in the social scene, get started now. This
is a great opportunity to promote your
dealership, your products and your service
while engaging in a two-way conversation
with buyers. This is also a great way to keep
your website content fresh and unique.
Mistake #4 -- It's about my
dealership, not the brands I carry.
THE FIX: Many outdoor power
equipment dealers fail to highlight the
brands they carry on their home page, yet
most consumers enter a brand name and
a geographic location when searching for
equipment.You know your top-selling
brands and models, but the search engines
don't. Spell it out for them.
Make sure that your top brands are listed
on your home page. Are they highlighted?
Do you have them linked directly to your
current inventory or brochures? What
about logos and product images? If you're a
Simplicity dealer in Louisville, Ky., make sure
your website is found and returned in the
results when a consumer types in "Simplicity
Tractor Louisville Kentucky" by including
those keywords in your content. If you don't,
it's highly unlikely that the search engines
will include your dealership in the results.
You can make the search engines and
buyers take notice and increase the relevance
of your website by following these best
practices. These same intuitive and easyto-follow guidelines will make buyers
take notice and find your top brands and
models quickly and generate more sales
opportunities for your dealership.
Mistake #5 -No time for local listings.
THE FIX: I've already touched on the
importance of local search in Mistake #2.
Another key aspect of going local is claiming
your local listing on Google+,Yahoo, Bing and
Yellow Pages. Be sure to keep your business
listings updated. Most consumers rely on
local search results when it comes to buying
equipment and servicing that equipment.
SEO is not a fad; it's an essential tool for
competing and winning in your local market.
An effective strategy helps people looking
for the equipment you sell and service to
find your website, not your competitions'.
Quick fixes and tricks won't cut it. In order
to reap all the benefits, you must be diligent
about your SEO efforts. Avoiding common
mistakes is a great way to get started. OPE
Blane Vik is Search
Engine Marketing
Manager at ARI, a
provider of technologyenabled business
solutions for dealers,
distributors and
manufacturers in the outdoor power
equipment, powersports, automotive
tire and wheel, marine, RV and white
goods industries. Products and services
include eCommerce-enabled websites,
lead generation, lead management, Search
Engine Optimization, Search Engine
Marketing, and eCatalogs (parts, garments,
and accessories).Vik can be reached at
vik@arinet.com or (414) 973-4346. For
more information, visit www.arinet.com.
OUTDOOR POWER EQUIPMENT
JULY 2013
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