Your Google Business Profile is a very important piece of your auto repair shop’s online presence. If you optimize it well, it will help new customers find your shop and choose you. If you don’t, it is a significant missed opportunity.
In a recent blog we highlighted the different elements of the Google Search Engine Results Page and which pieces of your online presence help you get found there. In that blog, we mentioned that your Google Business Profile is the key for showing up in the Local Pack and Maps. Your website has little to no impact on where you appear in the Local Pack or in Google Maps.
When looking for local services, right around 40% of consumers click on a business in the Local Pack or Map, so this is serious real estate where you want to have a strong presence. How can you optimize your Google Business Profile to give you the best chance to attract customers? Let’s start by taking a look at some important survey data that can help guide us.
Local Pack Ranking Factors
The data above was taken from Whitespark’s 2023 survey of SEO experts. They asked those experts to rate the factors that they believe most impact the Local Pack rankings.
The scores of the first four factors are close so we’ll look at those together:
- Primary GBP (Google Business Profile) Category – this is the number one factor by a strong margin. Unfortunately, you don’t get an advantage by getting it right but you do get penalized significantly for getting it wrong. In almost all cases your primary category should be “Auto Repair Shop.” If tires make up most of your business, you can choose “Tire Shop.” There are some other options for specialists as well.
- Keywords in GBP Business Title – it is beneficial to have auto repair in your name. But no matter what, you should always use the proper name of your business. Don’t keyword stuff the name field because Google will penalize you and you may never get your GBP back.
- Proximity of Address to the Point of Search – this is the most important piece among the top four. How close you are to the person conducting the search matters a lot. Google knows that most consumers are going to go to an auto repair shop that is close to them. So, if a consumer searches for “auto repair”, Google is going to most often give them the closest results.
- Physical Address in City of Search – this is almost the same thing as number three. It is more likely to impact you in a rural area where there is less of a concentration of shops.
You may have just read through those first four and thought to yourself that they aren’t helpful at all because there is very little you can do about them. Unfortunately, you are right. You’ve got one main option for primary category. You aren’t going to change your shop’s name. And you aren’t going to move.
The good news is that there are things you can do to impact the next four factors and beyond.
5. Removal of Spam Listings Through Spam Fighting – thankfully we don’t see this very often in the auto repair industry. However, if you see a competitor in your area keyword stuffing the business title field then you can report them to Google. You can do this by clicking on “Suggest an edit.”
6. High Numerical Google Ratings – Google likes to see good reviews and you can really help yourself by getting a steady flow. Not only does Google like them but so do consumers and they are what most often will get you chosen.
7. Additional GBP Categories – you can add categories to complement your primary category. Towing, Auto Body, Tire Service, Tire Shop are all options. If you do any of those things it is to your advantage to choose them.
8. Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/ Text) – again, reviews are important. The more reviews you can get with text, the more credibility Google gives to your GBP.
Expanding Your Local Pack Opportunities
While those are the top eight key ranking factors, there is more you can do to give your auto repair shop an opportunity to rank in more Local Packs. While auto repair and car repair are the two biggest searches for auto repair shops, consumers also search for brake replacement, car maintenance services, alignment, BMW service, transmission repair, oil change and all other related auto repair services and needs.
How do you leverage your Google Business Profile to give your shop more opportunities?
1. Services – within your GBP there is an area where you can Edit Services. Add all of the services you offer. Most of them will be services that already exist within Google’s list of services, but they also give you an opportunity to create your own. Now, if someone in your area searches for brake replacement and you have brake repair as one of your services, you are increasing the likelihood that you will show up in the Local Pack for that search. I can’t emphasize how important this is.
2. Description – your GBP also includes a description. You have 750 characters to describe your business. Consider squeezing in as many services that you offer as you can in that space while still telling the story of your shop. This can have the same impact as services on increasing your odds of showing up in the Local Pack.
3. Website – be sure that you include a link to your website on your GBP. While your website will not drive your GBP’s performance, it can serve as further confirmation that you offer specific services, as long as you have a page for that service on your website.
4. Reviews – when you ask for reviews, ask your happy customers to include the specific services that you provided for them in the review. This is another way to
give your shop a better chance of appearing in the Local Pack when consumers search for specific services.
If you focus on the 12 things we covered in this blog, you will have fully optimized your auto repair shop’s Google Business Profile and put yourself in the best position to maximize your opportunities in the Local Pack and maps.
And, if you want to give your shop the best chance to be chosen, reviews are key as you can read in our previous blog – How Google Reviews Win You Business
If you have any questions or we can help, please call us at 855-294-6397 or schedule a meeting with us at a time that’s convenient for you!