Key Takeaways for Auto Repair Shop Owners from Recent Consumer Behavior Survey

Are consumers still using Google to find local businesses?  Do they still care about reviews?  Is it important to keep your auto repair shop’s opening hours updated on your website and online profiles?

The answer to all three of these questions is a resounding yes.  BrightLocal, who continues to provide industry leading market information, recently released their Consumer Search Behavior 2025 survey and the takeaways for auto repair shops are many.  Beyond the answers to the three questions above, we are going to dig into some of the other relevant findings.

Google Still Dominates Local Business Search

You are forgiven if all the hype has misled you into thinking that people only use AI for search these days.  The fact is that Google is still (nearly) as dominant as ever.  Right about 68% of consumers consider some form of Google search to be their default when searching for local businesses.  That includes 45% directly on Google, 15% that use Google Maps and 8% who use Safari, which relies on Google search.  You could even throw the 4% from YouTube in if you wanted to since that’s a Google property.

Looking at the chart below, you can see that Apple Maps (4%) and Bing (3%) are the closest competitors and I’m not sure you can even consider 4% and 3% competition for 68%.  The rest is spread out across a pretty long list including ChatGPT at 2% and Voice assist at 1%.

Key Takeaways

Google is still the 800-pound gorilla when it comes to online searches for local businesses.  You need to make sure that your website and Google Business Profile are optimized to be found by consumers searching for your services.  And if you have the budget, Google Ads can be a great source of new customers as well.

Consumers Take Action After Online Searches

Our next chart shows the answers consumers gave when asked what actions they take during their local business research.  With 67% of consumers saying they always or often look at reviews of the businesses they find and an additional 29% saying they sometimes do, it’s clear that reviews are still incredibly important. 

It’s also notable that 97% of consumers said that they continue to research options after finding a business.  So that leads us to believe that most consumers like to find at least a few options before making a choice.  You don’t have to be the first one they find, you have to be the best one they find.

And finally, another significant point from the graph below – 88% of consumers plan a travel route to a chosen business at least sometimes and 89% make an inquiry, reservation, or booking at least sometimes. 

Key Takeaways

With 88% of consumers planning a travel route and 89% making contact with the business at least some of the time, it’s clear that online search can be a significant driver of new business.  The majority of consumers who are conducting these searches are looking for service right away or in the very near future.  If you are not fully leveraging the web to drive business to your shop you are missing out.

In addition, reviews are still very important to the decision-making process.  You want to be sure you are consistently getting strong reviews.

Reviews Are Important (Again) and So Is Keeping Your Hours Updated

BrightLocal also asked consumers how important some other factors were during their research for local businesses.  The presence of contact information and opening hours ranked number one with 85% saying it was important.

Average review ratings (79%) and what people say about the business (80%) were pretty close to tied for third.  Supporting a small or independent business was mentioned as important by 67% of consumers.

Key Takeaways

Make sure your hours and contact information are updated on your website and all of your digital profiles. It can be incredibly irritating for a consumer to call you believing you are open after a bunch of research only to find out that you are closed.

These results also serve as a good reminder that consumers want to try to get as much assurance as possible that they are making the right decision. Reviews are a very effective form of social proof that help ease their mind and get your shop chosen.

In Summary

Consumers rely significantly on online search to find local businesses, including auto repair shops.  Google still dominates online search and it’s important to make sure your website and Google Business Profile are optimized to perform well in search.  Reviews continue to play a significant role in the consumer’s online search process.

If you’d like to see BrightLocal’s entire Consumer Search Behavior 2025 report, you can find it at https://www.brightlocal.com/research/consumer-search-behavior/.

And if you would like to fully leverage the web to get a steady flow of customers in your shop call us at 919-600-5191 or complete the form at https://www.repairshopwebsites.com/book-a-demo/.