Local SEO Tactics for Auto Parts Franchise Stores

Because many people are searching online to find automotive businesses in their area, it's important to learn local search engine optimization for your auto parts franchise store. If a nearby potential customer searches for “car batteries near me,” you want to appear at the top of the search results so people can find and connect with you. 

These days, 96% of people learn about local businesses online. Local search engine optimization (SEO) taps into this demographic and lets customers find you when they search for relevant keywords and phrases. 

Edge's platform can drive growth for your auto parts shop or franchise business. Our customer-centric solutions deliver all you need to scale your franchise and connect with customers.

Keep reading to learn more about auto part local SEO and how to get started. 

How local SEO can help your auto parts business grow

Local SEO is crucial for standing out from other automotive franchise competitors. It will benefit your company in several ways, including:

Targeted traffic

Local SEO helps you connect with all of the people living near your store. When people who live in your area search for things like “brake pad repair near me,” your business will appear at the top of the search results. This helps you get new customers visiting your site and more foot traffic to your physical location.

Building trust with automotive expertise

The bigger your online presence, the more likely customers will trust your expertise. This means they will see you as credible and be more likely to visit your page.  

Higher search rankings

There are probably a lot of similar businesses in your area competing for your customers. Local SEO helps you outrank these businesses when someone searches for a relevant query. It makes you more visible, which leads to more clicks and more purchases. 

Deliver great user experience

Aside from making sure your business is visible online, local SEO also helps you optimize the user experience. You'll build a better website and create valuable content that customers want to engage with, helping you cultivate brand loyalty. 

Getting started with local SEO for an auto parts business

You need to get the basics down before you get started with local SEO. Here's what to do. 

Set up your Google My Business listing

To start, you should claim your Google My Business listing so that you appear on Google Maps and Google Search. This helps customers find you when searching for local auto part businesses. 

Sign up and create a Google Business Profile. Then, you can either search for your business or create a new listing if it doesn’t exist yet. 

You can then fill out your business details with information like your address and website link. Don't forget to enter in contact info like email addresses and phone numbers. 

Find the best local automotive keywords

If you want to appear when people look for businesses like yours, you need to know what location-based keywords people are searching for. 

If your auto part store is in Austin, you might target some key phrases like “car parts Austin” and “Austin brake repair,” to name a couple. Try to pick long-tail keywords consisting of three words or more. You have a better chance of ranking highly for these keywords because there is less competition.

You should then include these keywords in your landing pages and on-page content so that Google can match user search terms with your pages. 

Edge's franchise and service brand growth platform can help your auto parts business expand. It has tips and tools to help you connect with your customers and drive sales. 

Optimize your website for auto parts

No amount of keyword targeting can outrun a slow website. If your customers have a bad experience on your page, they'll go elsewhere.

You need to make your site easy to navigate and responsive so that it works on mobile search as well as desktop. Make your site look attractive, too, adding images and videos as necessary to make your pages appealing.

Remember that page speed is key. You want everything to load fast so that users can quickly find what they're looking for. Also, clear meta descriptions and header tags should be made to guide users from page to page and make navigation easier. 

Keep track of everything

Once you implement your local SEO strategy, you need to keep tabs on its performance so you can improve as you go.

Evaluate things like keyword ranking, bounce rates, current SEO rankings, and site visitors. You can use Google Analytics and Search Console to do this. 

Engaging local customers with automotive content

You need to create a connection with your customers if you want to foster loyalty. Creating valuable content can resonate with customers and get them talking about your business.

All of this is good news for you because the more you engage your customers, the more organic traffic you get to your site. This translates into increased visibility when users are searching for auto part businesses in their area. 

You might choose to make content like:

• Informative blog posts that solve problems your target audience has, such as common car issues
• FAQs that answer common questions your audience is asking
• Testimonials that showcase how your auto part shop has helped its customers 
• Comparison articles that compare different products and make recommendations 
• Reviews of vehicles or specific products

Focus on providing value to your audience. As you do so, remember to include any keywords that you've researched.

Also, make social media a priority. It's one of the best ways to elevate your SEO strategy. Not only will it help you build connections with your audience, but it will also drive more traffic to your website, helping you climb the search engine rankings. 

Grow your auto parts store with local SEO using Edge

Local SEO doesn't have to be a chore. By setting up your Google Business Profile, targeting the right keywords, optimizing your site, and creating relevant content, you can grow your online presence and get more people to visit your site. 

Make local SEO easier with Edge. Our local SEO solution is tailored for businesses like yours. Get a demo today to discover how our customer-centric platform can grow your online visibility.