How to use this list
Each table is one theme. Treat each theme as its own ad group in Google Ads and its own page or section on your site: collision repair, paint & scratch repair and insurance & estimates. When the ad and the page match the search word for word, you pay less per click and more people call.
Need more volume? Start with near-me and core terms
The near-me searches in this list add up to 681,700 searches a month, led by “body shops near me”, “auto body shop near me”, “body shop near me”. These searches show the map pack first, so a complete Google Business Profile, steady reviews and a page for each town you serve matter as much as the ads.
Make-specific searches
Make searches here (“bmw certified collision center”, “bmw collision center”, “bmw authorized collision centers”) total 14,550 searches a month. They are small next to the generic terms, but they tell you exactly what the customer drives. A page and ad group per make you specialise in is the easiest way to win them.
Use cost and question searches for content
Searches like “auto and body shop cost”, “affordable body shop” come from people still researching. They usually convert better on a pricing page, an FAQ or a blog post than in a search ad. Answer them clearly on your site and they also feed the answers AI assistants give, which is where AI visibility comes in.
Certifications and insurance are keywords too
Collision customers often search for a shop their insurer or their car’s maker approves. If you hold OEM certifications or work with insurers, give each one its own page and ad group, and use the exact name drivers search for (“BMW certified collision center”, “insurance approved body shop”). These searches are small but carry high intent.
Rising keywords to watch
These keywords were searched at least 30% more over the last three months than over the nine months before. Some are seasonal, so check the trend line before you move budget.
| Keyword | Monthly searches | CPC |
|---|---|---|
| collision centers close to me | 12,100 | $3.51 |
| bodyshop near me | 8,100 | $3.28 |
| auto body repair shop | 6,600 | $3.21 |
| collision centers | 4,400 | $3.91 |
| auto collision shops near me | 3,600 | $3.07 |
| body work near me | 2,900 | $2.98 |
Negative keywords to add first
Before you launch, add these as negative keywords so your budget goes to buyers, not to job seekers, DIYers and unrelated searches: diy how to kit paint pen touch up spray paint jobs salary school the body shop lotion house paint. Then check your search terms report every week and keep adding.
How we built this list
We pulled these keywords from Semrush’s US database on October 28, 2026, removed brand names, other companies’ names, specific towns, DIY product searches and job searches, then sorted what was left into themes. Monthly searches are Semrush’s 12-month average; the trend line shows the last 12 months, oldest to newest.


