In December 2024, I was interviewed about the most important 2025 SEO trends to watch out for in the automotive industry, which produced this blog article on the Adpearance website on November 15, 2024. Read it below.

*Please note: I was interviewed for this piece via a long Zoom call, with my key points carefully translated into this blog post - I did not write this piece myself.

Helpful content is ALWAYS the END goal 

Even though we’re discussing “trends” today, it’s important to remember the reason behind all these frequent algorithm changes. And the reality is we’re not so much chasing trends; we’re finding better ways to align with the ultimate goal of search: helping people. Even though algorithm changes happen over time, if your site has high-quality content that’s helping customers find what they’re looking for, you’re going to be rewarded for that. 

Top 4 search trends and SEO tactics for vehicle sales 

One of my responsibilities on Adpearance’s digital marketing team is to dive deep into each core update to make sure we’re giving clients the most relevant and up-to-date recommendations possible. Below are four major SEO trends we’re seeing, along with the strategies we’re using for each to help our clients stay ahead of the pack. 

1. AI Summaries
A fairly new addition to search is the AI-generated summary (labeled “AI Overview” on Google). The content is synthesized from the top few search results using generative AI, and users can click through to see the information in its original context on a top-ranking webpage. 

How to take advantage of this trend: 

• Helpful, high-quality information. Ultimately, your page gets included in an AI summary only if it’s more helpful, clear and accurate than other similar content. Take the time to write engaging, concise, factual and truly useful content.  

• Direct answers. Anticipate the questions potential buyers are asking (and searching). Include both the question text and your accurate and helpful response on your landing page. 

• Clear structure. Make it easy for Google to summarize your content by using short, descriptive headings and organizing them in a logical way. This will tell search engines what’s most important on your page and direct shoppers to the topics they’re looking for. 

2. Voice Search
More and more, information is being requested and delivered through speaking and listening. Voice assistants (like Siri, Alexa, Google Assistant and Copilot) are more advanced and more available than ever thanks to phones, smart speakers and other interactive devices.  

When you’re optimizing page content, remember to consider the ways people query using their voices as well as their keyboards. 

How to take advantage of this trend: 

• Conversational phrasing. Someone might type “side by side comparison 2025 Honda CR-V and Hyundai Tucson”… but if they’re asking their Google Assistant while en route to the dealership, that search will probably sound more colloquial: “Should I buy a 2025 CR-V or a Tucson?” 

• Simple, natural language. Ever talked to your phone like a neanderthal so your voice assistant could understand you? While the memes are great, the experience is not. Thankfully, these technologies (even Apple’s) are improving fast. Future-proof your dealer website by using content that mimics how people really talk about your vehicles, their features and the buying process. 

• Keywords. Short-tail, long-tail and location-based keywords all have a place in voice search optimization. Primary keywords show up in shorter, more direct searches, but conversational chatbots can understand longer sentences and match that language with long-tail keywords in your content. Include clear location information to provide the most relevant, targeted search results for nearby mobile devices. 

3. Images and Graphics
Images are a powerful tool for auto dealers — but while humans can process information from an image in a fraction of the time it takes to read text, search engines aren’t as efficient. You can optimize the imagery on your website to make it easier for search engines to find. Bonus: these tips will also make your tracking and analytics much more meaningful. 

How to take advantage of this trend: 

• Clear file names. Adopt an intuitive file-naming convention and stick to it for all your images. Images of vehicle inventory should always include the model name, and you can include other specific information like a color or feature. This makes it easy to direct people to exactly the right thing (and track ROI). 

• Alt text and image descriptions. Alt text is a tag you add to image source code that describes images and graphics for people who can’t see them. But search engines also use alt text to help determine whether your content is useful, helpful and accurate. Including location information is a great idea. Definitely use keywords, too, but be selective: Your goal is to make it as easy as possible for Google to understand the image and display it at the most relevant time. 

• Fast load time. Resize and compress imagery to optimize your file size vs. image quality. All the SEO value of a great visual can be completely undone if the picture takes too long to show up. It’s best practice to keep your page load time under two seconds.

4. Video Content
Similar to imagery, the purpose of your video description is primarily to describe it for viewers — but Google also uses these descriptions to rank search results. For SEO purposes, the goal is to make sure the description is accurate and as helpful as possible — so Google knows exactly where to put that piece of content, and so there are no surprises: what your viewers think they’re watching matches what they see in the video. 

How to take advantage of this trend: 

• Vivid descriptions. Write an accurate, detailed description of video content to keep everybody — search engines and viewers — on the same page.  

• Organized text. For a longer video with a longer description, make use of a heading hierarchy similar to h1 and h2 tags on webpages. Use short, accurate headings in a logical hierarchy to describe the different sections of the video. 

• Keywords. Your video title and description should contain a few specific and relevant keywords. Generally, make use of long-tail keywords in running text, and write short-tail keywords into your title and section headings.