From CSI scores and online ratings to Google search results, everyone wants to be first. The service department is expected to be perfect and keep a perfect 5-star rating online. How else do you attract new customers, after all?

People are constantly searching for ‘the best’ this and ‘the best’ that. Google searches are dominated by ‘best nail salon’ and ‘best Thai restaurant near me’, and similar searches across every industry. That includes ‘best oil change’ and ‘best service department’ for your city and community. It seems customers want THE BEST service possible.

A recent Think With Google report blows that up.

It true that people are searching for ‘the best’ everything more than ever before. Think With Google reports that in the past two years, ‘the best’ searches have increased 115%. But the criteria for something being the best is relative to the consumer.

Google’s Head of Ads Research and Insights, Sara Kleinberg, gives more on that:

With so many options and so much information online, consumers increasingly can and have to make decisions based on differences beyond quality, price, and basic features. The deciding factor is often personal criteria for that product and how it solves their individual needs. Convenience, for example, can enter the “best” equation. One person told us, “A taqueria 10 miles away might have 400 5-star reviews, but I'd be fine with a 4.5-star taqueria a stone’s throw away.” One person might be swayed by product features, whereas another won’t. “I don’t care if a vacuum cleaner has a light on the front or an automatic cord winder. The best one for me is best at picking up pet hair,” another person said. That’s not to say price and quality aren’t part of the picture. But how they fit in depends on the shopper. As one person said, “I don’t necessarily look for the best product in the market, but for something that would be the best for what I need the product for.”

What Does That Mean for Your Service Department?

It means that a customer might not care that you have a 5-star rating if your department doesn’t have availability when they want to come in, because convenient hours matter. And a regular client won’t be influenced by a higher-rated dealer’s service department if you’ve treated them well in the past. And a new customer may not be willing to travel across the city to visit ‘the best Chevrolet service department’ with a 5.0 rating if there’s one in their neighborhood with a 4.5 or even a 4.0 rating.

You need to be good – very good, in fact – at what you do in service. The workmanship, customer service, and price need to be competitive. But as for being ‘the best’? There’s only one place that it matters.

Online. Your website content needs to include keywords that draw search results for ‘the best’. Your dealership website’s service page should have ‘best Nissan oil change’, ‘best oil change’, ‘best diagnosis’, ‘best tires for Honda’, ‘best brake job’, and so on.

Having the right keywords will make your dealership rise to the top of the search results on Google. Isn’t that where you’re going to find new clients, much more so than the expensive mailers and balloon-filled summer barbecues, and even better than the Tube Man you inflate by the front door?

Increase your online visibility simply by adding relevant content and keywords to your website.