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Marketing To The Next Level

How to Generate Leads for Your Car Dealership in 2024

Car dealership owners face many challenges, from managing inventory to closing sales, but one of the most daunting is consistently generating leads.

The lack of leads isn’t due to a lack of effort.

Dealerships pour massive amounts of money into advertising campaigns to attract new customers and drive sales.

Yet, many car dealerships need help to convert this investment into genuine, qualified leads.

Where most car dealerships think leads come from

If anyone understands the importance of marketing and advertising, it’s auto dealerships.

Without it, no one will know your dealership exists—especially if you’re just starting.

Relying only on word-of-mouth would require potential customers to know someone who recently bought a car—what are the chances of that?

With all the digital tools available today, it’s easier than ever for dealerships to generate traffic.

But the real challenge is converting that traffic into qualified leads—customers ready to buy, not just window shoppers.

The issue isn’t the marketing itself; it’s the strategy. Most dealerships struggle with two main problems:

  1. They are using marketing channels that require too much time and effort that you just don’t have.
  2. They are wasting money on costly methods that don’t yield enough results when those funds could be better spent elsewhere.

Let’s dig deeper into how to fix this and start generating quality leads that convert.

Expensive BBBs (bus, bench, and billboard ads)

Auto dealerships love plaster their ads on benches, buses, and billboards—especially in busy metro areas.

After all, thousands of people see these every day.

On the surface, it makes sense to use these platforms to get your dealership’s name out there. But here are two reasons why you shouldn’t:

  1. They’re expensive.
  2. They don’t work.

Being visible to many people might boost your dealership’s “brand,” but how many will walk into your showroom? Very few.

Plus, just because your ad is out there doesn’t mean people genuinely see it.

Studies show most commuters are glued to their phones, paying little attention to outdoor ads.

A better strategy? Invest in digital marketing to reach people actively searching for a car—those ready to take action, not just passersby.

Social media (paid and organic)

Social media is like a virtual showroom for car dealerships—it can boost visibility, but it’s not always easy to navigate.

Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn run on algorithms that favor certain content from specific profiles.

If you’re unfamiliar with how to rank on these platforms, your organic posts can quickly go unnoticed.

Unless you’ve built a substantial following—which can take months or even years—you’ll likely experience low engagement and minimal reach.

And let’s face it, most dealership owners don’t have the time to be full-time content creators.

But there’s a solution—paid social media. You can sponsor posts or run targeted ads to increase your dealership’s visibility.

While social media ads can be effective, they should be considered a secondary option. Your priority should be dominating Google’s search results first, as that’s where serious buyers are actively searching for cars.

Once you’ve secured your ranking on Google, you can use social media to boost your presence and catch the attention of those browsing their feeds.

Where do top car dealerships’ leads come from

Ask any successful car dealership, and they’ll tell you—Google is critical in generating leads and sales.

Platforms like Instagram, billboards, and Facebook Ads cast a wide net, hoping someone who sees it is ready to buy a car.

Google works differently. Thousands of people in your area are actively searching for vehicles or dealerships near them.

The dealerships in search results receive hundreds of inquiries and foot traffic each month.

But… you probably already know how important Google is.

Maybe you’ve even hired an agency to help, but they over-promised and under-delivered.

It’s not entirely their fault—they’re trying but pushing against a steep uphill battle.

Traditional SEO isn’t enough anymore.

The game has changed, and a more focused strategy is required to get the results your dealership needs.

Traditional SEO means optimizing a website as it has for the past ten years, focusing on ranking in Google’s organic listings.

This is where many car dealerships find themselves—knowing they need search engine traffic but struggling to get meaningful results from SEO or PPC campaigns.

Let’s break down why so many dealerships struggle with search marketing by taking a closer look at Google when searching for “San Francisco car dealership”:

A LOT is happening.

This is why “traditional SEO” no longer works.

There are so many elements competing for the searcher’s attention on Google.

Each section draws eyeballs and clicks—if your dealership isn’t showing up in all of them, your search campaigns will fall flat.

The key to generating leads in 2024 is a “Blended Search” approach.

You need to be hyper-present in all search areas—ads, maps, and organic listings—to capture the attention of potential buyers wherever they are looking.

By targeting every angle, you’ll stand out among competitors and bring more customers to your dealership.

“Blended Search”: The key to more leads (and fewer tire kickers)

Dominating the search results sounds like a solid plan for generating more leads for your dealership. But how does it work?

We use a proven strategy to help car dealerships appear in all areas of the search engine results pages (SERPs).

Let’s break it down—here’s how we do it.

Local Service Ads (LSAs)

Local Service Ads are the first thing you’ll see when you search for your target keywords.

Any localized search (like “San Francisco car dealership” or “best car deals near me”) will trigger these ads to appear at the top of the page.

LSAs are a newer ad placement from Google designed to make advertising more accessible for local businesses.

They’re great for dealerships because they’re pay-per-lead, meaning you only pay for a connected phone call or message rather than just a click.

This makes them a more cost-effective option than traditional PPC ads.

LSAs run on a different platform and need their setup and management, but they’re crucial to a successful blended search approach.

Why LSAs work: They put your dealership front and center, where potential buyers actively search for local car options.

And since you only pay for genuine leads, they cut down on wasted spending.

