FIVE REASONS YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T ON THE FIRST PAGE OF SEARCH RESULTS
It can be incredibly frustrating to submit an online search for tire dealers or auto repair shops in your area and see your competitors’ websites in the top slots of search results, and meanwhile, your website is nowhere to be found.
Growing your organic web presence (ie, ranking high in online searches) is not a simple or straightforward process. It requires time, intent, and strategy. There are five common reasons why websites don’t rank high online—and each can be solved with tangible actions.
REASON #1: GOOGLE DOESN’T KNOW YOUR WEBSITE/WEBPAGE EXISTS
If your website or freshly added webpage is very new, Google may not have indexed it yet. It can take up to four weeks for brand-new content to appear in search results. Give your website some time to build traction.
REASON #2: YOUR WEBSITE ISN’T OPTIMIZED FOR GOOGLE SEARCH
Every website submitted to a search engine is crawled for content. This allows the search engine to understand the website’s content and apply it to future search results. The bots that crawl your website look at the content from a technical standpoint, scanning for factors such as keywords, relevancy, and meta content. If these factors are lacking, your website is not going to rank well.
Maybe your website used to rank in the third or fourth position—or even at the very top—of search results for dealerships in your area, and now you can’t find it on the first page at all. What happened? Search engine algorithms are constantly evolving, and your website may have fallen out of compliance with changing requirements. In 2019 alone, Google reported 3,620 changes to its algorithm—an average of 10 per day! If your website isn’t being continually optimized to meet the new search engine requirements, its search ranking will drop.
Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the key to boosting your website’s search ranking. SEO aligns your website with search engine algorithms, which focus on many different website metrics, including frequency of updates, proper backlinks, and number of social shares. Keep your website compliant with SEO best practices, which evolve over time to keep up with changes in search engine algorithms.
REASON #3: ONLINE PROMINENCE TAKES TIME
Once your website is infused with best practices for SEO, you still won’t see an immediate change in your website ranking. Building your organic online prominence isn’t a sprint—it’s a marathon. Think of SEO like your retirement: You can’t save for retirement all at once, but each bit of your paycheck that you set aside gets you closer to the big payoff. SEO operates the same way. You won’t see immediate results, but the more effort you invest in SEO, the better your website will perform in search results over time.
REASON #4: NOT ALL KEYWORDS ARE EFFECTIVE OR RELEVANT
Keywords refer to the information that online users enter into search bars. Search engines then generate a list of websites that feature similar content. If your website is one of several thousand sites targeting the same keywords, your website may not stand out amongst the competition, since search engines are programmed to rule out websites with very similar content. To see the best results, target keywords and key phrases that have high search volume but low competition.
REASON #5: YOUR WEBPAGE DOESN’T ALIGN WITH PROSPECTS’ “SEARCH INTENT”
The term “search intent” pertains to the reason for performing an online search. By aligning your website content with your prospects’ search intent, you are boosting your website’s likelihood of appearing prominently in their search results.
But how do you know what your customers are looking for? Search intent can be broken down into four main categories:
Informational: Browsers are looking for a specific answer to a “what,” “where,” “why” or “how to” question. A great way to boost your website’s presence in informational searches is to include helpful information about your dealership’s story, your current inventory and your store’s location. For even greater success, take your website copy a step further by maintaining a regular blog full of educational topics such as “how to choose the right winter tires” and “when to get an oil change.”
Navigational: When someone is looking for a specific website or webpage but uses a search engine instead of typing in the URL, this is known as navigational search. These searches usually include branded keywords such as a business name or specific product. Prospects who are searching for your dealership but may not know the URL can find it by entering your dealership’s name into Google.
Commercial: Online shoppers looking to make a purchase perform commercial searches, which generate lists of e-commerce websites, special offers and inventory listings. Make sure your inventory is listed on your website and third-party selling platforms, alongside any current specials you may be running.
Transactional: A transactional search can include commercial searches, but “transactional” doesn’t automatically translate to “sale.” Actions resulting from a transactional search are known as “conversions” and they can include submitting a lead form, calling or messaging the business, or visiting the store. To see a higher volume of transactional traffic, make sure you have the following:
• Clear calls to action on your website, such as “Contact Us,” “Receive a Quote,” “Schedule an Appointment,” or “Submit Form”
• Accurate, consistent contact information (phone number, address, business hours, etc.) on both your website and third-party digital directories such as Google My Business
Whether your website is brand-new or you recently dropped several notches in local online search, don’t sweat it. Consider the circumstances listed above. Do one or more apply to your situation? Determine the most likely cause for your website’s subdued ranking and begin working toward a solution.
Need help increasing your website’s ranking? We can perform an assessment of your website’s online health and craft a strategy to boost your online presence. Contact us today to learn more!
