It ’ s been two months since COVID-19 put an unexpected pause to our daily lives. Sheltering at home has produced a corresponding increase in online activity, but how does that translate to SEO? I n the past two months, our team has been trying to determine just that, by monitoring the impacts to organic traffic volume, search behavior, and make/model pageviews.

COVID-19 Effect on Automotive Dealership Traffic

Going into March organic traffic plummeted as Americans shifted their focus to the virus. I mentioned in our original post that “ in the regions most affected, most people are in panic mode … This is causing organic traffic (and traffic in general) to decrease in those areas. ” going on to say , “ This drop in traffic is likely to slow down as people become fatigued by the news cycle and constant updates. When this happens, they ’ ll turn to entertainment, online shopping, and online browsing in general. This is likely to cause an increase in organic traffic. ”

I undershot my prediction as traffic rebounded past pre-COVID-19 levels and well beyond the previous year. In fact in all but 3 states (NY, MI, LA) we saw year o ver year growth in organic traffic on average .

The main questions we received end of March were 1) ” Will our organic traffic be impacted? ” and 2) “ Should I pause SEO in the short term since foot traffic to the stores is going to slow down? ” The short answers was 1) Yes and No and 2) No if you want to read the explanation check out our original Automotive SEO COVID post .

With two months down, traffic up, and states slowly starting to re-open the two main questions we ’ re getting now are 1) “ How can we capitalize on this new traffic? ” and 2) “ What can we expect traffic wise moving forward? ”

How can we capitalize on this traffic? Servic e, Service , Service ! If there was ever a time to evaluate and revamp your fixed ops specials it ’ s now. We ’ ve seen some dealerships up 50%+ in service, parts, and body shop organic page visits.

Offer pickup and delivery service options if possible or highlight your contactless service department. Whatever approach you ’ re taking to keep customers safe and serviced, make sure it ’ s well documented and displayed prominently.

https://www.creationfantasy.fun/blog/adapting-your-service-department-during-social-distancing/

At home test drives and new vehicle delivery are a fast-growing solution to retailing during social distancing. Some dealers are flipping the typical car buying experience on its head by going to their customers.

Highlight OEM financing, payment deferment and extra warranties that are available . There are so many new powerful incentives but it ’ s hard to know what ’ s what. Make sure all of your new financing and payment options are easy to find and easy to understand.

What else should we expect moving forward?

In our first blog post we predicted a rebound in traffic towards the beginning of April. Even we were surprised by how big of a lift took place. With states starting to open back up and attention shifting back to a “ return to normal ” we expect our original prediction to hold true “ The overall organic traffic for 2020 will end up increasing at about the same rate as 2019 (assuming things in the United States don ’ t escalate past current projections). ”

May saw record highs in overall organic traffic with Inventory and MRP visits also on the rise. We hope to see that trend continue into the second half of 2020 but only time will tell.

Tips for June , July , and Beyond

“ Your SEO efforts over the next few months are to grow your 2020 MRP traffic, to grow your backlink profile slowly and steadily, and to interact with your Social Media accounts and Local Listings more than ever! How you engage with your Social Media and Rep traffic now will dictate who your future customers will be once this virus passes. ”

This continues to be our strategy. Keep focused on 2020 MRPs, look for social media opportunities like offering discounts to senior citizens or compl i mentary deep cleaning services on all service appointments. Right, now the goal is to become even more customer-centric and more customer-focused than ever before. Customers now need to feel safe, to know they can trust their local dealership to have their safety and best interests in mind. Do this right and you ’ ll win in the long run .

How is your dealership ’ s organic traffic fairing at the moment? Please share any insights or questions in the comments below, as we will do our best to address your questions and concerns!

• Turn Existing Website Traffic Into More Opportunities Through Personalization
• Why FAQ Content Matters More Than Ever for AI Search
• How to Measure AI Search Traffic
• Press Release: Happy Hao Car Launches OnPrompt
• Press Release: Happy Hao Car Unveils Sidekick
• Spring Cleaning Your VDPs
• Time to Spring Forward: 5 Quick Updates to Boost Engagement on Your SRP
• Start 2026 Strong: Dealer Marketing Lessons from 2025
• AI Search Visitor Behavior
• AIO and GEO Aren’t Replacing SEO

Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
• – Multi-Rooftop Groups We’re designed for groups – large or small. Discover how our products and solutions can help your marketing teams and agencies do more with less.
• Engage Customers & Generate Leads Experience outstanding lead generation with our powerful Cosmos platform. Switch to us for unmatched performance and customer engagement.
• – Generate More Website Traffic Boost sales with responsive websites. Experience qualified leads, top-notch SEO results, and seamless mobile experiences for dealership success.
• Automate & Increase Efficiency See how our Marketing Technology solutions can generate Thousands of dollars in savings for your dealership or dealer group.
• – Analyze Performance & ROI Analyze product and market performance with data you can trust. Powered by GA4.
• Meet Compliance Requirements Compliance solutions to keep your dealership or dealer group ahead of ever-changing privacy and accessibility laws.
• – Don’t See Your OEM? Happy Hao Car provides websites, SEO, and digital advertising to all vehicle OEMs. REACH OUT
• – Product Updates The latest digital marketing innovations driving extraordinary results for your dealership.
• – Happy Hao Car Webinars Get expert advice on how to get the most out of your dealership’s digital marketing efforts.
• – Read the Blog Explore our blog for news, tips, and insights. Discover articles providing valuable information to enhance your marketing strategies.
• – An Award Winning Company We offer an unwavering commitment to top-converting websites, premier automotive SEO, and exceptional digital marketing has earned us industry recognition.
• Leadership The leadership team is composed of digital and automotive experts with extensive experience. They drive our mission to serve the automotive industry with dedication.
• – Why We Are Different Experience the Happy Hao Car difference – increased car sales, exceptional service, and 99% customer satisfaction.
• Join the Team Join our dynamic team providing cutting-edge online marketing solutions to automotive dealerships across the Americas.
• – Testimonials Read about the great success our clients have experienced with Happy Hao Car.