Most dealers we talk with recognize the importance of having a website that shows up at the top of search engine rankings. Those same dealers believe they’re doing everything they need to do to optimize their websites for search. The bad news is that they’re wrong – the majority of their websites are not as optimized as they can and should be.
Here are the four top content optimization (SEO) misconceptions ARI’s Digital Marketing team encounters, along with our tips to help you avoid the pitfalls of these common misconceptions:
Misconception #1: Keywords alone drive my website’s SEO performance.
For years, so-called SEO experts have touted the miracle of keywords. You’ve likely been approached by a snake oil salesman with offers to instantly bolster your SEO rankings with a few simple HTML tweaks. I’m afraid it isn’t that fast and easy. Here’s the good news: True optimization comes down to some very basic principles. Rather than the keyword-obsessed SEO devout, we’ve shifted our focus to content optimization. Simply put, content optimization is the practice of regularly publishing relevant content to all of your online channels. It’s about dominating all search starting points so people can find your business during all phases of their online research.
Misconception #2: A blog would be nice, but it doesn’t really affect my website’s SEO performance.
How many pages are on your website? What if I told you that you could easily add a new page of optimized content to your website every day, greatly increasing your performance in search? You can. It’s your blog. Here’s an example to illustrate my point: Tire Guy X launched his blog two years ago and posts once a day. Tire Guy Y across town launched his blog one year ago and posts once a day. As a result, Tire Guy X has twice as many pages available to search and index. Who do you think will perform better in search? The answer is obvious, as long as these two competitors continue to post at the same rate. Tire Guy Y will never beat Tire Guy X because Tire Guy X has a longer history of posting blogs, giving him more pages, richer content and a more established authority.
Misconception #3: Store nicknames and abbreviations are fine to use on the Web.
Some dealerships use a variation of names for their business. If your Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and website all use different variations of your business name, you’re losing out on an opportunity to rank higher in search results. Even if you think the names are close, Google will not. In order to receive the best rankings, your branding should be consistent across the board.
Misconception #4: Changes happen overnight.
You’ve probably gotten the drift that SEO is a long-term commitment to creating content that is relevant to your prospects and sharing it on a regular basis. While you might not beat Tire Guy X out of the gate, if you commit to a content strategy you will see your rankings improve over time.
Perhaps the biggest challenge all dealers face is that the rules of the game are constantly changing, and keeping up can be a full-time job. But, having a general understanding of what works and what doesn’t can help your website show up when a customer researches their next tire purchase.
