In a recent webinar hosted by AIADA, digital marketing experts Eric Miltsch, Co-founder and VP of Search at Dealer Teamwork, and Luke Branson, SEO Lead, shared invaluable insights on the essential digital marketing strategies automotive dealers need to embrace to stay ahead of the curve. 

“This isn’t theory,” Eric foretold. “ This is all proven best-practice that we’re sharing. Real practical strategies that are driving actual real results for dealers all across the country. So hopefully we challenge a little bit of your thinking and you’re left with smarter ways to improve your marketing performance and most importantly, your bottom line.” 

Here are five game-changing requirements that dealers simply can’t afford to miss:

1. MASTERING GOOGLE’S QUALITY RULES 

Understanding and implementing Google’s quality rules is fundamental for achieving local visibility and maximizing performance. This includes:

• Prioritizing Quality Score and Landing Page Experience: Dealers must understand Google’s priorities, focusing on quality score and landing page experience. Neglecting this can be costly. Lower quality scores can lead to significantly higher cost-per-clicks, and poor landing page experiences increase cost per acquisition.
• Implementing Location-Based Landing Pages: To effectively target specific markets and optimize marketing efforts, dealers should implement location-based landing pages. Data-driven decisions, using tools like pump-in/pump-out reports, are crucial for determining which markets to target and ensuring SEO and SEM work together harmoniously.
• Dominating Local Presence with Accurate Business Information: Consistent and accurate business information (NAP: Name, Address, Phone Number) across all directories is vital for dominating local presence. Consistent location targeting across directories improves search rankings and builds trust.

 So why do these quality scores of the landing pages matter?

Luke emphasized that, “It’s costing you money if it’s not good enough. A lower quality score can potentially cause a penalty of up to 64% higher cost per clicks. That is also reflected if your quality scores below fiveDealer Teamwork AIADA AutoTalk: 5 Game-Changing Digital Marketing Requirements Dealers Can’t Afford to Missor 50% – raising your cost per acquisition by 16% for every quality score below that average of five out of 10.”

He continued, “The reason landing pages are important is because websites that use between 10 and 15 landing pages will get 55% more leads than those with fewer. So making sure we have relevant landing pages is extremely important.”

2. BACKYARD LOCAL VISIBILITY

Now let’s get back to exploring your own backyard. Local visibility and the strategies you can use to dominate your local search market against the competition, including location-based landing pages are essential for several reasons:

• Building Credibility in the Local Market: They help build credibility, ensuring users find relevant content that matches their expectations. Users are likely to abandon a site if the landing page doesn’t align with what they expected from the ad.
• Driving Engaging Traffic: Landing pages should be loaded with relevant dynamic content that answers user questions and encourages them to stay on the site. Incorporating elements like Google Maps, Google reviews, and YouTube videos enhances user interaction and trust.
• Spreading Your Brand Message: Consistent brand messaging across all landing pages strengthens local presence, positioning the dealership as a trusted source.
• Extending Organic Visibility: Location-based landing pages improve organic visibility, making the dealership Google’s (and therefore the customer’s) trusted source for new, used, CPO, service, EV, and hybrid vehicles in the local area.

3. MAXIMIZING GOOGLE PMAX EFFECTIVENESS

Leveraging Google PMax campaigns effectively can significantly enhance brand visibility across various Google channels.

Eric said, “ PMax is a surefire way to maximize exposure for your brand across all of the Google channels; between search and YouTube, display, Gmail and more. That’s how you’re going to be able to build that brand.” 

 Key strategies that include:

• Leveraging Multiple Google Channels: Maximize brand exposure by showing your brand across all Google channels, including Search, YouTube, Display, and Gmail.
• Utilizing Strong Asset Bases: Ensure each campaign has a strong asset base, including high-quality text, images, and video, as well as first-party audience data.
• Blocking Wasted Impressions: Reduce wasted ad spend by implementing negative keywords and content exclusions to avoid poor placements and questionable sites.

