How AI picks an auto repair shop
For auto repair, Carfax, RepairPal and SureCritic led, and directories were nearly half of what AI cited, the most of any trade.
80 AI answers to questions about auto repair shops cited four or five sites each. Directories and review sites were 49% of what they cited, the most of any trade, then shops' own websites (28%), best-of lists (20%) and publishers (2%).
The sites cited most
- Carfax, in 57% of answers.
- RepairPal, in 41%.
- SureCritic, in 33%.
- Google, through Maps and Business Profiles, in 26%.
- Best in Hood, in 21%.
What it means
The three most cited sites are all built for car owners: Carfax's shop listings, RepairPal's shop finder, and SureCritic's reviews. Where your shop appears there, and what it says, does much of the work.
What to do first
- Look up your shop on Carfax and RepairPal, and make sure its details and services are right.
- RepairPal has a certification shops can apply for; see whether it's worth it for you.
- Ask every customer for a review, on Google and wherever your shop's reviews are published.
- On your website, list the makes you work on, your main services, and any warranty or loaner cars.
Do this before the next lesson
- Search your shop on Carfax and RepairPal.
- List the makes and services you cover on your website's homepage.
In Groow
Groow shows which of these sites AI cites for your own questions in your town, and which of them list your competitors but not you.
Put this to work on your business
Groow checks how ChatGPT, Google and Google Maps see your business every week, tells you what to fix first, and drafts the work for your OK.