Martin
Founder, strategy and audits
Writes every audit and takes every first call. On your account from day one, running growth for SMEs since 2010.
SEM for Body Shops
Google Ads for Body Shops
When a driver has just been in a crash, they search from a phone, often at the roadside or the same evening. Google Ads can put your shop in front of them with a photo estimate button and a person who answers. We build and run the account, and we do not promise job numbers.
For collision and body shops that want paid search to deliver estimate requests with photos, from drivers who need a repair soon and from those with cosmetic damage.
What makes paid search different for a body shop
Context from how your customers search, compare and book.
A collision job is worth far more than a typical service visit, so each good lead can justify a higher cost. But the leads are uneven. A driver with a crumpled front end who is ready to book is very different from someone checking what a dent might cost out of curiosity. The account must tell them apart.
Search terms show the difference. Collision repair near me, auto body shop open now and body shop that works with insurance suggest a real job. Car dent repair cost, paint prices and DIY dent removal suggest research. Others, such as used body panels, auto body jobs or car wrapping, are traps that need exclusion.
Speed decides who wins. A driver after a crash often asks for estimates from two or three shops and goes with the first one that replies and sounds kind. A reply within minutes, a clear photo estimate path and a calm voice on the phone matter more than a lower price. Ads fail when calls go to voicemail.
Messaging should respect the situation. People are shaken, and ads should not sound like a sale. They state the service, the area, that you handle claim paperwork where allowed and a simple next step. Cosmetic repairs can have a more relaxed tone, with an offer to send photos for a quick estimate.
Who this paid search is for
groups Customer segments
- person Collision shops that want direct customers in addition to insurer-assigned jobs
- person Cosmetic specialists offering dent, scrape, bumper and wheel repair
- person Shops with spare capacity because of a new booth or an added estimator
- person Groups where each site needs its own budget and phone tracking
psychology What drives their decision
- check_circle Ads that match accident and cosmetic searches separately
- check_circle A photo estimate button on the landing page
- check_circle A reply within minutes
- check_circle Honest talk about timeline, warranty and loan cars
How we deliver SEM
A clear, repeatable process built around how body shops customers search and decide.
1
Capacity and job brief
We find out how many repairs you can add each week, what types you prefer, how long a typical job occupies the booth and what you offer for loan cars. This sets the number of campaigns, budget levels and the hours ads run.
2
Separate collision and cosmetic campaigns
Accident repair and cosmetic work get different campaigns, ads and pages. The first aims at urgency and claim support, the second at price guidance and photos. Splitting them lets us bid higher for collision leads and spend modestly on cosmetic ones.
3
Keywords and negative lists
We choose job-intent searches and exclude used panels, parts, DIY, jobs, training and car wrap searches. Each week we read the real search terms and add exclusions. We also test location terms around insurers' preferred shop networks only if you actually work with them.
4
Photo estimate landing pages
Each ad sends drivers to a page with a large call button and a form for photos, make, year, and whether the car is drivable. Pages explain what happens next, how soon you reply and what a loan car arrangement involves. They avoid pressure and legal advice.
5
Response tracking and reporting
We track calls, form submissions and, where you share, estimates written and repairs booked. We also measure how fast you reply, because speed is the biggest lever. Each month we move budget toward the campaigns that bring booked repairs and trim the rest.
query_stats
What Body Shops SEM includes
Reach people who are ready to book on Google, without paying for clicks that never turn into customers
- check_circle Capacity and job brief
- check_circle Collision and cosmetic campaigns
- check_circle Photo estimate landing pages
- check_circle Weekly search-term cleanup
- check_circle Monthly report in plain language
What you can expect
- verified Ads reach drivers searching for accident repair, not only price checks
- verified Cosmetic jobs have their own campaign, pages and budget
- verified Estimate requests arrive with photos and the details your estimator needs
- verified Wrong searches such as used panels and DIY stay out of the budget
- verified Reply speed is measured, so slow responses cannot hide
- verified You see cost per estimate and, with your data, per booked repair
Deliverables you receive
inventory_2 Separate campaigns for collision repair, cosmetic repair and fleet or dealer work
inventory_2 Keyword lists with exclusions for used panels, DIY, jobs, training and wrap searches
inventory_2 Ad text with call and photo-estimate buttons, approved by you before launch
inventory_2 Landing pages with a photo form, timeline explainer and loan car information
inventory_2 Call tracking with missed-call counts and response-time reporting for every campaign
inventory_2 Monthly budget advice tied to booth capacity and booked repairs
Technical approach
The mechanics behind SEM for body shops, explained plainly.
