News

You have been reading (hopefully) that on or around April 24th, Google rolled out another update to its search algorithm code named “Penguin“. This update was to enforce it’s existing terms of service guidelines regarding link quality. This update is important to car dealers who have been working hard to increase their search visibility for specific keywords.  Automotive SEO Strategies must be adjusted for Penguin compliance.

What is ironic about this update is that since Google started, external linking strategies have been one of the core tactics to achieve page one placement for very competitive keywords.  SEO strategists now have to determine if Google thinks their links are “natural” or “unnatural“. An example of this is the footer area on a website, which you can often find the name of the website author  with a link back to their website.

If a website company builds 1,000 websites with an average of 25 pages per site, that would produce 25,000 links back to the website builder if they placed a “follow” link in the footer.  In the past, this was not considered link spam.  Now that Google flipped the switch, those links could be flagged as unnatural, especially if the Anchor Text of the link was a keyword like “California Website Company” and not the name of the company.

What Should Automotive Marketers Do Post Penguin

There are many immediate changes that need to be made in light of the Penguin updates.  Let me be clear, these changes do not imply that your SEO strategist was doing anything “wrong” in the past. Times have changed and tactics that once worked, no longer work.  It’s that simple.

So, I created a checklist of sorts to make sure that you make the changes to your strategy that will help your online search marketing strategy on Google.

1. Footer Links – If you have microsites and blogs, eliminate/update footer links that appear on all pages and that point back to your dealership website(s).  If the anchor text of the link is a keyword goal and not your business name, delete it.  If you want to have a link with your business name on all pages, make it a “no follow” link.  You do not need hundreds of links anchored on your own dealership name because most likely you already rank in the #1 position for a search on your dealership name.
2. Sidebar Links – If you are using a blog, check if you have utilized the sidebar links feature.  This will place  a list of popular links on all pages, in the sidebar column widget.  Again, if these links are designed to provide useful navigation to customers, make them “no follow”.  If they were designed to reinforce primary keywords, I would remove them.
3. Excessive Home Page Links – Some website have hidden or scrollable text regions on the home page which have dozens of links to internal and external  website pages. This is very important if you have multiple websites or microsites for your dealership.  When you look at this content area it is clear that it was created for SEO purposes.  I would suggest that the content be edited to remove to high frequency of hyperlinks and make the text more natural.
4. Review Your Content Strategy- Review your blog posts and syndicated content to make sure that the linking strategies used in the content are natural.   It is natural to mention a 2012 Honda Civic is a blog post and you link the words to your list of 2012 Honda Civic cars in stock.  Linking to specific VDP pages is also natural because the car is unique!  It is natural to link your your service page, parts page, and used car pages. Today, Penguin forces greater attention on “how” those links are created.  If you are talking about the benefits of BMW CPO cars in a blog post, you can link the words “BMW CPO Cars” to your CPO website page but don’t get too crazy and create three links in the content on text like “BMW Used Cars Cincinnati“.
5. Accelerate your Google+ Strategy – Content, Videos, and Photos can be shared on Google+ that reside on your dealership website and blogs.  The links created by Google+ are valuable and the social signals created by these posts are important.  It seems very clear that Google’s way to stop link abuse is to favor the influence of peer votes through social media websites.  So, go with the flow and get your Google+ strategy in place.
6. Invest in Twitter, Facebook, and Pinterest – Once again, you may think that getting clicks, likes, retweets, and re-posts from social media sites provide little value but the rules of organic visibility are changing.  The line between Automotive SEO and Social Media Marketing are blurring.  When you combine social media strategy with RETARGETING, the results can be insanely profitable.
7. Syndicate Your Content – Dealers should be syndicating their content.  There are many ways that dealers can establish themselves as local experts by syndicating blog content, Infographics, PDF resources,  and videos.  Networks that allow content syndication with “natural” linking can amplify the benefits of your in-house or outsourced content writers.  Video is a favored asset for syndication and the results that I have seen with dealers we coach on syndicated Video SEO is just amazing.
8. Invest in Original Content – The last few updates from Google have generally focused on quality and of course I have been an advocate or hiring in-house writers and social media advocates for years.  With Google calling the shots for 67% of the search market, maybe it is time to invest in an internal Digital Warrior.  Since video is so effective, video production skills should be part of the job description.  Having someone who can write, create videos, and engage in social media is well worth the investment!
9. Create more Internal Links – Don’t forget to link content and information within your website pages.  If you look at some of the most respected automotive websites, you will see internal links on short phrases like “Camry” or “RAM 1500″ linking to appropriate internal information.   Internal links reinforce the content investment you have made on your website.  Don’t worry that these links are not geo-targeted.  That’s the point of this entire post!  geo-targeted hyperlinks repeated over and over on your website is unnatural to Google.
10. Don’t Get Discouraged – If your website was penalized by Penguin, fix the problems and Google will see those changes over time.   If you have done a full audit and your internal and external linking investments are now natural, rankings will come back.

