Search Engine Marketing for Internet Sales Managers at Car Dealerships

1. Search Engine Marketing for Internet Sales Managers

2. Internet Marketing Strategies should account for 4 key areas that are required in order to yield sales 1. Before prospects get to your web sites… How do we attract? 2. After prospects get to your web sites… getting an inquiry 3. After prospects submit an inquiry, before they get to store 4. After prospects arrive at the store, but before taking delivery

4. We chose Search Engine Marketing as one of our key tactics for generating web site traffic in August, 2005 This presentation will focus on Google based SEM

5. Courtesy Chevrolet decided to use Google “Sponsored Link” ads and Google’s network of web sites that accept display ads to drive car buyers to our sites… August, 2005. Courtesy Chevrolet uses Google’s “AdWords” program to reach online car buyers at the moment when they're looking for a new or used car. Using both text based sponsored links and display ads, the Google Network reaches more than 80% of online car buyers.* We create our ads, then use either key search words or select web sites to target which people see the ads. For key search words, we pay when shoppers click through to one of our sites. For display ads we bid what we are willing to pay per thousand impressions for each of the third party web sites we target…

6. Search Engine Marketing became a key component of our successful strategy for increasing lead volumes

7. Increased sales from Online Advertising that captured leads using a combination of deep links, dedicated landing pages and specially constructed micro-sites tied to SEM campaigns… Conventional Internet Sales Strategy (no SEM) SEM Campaigns Implemented We used Search Engine Marketing to increase leads that contributed towards dramatic sales increases

8. Courtesy Chevy eBusiness Teams received 61,642 Leads in 2006 that were tracked within our BuzzTrak CRM System In 2006 SEM became an integral part of our strategy for increasing Lead Volume AND Showroom Traffic

9. 4,008 eBusiness Department Sales of New & Used Vehicles in 2006 Segmented by Marketing Category (Total Store Sales >11,000) In 2006 SEM become a key component of growing our Internet and BDC Sales Volume by over 100%

10. Courtesy Chevrolet’s aggressive SEM campaigns have provided the Dealership with Lower Cost web site traffic In Q1 2007, SEM has become our primary means of generating steadily increasing Unique Site Visitors

11. Sales/Lead Closing Ratios ranged from 5.15% to 16.64% when segmented into categories based on Marketing Type Growing Internet Sales using Increased Quantities of Leads will Result in Closing Ratio Variations

13. Search Engine Marketing allows Internet Sales Professionals to use search for generating traffic

14. Search Engine Marketing allows Internet Sales Professionals to target web sites for ad placement

15. Search Engine Marketing allows PPC ads to be placed on Content Network sites based on ad text

18. What is “Google AdWords” Basic Terminology • Ad Position • Clickthrough Rate (CTR) • Conversion Rate • Impression • Keyword • Landing Page • Quality Score Google AdWords allows any Internet Manager with a credit card to manage SEM campaigns

19. Optimize Your Campaigns and Ad Groups for higher Quality Scores… “ Quality Score” is the basis for measuring the quality of your keyword and determining your minimum bid. What determines if your Pay-Per-Click bids are successful in showing your ads to car buyers? Quality Score is determined by: • CTR (Clickthrough Rate) • Relevance of ad text • Historical keyword performance • Content and layout of your landing page • Other relevancy factors

22. ISM’s that administer their own SEM accounts have access to key words OR site targeted campaigns

23. Google AdWords supplies very useful applications for generating and managing key words…

24. Google AdWords supplies very useful applications for generating and managing key words… Originally designed to extract key words from YOUR web site, the Site-Related Keywords online application from Google can be used to acquire a list of Keywords from web sites other than your own, such as 3 rd Party Lead Providers, Car Companies and competitors.

25. After you have added Keywords to the list on the right, Save to Ad Group puts them in play… Maybe!

26. After you save your selected Keywords to include in your Ad Group, its Summary shows the results

27. Keywords that are Inactive can be selected for individual management separate from the others

28. After selecting the individual keywords to manage, you can change bids, position request and URL’s

29. After completing Keyword Edits, we are back at the Key Words tab where we see the words activated

30. AdWords offers a variety of online ad formats. To access, opt into the Google Network.

31. AdWords offers a variety of online ad formats. Image Ads provide ISM’s with campaign flexibility. • Appear on some sites in Google Network • Matched to keywords and/or page content • Can run on content sites in both keyword targeted and site targeted campaigns

32. AdWords offers Video and Flash Ads to provide Content & Targeted Site campaign flexibility • Flash is a plug-in that allows animation, used by car companies on automotive web sites • Allowed for all AdWords advertisers • Content and Targeted Site Placement is same as image ads • Must follow Google editorial guidelines • Video Ads first appear as static image. Once clicked, (image or play button) plays within ad space. • Clicking URL or on ad while playing will link to the targeted landing page, website or deep link.

