Attracting new customers to your business requires a complex auto service marketing plan designed to amplify your listing and website across Google. It’s the number one resource local customers turn to when they need automotive services.
Since so much potential business can be found on Google it has created a very competitive environment. The top of the search results in any automotive segment – from new and used car sales to service and repairs – is among the most competitive.
Organic competition is intense and pay-per-click costs are high, so there are several strategies we have to focus on to help you attract more clicks at the lowest possible cost. One of those is helping you attract more auto service Google reviews from your past customers.
Google reviews have a direct and indirect impact on your business and we believe that it’s important for all of our auto service marketing clients to fully understand why we put such an emphasis on Google reviews. Here are the main reasons why your auto service online marketing effort benefits greatly from reviews on your Google My Business profile.
Increases Your Auto Service’s Online Visibility
To take advantage of the vast amount of traffic available on Google, you need to first be found at the top of the results. Let’s be honest – who searches beyond the first page of Google’s search results?
Very few people. Why? Because Google’s algorithm is so advanced that most search queries return first-page results that users find satisfying. They find what they are looking for and get their questions answered without having to click over to page two and beyond.
This makes being found on the first page of the search results for terms, phrases, and questions related to your auto service business and its location as well as being listed as high up as possible both equally important.
There isn’t a quick solution when it comes to auto service SEO and the processes we use to increase your website’s visibility and the visibility of your Google My Business profile, which is what is displayed in the Google Maps results that reside at the very top of local-intent search results.
Since we are a full-service auto service marketing agency, we can ensure that every little detail, from the technical elements of your auto service web design to the off-site links built for your business, are all aligned with our search engine optimization goals.
A lot of moving parts – both on your website and off-site – need to work in sync to rank in the highest possible position. Ongoing optimization is used to strengthen the footing as well as push the website and listing higher in the search results.
Google reviews directly impact your organic search performance, as the local algorithm takes them into consideration when returning its results. More reviews also help to draw consumer attention to your listing in the results, which can be beneficial in the event you are not in the top position.
Instills Consumer Trust and Influences Buying Decisions
When a potential customer sees a large number of auto service Google reviews on a listing the very first thought that will come to mind will be, “Wow, this business must be good with all of those reviews.”
That is how the mind works. The average consumer won’t consider any other factors aside from the sheer number of reviews and overall star rating. This can play into your favor in the event your auto service Google My Business page is ranking lower in the Maps results.
If you are positioned towards the lower half, but you have noticeably more reviews that all of the businesses above you some of that consumer attention is going to be directed towards your business. A lot of auto service reviews that are five-star and recent make a potential customer feel confident in using your auto service.
So, whether you hire our auto service marketing agency to kick-start a new SEO effort or help to improve your rankings, the strategy is going to involve systems and processes that help accumulate fresh reviews from as many auto service customers as possible. They help your SEO greatly and they directly impact your business image – they are valuable all around.
Higher Click-Through Rates Equal Lower Customer Acquisition Costs
Since the auto service industry is highly competitive it drives the cost to compete up – for both organic positioning at the top of Google Maps and when bidding on auto service AdWords PPC keywords.
When we execute an auto services marketing campaign our goal is to attract traffic that converts into customers, and the more conversions we can generate for your business through our effort, the lower the average cost-per-customer acquisition.
As mentioned previously, having a large number of great reviews gives your auto service listing instant credibility. If you search for any local service business – from flower shops to gyms – you will see that their reviews are displayed right next to their business name in the Google Maps section. You see the average rating and the total number of reviews.
It’s a simple strategy: attract as many five-star reviews as possible. Every single one has an immense long-term impact on your business online. There is a lot of emphases placed on ranking position, but as a business owner would you rather have that coveted number one position and generate 100 new customers a month or would you be perfectly fine sitting in the third position generating 160 new customers monthly?
Google reviews can be the differentiating factor when it comes to traffic volume. The more customers your auto service online marketing campaign generates, the lower your cost is to acquire each new customer.
Again, you need to think long-term to see how much of an impact this has on your revenue. In the auto service business if you win over a customer by providing them with exceptional service and value they are going to come back – multiple times.
Once you acquire them that cost is removed from the equation. Your CRM can automatically email the customer when their car is due for a service appointment and you can also send special offers for discounted specialty services to your entire customer list.
Every new acquisition provides your business with an opportunity to create a repeat customer that creates multiple revenue opportunities throughout the years.
Provides Your Auto Service with Valuable Customer Feedback
The Google reviews your business receives through auto service local marketing gives you priceless information that you can use as a business owner to improve your operations and the service you provide to your customers.
The auto service industry is one that benefits greatly from referral and word-of-mouth advertising. If you create a happy customer they are likely to tell a friend or family member. If you create an angry customer they are likely to tell several friends and family members. That’s just how it works – a negative experience will almost always receive more traction in the form of story sharing by the customer.
The more happy customers you create, the more positive word-of-mouth advertising you will receive; it’s a win-win situation. Now, you cannot make everyone happy – and you won’t. That’s just the nature of business in general.
What you can do, though, is to make sure you read all of your auto service Google reviews and respond to every single one of them, even if they aren’t ideally what you want to read. This has three benefits:
● Potential customers will see that every review is replied to, which shows them that the business truly cares about its customers.
● It will encourage more customers to also leave a review without even being asked, which as you now know contributes to your auto service search engine optimization.
● It gives you honest feedback that you can use to make changes and improvements, which over time makes your business better.
Final Thoughts
As you can see, Google reviews act as an accelerator – positively impacting your listing in both organic Google Maps and paid AdWords. The extra effort spent collecting auto service reviews is well worth the effort.
We seamlessly integrate the entire process – from the initial ask to the follow up – with the entire online marketing campaign, requiring no extra work on your behalf. You can focus on running your auto service and creating satisfied customers knowing that they will then be converted into highly beneficial Google reviews.
If you would like to explore all of the auto service marketing options that we offer, please contact us for a free consultation and complete online business audit. Let us show you why we are the top-rated auto service marketing agency in the U.S.
