What is SEO and Why It Matters for Parking Garage Owners
SEO (Search Engine Optimization) helps your parking garage appear higher in online searches. For parking, it really pays off to focus on Local SEO, which can target nearby potential customers.
More drivers now use smartphones to find parking. If your garage doesn’t show up in these searches, you’re losing potential customers.
Our Free Checklist focusses on 3 pillars of local SEO:
Local SEO
Technical SEO
Additional Steps
Local SEO Basics for Parking Garages
Local SEO improves your visibility in Google searches and navigation apps like Google Maps, Apple Maps, and Waze. Here’s how to start:
Claim your Google My Business listing — it’s free and crucial. Claim the business on Google Maps and verify that you are the owner of the business
Ensure your garage’s name, address, phone, and hours are correct everywhere online.
Describe key features: security measures, covered parking, EV charging.
You’d want the keywords associated with your listing to be accurate and positive (not like this one)
Add clear photos of your facility’s exterior and interior. Nice images uploaded from the owner, or from visitors are critical
Encourage and respond to customer reviews.
Integrating SEO with Parking Apps
Popular apps like ParkMobile, SpotHero and Flowbird are changing how drivers find parking. Combine SEO with these apps:
Keep information consistent across search engines and parking apps.
Cross-promote your app presence in your SEO efforts and vice versa.
Ask satisfied app users to leave Google reviews to boost SEO.
Use app data to inform your SEO strategy (popular search terms, peak times).
Preparing for Advance Parking Planning
More drivers plan parking ahead, and the world is moving in that direction.
When people visit a new city, they look up where to park online.
When people plan a holiday getaway in a city, often Airbnb do not offer parking spots (Prague for example is well known for this), they look up where to park online.
When people star a new job, they need to decide on their commuting route, and they look up online where to park.
If you own an Off-Street Parking Garage, you can use Local SEO services to target these users and adapt:
Offer online reservations through your website or partner apps on Google Maps and Apple Maps
Use keywords like “parking reservation” in your online content.
Show real-time spot availability on your website and listings.
Create content about parking for local events to attract planners and post regularly on Google Updates.
Parking Apps for Off-Street Operators
Many parking Operators feel that parking apps and on-street parking is a threat to their business.
The truth is that offering mobile paid parking is actually going to drive more traffic to the parking garage if implemented properly.
Parking apps are a sales channel that can be used in an optimal way.
While many parking operators want to have their own app, it seems that the ones that do integrate fully might be able to negotiate a high ranking on the search inside these apps.
Local recommendation engines are certainly not a trivial technology and from what I can tell, the algorithms are still relatively primitive.
For Off-Street operators, this is an opportunity to get prime digital real-estate.
Implementing Your Local SEO Strategy
Follow these steps to improve your online presence:
Audit your current listings for accuracy.
Optimize your Google My Business listing.
Update your website with key garage information.
Use local keywords like “downtown parking” or “[Your City] parking garage”.
Add schema markup to your website (you may need a developer’s help).
Actively collect and respond to customer reviews.
List your garage on relevant directories beyond Google.
Case Studies
While specific case studies for parking garages are not yet published, businesses in similar local service industries have reported significant improvements after implementing SEO strategies.
Most local businesses can get an increase in foot traffic ranging from 20% to 50% after optimizing their online presence. However, results can vary widely based on factors such as location, competition, and the specific strategies implemented.
So, it is hard to say what is possible, but a local SEO Expert can tell if there is room for improvement after checking the local competition.
Investment and Returns
Many SEO tactics, like updating listings and website content, can be done in-house at minimal cost.
For advanced strategies, SEO specialists charge $500-$5000 monthly, depending on the work scope.
Returns can be substantial — after all, a monthly uptick of Navigation requests of 10% * Average parking cost typically would give a garage a high ROI in a large US city or in Europe.
After all, social media marketing doesn’t really work for parking garages.
BUT location based targeting and geo-targeting is known to be effective for malls, supermarkets and retailers.
Conclusion: Driving More Cars to Your Garage
A strong online presence is crucial for today’s parking operators.
By implementing these Local SEO strategies, integrating with apps, and preparing for advance booking trends, you can significantly increase your garage’s visibility and occupancy.
Keep your online information current, engage with customer feedback, and adapt to new trends. Start optimizing your local SEO today to fill more parking spots. Learn how The SimplyCity can help your Parking Garage Business or Off-Street Parking Busness strive