You’ve chosen to partner with Cars.com to reach an audience of local, in-market shoppers who are twice as likely to buy than shoppers from any other source. In order to maximize the opportunity to match your inventory with them, it’s important to understand how the Best Match™ algorithm works and which factors you can control to improve your overall search performance.
Cars.com is a two-sided marketplace — valuing both dealers and shoppers. Our search algorithm reflects this, ensuring shoppers see the most relevant results for their intent, and dealers receive highly qualified sales opportunities that are more likely to close, more efficiently.
While there are over 300 unique variables that impact our algorithm, they fall under four main categories that are taken into account. Here’s what they mean for you:
Dealer Essentials
The more essential and accurate inventory and dealership information you provide, the easier it is to correctly match your listings with the right customers.
Listing Optimization
More in-depth details about your inventory help us match you to customers with specific needs. That also helps you differentiate yourself from other dealers in your market.
Consumer Behavior
Although driven by consumers, fuller inventory and dealership profiles (see factors 1 and 2) can drive more clicks and views, and subsequently improve your search ranking.
Market Factors
These factors provide the checks and balances that ensure the absolute best matches are taking place on the Cars.com marketplace platform. This creates trust for the consumer that you are their ideal dealer, and for you that we’re making the best matches for your business.
Now, let’s dig deeper into each factor, so you can find new ways to maximize your presence on the Cars.com marketplace, and improve your search ranking.