Seven automobile dealership managers have been included in the first round of speakers:

• Broderick Alley, Internet Sales Director, Diehl Auto Group, on building an Internet department with a limited budget
• Todd Crossley, General Manager, Gary Crossley Ford, on how Crossley Ford became the #1 dealer in Kansas City
• Chris Fousek, e-commerce director for the Village Automotive Group in Massachusetts, on using business intelligence to sell more vehicles
• Tim Jennings, Tom Sparks Auto with YouTube video walk-around essentials
• Jim Flint, corporate director of Interactive Sales and Marketing for the John Eagle Dealerships, on building a team and processes so you can set up your own internet department
• Kevin Frye, e-commerce director, Jeff Wyler Automotive Family with real life dealership examples to become leaner and meaner in the market to drive money to the bottom line 
• Shaun Kniffin, Director of Internet Sales and eBusiness Development for the Germain Motor Company on migrating from having an Internet department to becoming an Internet group

All dealership personnel presenting at the 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition will focus their presentations on real world examples from their experience at the dealership and include new insights and practices that session attendees can take home and implement immediately.

Additional speakers will be announced in the coming weeks.

The 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition is the ideal learning and networking venue for general managers, dealer principals, internet sales managers, e-commerce directors, BDC managers, CRM managers, pre-owned managers, F&I managers and fixed operations managers. More than 550 dealership attendees are expected at the fall event along with as many as 90 exhibitors and sponsors. For more information about the 9^th Digital Dealer Conference & Exposition, go to www.digitaldealerconference.com or contact Susan Tyson at styson@dealer-communications.com, 312 558-1799.

The conference is owned and operated by Dealer Communications, the leading multi-media information source for the automotive retail industry. Connecting with franchised automotive dealers and managers over ten million times per year, Dealer Communications publishes the monthly print Dealer magazine, and online editions of Dealer, Digital Dealer and Dealer Fixed Operations magazines. Online weekly newsletters include Dealer; Digital Dealer; Dealer Fixed Operations, Dealer Pre-Owned; Dealer F&I, and Dealer Sales and Marketing. To see all that Dealer Communications offers, visit www.dealer-communications.

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Dennis Colome will demonstrate to owners and sales managers how to bridge the gap between Internet department and showroom floor. As the creator of iConsult Performance Coaching Program, Colome is as an industry leader in sales and marketing strategies with over 32 years of automotive dealership experience. Over the past 15 years Colome has trained over 1,200 dealerships and has assisted 16,000 dealership and OEM personnel.

This course will cover phone scripting that will allow managers to create a relationship with the prospect. In addition, the psychology of the buyer and the basic human behaviors to get the prospect to open up and build positive relationships will be uncovered. 

Doug Hadden is the manager of Training and Development for DealerTrack Inventory Optimization, powered by AAX. Doug helps Dealerships and large Dealer Groups to sell more vehicles, faster, with higher gross profits utilizing DealerTrack’s Inventory Optimization Solution.

 Hadden will show managers how to utilize key data points to make smarter decisions when it comes to managing inventory. Specifically:

• How to identify the right inventory
• How to close more trades
• How to maintain profitability

The goal is for attendees to walk away with process and practices that they can put in place immediately to begin driving change for their dealership. 

This year’s Digital Dealer Conference takes place in Nashville, TN, November 1^st-3^rd. 

Car dealers who would like to learn more about the Digital Dealer Conference or wish to register to attend can visit http://www.digitaldealerconference.com/ for more information.

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The data is the start of a discussion that goes into why some search phrases yield ZERO page one search results when the same phrase yields top placement on another search engine.  As you develop an Automotive SEO strategy for your dealership, it is important that you track the results in all the major search engines.

The difference in being Google page 1 position 1 vs. position  7, considered under the fold, can be huge.

Google may represent 65% of all organic search traffic but that other 35% is very important.  As you look at one example below “Ford Massachusetts” the microsite does very well in Google but after 4 months the site is still not listed on Yahoo page one.   Since traffic from Yahoo is not insignificant, a special strategy is obviously needed.

Content SEO Strategies

The point of this article is to say that content SEO strategies will vary with the search engine you are targeting.  There are some very valuable insights that this data hints at including how the different search engines treat:

• Sub-domains
• Exact Matching Domains
• Short domain names
• Long domain names
• Free blogging portals (Vox, Ning, etc.)

At the upcoming Digital Dealer Conference I will be going over specific Content SEO strategies that will not only show you how to write content for better search visibility but to discuss how domain names and platforms play a direct role in your ultimate success.

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At the last Digital Dealer Conference in Las Vegas, I predicted in my Automotive SEO seminar that within the year, major platforms would include a blog into their base infrastructure. That has come to pass in just under six months.

WordPress Gaining Popularity

This week I had the opportunity to view two car dealer platforms that will release integrated WordPress skins into their core technology. In one case, the WordPress technology was a menu choice off the main navigation with seamless integration. The basic WordPress functionality is in place with customized widgets for automotive services like lead collection.

