Marketing for your auto repair shop is different today than it was years ago. Successful marketing has to operate via the information channels people use in our modern world. This is why auto repair shops need to participate in digital marketing to acuire new clients. People aren't scanning the yellow pages of their telephone directories as often as they once did. More often, they are searching the Internet via their smart phones and computers, thus making localized search engine optimized (SEO) marketing far more important today.
Understanding the Localized SEO Process
The first thing to understand about the process is its purpose. Localized SEO efforts help to ensure that those searching locally for automotive repair services find you when they enter their search terms into a search engine. These efforts also drive local automotive repair traffic to your website, providing you with the opportunity to demonstrate why they should choose you over your competition. Understanding the mechanics of how to use local SEO is essential to its – and, over the long-term, your own – success.
Using Local SEO to Generate Business
If your auto repair shop services one area only, then that is the place you optimize in your website's about us or contact page. If your auto repair team services multiple areas, you'll want location specific pages for each city, building your website outward to maximize your potential search engine result slots. Your auto repair shop contact information, including its full name, address and telephone number should be a part of the footer for every page.
In addition, you'll need location specific automotive repair and service related content for your pages. But be careful with your content. Times have changed, and poor content written primarily to attract automated crawlers to repetitive SEO phrases is no longer deemed acceptable for high ranking by the top search engines. Indeed, poor content can hurt you more than it helps you.
Instead, use content that gives readers something of value for the time they spend reading it. Craft content that offers what they're looking for: useful information and a local solution to their vehicle problem. All content must be unique, so don't use the same content for each location specific page, just subbing out place names. That can cause real damage to your search engine ranking results.
Enhance Local SEO Efforts Via Social Media
Social media can be quite valuable to local search optimization for an auto repair shop. Make it easy for local people to recommend your auto repair services by creating a Google+ local listing page and Facebook Place for your business. Centralize your efforts, making sure to get rid of duplicate Google listings. Once you've acquired 30 Google+ and Facebook reviews, expand your review opportunities with a Yelp page and other business directory pages.
Work on local business relationships to increase local links back to your website. Develop a strong local presence via the Internet. Become a local voice of authority on car care and automotive repair matters. Be helpful, likable and develop a solid reputation for quality work and fair dealing. With this approach, you can leverage the power of social media to enhance your local SEO efforts, which can translate into real growth for your automotive business. At Business Actualization, we can help you complete this important process. Contact us today for more information.