Utilizing Near Me Keywords in Automotive Fixed Ops Campaigns

We pull out our mobile devices, open up Google, and type in “Starbucks near me” or “Gas station near me.” Google queries that include the term “Near Me” have nearly doubled in the past year, and most of these searches are coming from Mobile devices, as we usually need an answer to our search when we’re out and about. The intent for these searches is typically one that will result in a sale or store visit, as they are overwhelmingly done on Mobile devices when the potential customer is in need for your service the most. Ensuring that your automotive fixed ops paid campaigns are utilizing “Near Me” terminology is a winning strategy for your Fixed Ops operations.

The Immediacy of a “Near Me” Search

The intent of a “Near Me” search is clear to us. We know that the majority of searches are done not on a Desktop, but on a Mobile Device, and we know the searcher is looking for an Oil Change, Tire Shop, or Brake Service near their current location. The intent of the search is one of needed immediacy; they need their oil changed today. It expresses a different intent when the searcher would input a specific geotarget into the query.“Oil Change Eatontown” could be a more research oriented keyword. The searcher could be researching different places to get an Oil Change in Eatontown, and may still be making up their mind as to which place to get their oil changed. The inclusion of “Near Me” in the query changed the authorial intent enough to justify having it in your Google Ads account and, also is putting a stressor on the fact that they need that product or service now and are ready to make a decision.

This is not to say that just throwing a set of “Near Me” keywords in an account is all you would need, but including “Near Me” keywords alongside your most desired towns/locations, is a high converting, and low cost way to supplement any Automotive Fixed Ops paid campaign.

“Near Me” should also be in it’s own Ad Group, this way you can manage and see exactly how much money you are spending on the term, write specific Ads for the keyword, design a custom landing page for the searcher, and have an accurate cost per conversion breakdown of the keyword.

The more you could do to differentiate the Ad you serve to the “Near Me” audience the better, as the search intent is less of a research oriented term and more of a right-now solution to a problem the searcher may have.

For more information about setting up automotive fixed ops campaigns or running them, reach out to the experts on the PCG Digital team today!