A Shift in Perception

Some dealers have been reluctant towards PMax campaigns. Recent developments, such as the ability to use negative keywords and see keyword performance data, have improved transparency and changed perceptions. While not a standalone “magic bullet,” PMax campaigns, when paired with a consistent and well-managed approach, can contribute to significant success.

Eric added a foreshadowing, “Mark my words going forward, impressions are going to be even more valuable as things start to change even more—not only on the paid side of things, but also with the AI Overviews within search.

4. SMARTER AUDIENCE TARGETING

Smarter audience targeting isn’t a flash-in-the-pan tactic; it’s a strategic, data-driven evolution. And one that Eric doesn’t take lightly. 

He emphasized, “This is what it’s all about, in terms of being able to leverage today’s data, being able to make better decisions, to be able to find those opportunities, and just to really be able to move the needle.’  His team utilizes advanced map tracking and insights that truly pushes dealers over the finish line in local domination.

This also means diving deep into customer data; understanding their behaviors, preferences, and purchase journeys. It’s about moving beyond broad demographics and pinpointing high-value shoppers with laser precision. However, this process demands patience and consistency. This does not happen overnight. It takes time and commitment and patience, but doing the right things consistently over time is going to ultimately pay off.

By meticulously analyzing data and refining your targeting strategies over time, you can ensure your marketing efforts resonate with the right audience, maximizing ROI and driving sustainable growth. Keeping your eye on the prize—long-term, data-informed audience engagement—is the key to unlocking significant marketing performance improvements.

5. OPTIMIZING LANDING PAGES 

Landing page optimizations and creating a seamless customer journey from ad to conversion is basically the bread and butter of it all,” Luke said.

This is critical for driving conversions and building trust and  involves:

• Relevant Content and Clear Information: Ensure landing pages provide relevant content, including clear pricing and offers, that aligns with the ad that was clicked.
• Dynamic Calls-to-Action (CTAs): Use dynamic CTAs to enhance user engagement and facilitate easy conversions, especially on mobile devices.
• Building Engagement and Trust: Provide a seamless experience that builds trust and encourages customers to engage with the dealership. Include FAQs, Google Maps, reviews, and videos.

BONUS! MAXIMIZING CREATIVE

 The bonus on top is how to maximize your creative assets through our ACT NOW strategy. Dealers can take action by leveraging automation, consistency, and trust to improve their digital marketing processes:

• Consistent Automation with AI: Implement a consistent automation process that incorporates AI to improve efficiency and maintain consistency throughout operations.
• Building Brand Trust with Consistency: Focus on building trust by providing a consistent and reliable experience across all touchpoints.
• Leveraging Dynamic Ad Elements: Use dynamic ad elements to create engaging and relevant ads that drive conversions. Real-time offers embedded in ads help turn browsers into buyers.

Dynamic Creative Solutions acts as the linchpin, seamlessly integrating various digital marketing elements to create a cohesive and powerful strategy.

As Eric Miltsch articulated, “Being able to leverage the campaigns that are available and the assets that are available, in terms of the PMax campaigns and having real-time offers be embedded into these campaigns, for example, is huge.”

This means moving beyond static, generic ads and embracing dynamic content that resonates with today’s consumers. 

So what’s the outcome? 

By injecting real-time inventory and payment information into PMax campaigns and display ads, you create a sense of immediacy and relevance, driving higher engagement and conversion rates. This dynamic approach extends beyond ads, influencing landing page experiences by ensuring consistency and delivering on the promises made in the initial ad click. Furthermore, consistent multi-channel distribution, with responsive images and customized sizing, guarantees a professional and trustworthy user experience across all devices. It’s not about finding a ‘magic bullet,’ but rather understanding that dynamic creative solutions provide the connective tissue— ensuring landing pages, PMax, and all other digital efforts work in harmony to build trust, enhance relevance, and ultimately, convert browsers into buyers.

Watch the full webinar on YouTube HERE.