SEO Case Study: How an Automotive SaaS Company Increased Dealer Leads by 245%
On June 18, 2025, an automotive SaaS company based in Troy, Michigan partnered with Goforaeo to grow dealer leads from organic search. The product was strong, but search visibility was weak for high intent dealer keywords, and the website was not converting the right visitors into demo and sales requests. They needed consistent inbound demand without increasing paid spend.
From June 2025 to December 2025 in Troy, SEO driven dealer leads increased from 60 per month to 207 per month, which is a 245% increase. The lift was supported by better rankings for dealer software terms, more qualified traffic to solution pages, and a cleaner conversion path for demo requests.
Client overview: What the company sold and what “dealer leads” meant
The client offers a SaaS platform for auto dealers, focused on sales workflow, lead handling, and reporting. Their main buyers were dealership owners, GMs, and sales managers who search with clear intent and want fast answers. The site had content, but it was not organized around dealer search behavior.
For this campaign, a “dealer lead” meant a tracked action with real sales intent:
- “Request a demo” form submissions
- “Talk to sales” form submissions
- Booking a calendar call through the site
- Calls from organic search that lasted beyond a quality threshold
- Contact submissions from pricing and solution pages
We excluded spam form fills and non dealer inquiries during monthly review so lead numbers stayed clean.
Timeframe and tracking setup
This campaign ran from June 18, 2025 to December 19, 2025 for searches tied to the Troy market and the surrounding dealer region. Reporting was checked weekly and summarized monthly so every growth jump matched real work.
Tracking improvements were a big part of the project. We aligned GA4 events with CRM stages, so “leads” were not guesses. We tracked source, landing page, and the next step after the form, so we could see which pages created real dealer conversations.
Tracking rules we used
- GA4 events: demo request, contact sales, pricing click, calendar booking, click to call
- UTM rules for campaigns so SEO was not mixed with paid
- Call tracking to separate organic calls from other sources
- CRM tagging for lead quality, dealer type, and close stage
Baseline performance: Starting numbers recorded June 18, 2025
We recorded baseline metrics on June 18, 2025 using GA4, Search Console, and CRM lead tracking. These were the monthly averages at the start of the partnership.
Baseline in June 2025:
- Dealer leads from SEO: 60 per month
- Organic sessions: 7,200 per month
- Search Console clicks: 4,860 per month
- Average CTR: 2.1%
- Keywords in top 10: 31
- Keywords in top 3: 6
- Average position across tracked non brand terms: 23.4
- Conversion rate from organic sessions to dealer leads: 0.83%
The demand was there, but the site was not capturing enough high intent searches, and the pages that did rank were not pushing users into demos.
What was holding dealer lead growth back
The biggest issue was intent mismatch. The site had broad pages and generic messaging that did not match what dealers search when they are evaluating software. Some blog content attracted traffic, but it did not move users to conversion pages.
We also saw structural issues that limited growth:
- Solution pages were thin, and several features were hidden inside blogs
- Titles and meta descriptions were written like internal labels, not click friendly search snippets
- Internal linking was weak, so buyers could not move from education pages to demo pages easily
- Pricing intent searches were not supported with clear, helpful pages
- Proof signals were underused, such as results, integrations, and dealer friendly onboarding details
Strategy summary: What we did and why it worked
We used a simple SEO system that works well for B2B SaaS, especially in auto where buyers want speed and proof. The focus was not “more content”, it was the right pages, the right structure, and the right conversion path.
Core strategy pillars:
- Build and expand solution pages that match dealer search intent
- Create “use case” pages for common dealer problems, not only feature pages
- Publish comparison and evaluation content that supports bottom funnel searches
- Improve internal linking so every piece of content leads toward demo and pricing
- Add trust and proof elements across key pages to increase conversion
- Fix technical and indexing issues so the right pages rank consistently
Monthly execution and monthly results (June to December 2025)
June 2025: Audit, keyword map, and conversion tracking cleanup
In June, we set the foundation and fixed measurement first. We mapped keywords to specific landing pages so Google and buyers had a clear destination for each intent type.
Work completed in June:
- Full SEO audit: crawl, index, internal linking, page quality
- Keyword map for dealer intent terms, grouped by feature, use case, and comparison
- GA4 and CRM alignment for demo and sales events
- Quick updates to top titles and snippets to lift CTR
June 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 60
- Organic sessions: 7,200
- Clicks: 4,860
- Top 10 keywords: 31
July 2025: Core solution pages rebuilt for dealer intent
In July, we rebuilt the core pages that should convert. Instead of generic feature summaries, we structured pages like decision pages for dealership buyers.
Work completed in July:
- Expanded 5 core solution pages with simple sections: problem, workflow, outcomes, FAQs
- Added “Who it’s for” and “Works with” sections for dealer roles and integrations
- Improved demo CTAs with clearer expectations and response time
- Added internal links from blogs into the right solution pages
July 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 78
- Organic sessions: 8,050
- Clicks: 5,520
- CTR: 2.3%
- Top 3 keywords: 8
August 2025: Use case pages and dealer pain point clusters
In August, we built pages around dealer problems people actually type into Google. These pages usually convert well because they match real operational pain.
Work completed in August:
- Created use case pages like lead response time, appointment set rate, missed calls, reporting gaps
- Built a simple cluster model: each cluster linked to a solution page and a demo CTA
- Added FAQ sections based on Search Console queries and sales calls
- Improved internal links across solution pages so users could compare options easily
August 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 98
- Organic sessions: 9,280
- Clicks: 6,410
- Top 10 keywords: 49
September 2025: Comparison pages and “best software” intent coverage
In September, we targeted bottom funnel searches where dealers compare vendors. These pages often produce fewer clicks than broad terms, but the lead quality is high.
