Dealer Case Studies
We don’t measure success in impressions. We measure it in cars over the curb. Here’s what that looks like across real dealer engagements.
A 4-rooftop franchise group in the Midwest was losing market share to a newer competitor with deeper digital spend. We rebuilt their SEO foundation, restructured paid search around inventory-level intent, and introduced a tight retargeting loop tied to VDP engagement. The group went from #3 in their DMA to #1 in new and used market share.
Stale inventory was eating into margin. We pivoted the paid social and inventory ad feeds to prioritize aged units with dynamic VDP creative, then layered geo-targeted video retargeting to in-market shoppers. Average days-to-sale dropped from 78 to 41 within one quarter.
Previous agency had budget bloat on branded search and generic display. We restructured campaigns around long-tail model-intent keywords, fixed broken conversion tracking, and introduced a VDP-level retargeting segment. Same monthly budget. Nearly double the qualified leads.
A string of negative reviews was visibly hurting appointment show rate. We implemented an aggressive review-generation system for happy customers, a structured response protocol for critical reviews, and local SEO schema work. Star rating moved from 3.6 to 4.7 in 6 months.
Their OEM-mandated site was technically compliant but conversion-dead. We deployed a CRO-led redesign with rebuilt SRP and VDP templates, a faster mobile experience, and intent-driven lead forms. Site-to-lead conversion rate jumped from 1.4% to 4.1%.
Group needed a unified local SEO strategy without cannibalizing sister stores. We built rooftop-specific content clusters, cleaned up Google Business Profile inconsistencies, and deployed location-specific schema. Every rooftop now ranks in the local map pack for its highest-intent keywords.
CPO inventory was sitting while used units flew off the lot. We repositioned messaging around CPO warranty value, built a dedicated SEO content hub, and launched a CPO-only PPC campaign with certified-program keywords. CPO share of total sales jumped from 22% to 41%.
Group had a mature media mix but was hitting a ceiling on returns. We deployed ZMOT Performance Audiences (CDP Lite) to activate website visitors, lead submitters, sold customers, and service intenders across paid social, OTT/CTV, display, and email — with current owners suppressed from new-vehicle ads. Campaigns lifted with no new media spend.
A new competitor opened 4 miles away and was pulling cross-shop traffic. We built a mobile geo-fence around the competitor’s lot and service drive, then served those device IDs across OTT/CTV, display, and Spotify audio for 30 days post-visit. The dealer recaptured 38% of cross-shop traffic and posted their best Q3 in 5 years.
The numbers above are individual wins. These are the patterns we see consistently across the ZMOT client base.
Every dealership is different. Every market is different. We’ll start with
a free audit of your current digital presence — paid, organic, site, and
reputation — and show you exactly where the leverage is in your market.
No pitch deck. No pressure. Just a straight look at what’s working, what isn’t,
and what a realistic growth plan looks like for your store.
See where the growth is in your market.