Key Automotive Marketing Strategies for Success

Competition is stiff in automotive marketing, with companies eagerly vying for each precious dollar that consumers will spend. 

It’s crucial for businesses in this space to practice thoughtful marketing strategies. They need to be sure to use the right keywords, service locations, and communication features. Successful automotive marketing requires both solid search engine rankings and intuitive website navigation so customers not only click but also convert.

Search Engine Optimization

Proper SEO helps land automotive businesses at the top of SERPs (search engine results pages). 

Results on page one garner 95% of search traffic and an average CTR of 208%. This means that users click not once but twice on these links. 

Target the most relevant keywords for the industry and locale to earn these coveted rankings. Successful keywords are typically phrases that combine services and locations like “used cars in Spokane” or “Chicago transmission repair.” Maintaining an accurate and detailed Google Business Profile will help improve your local SEO as well.

Paid Advertising

A properly managed paid advertising campaigns can boost your automotive website into coveted paid spots at the top of SERPs. 

When purchasing paid advertising, it’s crucial to select the right keywords. You need to consider both the keywords you want to target and those that you want to avoid. Known as negative keywords, the terms and phrases that a company excludes from advertising are more important than many people realize.

Negative keywords are those that are similar but irrelevant. For example, an automotive company that doesn’t handle auto body repair may want to exclude “auto body repairs” so as not to waste money on clicks that won’t convert. You must specify this type of exclusion since “auto” and “repairs” may both be relevant and therefore trigger your company’s advertising.

Web Design

Proper web design ensures that prospective customers can find everything they need quickly and easily upon visiting your automotive company’s page. Clean and effective web design includes:

• SEO optimization
• Contact information at the top of every page
• Details on all services provided
• Consistent branding including the appropriate logo, colors, and typography
• Engaging photos, particularly for vehicles that are on sale
• Clear and actionable CTAs on each page
• Live chat or call features so visitors can immediately get in contact with the company

Customer Reviews

Customer reviews are a valuable feature on your company’s website as well as third-party sites like Google Business Profiles and Facebook. 

Positive reviews are especially useful for automotive marketing due to the industry’s undeserved reputation for providing pushy or untrustworthy service. 

Reviews can go a long way toward establishing your business’ legitimacy. Consider sending a thank you postcard with a QR code for submitting a review or delivering follow-up emails with the appropriate review link after the customer makes a purchase.

Expert assistance can help automotive companies climb above the pack and stand out in this crowded space. LMH Agency offers tailored marketing solutions including SEO, paid advertising, social media marketing, website design, and automated review management. 

With the right marketing strategies, your automotive business can more effectively reach those valuable leads that will convert to paying customers.