What we monitored
For Mechanic24hr.ie we have started monitoring search results for Google, Google Mobile, Google Places, Bing and Bing Local. For each search engine, we compiled the search results for 9 locations within a 5km radius around the clients location, 31 competitors including main dealers and independent garages and over 140 industry related keywords.
Search Engines
Even with Google, the search results on mobile, desktop or maps can vary, so in order to get an overall picture, we had to monitor all Google search result variants: Google, Google Mobile and Google Places. We also monitored Bing & Bing Local, because even though in Ireland it counts as about 4% of total searches, we see it as the 4% bonus.
Search Radius
Our client Mechanic24hr, is located in Finglas, Dublin 11, so we wanted to monitor and help increase search engine rankings for an area of approximate 5km radius. So we started monitoring search results for all competitors and Mechanic 24 hr in Finglas, Ashtown, Blanchardstown, Ballymun, Cabra, Drumcomdra, Phibsborough, Santry and Glasnevin.
Why not try to rank at the top for a larger area?
- When there are plenty garages in the local area, customers don’t have to travel further for car repairs. Our target area has well over 100 garages, competing for the same customers as mechanic24hr
- In general, local service providers will rank higher in search engines. Therefore, the further you are from the target location , the harder will be to rank high in search results.
Competitors
As mentioned above, for the targeted area, Mechanic24hr has over 100 competitors. Some of them are well known not just locally, but nationwide. We are competing against audi.ie, audiservice.ie, toyota.ie, toyotaservice.ie, and all other car make branded domain names.
Mechanic 24’s target area may have the highest concentration of main dealers in the country, and includes Joe Duffy, Windsor, Linders, Mongey Plunkett, etc
For this reason, ranking high for keywords like “make + mechanic” (ex Audi mechanic), “make + service” (ex Audi service), it’s very dificult. In fact, for most branded search results, the only independent garage showing up in top 10, is mechanic24hr.ie
Search Query: Audi Service
Search Location: Finglas
Search Engine: Google (desktop)
Mechanic24hr Ranking: 4
Only independent garage in top 10: mechanic24hr.ie
Search Date: January 2021
Keywords
Some of the keywords we wanted to increase ranking for, are the most obvious related search queries. Example: “car service“, “car repairs” and “exhaust repair“, “auto mechanic Dublin“, etc. This are not the easiest keywords to rank for, when you take in the account that competitors websites are fully fledged, some have a stronger presence on social media and links from high ranking related websites.
We also target long tail keywords that have buying intent such as “Toyota independent service“, “brake pads replacement“, “catalytic converter replacement“, etc. While the search volume for this type of keywords is not the highest, they are most likely to convert into sales and hopefully into a long term customer.
Ranking Improvement
| Location |
December 2020 |
January 2021 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtown | 7 | 11 | ( ⇧ 57% ) |
| Ballymun | 7 | 10 | ( ⇧ 42% ) |
| Blanchardstown | 6 | 9 | ( ⇧ 50% ) |
| Cabra | 7 | 12 | ( ⇧ 71% ) |
| Drumcondra | 18 | 18 | ( ⇧ 0% ) |
| Finglas | 8 | 11 | ( ⇧ 37% ) |
| Glasnevin | 0 | 9 | ( ⇧ 900% ) |
| Phibsborough | 1 | 11 | ( ⇧ 1000% ) |
| Santry | 7 | 10 | ( ⇧ 42% ) |
| All Locations | 51 | 94 | ( ⇧ 84.3% ) |
What’s a Knowledge Panel in Search Results?
Forget about number 1 in search results, forget about the Google Maps 3-Pack and other sought after search result positions, and enter the KP! The KP (Knowledge Panel) search result is the most predominant search result you can get.
The KP is shown when Google is 100% “confident” that no other search result is even close enough to the one displayed. Yes, other search results will be displayed, but the KP will take most of the screen.
