Top 7 Automotive SEO Strategies to Boost Business Growth in 2024

Mastering SEO is crucial for the success of any automotive business in 2024, whether you're managing a dealership, running a tire shop, or involved in any other sector of the industry.

In today's world, automotive consumers are more connected and informed than ever before.

Additionally, the favoritism towards organic search results continues to be prominent, underscoring the significant role of SEO in the current digital-centric consumer environment.

Nevertheless, keeping track of Google's search engine results page (SERP) and algorithm modifications demands attentiveness.

To further illustrate this, consider these insights:

88% of potential car buyers now turn to digital channels to gather information.

Car buyers dedicate 14 hours and 39 minutes to online research and finding the perfect car for their needs.

95% of car shoppers checked social media platforms during their car-shopping journey.

81% of car shoppers believe that engaging in online activities enhances their car buying experience. They appreciate the convenience of saving time (93%) and the transparency in pricing (78%).

In a recent survey, it was found that almost half (46%) of car dealers reported that a significant portion, at least 9%, of their sales were conducted through online purchases.

Crafting compelling and original content is key to standing out in the automotive industry. By leveraging rich snippets, you can enhance your content with additional information that appears in search results, attracting more clicks and driving traffic to your website.

Content remains a crucial factor in SEO. Specifically for automotive companies, this involves producing detailed and engaging content that educates and captivates your target audience.

It is essential to prioritize creating valuable resources such as blog posts, buying guides, and vehicle reviews that combine informative content with compelling storytelling.

Check out this fantastic example of informative content from a Miami dealership. They have effectively included calls to action in their helpful content to guide users to their range of vehicles:

What car is right for you article

On car listing pages, they include Dealer Notes to make the information more unique and not just a repeat of what the manufacturer provides.

Dealer Notes example

Image from bramanmiami.com, April 2024

Enhance your visibility in search results with rich snippets, which give a quick overview of your content's value.

By using structured data markup, you can help search engines better comprehend and showcase your content, ultimately boosting the chances of getting more clicks.

vehicle listing structured data

Screenshot from Google Search Central, February 2024

Helpful automotive-related schema resources:

Google Search Central Documentation.

Schema.org.

Read more: How To Optimize For Rich Snippets: A Complete Guide

2. Enhance Your Strategy With Video SEO

Video content has become a crucial asset for businesses, offering a vibrant platform to display products, highlight features, and present customer feedback.

By using video content, 86% of marketers have seen a rise in web traffic and 87% have noticed an increase in sales. As a brand, it's important to take advantage of this trend by incorporating video SEO strategies to improve your visibility on search engines and social media platforms.

Incorporate relevant keywords in video titles, descriptions, and tags to ensure your video aligns with search queries.

You can also create short, engaging videos that showcase the unique selling points of your inventory. This will captivate potential buyers and drive traffic to your site.

Look at this great example from Mazda of North Miami that leverages video on their car listing pages to show the car off to potential customers:

video on car listing example

They also added structured data to the page, which now displays the video element in the search engine results pages (SERPs). This will likely boost their organic click-through rate even more.

New Mazda for sale Google SERP

Image from Google, April 2024

Read more: How Short Videos & User-Generated Content Impacts Marketing

3. Optimize For Mobile-First Indexing

Having a mobile-optimized website is crucial for SEO success as most online searches are done on mobile devices nowadays.

Google now prioritizes the mobile version of your site for ranking through its mobile-first indexing approach.

Ensure that your website is responsive, mobile-friendly, and easy to navigate. This is essential for reaching the mobile audience.

Here is a great illustration of how a dealership should prioritize mobile design. They effectively display key information for consumers to explore, such as pictures, specifications, pricing, and calls to action.

2024 BMW for sale, mobile view of website

Screenshot from bramanmotorsbmw.com, April 2024

Read more: 14 Mobile Optimization Best Practices You Need To Know

4. Boost Your Local Presence

Local SEO is vital for automotive businesses looking to attract nearby customers.

Claim and optimize your Google Business Profile.

Enhance your visibility in local search results by strategically including local keywords in your website content and participating in local community events.

Additionally, testimonials and reviews provide strong social proof. In the automotive digital marketing industry, 82% of consumers rely on online reviews when choosing local businesses.

