4 Mistakes Car Dealerships Make In SEO (And How To Fix Them Using AI)

Mistake #1: Ignoring local SEO tactics hurts dealership visibility.

Local SEO attracts nearby buyers looking for a new ride.

Wondering how to multiply website traffic and conversions? Local SEO is the key.

In fact, ignoring local SEO tactics can be a death sentence for car dealerships. 

Local SEO is all about meeting potential buyers where they are. When 46% of all searches have local intent (Source: Semrush), it’s a clear sign that a good chunk of your potential customers are actively looking for businesses close to them. For dealerships, this means showing up for the search terms that really matter: phrases like “Toyota dealership near me” or “best used cars in [City].”

And here’s the thing: the people searching for these terms are usually the ones who are ready to make a purchase. 

If you neglect local SEO, you’re essentially telling these high-intent customers to look elsewhere. On the flip side, targeting location-specific keywords ensures you’re capturing the attention of people who are primed to visit your lot, test-drive vehicles and seal the deal. If your dealership isn’t optimizing for these searches, your competitors surely are – and they’re likely reaping the rewards.

So, the question is: are you making it easy for nearby buyers to find you, or are you letting them slip through your fingers?

Google Business Profiles can impact local rankings significantly.

Now that we’ve covered how important local SEO services are to your strategy, let’s talk about one of the most important tools in your arsenal: your Google Business Profile (GBP).

Your GBP is like your digital storefront on Google. It’s where potential customers see your business first – your address, operating hours, contact info, reviews and more – without needing to click any further. When this profile is well managed, it acts as a magnet for local traffic, boosting your visibility and driving more calls, visits and sales.

Here’s a little-known fact: a study of 45,000 businesses revealed car dealerships get the second-highest number of direction requests via Google Business listings, right after restaurants (Source: BrightLocal). They also boast the highest number of median calls and website clicks directly from these profiles across all industries. 

This means that for your business, a fully optimized GBP is foundational to staying competitive in local searches.

Here are strategies to improve local SEO:

Consistency is key: nail down your business details.

One of the simplest yet most overlooked aspects of local SEO is citation consistency. Your dealership’s name, address and phone number – collectively known as NAP – must match across every platform, whether it’s your website, local directories like Yelp or industry-specific sites like Cars.com. 

Why? Because inconsistent details can confuse search engines and hurt your rankings.

Speak the language of local searchers.

Think like your customers when choosing keywords. Phrases like “Toyota dealership in [City]” or “affordable used cars near [City]” reflect exactly what people are typing into search bars. 

Use these terms naturally throughout your site, from meta titles and headers to blog content. Better yet, create location-specific pages like “[City] Inventory” or “Why We’re the Top Choice in [City].” These pages do a lot to boost your local relevance and help search engines connect you with nearby shoppers.

Source: Kia of Manhattan

Supercharge your Google Business Profile.

If you haven’t optimized your GBP yet, you’re leaving money on the table. This is your golden ticket to visibility in Google’s local pack, which prominently features businesses on the search results.

Below is an example of what shows up when you search for “car dealership in New York.” 

If you want to maximize your chances of being eligible for this, an automotive SEO agency can regularly update your profile with high-quality photos of your inventory, announcements for dealership events and details about seasonal promotions. The more active and engaging your GBP is, the more likely Google is to show it to potential customers.

Win with reviews.

Positive reviews don’t just make you look good – they can also help boost your rankings. For this reason, it’s advisable to encourage any happy customers to share their experiences on platforms like Google and Yelp. 

And when they do, respond to every single one. Thank them for glowing reviews and address negative feedback with empathy and solutions. This engagement shows both customers and Google that you value the customer experience.

Local content for local connections.

Want to really stand out? Show that you’re an active part of the community. 

Write about local events you’re sponsoring, like charity drives or parades. Post stories about customers buying their first car for a road trip or upgrading their family vehicle. When your content reflects the community, it’s not just relatable – it’s rankable.

How to fix it with AI: Use AI to streamline local SEO efforts and increase dealership visibility.

AI offers powerful tools to optimize local SEO, ensuring that your dealership captures attention where it matters most. Below are actionable ways to harness AI for maximum visibility and efficiency:

Perplexity.ai can help ensure consistent business information across platforms.

It’s crucial to keep business details like addresses or phone numbers consistent across platforms such as Google Business Profile, Yelp and Cars.com. Although this can be tedious, with tools like Perplexity.ai, you can automate the process of spotting these discrepancies. 

Simply plug in your dealership’s name, address, phone number and website, and let the tool generate a comparison table that flags any discrepancies.

Generate localized keywords and content ideas with ChatGPT.

All you need to do is to input your dealership’s location, specialties and audience demographics into ChatGPT, and it can provide you with a tailored list of localized keywords and blog topic ideas. As a result, you’ll save hours brainstorming while ensuring your content resonates with your target audience.

