IRVINE, Calif. -

Dealers have a new opportunity to influence their position in online search results with a just-announced tool that presents their inventory to a unique audience of car buyers.

Kelley Blue Book, in partnership with its parent company, AutoTrader.com, on Thursday announced its new Classifieds shopping experience on Kbb.com, as an innovative way for dealers to expand their reach.

The “cars for sale” section on kbb.com has been completely rebuilt, the company said, and it now features functionality created specifically for KBB’s  audience.

Citing data from the March 2012 Comscore Media Metrix Cross Visiting Report, KBB officials say the new Classifieds tool allows the auto industry to reach millions of active in-market car buyers that largely cannot be found on other automotive websites.

Jared Rowe, president of KBB, told Auto Remarketing, “The new Kbb.com Classifieds product gives dealers the opportunity to reach a powerful audience of millions of active car buyers that they simply cannot access anywhere else, as research shows that most shoppers on Kbb.com do not visit other online car-shopping sites.

“In addition, Kbb.com’s Classifieds product is unique because every dealer can directly influence how high they play in search results via how well they merchandise their listings. Cars that most closely match shopper preferences and are well-merchandised will rank higher via our Best Match algorithm. This gives dealers the power to appear at the top of search results, placing the right inventory in front of the right shopper.

“We’re giving dealers the opportunity to ‘Turn on the Power of Blue’ to maximize exposure to an entirely new audience during a crucial time in the shopping process: when they are moving from researching cars to shopping available inventory,” Rowe said.

According to Kelley Blue Book Market Intelligence through April 2012, millions of car buyers visit Kbb.com each month, and nearly 40 percent plan to purchase a vehicle within the next three months.

The Kbb.com Classifieds, the company says, offer AutoTrader.com dealer customers a turnkey solution to reach these consumers.

Kbb.com Classifieds listings are pulled automatically from data on AutoTrader.com, and they are managed within one system including the same back-end reporting, leveraging dealers’ existing AutoTrader.com inventory feeds, creative assets and merchandising, the company said.

Officials also note that the layout and functionality of vehicle listings are distinctive between the two sites.

Inventory listings on Kbb.com are prioritized through Best Match, a formula that ranks vehicles based on what is determined to be most relevant and engaging for that shopper.

This algorithm is based in part on the vehicle information sellers provide, including photos, video and detailed vehicle descriptions, and attributes such as distance from the user, mileage versus the average for that model year, and the length of time the listing has been on the site.

On the consumer side, 2011 AutoTrader.com research shows that more than three-quarters of visitors to Kbb.com are undecided on which make and model they want to purchase.

Kbb.com Classifieds allow these shoppers to browse cars for sale based on their needs, and returns applicable results of both new and used cars for sale in their area.

Information from kbb.com, including expert and consumer reviews and ratings, also appears with search results, and shoppers can customize views and group results in a variety of ways to see all of their options.

Editor’s Note: Hear more about tools to boost sales and services revenues, at the free Auto Remarketing Training Series webinar on Tuesday, featuring KBB executives, among others.