Get Found and Stay Found: SEO Best Practices for Car Dealer Websites

You could have the best stock and the slickest website around, but if no one can find you, it’s all for nothing. Proper SEO isn’t about tricking Google – it’s about helping customers find you when they’re ready to buy.

Own Your Local Patch

Most car buyers search locally. If you’re in Harrogate, Leeds, or Manchester, you want to dominate “used cars Harrogate” or “new Ford Fiesta Leeds” searches.

Claim and fully fill out your Google Business Profile.

Make sure your name, address, and phone number are identical everywhere online.

List your dealership on quality local directories.

Mention your location naturally on your homepage, about page, and service pages.

Write Listings That Mirror How People Search

Forget fluffy marketing language. People search for real things like:

• “2021 VW Golf GTI DSG under £25,000”
• “Automatic SUV diesel 4x4 low mileage Leeds”

Make sure your vehicle listings match this style. Always include:

• Year, make, model, variant
• Transmission type
• Fuel type
• Price
• Location

Each vehicle should have its own properly indexed page — none of this “stock lists hidden behind drop-downs” nonsense that Google can’t read.

Sort Your Meta Titles and Descriptions

Meta titles and descriptions are what people see on Google’s results page.

Instead of “Home - Smith Cars”, use something useful like:

“Used Cars for Sale in York | Over 200 Approved Vehicles | Smith Cars”. This tells Google — and people — what you actually offer.

Keep the Tech Clean

Make sure your site is mobile-friendly. Page speed matters too — slow sites sink down the rankings. Compress images, limit plug-ins, and keep the code tidy.

Use proper heading tags (H1 for main titles, H2 for sections) so Google understands the structure of your pages.

Avoid Duplicate Content Where Possible

If you’re using a stock feed that dumps the same car descriptions onto loads of dealer websites, rewrite them where possible. Google doesn't like seeing the same wording repeated across multiple sites. Add a few lines unique to your dealership — a personal touch goes a long way.

Build Authority Over Time

Good SEO isn’t an overnight fix. Keep adding fresh content (blogs, FAQs, seasonal service offers) that helps users. The more useful your site, the better it ranks.

Final Thought

SEO for car dealers isn’t about clever tricks — it’s about helping real buyers find real cars nearby. Get the basics right, stay consistent, and you’ll not only be found — you’ll be chosen.