SEO Best Practices for Dealerships Using WordPress
- Josh Mishra
- Aug 12
- 10 min read
Updated: Aug 16
A Strategic Guide to Improving Visibility, Speed, and Rankings
Executive Summary
In an increasingly digital automotive marketplace, a dealership’s online presence is no longer optional, it’s the foundation for the whole business. With over 95% of car buyers sourcing their info online1, visibility in search engine results can make or break a dealership’s ability to attract qualified leads. Yet, despite this shift, the vast majority of dealership websites are underperforming in critical areas of search engine optimization (SEO) and user experience.
Recent data reveals a concerning trend:
95% of dealership websites fail Google's performance metrics
Only 6% pass web interactivity tests
Just 7% meet visual stability standards
A mere 23% pass loading speed benchmarks2
These shortcomings not only hinder search rankings but also degrade the customer experience, which in turn leads to higher bounce rates and lost sales opportunities.
This white paper outlines a practical, WordPress-focused solutions to help dealerships close the performance gap and increase their website’s search engine ranking. From foundational fixes like image compression and internal linking to advanced strategies such as schema markup, content silos, and local landing pages, the guide provides actionable steps to improve visibility, speed, and engagement.
By implementing these best practices, your dealership can significantly enhance their digital footprint, improve lead quality, and ensure they appear at the right place and time for the right customer on any device, in any market.
Using Titles and Headers to Boost Visibility
Your page titles and headers are crucial for both SEO and helping users navigate your site. Think of them as signs guiding both people and search engines to the right destination.
Each page should have a unique title tag that includes the main keyword and accurately describes what the page is about. For example, “2024 Honda CR-V for Sale in Toronto | ABC Motors” is much more effective than just “New Inventory”. Always making sure you have the Big 4 attributes on every title, which are Year, Make, Model, and Region.
If you have a website provider, they should also be supplying your company with Short Codes that can be used to dynamically create headers and titles, this will allow you to put in minimal effort to achieve the maximum results and have your page appear at the top of search results. See the image below for some sample short codes and their application.
Use only one H1 header per page, and make sure it includes your main keyword. Your H1 should be the main headline on the page, usually the title. Then use H2s and H3s to break down the content into sections. For example, if you're writing a vehicle detail page, your H2s might include “Performance Specs,” “Interior Features,” and “Safety Ratings.” These headers help Google understand what your content is about, and they make your pages easier for visitors to scan and read.
Common SEO Mistakes Dealerships Make
Many dealerships unknowingly sabotage their own SEO by making a few common, and easy-to-fix mistakes.
One major issue is duplicate content. This happens when the same description is used for multiple vehicles or pages. Search engines see this as unoriginal and may rank your site lower as a result. Always try to write unique content for each page, even if it's just changing a few sentences. In the case of there being multiple vehicles of the same year, make, and model, you can also add the stock number to differentiate between them.
Another mistake is uploading large, uncompressed images that slow down your site. This affects load time, which negatively impacts your rankings and user experience. To resolve this, ensure that you are always compressing your images and using file formats that are web friendly. There are plenty of image compression tools available for free online, such as towebp.io and imagecompressor.com so there is no reason not to do this. Depending on the original quality of your images, you can reduce your websites load time by upwards of 10%4.
Images can also be optimized through making them smaller in size, as well as attaching keywords to image file names, subtly boosting up your website’s rankings. Similar to optimizing anything else, SEO requires making sure that every small detail is optimized for the best outcome. If you do want to keep large images/videos that is totally fine as well. As long as you keep them under the first fold, lazy loading, which means you only load content above the first fold of a page on initialization, can ensure your website does not take a performance hit even with lots of content.
A frequently overlooked area is the meta description. Every page should have a unique and compelling description that tells searchers what to expect. If you don’t write one, Google will automatically generate one, and it might not be ideal. These can also be templated out and use short codes.
Keywords can be a struggle for many. Finding the right keywords to maintain a high rank can take up a lot of time and resources from your company. A great trick that you can use for finding the right keywords is going to a search engine and start typing a result. Whatever autocomplete puts as suggestions for the next words can all serve as strong keywords to include in titles, and descriptions
Using a tool, such as Google Keyword Planner, can help you pick up keywords that may not be extremely obvious at first sight. As long as you have an Account with Google Ads (Which is free to create), you can get insights on all the tools google has to offer. If you don’t want to enter billing information, and don’t have an active google ads account, you can also use Google trends to compare keywords without having to create an account. While Trends may not be as good at picking out specific keywords, it does enable you to drill down and find any trends specific to your province/city.