Use AI to meet multi-location SEO requirements.

If your dealership operates in multiple locations, each branch needs its own dedicated page. Creating unique, location-specific content can be daunting – but not with AI. Provide ChatGPT with prompts tailored to each branch, and it will generate content aligned with the local culture and customer preferences. 

Here’s an example:

Mistake #2: Failing to optimize inventory pages for search engines limits dealership visibility.

Optimizing inventory pages is essential for both user experience and search engine visibility.

Inventory pages are the backbone of any dealership’s online presence. They showcase individual vehicles with all the details shoppers care about: make, model, year, mileage, price, color and those standout features that make a car unique. 

These pages are dynamic by nature, constantly changing as cars get sold or new arrivals hit the lot. While this constant flux can be a challenge, it’s also an incredible opportunity to boost your SEO and connect with buyers right when they’re searching.

Inventory pages help shoppers find exactly what they want, but without proper optimization, you’re practically hiding your best offerings from potential buyers. 

• Relevance equals visibility: Without optimization, search engines can’t properly index your pages, meaning fewer potential buyers see your listings when searching for specific vehicles. 
• Better user experience: Optimized pages make it easier for users to find what they’re looking for. Features like advanced filters for price, mileage and model year can make or break a user’s browsing experience.
• Engagement leads to conversions: Detailed vehicle descriptions, paired with high-quality images and structured specifications, draw users in and keep them engaged. The longer they stay on your page, the more likely they are to convert into buyers.

Manage SEO effectively for frequently updated inventory listings.

Keeping your inventory pages visible is a constant game of strategy, especially when you’re dealing with rapid turnover. Every time you add or remove a vehicle, search engines like Google need to recalibrate. 

Here are the elements you should focus on as you stay ahead with proactive SEO management:

• Metadata: Regularly updating metadata – your page’s titles, descriptions and alt tags – ensures your listings reflect the latest inventory. Make your metadata specific and clear by mentioning specific keywords like “Certified Pre-Owned 2018 Ford F-150” to boost relevancy and help your pages rank higher.
• Sitemaps: These are another heavy hitter in this playbook. Submitting updated sitemaps through Google Search Console after major inventory changes gets your pages indexed faster. 
• Smart internal linking: Want to push visibility even further? Internal links are your secret weapon. Linking new or high-priority listings from high-authority pages like your homepage gives those pages a nice ranking boost while making it easier for customers to find what they’re after.

Implementing schema markup for vehicle details improves search visibility and engagement.

Implementing schema markup for vehicle details is a game-changer for car dealerships looking to improve search visibility and engagement. Schema markup is essentially a translator for your website, helping search engines like Google understand your inventory better. 

Think of it as adding detailed labels to every vehicle in your inventory: make, model, mileage, year, price, color, availability – you name it. When you do this, search engines reward you with rich snippets, which are enhanced search results that grab attention directly on the results page. For car dealerships, this means your inventory can show up in search results with all the crucial details prospective buyers care about. 

Add schema properties like “Car,” “Product” and “Offer,” and you’re giving search engines the keys to understand and showcase your listings in the most impactful way. 

Source: Google Search Central

Even better, schema markup can get your listings into Google’s local search pack or carousels, which are prime spots for visibility. When shoppers see the details they care about upfront, they’re more likely to click through, engage with your site and take action. It’s a simple yet powerful way to bring in qualified traffic and speed up the sales process.

How to fix it with AI: LLMs can make inventory page optimization seamless and scalable.

AI-generated SEO elements can boost inventory page rankings

Keeping your dealership’s inventory pages optimized doesn’t have to be a headache. AI tools like ChatGPT make it easy to stay on top of updates as vehicles come and go. 

Just provide ChatGPT with details like make, model, year and condition, you can instantly generate essential SEO elements like meta titles, descriptions, H1 tags and alt text, all tailored to improve visibility and save time.

As cars roll off the lot and new ones arrive, the AI ensures your metadata stays up-to-date, helping your pages rank higher in search results without endless manual tweaks.

Nested schema improves online visibility and buyer engagement with AI.

Nested schema creates a clear hierarchy of information on your site, optimizing how search engines process and understand your listings. 

Organizing this data in layers helps connect attributes like make and model, features, price and availability with search engines. Search engines factor this structured information into richer, more informative search results, making listings stand out and engaging buyers more effectively.

For example, a “Vehicle” schema may contain the car specifics, while a nested “Offer” schema would include pricing and warranty details. This lets search engines see relationships between data points, making listings more interactive and giving potential buyers the details they need upfront. 

