Repair Shop Advice

Archive for June, 2022

How Google Reviews Win You Business

June 29th, 2022

When one of your potential customers searches for auto repair on Google they see a list of shops they could call. But how do they most often decide what shop or shops to call? They look at reviews!

But how do they get there and what do they specifically look for in reviews? Read on for more…

Searching for Auto Repair

When a consumer in your area searches on the web for the auto repair services that you provide, there are two key factors that determine if your shop will show up in the Local Pack and the Map (see image below) – how close your shop is to the person conducting the search and the primary category you have chosen on your Google Business Profile. It’s believed by experts that Google does consider some other factors but not nearly as much as they weigh the location and primary category.

Google search local pack and map

So there’s not much you can do to influence where you show up in these local searches. Pick the primary category that makes the most sense for your business, usually Auto Repair Shop, and make sure your address and contact information is correct.

However, it’s one thing to be found and another to be chosen. How do you increase your odds of getting chosen? Reviews!

Reviews Help Consumers Decide What Repair Shop to Call

The Whitespark 2021 Local Search Ranking Factors survey asked SEO experts what they’ve seen to be the most impactful factors for how consumers decide what local businesses to contact when they are looking for local services.

Top 20 GMB Conversion Factors

Reviews dominated the results. Four of the top five factors in the survey were related to reviews. Let’s dive into those factors.

#1 – High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5)

The biggest factor, by a large margin, is your average star rating for your reviews.

What to Do

Search for “auto repair” and look at the listings of the shops that show up in the Local Pack and the Map. How does your average star rating compare to theirs? If it’s better, great. If it’s about the same or worse than the competition, then you want to try to improve it. The best way to do that is to start consistently asking for reviews from your happy customers.

#2 – Positive Sentiment in Review Text

Consumers do care about the content in the reviews. They want to read about the experience that your customers have had. What they are really looking for here is called social proof. Essentially it’s as much evidence as they can get that they won’t be making a mistake in choosing your shop because so many other customers have already chosen it and been happy with the results.

What to Do

When you ask your happy customers to leave you a review, encourage them to include details about the service they received and the experience. Most shops do not ask for this, so you can gain a significant advantage by being one of the few that does.

(#3 is Completeness of Google Business Profile listing which we will skip over because it is not review related.)

#4 – Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/ text)

The number of reviews matters. It’s also significantly important that they include comments. Consumers will be very doubtful if they see that your shop has a whole bunch of five star reviews with no comments.

What to Do

I’m sure you are noticing a theme here – consistently ask for reviews from your happy customers. This will help you continue to grow the number of reviews your shop has.

#5 – Recency of Reviews

If your shop hasn’t received a review in a while consumers may not be sure you are even in business. With the rapid change that has occurred over the last two and a half years consumers like to see signs that a business is still open. With inconsistency in staffing and service levels, they’d also like to be able to see that somebody that was at your shop a week ago got the same great service as somebody who was there a year ago.

What to Do

If you haven’t received a good review in a while you should reach out to a few recent happy customers and ask them to leave you one. And…start consistently asking happy customers for reviews

Google Reviews Are Well Worth Asking For

We’ve covered the importance of reviews many times – from our podcast on the impact of reviews to our blog on how to make your auto repair shop’s reviews stand out to our blog about why you should respond to your reviews. This survey of SEO experts is just the latest evidence that reviews are important. In this instance, they have a very large impact on how consumers choose what repair shop they are going to reach out to. If you aren’t on the review train yet, you want to get on it before it runs you over!

Our Integrated Reviews platform helps our customers get more online reviews. To learn how we can help do that for your auto repair shop, call us at 855-294-6397 or schedule a meeting with us at a time that’s convenient for you!

Dry Ridge Auto Parts & Service Center are your Hometown Car Parts, Service and Repair Experts

June 20th, 2022

Car repairs can be stressful, but it helps when you have a repair shop you can trust. Family owned and operated, Greg and his crew will give you honest advice, top-notch service, and fair prices – just like family Dry Ridge Auto Parts & Service Center has been a part of the Dry Ridge, KY for decades and their trained technicians strive to treat you and your vehicles with the utmost respect. They offer an extensive variety of services including brake repair, maintenance, exhaust services, suspension and much more Stop by the shop at 17 S Main St. or call (859) 824-4412 today to make an appointment.

Global Auto Repair Offers Poughkeepsie’s Best Auto Repair Services

June 15th, 2022

If you’re in Poughkeepsie, NY then you know that Global Auto Repair is the place to go for auto repairs, inspections and maintenance. They’ve built an incredible team of experienced technicians who can diagnose your problem and get your car back on the road and running better than ever. Global Auto Repair strives to go above and beyond your expectations and truly amaze you with their top-notch service. They use the latest technology to assess the situation and offer you great advice and options for your repairs and maintenance service. Stop by the shop at 36 Noxon Road or call the 845-849-2800 to schedule your appointment.