#1 on Google.Triple the bookings.From word of mouth to a full week booked in advance.
Cherry's Automotive Repairs is a mechanic workshop in Maitland, NSW, run by husband-and-wife team Richard and Rebecca. Before Localsearch, they had no website and relied entirely on word of mouth. Today, they rank #1 on Google for "Mechanic Maitland," bookings have tripled, and they're now booked out a week in advance.
Who they are
A Maitland mechanic built on honest work and word of mouth
Cherry's Automotive Repairs is a trusted local mechanic in Maitland, run by Richard and Rebecca. Between the two of them (and workshop mascot Scarlett greeting customers in the waiting room), they've built a reputation for reliable, honest work — historically built entirely on word of mouth.
Before Localsearch
Relying entirely on word of mouth
- No website — new business came from word of mouth and the odd cold phone call
- Booking pattern was day-to-day, with no real ability to plan ahead
- Richard and Rebecca describe themselves as "pretty illiterate" when it came to building a website or managing anything online
- Genuinely unsure whether a website was even something they needed
After Localsearch
Top of Google, and booked a week ahead
- Ranking #1 on Google for "Mechanic Maitland"
- Bookings and enquiries have tripled — the phones start ringing before 8am
- Now booked out a full week in advance, rather than filling the day as it goes
- A steady stream of new enquiries through Facebook, email and online search
- Over 300 reviews at a 4.9-star average, which Richard says keeps feeding new bookings
"I'd honestly just recommend you guys, because I had nothing to do with it. We told you what we wanted, a couple of hours later it's online. We didn't have to waste our spare time building something we had no idea how to build."
Richard
In their own words
"The phone starts ringing at 8 o'clock in the morning, or beforehand. We don't start work on cars till about 9.30, 10, because we're getting all these extra bookings."
"It's massively busier. We're booked a week in advance for the two of us out on the floor — it feels like it's tripled the workload, as in bookings, not extra work."
"Busier weeks, and yeah, just happy we're not ever having to really panic about, oh, there's no work this week, what do we do. It's peace of mind — security, I guess."
"Take the step, because word of mouth these days is all digital. People find us via Facebook, marketplace, community groups — it's become a digital community board, so you need a digital presence."
How we did it
The strategy
Richard and Rebecca weren't sure a website was even something they needed, so Localsearch started with the searches customers were already making in Maitland and worked back from there.
Localsearch built a website designed to rank for high-intent local searches like "Mechanic Maitland", so the workshop could be found by people ready to book.
Richard and Rebecca shared what they wanted, Localsearch designed it, and it typically took two to three rounds of feedback via email to get it right. Ongoing updates work the same way — new services or changes go live within three or four emails back and forth.
A review-generation approach has helped the business build over 300 reviews at a 4.9-star average. The result: Cherry's now ranks #1 on Google for its core local search term, with bookings, enquiries and reviews all compounding on each other.
The numbers
365 days of growth
"I'd honestly just recommend you guys, because I had nothing to do with it. We told you what we wanted, a couple of hours later it's online. We didn't have to waste our spare time building something we had no idea how to build."
Richard, Co-Owner, Cherry's Automotive Repairs
Thinking about your next step?
Thinking About Your Next Step?
If you're currently relying on word of mouth and wondering whether a website could help — Cherry's Automotive Repairs were in exactly that position 12–18 months ago. Get in touch with Localsearch today to see how we can help your business get found online.