Related Posts
Search engines have become the number one tool for finding new business, often being used for “near me” searches or finding a local tire and auto shop. More than 40% of page clicks go to the first three results on a search page, so appearing at the top is important to reaching your key audience when they make these searches.
With an automotive Pay-Per-Click (PPC) strategy, you’ll increase your sales numbers and get ahead of your competition by paying a small fee each time your online ad gets a click. The most common type of PPC ads is paid search, which often appear on search engines like Google.
PPC ads help to improve your ranking on search engine result pages, and in many cases can place your ad on the first page of a specified search term within a day, quickly generating more interest on your website or landing page.
Strategies for Success
Avoid wasting marketing dollars on ads that don’t have the visibility you need to get noticed by your prospects. Here are a few tips to get you started with PPC:
- Start by understanding your audience and their search intent.
You need to know more than just your audience’s demographics. Knowing why they are searching for a certain keyword or query is the most important step. You want to target those who actually have an interest in your services, or they won’t click on your ad.
- Target locally with geographic-specific ads.
Focus on your local community and the geographic area you want to target to bring in nearby customers. Find out what services are in high demand in your area, and promote those in your ads.
- Choose relevant keywords, then choose negative ones.
This may sound a little counterintuitive. Of course you need to have relevant keywords you want to rank for, but it’s also beneficial to know what not to rank for and specify those terms in your ad campaign. You don’t want to end up spending your budget on a service that you don’t actually provide. Start broad and then get highly specific with long-tail keywords.
- Craft an irresistible call to action.
Tell your viewers to act now! Creating a sense of urgency and getting creative with your call-to-action (CTA) will capture their attention and push them to take action. Use powerful, command words and boost your click-through rates by adding value to your services and showing the tangible benefits.
- Keep your friends close and competition closer.
Know your competition and understand their strengths and weaknesses. Is their campaign effective? Is it missing the mark? What keywords are they targeting? Be prepared to outbid them to stay ahead and keep customers coming to you rather than the auto shop next door.
Next Steps for Your Auto Shop
Driving a successful online marketing campaign for your auto shop can be a headache, and one that’s not easily solved. Online marketing strategies take a lot of time, energy, and resources to put into action and successfully grow your business.
The automotive marketing experts at UpSwell can help you stay on top of your marketing strategy and tailor a PPC campaign that works for your auto repair business. Contact us today for a free marketing assessment to get started.