Is Keyword Linking Dead?

No.  Content with links that are natural can still include keyword targeted links as long as you don’t abuse the strategy and as long as the page the link points to supports that keyword goal.  For example,  if you are a Toyota dealer in Louisville, your content can include a link on the words “Toyota Dealer in Louisville” if the words are natural in the context of the article.  You will also want to diversify the keywords that are linked; do not use the same anchor text in all your blog posts.

Do you have any specific questions, feel free to drop me a line:  brian@pcgmailer.com

Brian

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch

“Latest Automotive SEO strategy package leverages search optimization, social relevance, and video marketing to capitalize on Google’s ever-changing ranking system.”

Eatontown, NJ – PCG Digital Marketing, a three-time DrivingSales.com award winning Automotive SEO and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) company, has announced it newest strategy for dealers who want to dominate their online marketplace with a package of relevant digital marketing services.

Leveraging the power of Search Engine Optimization, Social Media Engagement and Video Marketing, PCG Digital Marketing now enables dealers to capitalize on the powerful effects of all three with its newest package referred to as ‘SSV.’

The SSV Package addresses the recent changes Google has made in its search algorithm to combine the power of video and social networks with high quality optimized content.

This new digital marketing package is an evolution of their proven and award winning strategies that have stood the test of time and have helped dealers across the country have an unfair competitive advantage over their local competition.

PCG Adapts To A Changing Search Environment

Taking a hands-on and custom-tailored approach, the SSV package furthers PCG’s commitment to quality, not quantity, and aligns dealers one-on-one with their seasoned SEO strategists and digital marketing professionals. The latest strategy is also designed to not trigger concerns about “overtly” optimized website pages and content.

“Our work at PCG starts with a custom analysis of the local market” explains CEO Brian Pasch. “Every piece of content, every digital marketing campaign is tailored for each specific client. Google is no longer just rewarding websites that have keyword and linking strategies. Google is rewarding custom, relevant content and marketing strategies that adapt with Google’s constant changes. Dealers need original content and search strategies created and implemented by real people.”

PCG Digital Marketing is a DrivingSales Dealer Satisfaction Award winner taking home trophies in the top SEO and top SEM category for three years in a row. These awards are created to help dealers seek out the very best vendors in digital marketing and are voted on by the dealers themselves. They are also ranked in the Inc. 500 fastest growing private businesses list.

With Google constantly changing they way they display search results, evolving strategies, like the customized options provided by PCG Digital Marketing, is the best way to stay on top for the long run. “It takes people to integrate all of these changes and strategies, it can’t just happen with automated systems,” adds Pasch. “You need people to integrate the best strategies for video, social networking and content creation to improve search results. You need people who understand what Google is doing and how they are changing. ”

For more information on SSV, visit PCG Digital Marketing online at http://www.pcgdigitalmarketing.com/services/digital-marketing-seo/ or call Chief SEO Strategist Matthew O’Such at 732-450-8200 x3 for a one-on-one consultation.

About PCG Digital Marketing

PCG Digital Marketing is a full service digital marketing agency that serves growing businesses in all industry sectors. PCG is a leader in automotive marketing education and is nationally recognized as a leader in Search Engine Optimization (SEO) and Search Engine Marketing (SEM) as well as an award winning Internet training firm. Most recently, they were named to the Inc 500 Fastest Growing Private Companies list ranking #192 nationally and #7 in their home state of New Jersey.

For more information on their services, visit http://www.pcgdigitalmarketing.com

PCG Digital Marketing will be exhibiting at the 2012 Automotive Boot Camp, May 15-17th in Las Vegas.

In February 2012, PCG was presented with the “Top Rated SEO Provider” award from DrivingSales.com just prior to the NADA Convention.  We are honored to be recognized by the dealer community with such a  prestigious award.

This is the third year in a row that PCG has won the Dealer Satisfaction Award for SEO.  Voting  is tallied from actual dealership voters who use our products.  We congratulate the other two winning SEO companies this year as well: Dealer eProcess and eXteres.

Our Roots in Automotive SEO

Since PCG is synonymous with Automotive SEO Strategies, we were invited to interview with Dealers United for their first group offering to car dealers.  In their first dealership offering, a Groupon like model,  Dealers United will offer car dealers a Website SEO Package at a discounted price for a limited window of time.

