Marketing agency 9 Clouds held a webinar on Friday during RVDA’s Virtual Con/Expo discussing the importance of SEO – search engine optimization – for RV dealers. Matt Stoffel, sales and outreach manager, and Betsy Sprenkle, creative content strategist, explained why dealerships should pay close attention specifically to local SEO optimization to ensure steady customer traffic.
The presenters explained that with most customer purchases, there is a 24-point roadmap starting with a Google search, moving through other processes like product research and contacting the dealer, and ideally ending with a positive Google review for the business. Among those steps, Stoffel said, 18 of them are online, making optimization even more crucial. Sprenkle pointed out that one of the critical things dealers can do to ensure customers find them quickly is applying the “NAP” principle—which stands for Name, Address, and Phone. Having these key details consistent on Google My Business will help people find businesses easier, the presenters contended. Ensuring info is accurate on Google My Business also ensures that customers searching for a dealership on their phone will be able to easily find businesses in their area, Sprenkle added.
In addition to tightening up business details on Google listings, Stoffel and Sprenkle talked about the importance of an SEO-optimized website. Of the tips the duo offered, consolidation of information and a clean layout were two key themes they pointed to. This includes ensuring NAP information is consistent on each page of the site and having an easy way to each location if a dealership has more than one shop, like a dropdown menu. Having staff information consolidated to a single landing page where customers can find email addresses and phone numbers will also be helpful, presenters said, for new customers and long-term customers who may be returning for a new purchase.
Presenters additionally touched on the ever-changing Google algorithm and the importance of keeping up with its standards. “Within the last 12-18 months,” Stoffel estimated, “if (website content) is not written well and set up well,” it will often be difficult for a dealer’s site to rank high in search results. Presenters urged dealers to “write for the customer,” tapping their existing knowledge of the RV market, to create website copy and content, versus the outdated approach of “keyword stuffing” a website.
To see an archived version of the presentation and other RVDA Virtual Con/Expo webinars, visit here.
