Effective dealership websites aren’t just lists of inventory. They’re full of useful information and advice, which attracts web traffic and ultimately generates more sales leads. The best way to create worthwhile content is through consistent and up-to-date blogging.
Here are a few blogging tips you can use to increase traffic to your dealership website—and boost your sales!
Quality content is key
Over half of all website traffic comes via search engines (not paid ads, social media posts, or any other channel). But getting ranked high in search results by search engines like Google and Bing today takes some effort. Rather than just counting keywords, the quality of a web page’s visitor experience is also being measured.
According to 2018 statistics from SearchMetrics and Curata, the average word count for content ranking highest on Google is 1,140–1,285 words and full-length, in-depth blog posts generate 9X more leads than ones that are shorter. For these reasons, blog posts should strive to deliver quality information and advice. Rather than just a quick paragraph or two, demonstrate your deep knowledge or expertise with a thorough, in-depth article that’s at least 1,500 words long. For example, you could publish a guide about how to get approved for a car loan and offer different strategies—like how to lower your credit score or how much money to put down—in each section of the blog post.
But to get the most out of your blog, you have to keep working on it. Make a commitment to publish regular, high-quality content on your blog. As a starting point, consider posting one to two full-length articles per month. The search engines—and your readers—will reward your efforts.
Choose “evergreen” blog topics
One great tip for increasing your site’s traffic is to choose blog post topics that will never go stale. This type of SEO content is called “evergreen” because it stays fresh for readers and is continually relevant. A blog post titled “Come in and See Our 2016 Summer Specials” won’t be attracting any new viewers in the winter of 2019. On the other hand, an article about how to pair your phone with your car via Bluetooth will continue to attract visitors years after it’s first posted.
Make it easy and actionable
When you’re choosing a blog post topic, focus on actionable issues and present them to readers as “easy,” “effortless,” and “simple.” How-to guides and lists are great ways to provide in-depth, quality content and enhance the experience of your site’s visitors.
“How to Easily Identify a Great Used Car Deal” is an example of an evergreen, actionable blog post that dealers could write to provide valuable insight and actionable tips for non-expert readers.
More website traffic means more sales
Driving more visitors to your website through great content means more people are getting connected to your products and promotions (and fewer are connecting with the competition!). Make sure your blog page features sidebars with your dealership’s hours, contact information, special offers, and pre-approval opportunities, and soon you’ll find increased web traffic translates into increased traffic in your showroom.
Key insights
- Getting ranked high on Google requires both quality (thoughtful, engaging content) and quantity (1,500 words minimum).
- Choosing a topic that won’t go stale assures long-term visitors for your blog posts (which equals more potential sales leads).
- Blog post readers are more engaged when the content is presented in ways that are “easy,” “simple,” or “effortless”—don’t make it sound like work or they’ll turn away.