CHICAGO -

Cars.com says it is continuing its “clean SEO strategy” and mobile-first product development approach, and because it says the majority of car shoppers are browsing on the go, Cars.com continues to invest in mobile.

Cars.com, a digital marketplace provider, says that investment is fueling its audience growth, and the company announced on Monday that it saw record traffic across its network.

In August of this year, Cars.com reported more than 50.3 million car shopper visits. That was a 26.8% increase over the same time last year and the highest ever for the business, according to Cars.com, which sourced Cars.com internal data, Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics, August 2019.

Cars.com chief executive officer Alex Vetter said his company’s strong traffic numbers can help dealers drive retail sales heading into the fourth quarter. He added that Cars.com shoppers have an average purchase horizon of 50 days.

 “Targeting a qualified population of car shoppers who are in market and ready to buy will deliver significantly higher sales conversions for retailers, and much more cost effectively than paid search and other marketing channels,” Vetter said in a news release.

Also on the topic of mobile, Cars.com sourced “App Annie Data, August 2019” in reporting that its focus in that area has resulted in the No. 1 downloaded app in the car-shopping category.

The company also reported that its shopper leads from its consumer audience and direct web transfers into the dealers’ websites showed a 10% year-over-year increase, according to Cars.com internal data, Adobe Analytics and Google Analytics, August 2019.

In addition, the company said technology such as AutoCorrected and buyer connections from social selling services such as Cars Social has resulted in increased gross profitability and faster turn for its dealer customers.

"We’re shifting even more dollars towards growth,” Vetter said. “The investments we’re making are focused on technology, media and data to drive unrivaled efficiencies for the auto industry and our partners,” Vetter said.