Work completed in September:
- Published comparison style pages and evaluation guides
- Added clear “what to check” lists, pricing factors, and onboarding expectations
- Improved snippet writing for pages with high impressions and low CTR
- Strengthened trust sections using proof points and measurable results language
September 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 126
- Organic sessions: 10,900
- Clicks: 7,620
- CTR: 2.7%
- Top 10 keywords: 68
October 2025: Technical cleanup and stronger site structure
In October, we removed SEO friction so growth could hold steady. When a SaaS site adds content fast, technical cleanup helps the best pages win consistently.
Work completed in October:
- Fixed duplicate page issues and cleaned canonical signals
- Improved navigation and internal linking depth to key money pages
- Improved speed and mobile layout on demo and solution templates
- Added basic structured data where helpful for organization and software pages
October 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 154
- Organic sessions: 12,600
- Clicks: 9,040
- Top 3 keywords: 17
- Average position across tracked terms: 16.2
November 2025: Conversion upgrades on demo and pricing paths
In November, we focused on converting the traffic we had already earned. We tightened the demo journey and removed friction points that caused drop offs.
Work completed in November:
- Simplified demo request forms and reduced non essential fields
- Added stronger CTA blocks above the fold on solution pages
- Improved pricing related content with clear “what affects pricing” explanations
- Added proof blocks near CTAs: outcomes, time saved, reporting visibility, dealer fit
November 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 186
- Organic sessions: 14,300
- Clicks: 10,720
- Conversion rate from organic to dealer leads: 1.30%
- Top 10 keywords: 96
December 2025: Scaling winners and locking the “after” proof month
In December, we scaled what worked and refreshed pages that were close to top positions. This month became the clean “after” proof point because performance was stable across traffic and conversions.
Work completed in December:
- Refreshed 8 pages sitting in positions 4 to 12 with clearer headings and FAQs
- Built internal links from top pages to underperforming solution pages
- Expanded integration and workflow pages to match buyer checks
- Continued snippet optimization for high impression queries
December 2025 results:
- Dealer leads: 207
- Organic sessions: 15,900
- Clicks: 12,180
- CTR: 3.1%
- Top 10 keywords: 124
- Top 3 keywords: 26
Before vs after proof: Dealer leads increased by 245%
The main proof is dealer leads measured the same way each month, using the same tracking rules.
Before vs after:
- June 2025 dealer leads: 60 per month
- December 2025 dealer leads: 207 per month
- Net gain: 147 more dealer leads per month
- Percentage increase: 245%
Supporting proof that matched the lead lift:
- Organic sessions: 7,200 to 15,900
- Search clicks: 4,860 to 12,180
- CTR: 2.1% to 3.1%
- Top 10 keywords: 31 to 124
- Top 3 keywords: 6 to 26
Why this worked: Simple explanation in SaaS terms
We matched pages to dealer intent, not broad software terms
Dealers do not search like general B2B buyers. They search for outcomes, workflows, and fixes to daily problems. Once the site had clear use case pages and stronger solution pages, Google had the right pages to rank and users had the right pages to convert.
We also made pages easier to scan. Dealers want quick clarity: what it does, how it fits, and what happens next. That reduced hesitation and increased demo requests.
We built bottom funnel content that supports sales conversations
Comparison and evaluation content helped capture buyers who were already close to choosing a platform. These pages often convert well because the visitor is not browsing, they are deciding.
Content types that produced the strongest dealer leads:
- “Best software for dealerships” style pages with real evaluation points
- Comparison pages that answer common objections clearly
- Use case pages tied to measurable outcomes
- Integration and workflow pages that remove buyer uncertainty
We improved conversion, not just rankings
Rankings and traffic helped, but conversion improvements turned growth into leads. Small changes, like shorter forms and clearer CTAs, increased the number of dealers who completed the request.
Conversion changes that lifted results:
- Shorter demo forms and clearer confirmation messaging
- Stronger proof blocks close to CTAs
- Better mobile layout, less friction for fast decision makers
- Clearer pricing factors so users did not bounce early
Tools used during the campaign
We used a practical tool stack focused on SEO execution, conversion, and clean measurement:
- Google Search Console: query growth, CTR changes, indexing, page performance
- GA4: event tracking for demo requests, contact sales, pricing clicks
- Looker Studio: monthly reporting snapshots and trend views
- Screaming Frog: crawl audits, internal linking checks, duplicates, metadata issues
- Ahrefs and Semrush: keyword research, competitor gaps, content opportunities
- PageSpeed Insights and Lighthouse: speed and mobile stability checks
- Hotjar: behavior insights on solution pages and demo forms
- Call tracking tool like CallRail: call attribution and lead quality review
- CRM reporting: lead tagging, stage movement, and SEO lead quality checks
Closing summary
This Troy based automotive SaaS company grew because the SEO work focused on dealer intent, clear solution pages, and a clean path to request a demo. Month by month, we improved the foundation, expanded high intent pages, and increased conversion. The result was stable growth, not a short spike.
From June 2025 to December 2025, after partnering with Goforaeo, dealer leads increased from 60 to 207 per month, a 245% increase. The lift was supported by higher clicks, stronger top rankings, improved CTR, and better conversion on the pages that matter most for dealer acquisition.