The demand for repair services in the automotive industry is at an all-time high, while shortages with inventory and staffing seems to make the situation even more difficult for many businesses in the industry. Below we unpack the 5 local search tips automotive service industry needs to know about to increase your leads.
Local search helps you to reach a larger audience and will allow your business to be found by more people. When searching for a service centre, 97% of people initially turn to online sources to start their search – so this is where you want to be!
To determine your local search strategy, you should start by evaluating where you stand in the online search results in order to help you determine your local competitors.
Examples of what to search for include adding in ‘near me’ at the end of what you are searching for, for example:
- Auto service near me
- Best auto repair near me
- Tire rotation near me
- Oil change near me
5 local search tips automotive service industry
1. Distinguish between local and organic SEO
This is false. Organic SEO is much broader and provides more general information, whereas local SEO tends to be more location specific. Searching for ‘oil change’ is organic SEO, but by adding in ‘oil change near me’ you can change this to local SEO and it will bring up places that offer oil change services in the area.
2. The importance of reviews
You should never underestimate the value and importance of reviews, as they are essentially the lifeblood of your business. People read reviews as a form of research, online reviews are considered modern-day word of mouth and carry a whole lot of power. You should take these seriously and respond to positive and negative reviews to try and better the relationship with your customers.
3. Customers are finding you in new ways
Along with the constant technological advances, customers are finding new and improved ways of finding and interacting with businesses. There are multiple platforms to consult and find information on. You should stay up to date with social media platforms and try to stay relevant with them.
4. Local search results and Maps drive in-person visits
Print and online advertising are no longer the top performing mediums, if you are looking to improve in-person visits, you need to ensure that you are using local search and that your business can be found on Google Maps or Apple Maps. Keep in mind that most searches take place on mobile devices.
5. Google prioritises local businesses
This is because local businesses are crucial to the economy. However, Google does tend to prioritise businesses that use Google features as much as possible, such as a Google Business profile.
Some tips to help you with local SEO
- Verify al of your Google My Business (GMB) locations
- Only upload high quality images to your GMB page
- Optimise your profile with a map to your page for directions
- Continuously update your GMB page
- Use relevant focus keywords
All of the above-mentioned tips and tricks are sure to help you get more in-person visits, = online inquiries, and improve your overall business!
Wanting your business to rank higher in online search results? We can help, contact us today for a free consultation.
This article was originally published on: https://www.podium.com/article/local-search-for-auto-services/
