Ultimate Guide: 7 Tips to have an Active Blog for your Auto Repair Shop

If you’ve been following our recent posts you’d know that we stress the importance of content. Especially if you want an awesome blog for your repair shop.

Sure it’s important if you have fantastic Google and Yelp reviews but how do you get people to see them without an active blog?

Search engine optimization is the craft with which many websites position themselves in the much-coveted first spots on Google. But how do they do it? Here are 7 Tips to have an Active Blog for your Auto Repair Shop.

Preface: An Auto Repair Shop Website

It goes without saying that shop owners need to use every arrow in their quiver to keep customers from leaving to perhaps a more affordable competitor. But before we begin to talk about content for your blog, you need to have an auto repair shop website. If you already have one, please, carry on.

Tip #1 - Blog Articles

A blog article is a piece of content that answers a question or solves a problem. Most people when they use Google, they’re looking to solve a problem that they currently have or might have. Especially when it comes to automotive repair.

Hundreds of people Google the term ‘engine noise’ on a daily basis and those blogs that are active in answering these questions are the ones who receive the most clicks by users.

A blog isn’t supposed to directly make you money. In fact, blogs are used as learning centers where you solve problems, answer questions and share interesting bits of information to keep your customers and prospects engaged on your site.

Using the information and feedback you get from customers that visit your shop, you can come up with the 10 most common problems that make someone visit a repair shop. You can then morph this question into common problems with Toyotas, Nissans, and any other car and you can quickly become an authority for all things automotive repair.

The most popular articles usually answer a question or come in listicle form. For instance, Top 10 Hot Rods, Why are Teslas so Expensive? Or even, 5 Can’t-Miss Paint Jobs for Muscle Cars.

These articles might not change a customer’s life but if you mix interesting articles with real automotive repair advice, you’re telling customers you want to help as well as search engines that you’re a resource.

Tip #2 - Length

Length is important but it’s not a deal-breaker. Most modern blogs and writers will stress the importance of long-form articles (1800+ words) but this isn’t always necessary.

We believe that anything over 500 words will benefit your website and keep your site visitors engaged.

There are a few things more important than length, like the step below.

Tip #3 - Consistency is Key

We know the vicissitudes of life can get in the way of you allocating 3-4 hours to write an article. This is why even though we don’t ask that you write an 800-word article every day that you at least upload 3-4 articles per month.

Search engine optimization (SEO) is an ongoing battle with competitors and search engines but by staying active and sharing relevant content, you can slowly move the needle in your direction.

Tip #4 - Topics

It’s probably going to be a while before this happens but you’ll eventually run into writer’s block. This likely won’t be the case for a few months but it will happen.

This is why we recommend jotting down ideas for the first 10-15 articles. Have this first batch be about services you offer and why they’re important. Followed by writing about common occurrences found in popular cars you service and then look at fun informational pieces.

Don’t see it as once you reach 100 articles you’ll get a plaque. Instead, have this be an ongoing project. If you do however end up being stuck with no idea on what to do, check out competing websites and see what they share.

Tip #5 - Images and Spacing

Let’s face it, a 1,000-word article with big blurbs of text is boring and hard to read through. This is why we can’t stress the importance of having a picture day at your repair shop where you gather a ton of content for your site.

You will eventually have to resort to stock photography and/or borrowed images from other sites. Just make sure you give them credit for it so you won’t be flagged with copyright infringement.

Tip #6 - Use Case Studies

Case studies are anecdotes and before and after testimonials from clients that websites use to show prospects why using their company is a good idea.

These case studies can be great to make blog articles out of because they inform your avid readers of what others have experienced at your repair shop.

Perhaps a ‘97 Corolla came in a few months ago and they had already been turned down by other shops. Their testimonial of how they were treated at your shop by your techs and front desk made the client so comfortable that they provided you with both video and written reviews. Use these reviews to your advantage and tell a story using a blog article.

Tip #7 - Have fun

Writing isn’t a craft you just pick up after a few days. It needs to be enjoyed and like any other craft, you need to dedicate time to it. If you have a knack for writing and love automotive repair, you’re going to have a blast learning about online marketing and how to get your voice as a shop owner heard.

If you don’t enjoy writing you’re going to find this task tedious and very time-consuming. Write about what you enjoy and maybe have an apprentice work a few hours a week with you to help out with the writing aspect of your website.

Bonus Track - Hire Writers

If you don’t have someone you can hire to help you with the writing for your website, we’ve got the solution. There’s a site called Wordagents which helps website owners looking for extra help for their writing needs.

You buy packages based on the number of words you want. Say for instance you want to purchase 10-500 word articles per month. You would pay for their silver package which comes out to about $475 per month.

All you need to do is be specific on the type of article you want to request, how many words, and what style you want it written in. The turnaround time is about 7 days so expect a fully optimized article in your inbox.

If you think this is perhaps too much for your budget, JMC Automotive Equipment offers a content writing service for your auto repair shop website. Contact us today to learn about prices and packages.