Yelp Ads can be profitable for auto repair shops, but there are other better alternatives to it. These include Google ads and utilizing best SEO practices to boost an auto repair shop’s reach online and get more customers.
Yelp is a leading resource for consumers to find local businesses, such as auto repair shops. A study done by SurveyMonkey cited that 97% of people purchase a product or use a service after visiting Yelp. According to the Statista report entitled a Cumulative number of reviews submitted to Yelp from 2009 to 2021, around 244 million reviews were submitted to the website’s local business review and recommendation section in 2021.
Cumulative number of reviews submitted to Yelp from 2009 to 2021
Yelp Ads can be a great way to build visibility and awareness for your auto repair shop. Around 45% of customers are likely to check Yelp reviews before visiting a business, which can benefit an auto repair shop. If you’re on Yelp, people are more likely to find and want to visit you if they are looking for a mechanic in their neighborhood.
Auto repair shops are among the best places to advertise online. Plenty of people are looking for auto repair services, and they are likely to be more willing to pay for an ad that offers a good deal on automotive repairs. Additionally, auto repair ads tend to generate more clicks than other online advertisements, so you can increase your revenue by investing in Yelp Ads for Auto Repair Shops.
There are numerous benefits to advertising on Yelp. First, you’re reaching a wide audience of potential customers. Second, your ad will be seen by people looking for auto repair services. Third, you can set your price and schedule.
However, running an ad on Yelp isn’t free. You’ll have to pay a fee each time someone clicks on your ad or views your ad in search results – around $0.30 to $40+ per click, depending on your niche. You can also expect higher fees if you want to add additional services or offer promotions in conjunction with your ad.
Given all these costs, is it worth it? The short answer is yes — although it depends on several factors. The money spent is worth it if you have a good reputation among existing customers and strong reviews from previous customers. If not, you may want to start small and build up over time before committing to full-time advertising on Yelp.
There are many things to consider when deciding whether or not you should use Yelp ads. One is to make sure that your Yelp listings are complete and accurate. If you have missing information, it may not appear in search results, meaning fewer people will see your ad and click through to your page.
The next one would be to ensure you’re targeting the right audience with your Yelp Ads. If you’re trying to promote your auto repair shop, your ads should target people looking for car repair services within your area of operation.
How Much Do Yelp Ads Cost Each Month
Yelp Ads are one of the most effective ways to advertise on Yelp. You can add your business listing and promote your business with a few clicks.
There are two options for how much a Yelp Ad costs:
- Cost per click (CPC) – is the cost you pay each time someone clicks on your ad. CPC is based on several factors, including location and competition. The higher the CPC, the more it will cost per click to advertise your business on Yelp. This varies depending on your niche, but typically it is around $5 to $10 per click.
- Cost per impression (CPM) – this is the cost you pay each time your ad appears in front of a potential customer’s eyes. CPM is based on a number of factors, including location and competition. The lower the CPM, the less it will cost per impression to advertise your business on Yelp. CPM costs will also vary, but it averages around $600 monthly.
Yelp also has additional features that business owners can use, like a Call-To-Action button, removal of competitor ads from the page, and enhanced slideshows for $1 per day.
Do More People Search For Auto Repair Shops On Yelp Or Google?
When it comes to finding local businesses, there’s no clear winner.
The two biggest players are Google and Yelp. While both have strengths and weaknesses, the two are relatively evenly matched in terms of usage, the number of reviews, and overall influence and ranking.
Google has a massive advantage in search engine optimization, meaning that if you want to get more visibility for your business, you should start there first. But both platforms have advantages for consumers. On Yelp, users can post photos and detailed descriptions of businesses, which can help them make informed decisions about where to eat or shop. Google, on the other hand, has the benefit of being easy to use and accessible across all devices.
Yelp has built a reputation for being the go-to resource for finding the best local restaurants and businesses. Meanwhile, Google is widely considered the king of search engine optimization or SEO, which is essentially the art of getting your website ranked high in search results when people type in a phrase like “auto repair shop in my area.” Since SEO is an important part of marketing, it’s worth developing a strategy for ranking high on Google.
So which company is more popular? The answer depends on what you value most. If you’re looking for a local business that can provide superior service and value, then Yelp is probably your best bet. But if you’re interested in finding the most popular search term, then Google is your go-to site.
In short, it’s best to use both platforms to find the best results for your needs.
Want more feedback for your business? We posted some tips to get more reviews for your auto repair shop.
