe as an auto dealer.<\/p>\n

Automotive SEO, though? Well, that\u2019s another story.<\/p>\n

SEO, which stands for Search Engine Optimization, is that complicated and confusing term every business owner with a website has heard about. Some car dealers hire Internet Marketing Specialists to handle their automotive SEO because they know it\u2019s important, but they don\u2019t understand the concept and want to leave it up to the professionals. Other car dealers can\u2019t comprehend SEO at all, have no interest in learning, and think it will go away eventually \u2014 so they completely ignore it.<\/p>\n

However, there\u2019s another group of dealers that know SEO is important but don\u2019t have the means to hire a professional. They figure automotive SEO can\u2019t be that complicated, so they decide to do it themselves. That drive to succeed is admirable, but unfortunately, many dealers are letting outdated notions about SEO drive their marketing efforts, and it could be hurting business rather than helping.<\/p>\n

Get back to basics with your automotive SEO<\/h3>\n

You’re always in the know when it comes to the latest recalls, new models, and automotive innovations, but do you pay that much attention to SEO? The rules of SEO are ever-evolving and what you quickly read about effective tactics back in 2012 has already completely changed. One significant development that you may have missed?<\/p>\n

Keyword stuffing is a big no-no.<\/p>\n

During the early days of optimizing websites for search engines, it was like the wild, wild west. There were certain tactics you could use that would \u201ctrick\u201d Google and help your site move up in the search results. One strategy was called keyword stuffing, and involved identifying your dealership\u2019s top keywords \u2014 for example, \u201cBoston auto dealership,\u201d \u201ccar dealerships in Boston,\u201d or \u201cbest auto dealer Boston\u201d \u2014 and working them into the copy on your website as many times as possible.<\/p>\n

The problem with keyword stuffing, though, is that it makes text virtually unreadable to consumers. Dealerships engaging in keyword stuffing are telling every visitor to their website that they care more about being on the first page of Google than providing relevant, helpful information for car buyers.<\/p>\n

Luckily, Google caught on to this deceptive tactic and now, if you stuff your website with keywords, you\u2019re not helping your dealership at all \u2014 in fact, Google will penalize you. And yes, that even includes adding keywords in white text to the bottom of your website. Google still sees those keywords and doesn\u2019t like it.<\/p>\n

The best thing you can do to improve your website\u2019s SEO and eliminate keyword stuffing is to write car descriptions that are longer, and more human-friendly. Put yourself in your customers\u2019 shoes and include every detail that you think would be important to them. Sprinkle keywords<\/a> in once and while, but don\u2019t drive yourself nuts. Google cares more that your website has interesting, informative content that benefits the reader.<\/p>\n

Improve your automotive SEO with a great blog<\/h3>\n

Your dealership\u2019s website is where you display up-to-date inventory, contact details, and other general information, but a blog is where you can differentiate your business from others and make your personality shine. A blog is a perfect way to display your expertise and give customers an inside look at your dealership. Guess what some dealers don\u2019t realize, though?<\/p>\n

Blogs are fantastic automotive SEO tools<\/a>.<\/p>\n

When Google is crawling your website and deciding how you should be ranked, the freshness and relevance of your content plays a huge role. Google wants to see you updating regularly and providing compelling content that people want to read\u2026and share. If online visitors share your blog posts on social media sites like Facebook and Twitter, Google takes that to mean that your content is so excellent, that people are compelled to share it with their friends, family, and colleagues. And that\u2019s what their search result rankings are all about \u2014 listing the most helpful and relevant websites, in order.<\/p>\n

Here are a few examples of auto dealerships that are doing a good job blogging:<\/p>\n