KP on Mobile
KP on Desktop
2.) A’s – In the table below you can see the fluctuation of the position “A” (first) search results in the Google Map 3-pack from early December 2020 to late January 2021.
| Location |
December 2020 |
January 2021 |
|
|---|---|---|---|
| Ashtown | 12 | 16 | ( ⇧ 33.3% ) |
| Ballymun | 9 | 11 | ( ⇧ 22.2% ) |
| Blanchardstown | 12 | 14 | ( ⇧ 16.6% ) |
| Cabra | 13 | 17 | ( ⇧ 30.7% ) |
| Drumcondra | 15 | 14 | ( ⇓ 6.6% ) |
| Finglas | 12 | 11 | ( ⇓ 8.3% ) |
| Glasnevin | 6 | 15 | ( ⇧ 150% ) |
| Phibsborough | 2 | 15 | ( ⇧ 650% ) |
| Santry | 9 | 11 | ( ⇧ 22.2% ) |
| All Locations | 89 | 125 | ( ⇧ 40.4% ) |
What’s an “A” in Search Results?
Position A, is the first organic search result in Google 3-Pack, the map listings displayed above the number one organic search result. When there is no KP type search result, first result in Google 3-Pack is the best next thing.
Whether you are in position A, B or C, this type of search results are the most sought after by any SEO service provider. It offers high visibility for all 3 search results displayed. Lately, Google started selling ads in the Google 3-pack, so they will place the advertiser above the organic results, making the 3-Pack, a 4-Pack.
3-Pack on Mobile
3-Pack on Desktop
3.) Branded & General Search Results – In the table below you can see the fluctuation of search results for the targeted branded and general keywords from early December 2020 to late January 2021.
| Keyword*
|
December 2020
|
January 2021
|
|
|---|---|---|---|
| “Audi” related KP’s | 16 | 26 | ( ⇧ 62.5% ) |
| “Audi” related A’s | 64 | 56 | ( ⇓ 12.5% ) |
| “Audi” related Top 100 | 1317 | 1556 | ( ⇧ 18.1% ) |
| “Toyota” related KP’s | 35 | 63 | ( ⇧ 80% ) |
| “Toyota” related A’s | 90 | 144 | ( ⇧ 60% ) |
| “Toyota” related Top 100 | 1410 | 1896 | ( ⇧ 34.4% ) |
| General keywords KP’s | 0 | 5 | ( ⇧ 500% ) |
| General keywords A’s | 29 | 47 | ( ⇧ 62% ) |
| General keywords in Top 100 | 1640 | 1866 | ( ⇧ 13.7% ) |
| All in Top 100 | 4367 | 5318 | ( ⇧ 21.7% ) |
Monitored Data Analysis (59657 entries)
The custom database we built to monitor the search results for 5 search engine variants, 9 locations, 31 competitors and 140 keywords, has 59.657 entries to date. All this entries can be viewed by the client 24/7 and can be filtered by any criteria.
This database is priceless as it gives us all the information we need to proceed with our local SEO efforts for the targeted keywords. It also allows the customer to monitor their websites ranking improvement. The customer can filter the data and just follow the listed URL to see the latest search results.
What we have displayed above in the ranking data tables, its only a glimpse of the information we have on the monitored data, and yet it gives you a very good idea of what is going on with the search results.
Here’s How We Doing It!
In September 2020 we started researching keywords and establishing who the the competitors are for each area/location we wanted to target.
Straight away we noticed that mechanic24hr’s website needed some additional pages to be built, and some existing pages needed work. Our approach for the start of this SEO campaign was content improvement and on-page SEO. While we have the resources to build links, there is no link building campaign at this stage!
Tools and techniques used:
- Keywords Reasearch – Answer the public, Google Ads Keyword Planner, Google Suggest, Google Related Searches.
- Light search results simulator – Valentin App
- Mass search results simulator – Bright Local
- Search Results Database – Self hosted WordPress on HostComb, WP All Import, Facet WP
- Internal SEO – additional pages, additional content on existing pages, page title modifications, original images with related attributes, removal of all page descriptions (yes, it’s not a typo), page related social media sharing images (og:image tags by Yoast), mobile display tweaking including fixed footer call to action buttons on mobile (using Divi), loading speed improvement (WP Rocket)
- External SEO Factors – Working on improving existing YouTube Chanel with How-To Videos, post more often on social media