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Knowledge, news, and more about Automotive SEO, SEM, and dealership websites
In Events

Guy Kawasaki, Digital Summit at Mountain View Speaker, Releases New Book

Even though the free copies have been exhausted, I’m definitely planning on checking out “What the Plus! Google+ for the Rest of Us” by Guy Kawasaki, before hearing him speak at the Digital Summit at Mountain View, May 7-9.

I’ve written before about how Google+ can be used to increase the local SEO for your auto dealer website, as well as how the social network is integrated into search results, but I’m very interested in finding out how to best use Google+ from Guy.

For those interested, Guy Kawasaki will be speaking at the Digital Summit at Mountain View.  This elite digital learning conference, brought to you by DealerOn, Moore&Scarry, and DealerRefresh, is free, but requires an invitation.

Request an invitation to hear not only Guy Kawasaki, but also, Grant Cardone, Amir Amirrezvani, Duncan Scarry, Jeff Kershner, and various Google Product Specialists speak.

Hope to see you there!

 

In Search Engine Marketing (PPC)

Mobile Paid-Search Clicks Continue to Increase

A recent study by Marin, “State of Mobile Search Advertising in the US“, shows that the percent of paid-search clicks from mobile devices is growing faster than expected, and if the trend continues, is expected to account for 25% of all paid-search clicks by Google by the end of the year.  This includes not only mobile phones but also tablet computers.

This is just another reason why your dealership needs to include Mobile Ads as a part of your PPC campaigns.  These ads can run in conjunction with your traditional PPC ads, but the copy, images, and even landing pages (which are a requirement) are designed and targeted towards users seeing your ads on mobile devices.  According to Google, customers that utilize mobile-only PPC ads can increase click-through rates by 11.5%.

While the percentage of mobile clicks continues to increase, the conversion rate is not as high as desktop PPC traffic.  However, the study focuses on traditional “conversion” and “leads” – online form submissions or online purchases.  Mobile searchers are on the go, so it’s likely that the traditional conversions are not relevant for these consumers.  Instead of submitting a lead online, they are calling the business, or coming into the dealership or store.  In fact, brick-and-mortar stores that have ecommerce websites (so that they can conduct actual click-to-sale transactions online from their paid search advertising) receive $6 worth of OFFLINE, IN-STORE sales from their paid search spending for every $1 they receive in click-to-sale revenue online.  I can only imagine that this ratio would be higher than 600% when mobile PPC ads are taken into consideration.

Mobile usage, search, and pay-per-click are continuing to grow at extremely high rates.  Make sure your dealership’s online marketing campaigns are prepared and that your auto dealer website customers can find your dealership when and how they choose to do so.

In Events

Join DealerOn at the Digital Summit at Mountain View

I am so excited to be a part of this year’s Digital Summit at Mountain View, May 7-9, 2012.  This is an amazing opportunity to be able to learn from automotive industry experts, spend time on Google’s campus, and gain insight from actual Google product specialists, and I am honored to be able to be a presenter.

This elite digital learning conference, brought to you by DealerOn, Moore&Scarry, and DealerRefresh, will be held at Google’s Headquarters in Mountain View, CA.

Not only will attendees learn about leading edge philosophies and technology from industry experts, but will also have the opportunity to meet and interact with Google Product Specialists, as well as an opportunity to get a first-hand look at the Google campus with a tour.

The 2012 Digital Summit at Mountain View is two full days of Automotive Digital Marketing Education featuring:

  • Guy Kawasaki
  • Grant Cardone
  • Amir Rezvani
  • Duncan Scarry
  • Jeff Kershner
  • Various Breakout Sessions, moderated by Industry Experts
  • Google Product Specialists

Attendance at this event is invaluable for your dealership.  The Digital Summit at Mountain View is free, but space is extremely limited and an invitation is require. Make sure you visit the Digital Summit website or email Amir Rezvani to request an invitation online.  I hope to see you there.

Group rates are available at the Sheraton Palo Alto, and transportation will be provided from this hotel to each event and back.

Hope to see you there!  It’s sure to be an extremely educational and valuable couple of days.

In

Common Social Media Mistakes Auto Dealers Should Avoid

While not every dealership is actively involved with social media, it’s a form of connecting with potential customers that doesn’t seem to be going away.  If your dealership is participating in social media sites (Facebook, Twitter, etc), try to avoid making these common mistakes.

Replacing Your Dealership Website with Social Media Profiles: Maintain both for optimal results.  When you put your energy and assets into another platform (Facebook, Twitter, etc), it becomes their intellectual property.  If they were to shut down, your dealership would be left without a web presence.  Make sure you maintain your auto dealer website as well as social media sites.

Expecting Instant Success: As with most (not all) forms of marketing, you won’t see results overnight.  Social media marketing takes time to build relationships and grow your network.  Set goals and benchmarks to help measure success, but keep in mind that you may not hit them instantly.

Not Targeting Properly: Reaching out to people that aren’t in your market area will most likely be a waste of time and effort.  Make sure the people you are targeting can be reasonably expected to do business with your dealership (avoid spam-bots and buying “Friends” from Bangladesh).

Too Much Marketing: People use social media to connect, whether that be with your business or with their friends. Make sure your profile has all of the relevant information, and that when you post specials and inventory, it is done with an informational spin, and not overly “salesy”.  Use your social media profiles as a way to add a human touch to your dealership, and to provide ways for potential customers to reach your store.  Too much marketing and they’ll be driven away.

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