As long as you use the right prompts, AI tools like ChatGPT can make the process of creating schema markup quick and easy by: 

• Generating templates: AI tools can produce schemas you can use that are tailored to your inventory, ensuring each car is represented with accurate, brand-compliant details.
• Including nested relationships: They can build schemas with layered connections, reflecting the relationships between a car’s features, price and offers.
• Continuous optimization: AI can review and refine schema structures, catching errors or flat hierarchies that might confuse search engines.

Below, you can see how a detailed prompt can be used to create schema markup:

Mistake #3: Overlooking customer reviews in SEO can limit dealership credibility and rankings.

Reviews on pages build trust and improve engagement and conversion potential.

If you’re shopping for a car, you might get enticed by a well-written product description. 

But if you’re still on the fence, a glowing review from a real person vouching for a dealership’s service might just be what gets you to spend money. And when you integrate these reviews into key pages like vehicle details, financing info and service sections, they can provide potential buyers with more assurances of a good deal and be the game-changer your business needs to get more conversions. 

Source: J.D. Power

Create a continuous loop of trust and improvement by managing reviews effectively.

Effectively managing reviews and creating a continuous loop of trust and improvement is a lot like nurturing a relationship. Every customer interaction is an opportunity to build goodwill and showcase your commitment to growth.

Here are some tips:

• Actively seek customer feedback: Simple follow-ups like a personalized email thanking customers for their visit can go a long way. If you’ve managed to seal the deal with some satisfied customers, encourage them to share their experiences through online reviews. You can even offer incentives for customers who do bother to leave reviews, like discounts on future service appointments. Just make sure that they’re in line with industry standards. 
• Engage with the reviews you get: Reviews, both good and bad, deserve your attention. Responding to positive reviews shows appreciation, while handling criticism with professionalism can turn a disgruntled customer into a loyal advocate. Address grievances promptly and outline the steps you’re taking to resolve the issue, as this signals accountability and care.
• Look at the trends: Reviews are a treasure trove of insights. Analyze recurring themes to identify systemic issues or opportunities for innovation. Is there consistent feedback about service wait times or vehicle durability? Use this information to make informed decisions that enhance the customer experience and strengthen your offerings.
• Make improvements to your strategy: Regularly revisiting your processes based on customer feedback fosters continuous improvement. Over time, this will enhance your dealership’s reputation as a responsive and reliable partner.

How to fix it with AI: Automate customer review management and responses with AI platforms.

AI platforms are reshaping how dealerships handle customer reviews, making the process seamless and efficient. 

With tools like ReviewArm, dealerships can effortlessly collect, organize and respond to customer feedback in real time. It monitors reviews across platforms, streamlining how you respond to feedback, whether it’s glowing praise or a tough critique. Plus, ReviewArm automates personalized replies, saving time while making every customer feel heard and appreciated.

The best part? Responses maintain a personal, thoughtful tone, even when addressing tricky reviews, so your dealership’s reputation stays solid.

ReviewArm’s advanced natural language processing kicks it up a notch with sentiment analysis. It picks out the positive and negative keywords in reviews, giving you a quick read on what customers like or dislike about your business. Armed with these insights, you can tweak strategies to stay ahead of the game. 

But here’s the thing: while AI keeps your processes efficient and scalable, it’s still important to add that human touch. It’s all about striking the perfect balance. Pair AI-driven insights with genuine interactions, and you’ll be well on your way to building strong customer relationships. 

Mistake #4: Neglecting mobile optimization can drive away potential buyers.

Car shoppers today heavily rely on mobile devices, making mobile optimization not just beneficial but essential for driving conversions.

It’s no secret that today’s shoppers are glued to their phones. 

In fact, as of late 2023, mobile devices (not including tablets) accounted for nearly 59% of all global website traffic (Source: Statista). Don’t expect that number to budge anytime soon, either. From 2017 to 2020, mobile traffic consistently hovered around the 50% mark (Source: Statista), proving that mobile is here to stay as far as SEO is concerned.

So, what happens if your dealership’s site isn’t optimized for mobile? Visitors get hit with slow load times, clunky navigation or unreadable text. Frustration builds, and before you know it, they’re bouncing off your site to a competitor who does offer a seamless mobile experience.

For dealerships, this problem hits where it hurts most: leads, engagement and conversions.

If mobile optimization isn’t already at the top of your to-do list, it’s time to make it a priority. Because when mobile shoppers find what they need without any issues, they stick around and are more likely to buy.

Mobile-specific SEO practices improve user engagement and encourage quick actions.