How Yelp Ads Work For Your Business
Yelp Ads are a great way to get your auto repair business in front of potential customers on the platform. When you create a Yelp Ad, you choose a target audience and a budget for your ad campaign. Your ad will then be shown to people who match your target audience when they search for businesses like yours on Yelp.
Here’s how they work: When someone searches for auto repair shops on Yelp, they’ll see a list of businesses that match their search. Your shop will come up as one of the top results under Sponsored. This lets potential customers know that your business is a Yelp Advertiser. This also makes your business stand out from the rest in the list of results. If someone is searching for a business like yours, they’re more likely to see your listing first, which means more potential customers for you.
Yelp Ads for auto repair shops are a cost-effective way to reach new customers, and you only pay when someone clicks on your ad. This makes Yelp Ads a great option for businesses of all sizes. Because Yelp is one of the most popular review sites, you can be sure that your ad will be seen by potential customers who are looking for businesses like yours.
If you’re looking for a new way to reach potential customers, Yelp Ads is a good option. However, keeping an open mind about other effective ways to advertise your auto repair shop is vital.
Can You Control Yelp Ads?
Yelp ads may be useful in expanding the reach of your auto repair business, but you may be wondering if you can control them.
The answer is no.
You can certainly influence Yelp ads, but you can’t control them entirely. Here’s what you need to know about Yelp ads and how you can influence them.
First, it’s important to understand how Yelp ads work. When someone searches for a business on Yelp, they’ll see a list of businesses that match their search. Along with each business, they’ll see a star rating. The shops with the highest star rating will most likely appear at the top of the list.
Yelp ads are based on a similar principle. Auto repair shops that pay for Yelp ads will have their business show up higher on the list when people search for relevant terms. If an owner wants their business to appear higher on the list, they’ll need to pay for Yelp ads.
Of course, you can’t just pay for Yelp ads and expect your business to appear at the top of the list. Yelp uses a variety of factors to determine how to rank businesses, and they’re constantly changing. This means you’ll need to keep an eye on your Yelp ad campaign and ensure you’re using the right keywords and budget to make your ad spend worthwhile.
We Tested The Yelp Ad’s Free 30-Day Trial, Here’s What Happened
It would be biased towards Google Ads or any other platform if we did not test it for ourselves and shared the results based on our experience but here is how it went down.
Marketing for a web design agency in Las Vegas is a lot different than an auto repair facility but there are lots of similarities in the overall experience.
In a month there were lots of impressions but only 11-page visits and 7 were proclaimed new leads from Yelp.
Most came through the messenger service we responded right away and only 1 lead was qualified out of the 7.
Since everything was automatic you really do not have much control over when you can display your ads. This might be a problem because some businesses would like to double down on peak times.
We had no issues with potential customers contacting us outside of our service zone, just always make sure you set the parameters close to your auto repair shop because the chances are that no one will be willing to drive beyond 10 miles to visit your business.
It’s always a good rule of thumb to completely fill out every possible field recommended by Yelp so its algorithms have the most information to display to your customers.
Make sure that your estimated audience size is always pointing in the green so that your ads will be best served and you can utilize your budget.
Remember – Location and audience size are the 2 most important factors when running Yelp Ads.
After taking advantage of the free trial I would say it was a great experience until the very end when I wanted to cancel. The cancellation screen would go blurry and I would have to refresh multiple times. I was a bit worried that it would continue to bill me after I no longer wanted to continue paying roughly $300 per month.
After persistence I was finally able to get to the next screen, Yelp used some aggressive messaging and tactics to keep me on board.
After trying to cancel more errors occurred giving us a bit of anxiety.
After more persistence, we were able to get to the final cancellation screen.
We were finally able to cancel after going through multiple screens.
A few weeks later a mysterious $40.11 charge appeared on the account after all paid ads were canceled.
I called the Yelp Success Team and they revealed over 20 hidden charges. That was not disclosed when creating our business yelp profile.
The representative on the phone was actually rather pleasant to talk with but after a 15-minute call and let them know that all these charges were not authorized she agreed to refund the excess amount.
What To Do When Disputing Yelp Ads
If you are planning to run Yelp Ads which may be a very important tool for your business make sure you always review your bill each month to make sure that you are only paying for the services you need and require.
The experience was like going to a fine dining restaurant and having a mediocre meal. Then when the bill comes you see that they charged you for; The napkins, fork, knives, plates, and the chair you are sitting on without telling you firsthand. I find it rather ridiculous but it’s a smart business play on their end.
Charge business owners and hope they won’t notice. Always be cautious.
