Digital marketing exists in a state of perpetual change and upheaval. Barely a week seems to pass where we aren’t inundated with headlines of algorithm shifts or platform updates. But you aren’t in the business of being a data expert. You’re in the business of selling cars and running a dealership. You likely don’t eat, breathe or sleep paid search or search engine optimization (SEO) strategies. You are in the business of selling cars and running a dealership. 

So (since you’re unlikely to eat, breathe or sleep paid search and SEO strategies like I do), let me be direct. A change has occurred … and if you spend money on pay per click (PPC) or SEO, this change matters to you. 

Here are the bullet points:

What Changed?

Apple iOS 15.5 was rolled out in mid-May and is now blocking location data through their iCloud Private Relay. 

Why Should You Care?

Because car buying is (typically) a local event, marketing campaigns are based around marketing to your local audience. Everything from PPC to SEO and content is geared toward relevance and ranking. With iOS users representing a huge percentage of your website traffic, your location-based measurements for sessions are now no longer accurate. 

What Do You Do with This Info Now?

For the dealer principal or GM, I would recommend reading the full article at bit.ly/WikimotiveAS for a bit more context and how to identify how much your dealership has been affected. If you or your marketing team are still unsure, I would invite you to reach out to us directly.