33. AdWords offers Business Listing Ads to provide mapping and dealership locator capabilities Local Business Ads • Add through Google’s Local Business Center • Appears in keyword-targeted campaigns opted into search network

34. What is CPM Bidding? AdWords offers CPM based targeted web site Ads available on a bid basis… CPM Bidding (cost per thousand impressions) Set the maximum amount you’re willing to pay for 1,000 ad impressions. An impression is counted when a Web page serves an ad, clicked on or not. How Does Google Compare CPC and CPM Ads? • Effective CPM (eCPM) for keyword-targeted ads • Considers CPC, CTR, and relevance factors across 1,000 impressions • Result = eCPM • eCPMs compared to each other and max CPM of competing ads • Highest ranking ad wins

35. What is Site Targeting? AdWords offers you the ability to select web sites based on multiple criteria Site Targeting • Advertisers choose individual sites in content network • CPM (cost per thousand impressions) model • Minimum bid: 25 cents • Find sites by category, topic or demographics

36. What is Site Targeting? AdWords provides you with the ability to select sites based on topics…

37. What is Site Targeting? AdWords allows you to enter a desired URL, and shows all similar sites

38. What is Site Targeting? AdWords allows you to select sites based on visitor demographics

39. What is Site Targeting? AdWords offers CPM based targeted web site Ads available on a bid basis…

40. Bidding Strategies • How Do I Know What My Competitors Are Bidding? • Bidding Wars • Decide what a keyword and an ad position is truly worth to your store • Test, tweak ads to improve position Ad Scheduling (Dayparting) By default ads run 24 hours a day. Ad scheduling allows campaigns to run during certain hours or days. Bidding Strategies and Ad Scheduling are not available when outsourcing to most SEM providers

42. Ad Preview Tool: http://www.google.com/adpreview How Can I See My Ad?

43. ISM’s that administer their own Google AdWords account can access more data than if outsourced

44. Internet Sales Managers must understand the analytics in order to judge SEM results

45. Courtesy Chevrolet reviews eBusiness campaigns and opportunities by categorizing the leads generated, then looking at volume, invalids and sales. Internet Sales Managers need to closely monitor where SEM results are showing up as sales

46. Every dealership should have a Google AdWords account so that the capability exists in the store adwords.google.com https://adwords.google.com/select/Login

47. The Google AdWords team supplies a remarkable amount of training and guidance at no charge Even if you decide to outsource your SEM advertising budget, it is important to understand how keyword and site targeted campaigns work

48. When SEM service providers make claims of “Millions” of Key Words… They are full of BS! We were unable to process your request to add and/or edit your keywords. Adding these keywords would increase your account's total number of keywords beyond a manageable amount. Please add either fewer keywords or reduce the number of existing keywords in your account. Refining your keyword lists ensures your keywords are as targeted and relevant as possible. Use our Find and Edit Keywords Tool to identify poor performing keywords within your account (such as keywords with few or zero impressions) and delete them. Note: Be careful when deleting keywords in campaigns that are only opted in to the content network. Impressions and other statistics aren't attributed to individual keywords when ads show on content pages, but are attributed to the ad group as a whole. Therefore, keywords in content-only campaigns will always show zero impressions.

49. Search Marketing Site Network As the multiple web sites, mico-sites and landing pages were being created, and linked to each other the entire implementation began to take on a network appearance and characteristics.

50. SEM & Promo Landing Pages Primary Web Sites Full-Featured w/Inventory Campaign Specific Micro Web Sites Get a Year Worth Of Free Gas free GM Oil Changes For 3 Years HouseOfCourtesy.com 2007Tahoe.com CourtesyOnBell.com PHXChevrolet.com LatinoChevy.com SEM/SEO Key Word URL’s Point to Primary Site Deep Links CourtesyFleet.com WeBuyChevys.com GMAC-AZ.com 2006Silverado.com GetaCamaro.com YouGotGas.com ChevyPriceQuote FreeGMoilChange ChevyPride.com PHXfinance.com BK-OK-Car-Loans.com Within the Search Marketing Network of sites created by Courtesy, 3 distinct channels exist

51. Ad Groups by Targeted URL’s Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Leads Landing Pages & Micro-Sites Key Words or URL Based Site Targets Bid Amounts & Daily Limits SEM Campaigns by Targeted Segments Image Ads & Sponsored Links Leads Leads Leads Creating Search Marketing campaigns requires a funnel approach and measuring each section

52. SEM Campaign Accountability Whether self-directed or managed by a 3 rd Party Supplier, Internet Managers should insist on reviewing the SEM Campaign Metrics as provided by the search engine as shown below on a monthly basis. eBusiness Directors and Managers should be reviewing these metrics daily, weekly and/or monthly and making adjustments.

