Industry: Automotive Retail
The SEO Design Chicago team developed a comprehensive digital marketing strategy for a multi-location car dealership group looking to increase vehicle sales, improve lead quality, and enhance their online presence in a highly competitive market.
267%
increase in organic search traffic
193%
increase in qualified leads
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152%
increase in online inventory views
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Challenge:
A regional car dealership group faced intense competition from both local competitors and online car-buying platforms.
- Needed to differentiate themselves
- Attract potential buyers across various demographics
- Showcase their diverse inventory
- Streamline the car-buying process
- Build trust in their brand and customer service
Solution:
SEO and Content Strategy
- Implemented a robust SEO strategy
- Focused on make/model-specific keywords, local search terms, and long-tail phrases related to car buying
- Created in-depth content including model comparisons, car-buying guides, and local driving tips
Local SEO Optimization
- Optimized Google My Business listings for each dealership location
- Created location-specific landing pages
- Built local citations to improve visibility in local search results
Targeted PPC and Display Advertising
- Created highly targeted Google Ads, Bing Ads, and programmatic display campaigns
- Focused on in-market car shoppers and specific vehicle models
Social Media Strategy
- Developed an engaging social media strategy across Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube
- Showcased new arrivals, customer testimonials, and behind-the-scenes content from the dealerships
Video Marketing
- Produced a series of videos including vehicle walkarounds, test drive experiences, and customer stories, which were used across the website, YouTube, and social media platforms
Online Financing Pre-Approval
- We integrated a secure online financing pre-approval system
- Allowed customers to get pre-approved for auto loans before visiting the dealership
Retargeting Campaigns
- Set up sophisticated retargeting campaigns across display networks and social media to re-engage potential buyers who had shown interest in specific vehicles or visited the website
Email Marketing Automation
- Created segmented email campaigns for different customer groups (e.g., new leads, previous customers, service reminders)
- Nurtured leads and encourage repeat business
Online Reputation Management
- Implemented a strategy to encourage satisfied customers to leave positive reviews on Google, Facebook, and automotive-specific platforms
- Promptly addressed any negative feedback
Results:
- Increased average monthly vehicle sales from 320 to 618 across all locations
- Improved website traffic from 15,000 to 55,050 monthly visitors
- Grew combined social media following from 8,500 to 32,600 across all platforms
- Increased the average Google rating from 4.1 to 4.7 stars, with a 143% increase in total reviews
- Achieved first page rankings for 82% of targeted local and vehicle-specific keywords
- Generated 1,235 online financing pre-approvals in the first six months
- Improved website conversion rate from 1.8% to 3.4% for test drive appointments
- Reduced cost per lead acquisition by 39% through optimized PPC and display advertising campaigns
- Increased email open rates from 16% to 28% and click-through rates from 1.9% to 4.1% with segmented campaigns
- Boosted customer retention rate (for service and repeat purchases) from 45% to 63%
- Achieved a 91% satisfaction rate for the virtual 360-degree vehicle tours
- Increased average sale price by 12% through effective marketing of higher-trim models and add-ons
- Reduced average time-to-sale by 27% through improved lead nurturing and online tools
This case study illustrates how a comprehensive, technology-driven digital marketing strategy can help a car dealership group overcome intense competition, effectively showcase their inventory, and achieve significant growth in vehicle sales and lead quality. By focusing on user experience, personalization, and multi-channel marketing, the dealership group was able to attract more qualified leads and streamline the car-buying process, resulting in increased sales and customer satisfaction.
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