Car dealers have benefited from 16.4million more full-page ad views (FPAs) in January 2015 than the same month in 2014, according to latest Auto Trader data.

The site drove more than 253million link-throughs to FPAs, an increase of 6.9% year on year.

The increase has been attributed to significant investment in the next phase of the company’s What Drives Us is You strategy. Launched on December 26, this began with The Searchers, a thirty second television commercial, supported by online video content, a YouTube takeover and social media activity. The aim of the campaign was to push more buyers to the site during January when online search activity surges.

Auto Trader marketing director Jonathan Williams said: “As part of the car buyer’s digital journey, the move from search to a full page ad view represents a significant step towards a sale.

“It represents the chance to generate a prospect, a lead or more often a showroom visit. And it’s that direct correlation with an increase in sales that makes a 16.4 million increase in full page ad views such positive news for our retail partners.

“Our campaign has clearly connected with buyers and we’re continuing to work on ways to make searching for a new car as easy as possible. That means improving the experience for those who know what they are looking for, but also for those who need more help in finding the right make and model to suit their individual needs.”