According to one recent study, about 71% of consumers say that they read online reviews when researching a business. Put that into context – even if they’re not necessarily in need of that business’s product or service right now, it means that they are still doing research to make sure that when the time comes, they know exactly who to call.
The same source indicated that about 7 out of 10 customers say they look at reviews at least “frequently,” citing them as a major contributing factor to their purchasing decisions.
But perhaps the most important statistic of all is that 87% of customers say they engage with businesses that have a 3 to 4-star rating on Google. So people are actively looking for reviews, and if they don’t like what they find, they’ll likely head right into the arms of your competitors.
That’s why, for a service-based business like a garage shop in particular, Google reviews are one of the best assets you have in terms of increasing your visibility. It becomes a self-fulfilling prophecy: the more reviews you have, the better your garage shop’s local SEO is. The better your local SEO is, the more people are likely to see those reviews and become customers. They have worked, performed, and are happy, prompting them to leave a review, and so on.
But getting to this point isn’t something that just happens by chance. If you really want to leverage Google reviews for better rankings for your garage shop, there are a number of important things you’ll want to keep in mind.
What Makes Google Reviews for Garage Shops So Important?
But before you get into any of the strategies that you’ll use to leverage Google Reviews to improve your garage shop’s SEO, you first need to understand exactly why they’re so valuable – and effective – in the first place.
When it comes to their SEO algorithm, Google keeps exactly how it works a secret to avoid people trying to game the system. If you know all the rules that power the algorithm, you know how to break them – thus giving people an unfair advantage and potentially doing more harm than good to smaller businesses.
What we do know, however, is that Google considers factors like quality, quantity, and freshness, particularly in the local ranking algorithm. If your garage shop suddenly starts to amass a lot of high-quality (meaning real) reviews on a regular basis, you check all those boxes. This can help improve your “Prominence” in the Google local pack, which will go a long way towards improving your overall SEO as well.
But more than anything, the key factor to understand is that reviews are essentially a form of content creation that you don’t have to worry about – your garage shop customers are taking care of that for you. All you need to do is periodically respond to them and address any concerns that might be present.
Also keep in mind that the types of keywords used in reviews (like “garage shop in [city]” or “best auto mechanic in [neighborhood]” will also help with your local SEO ranking. The more keywords like those are associated with your garage shop, the higher you will rank when people do search for these terms, improving your visibility exponentially as a result.
Ask For Reviews – Carefully
By far, the best way to leverage Google reviews for better rankings for your garage shop is to come right out and ask for them. Having said that, you do need to proceed with caution.
If you know beyond the shadow of a doubt that a customer just had a bad experience, even if it was through no fault of your own, that probably isn’t the time to remind them that they can leave a review on Google for the world to see. Likewise, you’re not supposed to promise them anything in return for a positive review. That calls the whole enterprise into question and could lead to some serious ramifications if you’re discovered.
However, if a customer has a positive experience, don’t be afraid to ask them for a review right after. You could mention it to them when they come to pick up their car after service, or put a QR code to your Google Business Profile right at the register. You could send them an email follow-up or even a text message.
At the same time, train your staff to politely ask customers for reviews face-to-face. You’re more likely to get someone to actually take the step and leave the review if you talk to them about it immediately after the positive interaction you want them to write about.
You could also create a short, memorable review link right from your Google Business Profile and include it in all the social posts and other types of content you put online. This is a great way to keep that link readily available for anyone who may want to write about their experience in the future.
Respond to Your Reviews – All of Them
As time goes on, you’ll notice that you’re starting to receive more and more reviews – and not all of them are going to be positive. That’s okay, because you still need to respond to each and every one of them when you have the chance – even the bad ones.
For the sake of example, let’s say a customer had a very negative interaction with your garage shop – the type that most people fear when they think about needing to take their car in for service. That’s an opportunity to respond in a way that shows that you’re active, that you care about feedback, and that you’re taking legitimate steps to correct any issues moving forward.
Google Reviews aren’t just for you or the customer leaving the review. They’re for everyone to use to make an informed decision about where to take their car for service and how to spend their hard-earned money. Intellectually, people know that no business is perfect. But if they can see you operating openly and honestly with integrity, you’d be surprised by just what a difference it could make.
You’ll also get a lot of positive reviews, to be sure – don’t forget to thank them personally. Even if you just respond with a quick “Thanks, [NAME]!” it can still leave a lasting impression.
The More Specific the Reviews, the Better
Finally, to truly leverage Google reviews to get better rankings for your garage shop, you need to see them as the opportunity for versatility that they really are.
If someone leaves you a very general review that says, “Thank you for the great service!”, that’s always cause for celebration. But if someone goes into more detail and says, “Thanks for taking care of my brake repair work, you did a terrific job,” now suddenly you’re getting something that much more valuable.
The more keywords like brake repair, oil change, transmission work, car inspections, and others that appear in your Google Reviews, the stronger your local SEO for your garage shop becomes. Whenever possible, try to encourage people to leave reviews that are as detailed as possible.
You could even include a quick “review template” in your follow-up email. You could prompt people to not just head on over to Google and leave a review, but to specify what service they received and what they liked about it so much.
Is everyone who leaves you a review going to follow this template? No, but the ones that do will help give your garage shop local SEO a significant boost before you know it.
In the end, Google Reviews are more than just customer feedback – they’re a critical engine powering your garage shop’s online visibility and credibility. When leveraged strategically, reviews can boost your Google rankings, influence potential customers, and build lasting trust within your community.
By consistently asking for reviews and responding thoughtfully, you’re signaling to both customers and search engines that your shop values quality and transparency. Even a few well-worded reviews mentioning your services, like “brake repair” or “oil change” – can help you rank higher for those exact keywords.
The bottom line? Your happy customers are your most powerful marketing tool. Encourage their feedback, showcase their words, and keep the momentum going. Do that, and you won’t just get more reviews – you’ll get more cars in your bays at the exact same time.
If you’d like to find out more information about how to leverage Google Reviews to improve your SEO rankings for your garage shop, or if you have any additional questions that you’d like to go over with someone in a bit more detail, please don’t hesitate to contact us today. You can also click here to attend a Surefire Local demo to see exactly how much time you’ll save with such a powerful, all-in-one marketing platform at your disposal – time that can be better served elsewhere.