The concept behind Dealers United is that they will be able to negotiate a better deal for single point and multi-point stores that would normally be limited to “Mega” dealer groups. Dealers have to sign-up on their website to get access to the offer.

Dealers United collects the funds directly from the dealer and pays the vendor partner, as a broker of their service.  With the promise of getting hundreds of dealers signed during a small period of time, would be attractive to any automotive vendor.  It was for me.

The vendor interview process, conducted by Steve Stauning, allowed me to present our  latest SEO offering.  Our newest Automotive SEO package, internally code named “SSV”, was outlined to Steve.  I wanted to be clear how SEO services  have evolved to address the latest changes in Google’s search algorithm.  Steve asked many great questions and the process was very engaging.

Getting On Page One Today

What has changed in Automotive SEO strategy?

The biggest change is that it takes new strategies to get sites ranked properly on Page One.  There is more manual work involved and more competition.  Dealers need more customized strategies and less cookie-cutter SEO templates. Dealers need fresh, original content and coordination of SEO strategies with their larger digital marketing goals.

Social media sites are also taking up key real estate on Google Page One and Google+ must be included in that list.  Today, any SEO strategy that ignores the impact of social media and the Google +1 button is missing the boat.  The old concepts of focusing only on META tags, links, and on-site content are not sufficient without new strategies for organic traffic generation.

Competition is also on the rise. Many dealers have hired SEO companies to optimize their websites. Large website providers like Cobalt and Dealer.com have created SEO packages as part of their core offerings.  Three years ago, the landscape was far less competitive.

Offsite link building is still important for SEO. PCG has the strongest link building strategies in the industry, but that is not enough today.  Fresh content, engaging original content, and social relevance are changing the strategies that SEO companies need to offer to deliver outstanding results.

What Is Working?

Today, traditional Automotive SEO strategies must be enhanced with tactical actions that amplify social relevance. Of course video engagement has to be part of the mix since YouTube is ranking very effectively for common automotive searches.  Video marketing and optimization is now more important than ever and first to act is often rewarded with superior placement.

The reason why we code named our latest offering “SSV” because its stands for the latest pillars of SEO success:

Search Engine Optimization + Social Relevance + Video Engagement

This formula can be interpreted that traditional SEO techniques now have to be enhanced with a social relevance strategy and a video strategy.  Video marketing can also have a significant impact to a dealers pay-per-click strategy as well.

PCG is also blessed by having hundreds of dealers participate in our Automotive SEO classes and the largest Automotive SEO Study for car dealers.  These workshops and webinars has given our team greater insights on what is working in each local market across the United States.  We apply that knowledge to refine our offerings.

PCG SEO Was Not Selected By Dealers United

We were informed this week that PCG Digital Marketing was not selected as the vendor that Dealers United would present in March as their recommended SEO partner.  We wish their chosen SEO partner  the best of success with this emerging business model.  (I’m very interested to see who that company will be!)

After thinking about the “SEO Contest” results, I think that PCG Digital Marketing, has always attracted great dealers because:

• We don’t work for their direct competitors.
• We provide a high touch service and continuing education every month.
• Our strategies are content specific for the dealership and local market.
• We are often first to market with the latest changes in Google’s search strategy for dealers.
• We offer short term contracts that can meet any dealership contract requirements.
• We practice what we preach.  Search “Automotive SEO” in Google.

The SEO Value Equation

It would have been interesting to see how we would handle 200-300 dealer sign-ups in a short period of time.  Since that will not be happening, we will continue to focus on attracting progressive dealers who want a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that includes world-class SEO expertise.   SEO is only part of the overall winning strategy for online marketing.

I like the fact that our model is to not work for every dealership, but just those that want the very best strategy and service.  Price, is probably the least important factor when you consider that SEO vendors.  It’s all about a company’s ability to achieve the dealer’s custom search marketing goals.

The amount of time any vendor of “labor intensive” services can deliver is directly related to price.  Less is not always the winning formula.  I wish the Dealers United members  best of success with their search for great SEO at a competitive price that has a strong ROI.

If your dealership is looking to implement a comprehensive digital marketing strategy that include the latest SEO strategies, take a minute to setup a call to discuss your dealership’s needs.   Schedule an appointment by calling 732.450.8200 or sending me an email:  brian@pcgdigitalmarketing.com

The winning formula with the best ROI is already here.  It’s more than SEO but you can’t exclude it from the mix!

Brian Pasch, CEO

PCG Digital Marketing

Brian Pasch