55. www.2007Tahoe.com Micro-Site Scroll Down…

56. www.2007Tahoe.com Micro-Site Scroll Down… Relevant Text based content is King when it comes to SEO ranking

57. Scroll Down… Relevant Text based Hyperlinks reduce leakage from your SEM funnel and point search engine spiders in the right direction Trust generating and validity enhancing icons that are linked to lead generating sites add to a micro-site’s productivity

58. “ Push to Talk” buttons on ALL Micro-Sites and Landing Pages allow the Hottest Prospects to get immediate gratification Relevant Text based Hyperlinks leverage and extend your SEM investment beyond the specific targeted Micro-Site or Landing Page. These links reduce leakage from our SEM funnel and point search engine spiders to our other sites for ranking

60. Examples of Courtesy Chevrolet Campaign Specific Display Ads Placed within targeted Web Sites selected according to local visitor traffic and demographics. Linked to relevant content designed to convert visitors into leads… Deeplinked Online Ads

61. Display Ads drive traffic to Deep Links

62. Deep Links go to Inventory Pre-Sorts Online & Offline Advertising Campaigns drive traffic to “Deep Links” into specialized content within full featured web site that is directly relevant to promotion…

63. HouseOfCourtesy.com Types of Leads Generated

64. Leads Generated by Referring Domains (source)

66. Web Site Content Popularity – Excludes other sites, micro-sites & landing pages Page Page Views 1. Inventory Results Page 60,426 39.0% 2. Inventory Search Page 33,661 21.7% 3. Main (Home Page) 13,897 9.0% 4. Inventory Details Page 13,020 8.4% 5. Search New Inventory 3,926 2.5% 6. Pre-Owned Specials 3,654 2.4% 7. New Specials 3,063 2.0% 8. Pre-Owned Vehicles 2,006 1.3% 9. Specials 1,935 1.2% 10. Search Used Inventory 1,804 1.2% Total 154,875

68. Use SEM to Attract Loyal Chevy Customers Targeted by State

69. SEM Vendor Campaign Courtesy Chevrolet’s own in-house SEM campaign managed on a daily basis by CRM dept.… Having multiple and separate SEM campaigns allows Courtesy to dominate the search results, and pay only for the one click that usually results from the search.

70. Courtesy Chevrolet “Organic” SEO Listing of BZ site SEM Vendor Campaign Courtesy Chevrolet “2007Tahoe.com” SEM campaign

71. Courtesy Ad placed Directly with Google Courtesy SEM Ad placed Directly with Google Organic Ranking of Courtesy Micro-Site (free)

72. SEM Vendor Campaign Courtesy Chevrolet’s own in-house SEM campaign managed on a daily basis by CRM dept.… Having multiple and separate SEM campaigns allows Courtesy to dominate the search results, and pay only for the one click that usually results from the search. Competing Dealership Name Key Word Targeting

73. Dealer Managed Google Campaign Reporting Total of Targeted Prospects that Clicked Through to Landing Page Total of Targeted Prospects that Saw the Online Ad Cost per Targeted Prospect that Clicked on a Key Word based Ad Cost per Prospect that Clicked on a Banner Ad in the Google Network

74. Courtesy Chevrolet Campaign Specific Display Ads Placed within selected and targeted 3 rd Party Web Sites Using the Google Advertising Network Online Ad Examples

75. www.GMinsideNews.com

76. www.PhoenixAtaGlance.com

77. www.AutoBaron.com

78. Use of Deep-Links in Online Advertising www.GM-Finance.com Deep-link into GM PowerShift web site online credit application

79. www.ChevyReviews.com

80. www.ChevroletForum.com

81. www.ChevroletHHR.net

82. www.PriceQuotes.com

85. www.ColoradoK5.com

92. Courtesy Chevrolet SEM Campaign Specific Display and Text Ads that use both Targeted Sites and Key Words to link click throughs to very specific Micro-Sites, Landing Pages and Deep Links Online SEM Campaign Examples