Mobile-specific car dealer SEO helps you capture your audience’s attention and convert it into meaningful actions, from quick inquiries to completed sales. Here are some things to keep an eye on if you want to make sure your site delivers for mobile:

• Instant messaging and click-to-call options: Users want answers now, not later. Adding “Call Now” or “Chat with Us” buttons to your mobile site – right at the top where they’re impossible to miss – turns curiosity into action. Make these buttons big, bold and thumb-friendly. Whether it’s scheduling a test drive or clarifying something about a deal, these instant-action features bridge the gap between browsing and buying.
• Use Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) for faster loading: Mobile users are impatient, so if your pages load slowly, don’t expect anyone to stick around. Thankfully, there’s something you can do about it – Google’s AMP framework gets your pages loading almost instantly, cutting bounce rates and improving user experience. And since search engines reward fast, mobile-friendly sites with better rankings, you get a lot of value from implementing this simple solution.
• Thumb-friendly design is a must: Here’s a quick test – pull up your mobile site and try clicking around with just your thumb. Are the buttons big enough? Are the links spaced out so you don’t accidentally open the wrong page? If not, it’s time for a redesign. Small screens deserve big, user-friendly design choices, and easy navigation means less frustration and more satisfied users.

Prioritize visual hierarchy and simplify navigation.

On mobile, keeping things clean and easy is the secret to happy users. A clear visual hierarchy and simple navigation mean less frustration and more engagement. 

• Highlight critical info upfront: Showcase car prices, key features and must-know details prominently.
• Keep screens clean: Avoid overcrowding with dense text or slow-loading images that frustrate users and drive them away.
• Leverage collapsible menus: Compact menus make it easy for users to navigate directly to pages like “Contact Us,” “Inventory” or “Financing.”
• Focus on speed and clarity: A fast, intuitive layout ensures users find what they need without extra effort.
• Enhance user experience: Clear navigation and streamlined design encourage users to stay engaged and explore further.

Mobile-optimized visuals enhance engagement and build buyer confidence.

For car shoppers, high-quality visuals are a critical part of the decision-making journey. 

Features like 360-degree tours and videos give potential buyers an immersive experience, allowing them to explore every angle of a vehicle’s interior and exterior directly from their phones. It’s the next best thing to being in the dealership in person.

These mobile-friendly assets contribute significantly to audience engagement, reducing bounce rates and encouraging a deeper exploration of your dealership’s listings. When a shopper can experience a car in such detail, their confidence grows. They feel informed and more connected to the product, which ultimately drives more meaningful interactions.

How to fix it with AI: Use AI to enhance mobile optimization and create seamless experiences for car buyers.

Here’s how AI can help you craft mobile experiences that leave your competitors in the dust:

• AI-driven responsive designs for every device: AI-driven tools like Wix AI create mobile-friendly layouts that adjust on the fly. From the size of the font to the placement of key visuals, these tools ensure your site looks sharp and functions seamlessly, whether it’s on a smartphone or tablet.
• Speed up visuals without losing quality: Every second counts when car shoppers are on the go. Platforms like VanceAI compress images and videos, delivering fast-loading content without sacrificing quality. The result? More engaged users and fewer bounces.
• Heatmaps for thumb-friendly usability: Want to know where your users tap, swipe, or pause? AI tools like Dragonfly AI provide heatmaps that reveal the most engaging areas of your site. Use these insights to position buttons, CTAs and key navigation elements right where your users want them, creating an intuitive and engaging experience for your prospects.

What you’ve learned

• Many dealerships struggle with local SEO, inventory optimization, customer reviews and mobile usability, which can limit visibility, credibility and conversions.
• Local SEO drives high-intent buyers to dealerships by optimizing Google Business Profiles, targeting location-specific keywords, and maintaining consistent business details across platforms.
• AI tools streamline processes like local SEO, inventory management and schema markup creation, saving time while boosting search rankings and user engagement.
• Properly optimized inventory pages with structured data, dynamic metadata and internal links improve search visibility and buyer experience.
• Positive reviews enhance dealership trustworthiness, while AI tools simplify review management, response personalization and sentiment analysis.
• Mobile-first designs, faster page loads and user-friendly navigation are crucial to retaining mobile shoppers and increasing conversions. 
• The benefits of using business SEO services for your dealership cannot be overstated. Area Ten’s programmatic SEO platform, CMAX, ensures scalable, high-quality content that aligns with dealership-specific needs, driving measurable growth. 

Area Ten’s SEO solutions help car dealerships accelerate their growth.

When it comes to boosting your dealership’s visibility and driving growth, a one-size-fits-all SEO strategy won’t cut it. That’s why our SEO Agency in Australia has a team of over 130 SEO specialists who take the time to deeply analyze what makes your dealership unique – its strengths, challenges and untapped opportunities.

Boosting content potential with CMAX

Our proprietary programmatic SEO platform™ is our secret weapon and it’s built to deliver big results. 

Unlike cookie-cutter solutions, this proprietary platform merges cutting-edge automation with a deep understanding of your dealership’s unique identity. CMAX uses advanced automation to generate thousands of optimized pages, laser-focused on long tail and local search terms. 

If you want to realize your dealership’s full potential, don’t wait any longer. Liberate your business today with help from our experts and inquire today about our FREE SEO fast track.