Bidding on job value
We value a booked collision repair far above a cosmetic touch-up, and tell the bidding system so. That allows higher bids for the searches that signal an accident, while keeping cosmetic requests at a sensible cost. Values are agreed with you using your own average job sizes.
Call and speed measurement
Calls over a set length count as results, and missed calls are listed so you can see lost chances. We also measure the time from form submission to your first reply, using timestamps from your inbox or system. Slow replies are flagged in the monthly report.
Location and hours
A tight radius suits cosmetic jobs, and a wider one suits collision work, since drivers travel farther for a shop they trust after a crash. We run ads when someone can answer, with a text-back for after-hours calls pointing to the photo estimate form.
Marketing from $500 USD a month
Month to month, no commitment. One fee covers the pages, the search and ad work and the tracking. Ad spend is separate and stays in your own accounts.
Starting at
$500 USD per month
Free to cancel with 1 month's notice. Tell us what you sell and where. We come back with what the first month would fix.
Get a Free AuditWhat $500 a month covers
Pages
IncludedPages built around the searches your buyers actually type.
Search and ads
IncludedSearch and ads aimed at people ready to inquire.
Tracking
IncludedCalls, forms and bookings tagged to the search, ad or page behind them.
What to expect from Google Ads
Paid search for collision work starts quickly, but the first weeks sort useful searches from wasteful ones.
Days 1 to 14
We build campaigns, write ads, test the photo form and the call path and set the response-time targets. Budget starts modestly, and we read search terms every few days to block poor matches.
Weeks 3 to 8
Estimate requests arrive and a pattern forms: which searches bring complete photo requests, which hours work, which cosmetic jobs are worth chasing. We move money toward the better groups and cut the weak ones.
Months 3 to 6 and beyond
The account settles around your booth capacity. We expand to fleet or dealer work if you want. How fast you reply and how crowded the area is will shape results, and no job numbers are promised.
Other Body Shops marketing services
Our team
The same people on the audit and on the work
Martin writes every audit and takes the first call. The same team stays on the account. 160+ businesses since 2010.
Yoana
Social and app development
Shapes social strategy and builds practical app experiences that turn attention into action.
Mike
SEO
Owns technical, local and content SEO so the right buyers find you when demand is highest.
Robert
Paid media
Plans and manages paid search and social campaigns around qualified leads.
Elmer
Analytics
Connects tracking, attribution and reporting so decisions are based on revenue-quality data.
Dino
Design
Creates clear brand and conversion-focused design across landing pages, campaigns and product experiences.
Certified and experienced
Certified where it matters. Accountable for the outcome.
Verified platform knowledge, 25+ years of hands-on experience, and an operating track record since 2010.
Google AdsCertified
✓Google AnalyticsCertified
✓Google Tag ManagerCertified
✓Operating since 2010Proven experience
✓Frequently Asked Questions
How much should a body shop spend on Google Ads? expand_more
It depends on your area, booth capacity and the value of your typical repair. We start with a modest budget, watch the real searches and raise spend as requests turn into booked repairs. A figure set before seeing the account would be a guess.
Will ads bring people who only want a price check? expand_more
Some, yes. The photo estimate form, the stated process and an honest note about how final prices are set filter many of them. Over time we shift money toward searches that bring body shop customers ready to book.
Should collision and cosmetic repair share one campaign? expand_more
No. The drivers differ in urgency, value and expectations, so each type needs its own ads, page and budget. Together they blur the numbers and make it harder to tell which body work pays.
What if insurers send most of our jobs? expand_more
For a body shop, ads then fill gaps and grow your direct business, such as drivers paying themselves or choosing their own shop. We do not claim to change insurer relationships. We can run branded ads to protect your name in search.
Do you handle calls and estimates for us? expand_more
No. Your body shop team answers and writes estimates, since prices and repair methods are your decisions. We set up tracking, recommend a response target and report where slow replies cost you jobs.
Can ads target people who have just had an accident? expand_more
Not by the event itself, and we would not want to. We reach people when they search for body shop help, in the area around your shop. That is the right moment and a respectful one.
How do you report results without customer details? expand_more
Reports show counts of calls, photo forms and booked repairs by campaign and cost, never names or claim information. If you share how many became completed jobs, we add cost per job. You can use it in a short monthly conversation.
Ready to get more from Body Shops SEM?
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