Automotive SEO gets Ugli(er)

As more dealers start to take their search engine rankings seriously, more SEO firms and automotive website design companies take on new approaches to promoting their search engine optimization and marketing services.  Most are all sizzle and very little steak.

The automotive SEO world is an extremely competitive one.  As larger companies such as automotive.com and autotrader.com continue their attacks on the search engine rankings, many companies are promising to duplicate the results on shoestring budgets.  It just isn't possible.

Most dealerships are only concerned about their local rankings.  Why would a Honda Los Angeles dealer want to rank on searches for Toyota Boston?  Yet, companies are promoting their services as opening up to a national scale.  This is absolutely ludicrous.

Conversely, some companies are selling their ability to get the "long tail" search rankings.  While these are normally beneficial, they are far from what should be considered the "focus point" for car dealers.  Getting ranked for "New Ford Explorer in Mechanicsburg PA" is nice, but a dealer should shoot for the second tier rankings, such as "Ford Mechanicsburg".

To dealers who are looking to boost their search engine rankings: beware.

To companies taking advantage of dealers trying to boost their search engine rankings: shame on you if you're not doing it right.