The second vendor raised the stakes even higher with multiple WordPress skins at the touch of a button with the powerhouse kicker: SEO compliant inventory module PLUGIN for WordPress. This brings the concept of a microsite to the next level. A low cost WordPress website, that dealers can edit and expand, with live embedded inventory. Remember that WordPress allows dealers to leverage their brand on multiple DEALER OWNED domains with affordable CMS technology.

Automotive SEO Is Maturing

Automotive SEO challenges are changing in our industry. Our automotive website report (2009 ASMA) which will be published on November 1st, will be a forward indicator that will highlight companies that are changing the rules for content based SEO strategies.

This is the topic that I will be discussing at the 7th Digital Dealer Conference in Nashville which runs from November 1-3rd. I hope you can come to my seminar and be the first to get the ASMA report. (www.digitaldealerconference.com)

It is my conviction that the reason why sites like Edmunds.com, Automotive.com and Motortrend.com dominate so many national page one search for car models is fundamentally about good content. Over 90% of car dealer websites do not have 5 paragraphs of well written CONTENT on any one car that they sell. They may have features, specs and option lists but no real consumer targeted CONTENT.

With that in mind, the fact the forward thinking website platform providers are adding WordPress technology into their base platforms will be revolutionary. With the free plug-ins available for WordPress, car dealers can start to create attractive CONTENT so that when they drive consumers to their website via PPC, social media or SEO, they have compelling content as well as an interactive experience.

Looking forward into 2010, the saavy website providers will take away the criticism that their platforms don’t have on the fly page creation. They will include blogging software integration to leverage content based SEO strategies. Once that happens, dealers will be moving toward a common ground of SEO compliance.

This begs the question: What will SEO consultants be doing then?

Not Just META Tags & Titles

Once our industry moves to providing website platforms that are fully Google SEO compliant, we can move on to more important factors that drive traffic and conversion.

Allowing car dealers to add unlimited content pages without programming knowledge is the next big thing. Once the tools are in place for car dealers to have MORE control over their SEO destiny, they will come to the realization that they never hired someone on their staff to write good content, let alone follow “data directed” SEO content writing.

In 2010, I predict that the most valuable hire that progressive car dealers will make is an Internet Marketing Writer that is focused on automotive content building for their brand in their PMA.

This can be an internal employee or a consultant that has a cost effective content development team. These “writers” will take the new content based SEO tools, like WordPress, to new heights. Dealers will start to dominate their local markets with well written content that delivers SEO benefits as well as conversion benefits when social media drives traffic to their websites.

So let me repeat that: Hire someone who can write and understand the basics of Automotive SEO

This new role will compliment that work that other staff members in the dealership are doing to attractive more consumers to visit the dealership website using social media, PPC or other traditional media. It will be an interesting evolution as car dealers wake up to the fact that they can attract consumers via organic search through better content and well targeted content.

Social media and traffic driving strategies will ultimately rely on platforms that can deliver good landing pages with easy to edit content that in the end, creates a call to action. WordPress can do this unlike any HTML editor on any platform today but it is NOT the only technology solution. There are other options, but that is top secret.

Get ready for major shifts in SEO tools for 2010…the strategies will not change…however the teamwork with SEO consultants and dealer staff will never be more important!

Will I be out of a job? Never…but my role will change in 2010 for sure!!

If you are going to Digital Dealer in Vegas, make sure you come to my Halloween Party on the 31st, known as the Pasch Bash.

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The Fall 2009 Digital Dealer Conference being held this November in Nashville will cover the latest trends in automotive marketing strategies.  Included on the 2009 Fall Roster are Stan Bradbury and Ralph Paglia, two experts in the field of advanced Automotive marketing strategies.

Social Media

Social media networking strategies have exploded among all businesses nationwide, and car dealers are no exception.   Social networking platforms like Facebook and Twitter are now considered must have staples of any successful marketing strategy. 

Ralph Paglia will be speaking at this year’s Digital Dealer Conference and will showcase actual dealership implementations of social media marketing and reputation management strategies. Attendees will learn how to measure performance and track the results required for increases in sales and profits.

Ralph Paglia is responsible for business development at ADP’s Digital Marketing Group.  Paglia helped establish strategic alliances for ADP with digital marketing enterprises such as Google, Yahoo!, KBB, Specific Media, Jumpstart, DealerRater, Ning and DoubleClick.   Ralph has over 20 years of automotive experience including Reynolds Consulting Practice Leader and several dealership management positions.

Mobile Marketing

Digital Dealer Conference attendees will also have the pleasure of learning from mobile communications expert Stan Bradbury.  Bradbury is the co-founder and president of Dealer Text Solutions, the first company to develop comprehensive text messaging solution for automotive retailers and service centers, and the co-founder of CallBoost, the leading provider of 1-800 vanity phone numbers to auto retailers.

