Search Engine Optimization. A free and efficient way to help improve your primary traffic strategy for your auto body website. Simple right? You do some keyword research, find words and phrases that can bring in large amounts of traffic, get excited about the opportunity, start optimizing your website, and sit back waiting for the results to happen.

Has it worked? Yes, but the way you’re doing SEO results in a very slow progress. It takes time for you to see your website move from page three to page two, but you can’t seem to break into the first page of search results.

Is it impossible? No! And we have the tips on how to fix the SEO mistakes that your auto shop’s website needs:

1. Are You Using Analytics to See What Converts?

Large traffic is important for your website, but your SEO strategy should also concentrate on conversion. It’s great that your website may be getting more views, but are people finding it because of the write words and phrases?

Instead of searching for phrases that send you more traffic, you should get an analytics package that will set up conversion tracking for your keyword phrases. It will sort out which efforts you should concentrate on, helping you get more traffic as well as sales.

2. Have You Optimized for Local Search?

If your auto shop is located in Atlanta, the people looking for you auto shop will not be from 3 cities over. You need to focus on making sure that your shop shows up for the city/region that it is located in, and it starts by including region-specific keywords in your page titles and meta descriptions. By including your address and phone number on your pages, you’ll show up on local results! Put it in the header or footer so that it shows up on every page.

Along with local search, you need to make sure that you are listed on Yelp, Google Places, FourSquare, and other local-based review sites and networks. Your main customers are going to look for an auto shop near them, and you need to make sure that you’re listed when they look it up!

3. Are You Optimizing the Right Keywords?

–Global keywords: you’re a local business, so this wouldn’t make sense

-Generic keywords: can attract online visitors that have no interest in what you’re offering

-Free information keywords: doesn’t bring in prospective customers are are actually interested in your car services

-Broad keywords: this has a lot of competition and would require several SEO experts working full-time to keep your shop on the first page

Be as specific as possible! Generic keywords may bring in traffic, but it’s the specific phrases that usually lead to quicker rankings and more qualified traffic.

4. Do You Have Unique Title Tags and Meta Descriptions?

Is your shop name the title for every page? Then you’re missing out on a great SEO strategy, but you’re almost making a mistake because your page titles are the ones that show up in tweets and when your page is bookmarked. Here’s some examples where you can incorporate your name while making the title unique:

-Collision Repair Services – ABC Your Auto Body Shop Name

-Auto Repair Appointment – ABC Your Auto Body Shop Name

-Auto Body Repair Estimate – ABC Your Auto Body Shop NameMeta descriptions are also important as your 160 character sales pitch for your page that visitors will see on the search results. Each one should be as unique and persuasive as possible, full of keywords while making people want to click on your website.

5. Are You Using Anchor Text for Internal Links?

If you are using “click here” or “this post” or any other generic texts to a link, you’re losing the opportunity to tailor your anchor text–a very important component of SEO. So if you’re writing a blog and want to link your auto body shop’s services page, make sure the anchor text says something along the lines of “auto body services.”

6. If You Are Using Anchor Text, Is It the Same for Every Link?

Yes, we just told you how important optimizing your anchor text is, but you shouldn’t use the same anchor text for every link to a page. Page visitors think it looks funny, and search engines find that you’re trying to “game” them. Use variation and keep it mixed up! Try not to use the same keyword more than 50% of the time.

7. Is Your Focus on Link Quantity Over Link Quality?

Of course it should be quality! Even though it’s much easier to get a high volume of links, a higher emphasis should be put on quality. Here are the types of links that your auto body website should use:

-relevant to your website as well as the auto industry
-ones that don’t have a lot of outgoing links
-ones that don’t contain links to inappropriate (adult, pharmacy, gambling) sites

8. Is the Content on Your Website Poorly Written?

People can tell if content is unique and valuable, even when it comes to your auto care blog posts. You can create a large quantity by hiring low paid writers and using article/blog post spinners, but this will make visitors lost trust, making it hard for them to take action. Make sure to hire writers that make great original blog posts!

9. Are You Creating Link Worthy Content?

In the reality of link building, the most well-written content doesn’t get links, but you can improve your chances by making your content exceptionally valuable. Publish things like:
-Top 10 Cars of 2015
-How to Fix Your Car Heater Before Winter Time [Video Tutorial]
-How to Choose the Right Auto Body Shop [Infographic]

10. Are You Taking Advantage of Great Design for Links?

If your website is a custom design, you could have one of the hundreds of CSS and other design galleries to link to your website… just because you have a great design. There are also other auto blogs that do reviews of great designs, just for your industry! Visitors from these sites probably won’t convert, but it helps build the overall authority of your website domain and is easy to do.

Like this blog? Find it helpful? Feel free to let us know! As a leader in online marketing, CarCareCONNECT wants to hear from you. Comment below, like, and share. Also, follow us on Facebook and Twitter.