An open discussion of automotive social media, website design, & automotive SEO.

Good SEO Caters to the User

Search engine optimization and usability go hand in hand when it comes to automotive website design, as well as for Web marketing in general. Having the onsite design that attracts the search engines will also attract users, and having a design that a search engine spider won’t get lost in means that a user won’t get lost either.

Information Architecture That Works

Information architecture should be kept in mind from the start. For a website to be optimized for search engines properly, attention to its overall usability should begin before the interface and the aesthetics of the site is considered. The rule of thumb for dealer websites is that usability and a simple interface will equal search engine friendliness.

The interface of a website is comprised of two components: the website’s navigation and internal linking. As a website’s purpose is to bring together pages upon pages of information, users need to be able to move through those pages as easily and intuitively as possible for optimal effectiveness. Achieving this will also enable search engines to move the through site with ease.

For example, looking at a page about used cars Richmond, visitors to this site will see a page that features an ultra streamlined “tabbed” navigation along the top of the page. Down below, there are intuitive buttons and links to a variety of service inventory and finance related pages, as well as other internal pages. Users that have something very specific to find when visiting this page should be able to find it, whether it’s making a service appointment or looking for a car part.

Ascetics Versus Usability

Clutter is a common issue that can adversely affect many auto dealer websites. Having a significant amount of content spread out all over the home page is one of the easiest ways to distract or lose a potential customer. Tightening up the design and eliminating the need for users to scroll, and search, and hunt for specific content is something that is seriously needed.

Product pages should also be sensitive to the specifics of what people are actually looking for. For example, pages on the Honda Woodbridge VA website enables users to search inventory based on user generated criteria. With some dealer websites, users are forced to see pop ups and unnecessary graphics when arriving at the site directly or from search engines. This becomes an issue as many dealer website users simply want to be able to search inventory and that’s it, but unfortunately many websites are too focused on content that users may not even care about.

Websites That Cater To Every User

Although it may be impossible to have a design and a variety of content that will appeal to every single user, a dealer does have an opportunity to give users a site that’s at least organized and easy to use. That’s not to say that the content of every dealer website should be the same. Every dealer should highlight their strengths, especially considering that different dealers have different profit centers, whether it’s selling new or used cars, commercial vehicles, or parts and accessories, or selling other specialty vehicles. A dealer’s website should therefore at least be able to address each of their profit centers appropriately. Having well defined pages on your site for varying content can also help with search engines. Rather than diluting your content, make specific pages for specific content to provide the most well-defined landing pages for traffic.