“Cars” and “dealership” are probably not the best keywords for you.  When it comes to getting the most out of search engine optimization, a key aspect in the process is to carefully analyze and think through what keywords you should be using.  One of the first points to ponder is whether or not the keywords that you are selecting or currently using are too broad.  This is a very common mistake for all kind of companies and businesses, as they opt for very broad keywords hoping to capture large amounts of traffic only to find that they are buried on page 27 of search engine results.  Of course, as a result they may receive very little organic search engine traffic.  

Does this mean that you should be depressed and “throw in the towel?” The answer to this question is no, but you do need to have a coherent and well thought out keyword strategy and put that strategy into action.  The alternative is to give away the SEO high ground to your competitors.  Trust us, that is not the right approach.  Let’s dive deeper into what you can do to ensure that your keywords are right for you and will lead to lots of new traffic and keep your competitors at bay!

Keyword Factor One-Understand Who You Are and Where You Are

This factor may seem a bit odd, but it is important that you stop and carefully think through what geographic area you should be targeting.  Why spend money trying to lure in customers that are just too far away to realistically travel to your dealership.  For example, how often are you really going to get a prospective car buyer that lives two or three hours away?  

There may be some geographical exceptions to this rule, but most of the time potential car buyers will not travel too far out of their general area.  This means that you absolutely must focus on the area where your dealership is located.  Your keywords should be as focused as possible on capturing the search engine results that are most geographically relevant to you.  Google is now automatically customizing results based on where people are located.  However, you don't want to miss out on including your region(s) in your keywords.  The end result of adopting this strategy is that you can expect a much greater return on your SEO and web advertising investment.

Keyword Factor Two-What Makes You Unique and Special?

Just as it is important to think very carefully about your geographical location and how you should move forward, the same is true for thinking about what makes you special and unique.  What are your strengths?  What makes you special in your region or area?  What incentives can you offer that help you stand out?  By pausing to answer these questions, much of your keyword strategy will come into sharper focus.