Also, many dealerships forget to optimize mobile customers. With most vehicle shoppers browsing on their phones, a mobile-friendly site isn’t optional, it’s essential. Use responsive design methodologies and regularly test how your site looks on smartphones and tablets. There are some websites available that can emulate a smartphone and test your website as if it was a low-end smartphone connecting from a mobile data connection.
Lastly, don’t ignore the free tools available to you. Google Search Console and GA4 Analytics can show you how your site is performing, what keywords are bringing people in, and where improvements are needed. While many of these sugestions will be generic and might not be tailored to you or your website provider, there will almost always sbe some helpful information sprinkled in that can shave off some loading time on your site, or boost your natural search with SEO imrovements.
Easy On-Page Optimizations You Can Make Today
If you're running a dealership website on WordPress, improving your search engine optimization, doesn’t need to be technical or overwhelming. There are simple changes you can implement today that will make a noticeable impact on how your site ranks and performs.
First, let’s talk about speed. A slow-loading site can drive potential car buyers away. One of the main culprits? Large, uncompressed images. There are plenty of free plugins online that you can find to compress images for you. This will help your
pages load faster, which not only improves user experience but is also a known ranking factor for Google.
Next, use internal linking throughout your website. If a visitor is reading about a specific vehicle model, add links to similar vehicles, financing options, or your service department. These links guide visitors through your site and help search engines understand the structure of your content.
Also, make sure each page has a single focus. Don’t try to stuff it with multiple unrelated keywords. If your page is about a 2024 Toyota Camry, keep the content focused on that vehicle. This helps search engines determine what the page is about and makes it easier for customers to find exactly what they’re looking for.
And always write page content for humans first. It might be tempting to load your content full of keywords, but clarity and helpfulness are more important. A well-written, easy-to-understand page will naturally rank better because it meets the needs of real people.
Advanced Tips to Take SEO to the Next Level
Once your basic SEO is in place, there are some more advanced techniques that can help your dealership stand out even more.
Start with schema markup. This is a type of code you add to your website to help search engines better understand your content. For example, if you add schema to your vehicle listings, Google might display star ratings, prices, or availability right in the search results. This makes your listings more attractive and clickable.
Internal Linking becomes extremely important in decreasing a site’s bounce rate, and in turn, keeping good site metrics and a high rank. Google explicitly states that user experience directly contributes to rank, therefore, to maximize your SEO efforts, your website must be able to provide a strong user experience.
Consider using content silos to organize your site. Group related content together, such as all your Honda vehicles, or all your service-related content. This structure makes your site easier to navigate and signals to search engines that your content is authoritative.
Location-specific landing pages are another powerful tool. Create separate pages for each city or neighborhood you serve, with unique content tailored to those areas. This helps you rank in local searches like "used trucks in Gatineau" or "car dealerships near Toronto."
Using a CDN (Content Delivery Network) can also greatly improve your SEO, by using a service such as Cloudflare, which offers both free and paid versions, you can have your website exist on servers across the world, allowing for your customers to be able to quickly connect no matter where they are. CDNs also have some built-in optimizations for your website, such as compressing and trimming unnecessary Java/CSS code, and making sure images are displayed in efficient formats.
Structured Data can be a crucial element of a great SEO implementation, having structured content allows search engines to better understand your site’s contents, and find better ways to link to it, such as adding reviews to you products, potentially putting them into a shopping view similar to what your SRP is already doing, amongst other things. Setting up structured data will make your search results much more impactful, and draw far greater amounts of traffic compared to a website with a description underneath.
Finally, work on building backlinks. Reach out to local news sites, automotive blogs, and community organizations to see if they’ll link to your site. You can also sponsor local events or write guest posts to earn high-quality links that boost your site’s authority.
Maintaining Your SEO
SEO is not a “Set and Forget” item. Good SEO has to be properly maintained over a log period of time. As customers evolve, and trends change it is very important that websites don’t rot away and get left in the dust. There are quite a few ways that you can ensure your website stays top 1.
