A Local SEO Case Study
A Local Computer Repair Shop's Path to Success & Security
Advanced IT Solutions is a local family-owned and -operated IT support service business located in Mesa, Arizona. The owners, Mike & Rebecca Long, started Advanced IT Solutions after both worked in the corporate world for many years before deciding they wanted the freedom and satisfaction of owning their own business. Today, their business continues to grow and prosper thanks to their work ethic and decision to invest in marketing and a solid online presence.
The Backstory
How a family owned and operated computer repair shop earned their spot in Google's local search results.
Advanced IT Solutions
As an IT support-based business, the most common services that they provide are computer & laptop repairs; managed IT services; malware, spyware, & virus removal; server setup/support; and data recovery just to name a few. They were appearing in search results for some of these services occasionally, but it was hit and miss and unpredictable.
Our goal was to earn our client a more consistent and predictable spot in those search results. Together we achieved that goal, and this is the backstory of how we did it.
Starting Point - Challenge
- The website was not mobile friendly or aesthetically pleasing
- Lack of visibility in local search results
- And negative and fake reviews
When Mike and Rebecca first started AITS they did a great job obtaining their domain name and building a temporary website. The website did get them online but, unfortunately, it wasn’t mobile- or user-friendly. They had little to no SEO to speak of, so it was no surprise that search visibility was a challenge.
Even with little SEO presence, the reviews were the biggest challenge. It’s no secret that these days, reviews are one of the highest impacting factors for appearing in the search results and being selected by that next potential customer.
Initial Client Meeting
As is our process, we set up a “new client meeting” to share our initial findings and learn more about their business. This can be via phone, Zoom, or in-person. Mike and Rebecca preferred in-person, so we met at their office. We began by asking targeted questions to find out more about their business and unique value propositions. We also spoke about the negative reviews and inquired which ones they suspected were from nefarious competitors.
Next, we shared our reports. Before the meeting, we had already created keyword, industry, and competitor reports. We also thoroughly researched AITS’s overall online presence and drafted a plan of action.
Finally, we discussed the website and weighed the pros and cons of redesigning a new one.
Strategy
After reviewing our notes from the meeting and referring to our initial reports, we constructed a plan.
Our strategy was pretty straight forward:
- Address the fake and bad reviews
- Build a modern, user-friendly, SEO-optimized website that presents perfectly on all devices (desktop, laptop, tablet, and mobile – all brands and screen sizes)
- Begin our Local SEO campaign
Course of Action
Like our strategy, our course of action was pretty straight forward, too:
- Identified the fake reviews and started our process of flagging and contacting the different review sites to get these removed. It takes perseverance and 2 to 3 attempts sometimes. We were able to get most removed.
- The second part was to build an effective review generation process and system to counterbalance the few remaining bad reviews with hundreds of new 5-star testimonials.
- Mike and Rebecca loved the website layout example we proposed, so we moved forward with creating content and designing the site on our development servers.
- Start our local SEO plan.
Results
Good reviews. Professional looking website that looks great on all devices. And a consistent spot on Google’s local 3-Pack that brings in new leads from online reliably.
Advanced IT Solutions now has over 500 reviews online with an average rating of 4.56. They are even featured on ThreeBestRated for “Best Computer Repair in Mesa”!!! (https://threebestrated.com/computer-repair-in-mesa-az)
Their new website looks great on all screens and communicates their value and what they do really well. It also brings in leads via contact form submissions and phone calls.
And lastly, AITS is highly visible on local search for revenue-producing search queries.
KPIs, Stats & Analytics
- Phone calls
- Website submission forms
- Keyword rankings
Read on for more details for each of these KPIs.
Keyword Rankings
We have to admit, this one was a little bit challenging. Partly because the other local computer repair shops had been doing SEO and even had a head start on reviews. Basically, they had an established online presence that seemed locked-in at times, but staying the course and perseverance paid off. It always does.
Today Advanced IT Solutions has a reliable spot in Google’s 3-pack for “laptop repair near me” and is highly visible for “computer repair”, and other related search queries as well.
Below you can view their keyword report and screenshots of real searches.
Website Submission Forms
Advanced IT Solutions receives 3 to 5 submissions a week from their “Free Diagnostic” form on their website. This has proven to be a great way to get leads from online because, once they run their thorough diagnostic, they can provide a clear quote for parts and services immediately.
Free Diagnostic Quote Forms
Phone Calls
Phone calls! That wonderful sound when your business line rings with your next sale and person you can help. Advanced IT Solutions receives on average 40 to 50 calls a month from their GMB. These leads range everywhere from laptop repair to data recovery.
Is Your IT Support Service Business Getting Consistent Leads?
Let us help you earn that spot in Google's 3-Pack for your most valuable search terms -- computer repair, laptop repair, tablet repairs, data recovery, managed it services, virus removal, and many other computer service related search queries.
Let's talk! We'd love to help.
