As an SEO expert, one of the most important considerations for a car dealership website is not only the content it publishes but also how it delivers that content. In recent years, many businesses have made the mistake of overcrowding their website with numerous banners, pop-ups, and ads, believing these will increase visibility and engagement. However, this approach can significantly harm both user experience and search engine rankings. Here's why:
Poor User Experience (UX) and Increased Bounce Rates
Banners, particularly those that appear constantly or cover a large portion of the screen, disrupt the user experience. According to Google’s User Experience Guidelines, a positive experience is critical for retaining users. When car buyers are trying to find a specific model, review features, or search inventory, excessive banners create barriers to navigation, causing frustration and, ultimately, higher bounce rates and poor engagement rates. This could seriously impact your Google rankings as Google does not wish to support sites with poor engagement rates and as such may slip you down the rankings.
Bounce rate, whilst not necessarily all bad, is a key metric for site and SEO performance, as it signals to Google that users are not finding the content they are looking for. If a user leaves the site quickly due to poor usability, Google will interpret that as a sign of low-quality content, which can negatively impact your rankings.
Slower Page Load Times
Another critical issue with excessive banners is their impact on page load speed. According to Google's Core Web Vitals, page speed is a significant ranking factor. The more banners you add to a website, the more elements there are to load, especially if those banners include high-resolution images, video, complex scripts, or third-party integrations. Slow-loading pages are penalised by Google, particularly on mobile devices, which is a critical consideration for today’s users.
A study by Pingdom found that 47% of users expect a website to load in two seconds or less, and every second of delay can increase bounce rates by 32%. The longer it takes for a car dealership site to load, the greater the likelihood users will abandon the page before it even finishes loading. This increases bounce rates and hurts your SEO.
Mobile Optimisation and Core Web Vitals
Mobile users make up a significant portion of traffic, especially in industries like automotive, where prospective buyers frequently use their smartphones to browse listings. Excessive banners that don’t scale properly to mobile can result in poor mobile usability, another important factor in Google rankings.
Google's Core Web Vitals measures the time it takes for the largest visible element of a page to load. Large, poorly optimised banners that delay loading time will negatively affect a page's mobile experience and, in turn, its rankings.
Impact on SEO - Keyword Focus and Page Relevance
Search engines prioritise relevant, high-quality content that matches a user’s query. Car websites are often rich in content about models, features, prices, and promotions. However, when banners dominate the page, they detract from the content that matters most for SEO. If Google’s crawlers are overwhelmed with extraneous elements that don't contribute to the overall topic, the page may rank lower for relevant keywords.
For example, if a dealership website’s landing page is cluttered with banners, it might divert attention away from important vehicle descriptions, specifications, or reviews—information that should be optimised with relevant keywords. Overuse of banners can disrupt the page’s keyword targeting strategy, lowering its ability to rank for high-converting terms like “buy [brand] car” or “best [car model] deals”.
Accessibility Issues
Excessive banners can also negatively affect accessibility, making it difficult for users with disabilities to navigate the site. According to W3C Web Accessibility Guidelines, websites must be navigable for all users, including those with visual or motor impairments. Banners that are poorly designed or too intrusive can make it difficult for assistive technology, such as screen readers, to interpret the content of the site. This not only harms user experience but can also lead to legal issues and a diminished SEO performance, as Google now considers accessibility as part of the overall ranking algorithm.
Improved SEO Strategy: Clean, Fast, and User-Friendly Design
Instead of loading a website with numerous banners, a more effective strategy is to focus on providing clean, clear navigation that highlights important information without distractions. We know at The Whole caboodle that the majority of visitors come to your site looking for used cars, as much as 70% of them are looking for a used car…make it easy for them to find them. Get rid of the clutter and work on what matters!
Here are some best practices for balancing engagement and performance:
Use fewer, strategically placed banners: Limit banners to critical promotions or announcements. Make sure they are easy to dismiss and do not hinder the user's ability to find what they need.
If you need to use banners (and they do still have a place) optimise them for fast loading: Ensure banners use lightweight images or HTML5 elements that load quickly without compromising the site’s performance.
Focus on page speed and Core Web Vitals: Regularly monitor page speed and ensure your website adheres to Google’s Core Web Vitals, prioritising fast load times and responsive design.
Test for mobile usability: Given the significant portion of car buyers browsing on mobile devices, ensure your website is optimised for mobile traffic, reducing banner clutter on smaller screens.
Conclusion: Streamlining for Success
While banners can be effective in certain situations, and are a requirement with some OEMs, they should be used sparingly on your website. Too many banners can disrupt the user experience, slow down your page speed, and ultimately harm your SEO rankings. Focus on user-first design by providing relevant, easy-to-find content while ensuring your site loads quickly and efficiently. Remember, a well-optimised site that delivers high-quality, relevant content will naturally improve your search engine rankings, drive more organic traffic, and lead to higher conversions.
References:
Google Webmasters Blog, Core Web Vitals and Page Experience Update.
Pingdom, Website Performance Monitoring and Analytics.
Moz, SEO and User Experience: How They Interact.
W3C Web Accessibility Initiative, Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) Overview.
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