This is the first placement we use to grab the attention of your best prospects. Local Service Ads (LSAs) show a photo of your dealership along with critical details such as:

These are the factors potential car buyers care about when choosing a dealership. We help your dealership appear in these results by:

This process helps you attract quality leads, most likely to convert into sales for your dealership.

Paid search (Pay Per Click Ads)

The next type of results you’ll almost always see are paid search ads, also known as PPC Ads.

PPC Ads offer greater flexibility in targeting compared to LSAs, which only show up for localized queries.

With PPC Ads, you pay for each click your ads receive, while LSAs charge per phone call.

The cost per click can vary widely depending on the keywords you’re bidding on—it might range from a few dollars to over a hundred.

While we recommend using both PPC and LSA, PPC Ads’ most significant advantage over LSAs is targeting.

PPC allows you to find “winning keywords” that drive leads while excluding irrelevant searches using negative keyword lists.

Optimizing your PPC ads for profitability takes time, but it’s well worth it. Here’s the process:

Local SEO (aka Google Maps Pack)

The subsequent placement in search is arguably the most powerful—our data shows that over 50% of leads for car dealerships come from the Google Maps Pack.

Unlike PPC or LSAs, this isn’t a paid strategy. The goal is to appear in the top three organic results for local searches.

This placement is so valuable for several reasons:

Ranking in the Maps Pack is directly tied to your Google Business Profile (GBP). To compete here, you need a verified physical dealership location.

Here’s how to optimize your GBP:

Remember, your Google Business Profile isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it tool.

Whether you change business hours, add new locations, or update your offerings, consistent updates are needed.

Keeping your profile fresh and relevant helps you dominate the local search scene and drive more foot traffic to your dealership.

Traditional SEO

The final piece of the Google puzzle is traditional SEO.

While we’ve emphasized other strategies, ranking in the organic results still contributes to generating leads for your car dealership.

However, the importance of your website has shifted, and many dealerships struggle with SEO.

Most agencies use strategies that worked five years ago, but Google’s algorithm has evolved dramatically.

Within the traditional organic results, you’ll often see:

Each presents a new opportunity to grab attention and bring in leads, but to capitalize on them; you need to modernize your approach to traditional SEO.

Creating great content isn’t enough anymore—you need a more comprehensive strategy to compete.

Here are some key areas to focus on:

Focusing on these aspects can help you stay competitive in traditional SEO and increase leads through organic search results.

Creating accounts on major review sites like Yelp, Cars.com, and DealerRater

Fill out your profile completely, and request reviews from happy customers.

This will help your dealership’s profile rank higher on these platforms, which will, in turn, attract attention from Google’s search results.

Creating content for “People Also Ask”

Blog posts, guides, and videos can significantly improve your chances of ranking on the first page of Google, especially within the People Also Ask section.

We recommend including an FAQ section for each blog post that addresses common questions potential car buyers might ask.

This will increase your chances of appearing in that obvious “People Also Ask” box.

Content marketing is a powerful and cost-effective strategy that can land your dealership in the PAA box, featured snippets, and even the #1 spot in search results.

To achieve these positions, create various content types—blog posts, guides, videos—and optimize them with winning keywords relevant to your dealership’s offers.

Ensure these keywords appear in your titles, subheadings, and naturally throughout the content.

For example, a blog post targeting the term “best family cars 2024” could look like this:

By optimizing for these high-traffic terms, you’re increasing your chances of driving more organic traffic—and ultimately, more leads—to your dealership.

Capturing more snippets (and leads)

There are specific strategies you can use to capture Google’s featured snippets, which can significantly boost your dealership’s visibility.

First, you must structure your blog post or landing page in a way that Google’s algorithm favors.

For example, if the question is “What’s the best car for families?” you’ll want to create an H2 or H3 sub-heading with that exact question.

In the paragraph that follows, clearly answer it.

For instance, you might start with, “The best car for families in 2024 is typically between A and B, depending on factors like safety ratings, space, and fuel efficiency.”

This tells Google you’re providing a clear, direct answer, which helps searchers—and that’s exactly what Google wants: to create a great search experience.

Consistently publish quality content and build backlinks

Content marketing is another critical area that requires consistent effort to rank well.

You need to regularly publish fresh, relevant content to show Google that your site is up-to-date.

When we help dealerships build content, we carefully select topics and have automotive experts write blog posts demonstrating authority and trust—vital factors in converting visitors into leads.

Additionally, great content attracts backlinks from high-authority sites, which boosts your domain authority, improves your rankings, and drives more traffic.

Results from using “Blended Search” marketing

“Blended Search” marketing is an all-encompassing strategy aimed at dominating the first page of Google.

But how well does it actually convert traffic into leads and leads into sales?

One of our auto dealership clients saw its monthly visitors grow from 90 to over 5,000 within a year—a 9,900% increase.

The result? More leads and more cars sold.

Like running a dealership, marketing is best left to the experts

Managing inventory, negotiating sales, and assisting customers—there’s already much on your plate as a car dealership owner or manager.

Why add another responsibility?

Marketing isn’t something you can master overnight. It takes years of experience, trial and error, and building proven strategies to get it right.

Instead of navigating the steep learning curve, focus on what you do best: selling cars and providing great customer service.

Let us handle the lead generation, ensuring you attract serious buyers and avoid tire kickers.

Your prospects are out there, ready to find their next car—but they won’t wait forever.

Contact our growth team today to start dominating search engines and generating more high-quality leads for your dealership.

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