Bradbury will lead a discussion entitled Get Ahead by Becoming a Leader in Mobile Communications, which will show dealers how to turn text messaging into the most value sales tool within their mobile marketing campaign. 

Book Now

This year’s Digital Dealer Conference takes place in Nashville, TN, November 1^st-3^rd.   Readers who book early can get invited to my Halloween Party in Nashville.

Car dealers who would like to learn more about the Digital Dealer Conference or wish to register to attend can visit http://www.digitaldealerconference.com for more information.

About the Digital Dealer Conference

The annual Digital Dealer Conference attracts hundreds of dealership attendees that are looking to learn more about Internet and technology-related issues.  Speakers who are experts in the field of Automotive Digital Marketing present seminars which help forward thinking dealerships stay ahead of the ever changing technology curve.   For registration or sponsorship opportunities, visit http://www.digitaldealerconference.com

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I had a great time speaking in Las Vegas at the last Digital Dealer Conference and I was honored to be invited back and recognized as one of the top 5 rated speakers at the previous conference.  Now that I have a better understanding for the format of the conference, I will be preparing some special surprises to make the seminar more interactive.

From the Digital Dealer Conference Website, the organizers include some feedback from participants that attended my last seminar that included:

• “Awesome!”
• “Brilliant”
• “Great presentation”
• “Best class I attended all day”

I’ll be working hard to live up to these high accolades.  I take it seriously that professionals take their time out of the office at a significant cost to attend these important conferences.  If anyone is attending the conference and would like to suggest topics that I include in my presentation, just give me a call or send an email to: info@paschconsulting.com

Cash for Clunkers Is A Perfect Content SEO Case Study

The PCG Digital Marketing has found great success with content based SEO strategies for car dealers.  We have been able to leverage content to increase the visibility for car dealers which translates into more traffic, leads and sales.  One of the greatest recent examples of Content SEO was our Cash for Clunkers microsite project.  The website was an experiment to see how content combined with our Automotive SEO strategies could work to create a nationally dominate website.

At the peak of the Cash for Clunkers frenzy, our website located at www.cashforclunkersfacts.com had over 120,000 unique visitors in one day.  Over the course of 60 days, the website had over 7 million page views from consumers, dealers and I suspect the NHTSA.  This is a perfect case study for the upcoming seminar to see how content based SEO strategies can propel a website to high visibility in the major search engines.

Renaissance Nashville Hotel

The 7th Annual Digital Dealer Conference will be held at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel located at 611 Commerce Street.  Conference room rates, while supply lasts, are $129 per night up until September 18th.  If you are attending the conference, I recommend that you book your rom early.

The Renaissance Nashville Hotel is located in the business district and is connected to the Convention Center. The conference hotel is within walking distance of the Sommet Center, LP Field, B.B. King’s Blues Club, Country Music Hall of Fame & Museum, Schermerhorn Symphony Center and Historic Second Avenue District.

This vibrant Nashville luxury hotel has a 24-hour fitness center in case sitting all day at seminars messes with your exercise schedule.  I just hope that their high speed Internet is truly high speed.  For additional information about the hotel, you can contact them at the numbers below:

611 Commerce Street
Nashville, Tennessee 37203 USA
Phone: 1-615-255-8400
Fax: 1-615-255-8202
Toll-free: 1-800-327-6618

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Brian is scheduled to speak on Monday April 20th at 5:15 pm and will be reviewing effective Internet marketing strategies and Automotive SEO techniques to increase dealer visibility on Google, Yahoo and MSN.

Automotive Professionals are Heading to Las Vegas

Celebrating its 6th year, the conference has been growing in popularity due to its focus on cutting edge digital strategies to help car dealers become more effective and profitable in challenging markets. This year, hundreds of dealers from across the country are sending representatives to learn from the industry experts assembled for this exciting four day event.

Brian will be encouraging seminar attendees to consider the many roles and personalities needed to compete on the Internet.  Brian Pasch has identified 10 distinct roles that automotive organizations will need to integrate into their Internet sales team.  

“The most valuable Internet Sales managers will be schizophrenic.” jokes Pasch, “The breadth of skills and personalities that are needed for car dealers to compete on the Internet are very diverse. I’ll be identifying ten important personalities that will give car dealers a competitive edge on the Internet.”

Automotive professional who have not yet registered for the conference can obtain information on registration costs and conference agenda by visiting:  http://www.digitaldealerconference.com .   Automotive professionals can also call Richard Holley at 770-475-9870 for event registration information.

Conference attendees who would like to schedule a free personal consultation with Brian to discuss their Internet marketing needs, can make an appointment by calling 732-450-8200.  Appointments can be  made after business hours by sending  the PCG Digital Marketing an email at: info@paschconsulting.com.  Mr. Pasch will be available for appointment on Monday and Tuesday, April 20th and 21st.

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