Top Automotive Keywords List for SEO and PPC Marketing

Alaina Brandenburger

August 7, 2025

A high-quality website is the ultimate business card in the automotive industry. Using the right keywords in your blogs, ads, and service pages is crucial to landing you atop the search engine results. Find more leads with this automotive keywords list, along with tips on how to use them to enhance your shop’s online visibility.

The Role of Keywords in the Automotive Industry

According to Consumer Reports, 83% of people prefer repair shops less than 30 minutes from their homes. Adding the right mix of local and general keywords and phrases to your website and your digital content is a search engine optimization tactic that helps local customers find your business.

Effectively using keywords also solidifies your brand image and makes you stand out from the competition.

Top Automotive Keywords

Before choosing competitive keywords for your auto shop, it’s important to understand different types of keywords and how to use them.

General Automotive Terms

General automotive terms are search terms that apply to any automotive business. They help search engines match your site with the customers who want to find it. Incorporate these keywords into your content naturally. For example, if your Austin-based business specializes in collision repair, you might add “Automobile Collision Services” as a header on your site. Popular general automotive terms include:

Auto
Automobile
Automotive
Automotive industry
Car
Motor vehicle
Vehicle

Short-Tail Keywords

Short-tail keywords are broad terms with high search volumes. All your competitors are likely using them to rank in internet searches. Use them to cast a wide net of potential customers. Popular short-tail keywords include:

Auto repair
Car dealership
Car maintenance
Car repair
Hybrid car repair
New cars
Used cars

Long-Tail Keywords

Long-tail keywords are specific phrases people use to find services online. They are good for SEO because they help people find you organically. Use them to target potential customers when they’re ready to make a purchase or repair. Long-tail keywords also improve your visibility in voice searches. Examples include:

Acura repair shop in Toledo
Best used cars near me
Best used cars under $15,000
Electric car dealerships in Minneapolis
Electric car battery service
New Honda Civic deals near me

Local Keywords

In the automotive industry, local SEO is crucial because you market to a small radius for people who need to buy a car or repair their car. Local keyword research targets this audience through location-based elements in your copy and content. Anyone searching for an automotive shop in your area can find you online with keywords like:

Affordable new cars in [City name]
Automotive repair shop near me
Best car maintenance shop in [City name]
DeKalb, Illinois car dealership
Trustworthy mechanic shop in [City name]

Question-Based Keywords

As more search engines prioritize user intent to rank your site, question-based keywords are becoming more important. Adding a “frequently asked questions” section to your website helps you establish your authority on automotive topics and target people who are looking for information on car topics. Examples of question-based keywords for the automotive industry include:

How often do I need to change my oil?
How to check your oil
What kinds of maintenance services should I get for my electric car?
When do I need an emissions test?
Why is my check engine light on?

Branded vs. Non-Branded Keywords

If you specialize in a specific car brand, add branded keywords to your website and content. For example, if you’re a BMW dealership, mention that frequently throughout your site. Use these keywords in PPC campaigns and branded content to appeal to your local customers who need service on specific brands. Examples of branded keywords in the automotive industry include:

Affordable Toyotas near me
Ford F150
Honda dealers near me
[Your name] dealership in [City name]

Automotive Parts and Accessories

These are short-tail keywords to target people looking for specific parts and accessories, including:

Aftermarket parts
Auto parts
Car accessories
Car parts
OEM parts

Automotive Dealership and Sales

These are also short-tail keywords to target people who are looking for a new car, including:

Buy a car
Car dealership
Car financing
Car leasing
New car
Used car

Alternative Terms for “Auto Repair Shop”

Using multiple variations of a single search query helps establish your site as a credible source based on user intent and ranks you for different search terms. Along with “auto repair shop,” add terms from this automotive keyword list to your website copy and digital content based on your specific services:

Auto body shop
Auto body mechanic
Auto bodywork mechanic
Auto collision repair
Auto mechanic
Car collision repair
Car mechanic
Car repair shop
Collision repair
Mobile mechanic

The Importance of Search Intent

As search engines have become more advanced, they have learned to match search results with a user’s intent to filter irrelevant terms. If someone is looking for electric cars for sale, search engines will filter out car repair shops. Types of user intent include:

Commercial: Terms people search for when they want to make a purchase. They’re often branded. In the automotive industry, many of your customers fall into this category.
Transactional: Terms that catch people in the conversion stage when they’re ready to buy.
Informational: Keywords people use when they want to learn. They are often questions.
Navigational: Keywords that people find specific business information, such as your services or hours.

How To Use Keywords for PPC Campaigns

To make your pay-per-click (PPC) campaigns successful, understand your target audience and their search intent and choose the right mix of keywords to use in your ads.

Utilize Negative Keywords to Optimize PPC Spend

Negative keywords help search engines keep you out of irrelevant searches. If your automotive repair shop specializes in European cars, add specific brand names to your list of negative keywords, including Honda, Ford, or Nissan. Anyone looking for these specific brands won’t see your ad, and you don’t pay for pointless clicks.

Conversion Focus With Keyword Intent

Keywords have “high intent” when someone who is ready to make a purchase uses them to find your business. When writing your PPC headers, meta descriptions, and landing pages, focus on the high-intent keywords that align with your business.

Importance of Long-tail Keywords

Use long-tail keywords to establish relevance based on search intent. Long-tail words have less competition, so they have a lower cost per click.

Utilize Competitive Keywords

Assess which keywords are most and least competitive. Generic keywords are more competitive, so add some niche keywords that are less competitive to enhance your visibility. Position yourself ahead of the competition in searches with competitive keywords.

Keyword Tips for SEO

Website SEO differs from PPC SEO. With these tips on using keywords in your content, you can improve user experience and make your website easier to find in organic search.

Understanding Keyword Difficulty

Keyword difficulty refers to how hard it is to land on the first page of search engine results for a term. Most of your competitors will try and rank for “automotive repair,” for example, making this a difficult keyword. Look for terms you can rank highly with realistically and use more competitive terms sparingly.

Take Advantage of Quick Wins

Quick wins are easy strategies you can use to climb the search engine results immediately:

Fix broken links
Add keywords to alt tags and meta descriptions
Remove any broken pages from your site

Incorporate Keywords Naturally into Quality Content

Stuffing your content with keywords is clunky and unnatural. It also drops your search engine ranking. Instead, keep it natural. Your content should be informative and engaging. Focus on telling a good story and add keywords strategically.

Crafting a Comprehensive Keyword Approach

Optimize Digital understands digital marketing. Instead of navigating PPC and SEO on your own, take advantage of our expertise to build brand awareness and become more visible online with lists of automotive keywords.

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