Why Google Ads Are More Effective
Yelp Ads may be a popular choice for small businesses, but they are not as effective as Google Ads.
Here’s why: Google Ads reach a wider audience. Google is the most popular search engine in the world, so more people will see your ad. Yelp Ads are only shown to people who are already on Yelp.
Google Ads allows users the option to fine-tune their advertising campaigns. You can target people by location, time of day, and even type of device. Yelp Ads have less flexibility when it comes to this. Businesses can’t specify target keywords with Yelp Ads, and you can only target people by location.
Google Ads are more affordable, allowing you to set your budget to spend only what you can afford. On the other hand, Yelp charges a flat rate for their ads, so you could spend more than you want to.
They are also proven more effective than Yelp in click-through and conversion rates.
So if you’re looking for a more effective way to advertise your business, Google Ads is the way to go.
How SEO For Auto Repair Shops Is Even More Effective
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) is the process of improving the visibility of a website or a web page in search engines via the “natural” or un-paid (“organic”) search results.
Paid search results are the listings that appear as a result of an advertiser paying Google to display their ads in the search results. These are also commonly referred to as PPC or “sponsored links.”
So, which is better for auto repair shops – SEO or paid ads?
There are a few reasons why SEO is a better option than paid ads:
Advertising your auto repair shop can be a tough task. You want to make sure you’re reaching the right people, and you want to make sure your ads are effective. That’s where SEO comes in. SEO for auto repair shops is one of the most effective marketing strategies you can use. Here’s why:
When people search for auto repair shops on Google, they’re typically looking for something specific. They might be looking for a shop that specializes in a certain type of repair, or they might be looking for a shop that’s close to their home or office. Either way, they’re more likely to find what they’re looking for if your shop ranks high in the search results.
Google Ads is another way to reach potential customers, but they’re not nearly as effective as SEO. With Google Ads, you’re paying for each click, regardless of whether or not the person actually ends up using your services. With SEO, you’re not paying for each click, and you’re more likely to get people to your shop who need auto repairs.
SEO strategies can also help you target specific keywords that relate to your business. This means that you will be more likely to attract customers looking for what you offer.
Another reason why SEO trumps Google ads is the costs associated with it. Ads are expensive. As an auto repair shop owner, you would have to keep paying for them every month, and there’s no guarantee that they’ll be effective immediately. On the other hand, SEO strategies are relatively inexpensive and will continue to work for you even after you stop paying for them. In an article from Databox that compared which channel between PPC and SEO generates more sales, 70% of respondents said that SEO is more effective because that’s where they’ve seen better results.
No one can argue the sustainability of effective SEO strategies compared to Google Ads. Once you achieve a high ranking in the search results, your auto repair shop will continue to get traffic and leads, even if you stop paying for ads. So if you’re looking for the most effective way to reach new customers, SEO for auto repair shops is the way to go.
So if you’re looking for an effective way to market your auto repair shop, SEO is the way to go.
Want to know about more ways SEO can help? Here’s our post on how SEO can help improve your auto repair business.
Should Auto Repair Shop Owners Still Pay?
Auto repair shop owners have long been advertising to attract new customers. With the rise of digital marketing, many auto repair shops and other businesses have been forced to reevaluate their advertising strategies.
After all, customers can find auto repair shops easily with a quick Google search.
One of the most common questions is: should auto repair shop owners still pay for advertising?
The answer, of course, depends on the individual business.
However, there are a few things to consider that may help make your decision.
First, you need to think about your target audience. If most of your customers find you through online searches, you may not need to spend as much on advertising.
Instead, you can focus on optimizing your website for search engines through SEO so that you rank higher in search results. This can be a more cost-effective way to reach your target market. Additionally, we also published an article on getting free auto repair leads online with SEO, where we shared strategies you can apply to get more clients.
Another thing to consider is the type of repair services you offer. If you specialize in a particular area, you may want to invest in targeted advertising that reaches people searching for that type of service. For example, if you specialize in transmission repairs, you could place ads in local publications or websites focusing on car repairs.
Ultimately, the decision of whether or not to pay for advertising comes down to your individual business needs.
Final Thoughts On Yelp Advertising Strategies For Auto Repair Shops
There are several ways in which auto repair shops can generate more customers and broaden the reach of their business. These can be done through Yelp ads, Google Ads, and SEO strategies. Each of these is effective in its own way and can help your auto repair business, although one might be more suitable for your company than the other. With careful application and fool-proof strategies in place, your business can benefit from using one or more of these options.