To help future buyers feel confident in their choices, encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews about their experience.

Google search for [st louis car dealerships]

Building Authority Through Strategic Link Building

By strategically building links to your website, you can establish authority in the eyes of search engines. This can help improve your rankings and drive more traffic to your site. Link building involves getting other reputable websites to link back to your content, signaling to search engines that your site is a trusted source of information. It's important to focus on quality over quantity when it comes to link building, as a few high-quality links from reputable sites can be more beneficial than a large number of low-quality links.

Backlinks are important because they tell search engines that your website is trustworthy and knowledgeable.

For automotive businesses, it's essential to focus on getting good backlinks from well-known automotive blogs, local directories, and industry publications.

This dealership in Miami effectively uses sponsorships for local events to gain more inbound links and boost their authority. These backlinks not only help with SEO but also attract targeted traffic, improving online visibility and industry reputation.

Ahrefs results form referring domains

Screenshot from Ahrefs, April 2024

Read more: How To Get Quality Backlinks: 12 Ways That Really Work

6. Prioritize Technical SEO For A Healthier Website

Technical SEO is important for ensuring that your website can be easily accessed and understood by search engines. This involves addressing any issues that may impact your site's performance.

Regular technical audits are essential for identifying and fixing problems like slow loading speeds, broken links, and duplicate content. This proactive approach helps improve the overall health and visibility of your website.

Having a website that is technically sound is essential for successful SEO. It helps to ensure that your content and keywords can be properly indexed and ranked.

Read more about how to improve your technical SEO for ecommerce websites.

7. Enhance User Experience With E-E-A-T Principles

Google has placed increasing emphasis on experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (E-E-A-T) when evaluating websites.

Creating content for automotive websites involves more than just demonstrating your expertise in the automotive industry. It also means offering users helpful and reliable information. This can range from informative guides on selecting the perfect vehicle to practical advice on car upkeep and updates on the newest automotive technology.

By showcasing your own experience and knowledge in your content, you can boost your website's credibility and trust with users and search engines.

Check out how Edmunds.com uses authorship to reinforce EEAT principles.

2024 RAM 1500 review

Image from Edmunds.com, April 2024

You can showcase your expertise by sharing a collection of blog posts created by your skilled mechanics. These posts can provide valuable tips on car maintenance for various seasons, giving practical advice on taking care of vehicles. By doing this, you not only demonstrate your knowledge on the subject but also establish your brand as a trustworthy resource for your audience.

Summary

In 2024, the importance of a robust, data-driven SEO strategy for automotive businesses has never been clearer.

Drive your organic presence to new heights by:

Creating high-quality content.

Optimizing for video.

Adopting a mobile-first design.

Managing your local listings.

Building a strong backlink profile.

Maintaining your website’s technical health.

 Focusing on E-E-A-T principles to provide a positive user experience.

Implementing these seven strategies will not only enhance your visibility in search engine results but also position your business as a leader within the automotive industry.

More resources:

Google Introduces New Vehicle Ads Format

Creating Content That Satisfies Search Intent & Meets Customer Needs

SEO Strategy: A Full Year Blueprint (+Template)

Featured Image: iQoncept/Shutterstock

Compelling content examples: Brannon Miami screenshots

Video SEO example: Mazda of North Miami screenshots

Google SERP & Ahrefs screenshots: Taken by author

EEAT image: Edmunds.com screenshot

Editor's P/S:

The article provides a comprehensive overview of the crucial SEO strategies automotive businesses need to master in 2024. It highlights the importance of optimizing for mobile-first indexing, boosting local presence, and prioritizing technical SEO. By implementing these strategies, automotive businesses can improve their visibility in search engine results, attract more targeted traffic, and establish themselves as trusted sources of information within the industry.

Furthermore, the article emphasizes the growing significance of video content in SEO. Incorporating videos into automotive marketing strategies can effectively showcase products, highlight features, and engage potential buyers. Optimizing videos for search engines by using relevant keywords and structured data can further enhance their visibility and drive traffic to automotive websites. This aligns with the increasing consumer preference for video content, making it essential for businesses to leverage this powerful medium to connect with their target audience.