Regularly Update Your Website Content
Google rewards freshness. Make sure your inventory pages, service descriptions, blog posts, and homepage are regularly reviewed and updated. For example, if you’ve added new services, changed dealership hours, or brought in new models reflect that on your website. Consider posting blogs monthly on topics your customers care about: car maintenance tips, financing advice, or new model reviews.
Monitor Keyword Performance
Keywords that worked six months ago might not be driving traffic today. Use tools like Google Search Console or SEMrush to track which keywords are bringing in visitors. Keep refining your content to target what your customers are actually searching for. Think local terms like “used SUVs in Windsor,” or “Toyota service near me.”
Track and Adapt to Algorithm Updates
Going hand-in-hand with the last point, Google updates its algorithm frequently, sometimes with major impacts on search rankings. Follow trusted SEO blogs (like Moz or Search Engine Journal) or work with an SEO consultant who can help you stay ahead of changes. If your traffic suddenly drops, it might not be because you did something wrong, but you’ll need to react quickly.
Wrapping It All Up
SEO is a journey, not a one-time task. But every improvement you make adds up over time.
Start with the basics: write unique, helpful content, use proper headers, compress your images, and install a reliable SEO plugin. Avoid common mistakes like duplicate content and missing meta descriptions. Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and connected to tools like Google Search Console.
Once you're comfortable, move into more advanced strategies: add schema markup, build content silos, create local landing pages, and seek out backlinks.
With a WordPress site and a little dedication, you don’t need to be an SEO expert to grow your dealership's online visibility. Just stay consistent, keep learning, and you'll see better rankings, more website traffic, and most importantly, more qualified leads walking in and out your doors.
Glossary of SEO Terms
Alt Text (Alternative Text): Descriptive text added to images for accessibility and SEO. Helps search engines understand image content and improves rankings in image search.
Backlink: A hyperlink from another website to yours. High-quality backlinks from reputable sources can significantly boost your site’s authority and ranking.
Bounce Rate: The percentage of visitors who leave your site after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate may indicate poor user experience or irrelevant content.
Canonical URL: A tag that tells search engines which version of a page is the “master” copy, helping to prevent duplicate content issues.
CDN (Content Delivery Network): A network of servers that deliver website content from locations closer to the user. Improves load times and site performance.
Content Silo: A method of organizing website content into related groups or categories. Helps search engines understand topical relevance and improves navigation.
CTR (Click-Through Rate): The percentage of users who click on your link after seeing it in search results. A higher CTR often correlates with better rankings.
GA4 (Google Analytics 4): Google’s latest analytics platform that tracks user behavior across websites and apps, offering insights into traffic, engagement, and conversions.
Google Search Console: A free tool from Google that helps you monitor, maintain, and troubleshoot your site’s presence in search results.
Header Tags (H1, H2, H3, etc.): HTML tags used to structure content hierarchically. H1 is typically the
main title, while H2 and H3 are used for subheadings and organization.
Internal Linking: Linking to other pages within your own website. Enhances site structure, distributes page authority, and keeps users engaged longer.
Keyword: A word or phrase that users type into search engines. Effective SEO involves targeting relevant keywords that match user intent.
Lazy Loading: A technique that delays loading images or videos until they are needed (e.g., when a user scrolls to them). Improves initial page load speed.
Meta Description: A brief summary (up to 160 characters) that appears below the meta title in search results. It should entice users to click and accurately describe the page content.
Meta Title (Title Tag): The clickable headline that appears in search engine results and browser tabs. It should be concise, keyword-rich, and unique for each page.
Mobile Optimization: Designing and developing your website to function well on smartphones and tablets. A mobile-friendly site is essential for SEO and user engagement.
Page Speed: How quickly your website loads. Faster sites provide better user experiences and are favored by search engines.
Schema Markup (Structured Data): Code added to your website that helps search engines better understand your content. Enables rich results like star ratings, prices, and FAQs.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization): The practice of improving your website to increase its visibility in search engine results, driving more organic (non-paid) traffic.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page): The page displayed by a search engine in response to a query. Includes organic results, ads, and sometimes rich snippets.
References
https://www.consumeraffairs.com/automotive/online-car-buying-statistics.html
SHIFT Digital, 2024-12-10 SFT Shoppers Study Q4 2024
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