I’ll be perfectly honest – I can’t remember the last time I heard an ad for a local auto repair business on the radio or saw one on TV. I certainly don’t get spammed by any in my email either. Auto repair is unique in its ability to self-market. Many shops thrive on little more than word-of-mouth advertising and a well-placed sign telling people they’re there.
Some of the best advertising for automotive repair businesses comes in the form of community involvement. They show up at community and civic events and will often buy the only ad they’ll purchase that year for a tiny square in the local high school yearbook or spring concert program. Good relations within the community go a long way toward bolstering their reputation.
Still, when it comes to their website content, they rarely tap into the power of the one area of SEO that matters most: the local market. What is even more puzzling is that many websites in this industry that do everything else right still neglect this. I did some digging while I was researching this piece and purposely looked at some auto repair business content that I considered to be well-written and timely. I discovered a few things …
First, there are precious few local shops that even have their own websites. In 2019, it’s mandatory. I assume that if you found this piece, your business already does, but if not, it’s time to make that happen. It’s also time to start developing a content strategy that involves quality automotive repair copywriting. I’ll have more to say about that later.
What Is Local SEO?
I’ve done more than a little content on this subject, so I’ll leave it to you to peruse the rest of the blog. The Reader’s Digest version of the definition looks a bit like this:
Local SEO is a keyword strategy that is designed to attract an online audience of users within a specific distance or radius of the business or individual posting the content. It involves the use of specific, timely keywords that target specific products or services paired with geo-specific tag words linked by connecting words like “in” or “near.” The technical name for these phrases is “long-tail keywords,” and they’re typically three to four words in length, maximum. Here are a few examples:
• Transmission Repair in Boise
• Brake Repair in Dekalb
• Miami Transmission Repair
• Springfield Foreign Auto Repair
Long-tail keywords can also be used to provide specific information about certain products. If your shop uses some special kind of repair method or provides repairs that can’t be completed by just any shop in town, long-tail keywords coupled with LSI keywords ensure that people can, and do, find all your content.
Before I give a single reason, it’s already obvious, based on the above, why local SEO tactic matter. The better your content is at attracting the specific type of customer for specific services, the more site visitors will eventually convert to customers. With that in mind, here comes my lightning-round list of reasons why local SEO matters, specifically to auto repair shops.
1. Successful Local SEO Equals Less Ad Spend
Are you already spending money on advertising? If so, good local SEO can actually reduce the need to advertise aggressively through either online or traditional channels.
2. Local SEO Increases Organic Traffic
The better use you make of the right keywords, the more people will tap to visit your site on a cold search.
3. People Will Be Able to Find You
The yellow pages are a thing of the past, and there is no way you can get your business listed first simply by naming it “AAAA Auto.” Local SEO helps your business show up first in searches for services in a specific geographic area.
4. Your Business Will Appear on Google Maps
Your business doesn’t need to be on page 1 of the SERPs either. Once your site is indexed and there are enough long-tail content and LSI keywords to identify it as legit, people will be able to find it via Google Maps. If you haven’t requested that Google index your pages, it’s time.
5. Better Rankings Can Be Free
Getting really good at using the right keywords for local markets can eliminate the need for advertising altogether, especially for shops that already rely mostly on word-of-mouth.
6. Google Favors Local Businesses
Google’s algorithms practically beg local shops to make just a minimum effort to increase rankings. They favor underdog sites that continuously offer quality content and have growing numbers of daily visits.
7. Local SEO Is Largely Static
While I’ve said again and again that researching keywords for every piece is a must, your local SEO would only ever change under very extreme and unusual circumstances. Just use your most basic long-tail keywords and use them well.
8. A Little Effort Can Net Huge Rewards
As I mentioned, local SEO is grossly neglected in all industries, leaving a ripe opportunity for you to edge past even your fiercest competitor.
9. Most of Your Competitors Aren’t Doing This
Local SEO is still a foreign concept to an alarming number and types of businesses. This places you at an advantage!
10. You’ll Get Better Customer Data from Google
The “Insights” button in Google reveals much about the people who visit your site, where they came from, and much more. You can tell how accurate your targeting is by crunching these numbers regularly and adjusting your content strategy to attract more people in the very market(s) you want to reach.
Whew! That was quick, but it made a good point: Local SEO matters. The benefits to using it right in your content will almost certainly speak for themselves with more people visiting your site and contacting you for help with their cars. If you feel you need some help in this area, we at Beez are waiting to hear from you. Contact us today to start strategizing an auto repair content strategy that draws more business to your shop.
