Google Ads are a mainstay in digital marketing and should form a core part of every dealership’s lead-generation strategy. As representatives of one of the biggest automotive brands in Australia and worldwide, Ford dealers stand to benefit more than most from Google Ads and yet often fail to embrace their full potential.
This is partially due to an over-emphasis on traditional marketing channels such as print and television, but it also stems from many dealers lacking the knowledge to approach Google Ads in a way that will deliver results. In this article, we will explore why you need to make Google Ads a cornerstone of your marketing approach as a Ford dealer and offer tips to get the most value out of your investment.
Why Google Ads Should Be A Key Part Of Your Strategy
Although many dealers use Google Ads in some capacity, many are stuck in old habits, pouring money into traditional and ineffective forms of media. These old marketing methods (newspapers, magazines, radio and television ads) might have been the best options back in the day, but compared to Google Ads, they are blunt, expensive, and imprecise.
Instead of plastering your ads across the pages of a magazine and hoping they are seen by the right person at the right time, Google Ads lets you target qualified, high-intent buyers at multiple points in their path to purchase. In digital marketing, these stages are known as levels, and different ads can be designed to be seen by potential buyers at every stage of their journey, from initial research to consideration and purchase.
For example, a potential buyer might begin their research by Googling ‘best ford utes’, where they are shown an ad from your dealership outlining the core features of the Ford Ranger. Next, they might focus their research by Googling ‘2023 Ford Ranger’, where they are shown another ad from your dealership, promoting the newest model in more detail.
At every stage, your ads are targeting the buyer with a slightly different approach, based on their search intent and position in the marketing funnel, and it is this specificity that makes Google Ads so powerful.
Which Keywords Should You Target?
Millions of search terms and queries are fed into Google every second, and it can be hard to know which ones you should target if you are going in blind. But with a bit of keyword research, it will quickly become clear which terms should form the focus of your campaign. To make life easier, we’ve compiled and organised a list of keywords for Ford dealers below, along with their monthly search volume.
General
ford dealer – 14,800
ford dealer near me – 4,400
ford for sale – 590
ford for sale near me – 20
New
new ford – 390
new ford for sale – 20
new ford ranger – 6,600
new ford ranger for sale – 260
new ford mustang – 1,000
new ford mustang for sale – 40
new ford territory – 110
new ford territory for sale – 20
new ford gt – 170
new ford gt for sale – 10
new ford focus – 210
new ford focus for sale – 10
new ford fiesta – 50
new ford fiesta for sale – 10
new ford explorer – 30
new ford explorer for sale – 10
new ford escape – 140
new ford escape for sale – 10
Used
used ford – 110
second hand ford – 50
used ford for sale – 30
used ford dealer – 30
used ford dealership – 30
second hand ford dealership – 20
second hand ford for sale – 10
used ford ranger – 390
second hand ford ranger – 260
used ford ranger for sale – 140
second hand ford ranger for sale – 140
used ford mustang – 90
second hand ford mustang – 50
used ford mustang for sale – 40
second hand ford mustang for sale – 30
second hand ford territory – 70
used ford territory – 40
used ford territory for sale – 50
second hand ford territory for sale – 10
used ford gt – 10
used ford gt for sale – 10
second hand ford gt – 10
used ford focus – 70
second hand ford focus – 70
used ford focus for sale – 50
second hand ford focus for sale – 10
used ford fiesta – 30
used ford fiesta for sale – 30
second hand ford fiesta – 30
second hand ford fiesta for sale – 10
used ford explorer – 10
second hand ford explorer – 10
second hand ford explorer for sale – 10
used ford explorer for sale – 10
used ford escape – 50
second hand ford escape – 30
used ford escape for sale – 10
Service Centre
ford service centre – 2,900
ford service centre near me – 320
local ford service centre – 10
Model
ford ranger – 60,500
ford ranger for sale – 6,600
ford ranger for sale near me – 70
ford mustang – 22,200
ford mustang for sale – 2,900
ford mustang for sale near me – 20
ford territory – 14,800
ford territory for sale – 1,900
ford territory for sale near me – 90
ford gt – 12,100
ford gt for sale – 880
ford gt for sale near me – 10
ford focus – 14,800
ford focus for sale – 720
ford focus for sale near me – 30
ford fiesta – 9,900
ford fiesta for sale – 590
ford fiesta for sale near me – 10
ford explorer – 3,600
ford explorer for sale – 390
ford explorer for sale near me – 10
ford escape – 14,800
ford escape for sale – 320
ford escape for sale near me – 10
Shape/Series
ford falcon – 18,100
ford falcon for sale – 1,000
ford ute – 4,400
ford ute for sale – 880
ford suv – 2,900
ford suv for sale – 70
ford wagon – 720
ford wagon for sale – 140
ford sedan – 590
ford sedan for sale – 30
ford hatchback – 480
ford hatch – 90
ford hatchback for sale – 10
ford convertible – 210
ford convertible for sale – 20
Keyword Volume vs Search Intent
Google Ads campaigns work by targeting specific keywords like the ones mentioned above, and in general, you will want to target those with the highest search volume in order for your ads to be seen by the greatest number of people. But focusing solely on high-volume keywords is not always the best way to generate leads — you need to consider both search intent, and your goals as a dealer.
For example, the keyword ‘Ford ranger’ is searched 60,500 times a month and would seem to be a valuable term to target. However, if you want to drive sales of second-hand Ford Rangers at your dealership, then that term will not be specific enough to capture the buyers you are looking for.
Equally, the keyword ‘Ford dealer’ receives 14,800 searches a month, while ‘Ford dealer near me’ receives only 4,400. Once again though, the lower-volume keyword has a much greater search intent and is likely to generate more leads than targeting the high-volume keyword.
Google Ads Can Help You Target Profit Centres In Your Dealership
Every dealership contains multiple profit centres: new and used vehicles, finance/insurance, service and repairs, and parts and merchandise. With Google Ads, you can drive business towards your various profit centres by targeting specific keywords, allowing you to focus your marketing budget where it is most needed.
For instance, your sales might be sky-high while your parts and service department is receiving barely any business at all. To counter this, you could design a Google Ads campaign to target keywords such as ‘Ford service centre near me’ or ‘Ford dealer parts’ to deliver increased profit and a better ROI for your marketing.
Google Ads Let You Target Buyers Outside Your Prime Marketing Area
One of the greatest challenges of marketing a dealership is the need to adhere to strict Prime Marketing Areas imposed by manufacturers. Although PMAs are useful for avoiding direct competition and poaching of sales between OEM dealerships, they also impose an unnatural restriction on your ability to target potential buyers.
Luckily, Google Ads do not violate the restrictions of PMAs, and allow you to expand your marketing efforts well beyond your postcode. With Google Ads, you can reach potential buyers from outside your PMA that you would not be able to target through traditional methods and make more sales.
If You're A Ford Dealer Looking To Upgrade Your Google Ads, We Can Help
Hopefully, you now have a better understanding of Google Ads and the many ways that they can benefit your dealership. However, while Google Ads may appear simple, they require strategy, implementation and ongoing management to deliver results.
As automotive industry experts, we specialise in designing, implementing and managing Google Ads campaigns for dealers, and know how to do so in a way that delivers qualified leads to your dealership with the best possible ROI.
If you’re a Ford dealer looking to add or expand your use of Google Ads, our qualified team of ads managers, copywriters and SEO experts are here to help. To learn more about how Google Ads can boost your bottom line, get in touch with one of our team today for a no-obligation consultation, and start generating better, more qualified leads to your door.
