Google Business Profile Checklist for Auto Repair Shops
For many drivers, your Google Business Profile (the box with your map pin, hours and reviews) is the first thing they see. Google says local results are based mainly on relevance, distance and prominence. You can't change distance, but you can make your profile complete and accurate.
The checklist
- Claim and verify the profile. Unverified profiles can be edited by others and may show less information.
- Use your real business name. Google's guidelines say to use the name you use on your sign, without extra keywords like "Best Brake Repair Springfield". Keyword stuffing can get a profile suspended.
- Pick the right primary category. For most shops that's "Auto repair shop". Add specific extra categories only if they're true (for example a tire shop or transmission shop).
- Hours, including holidays. Keep regular hours current and add special hours for holidays, so nobody drives over to a locked door.
- Phone number and website. Use a number that's answered during business hours, and link to your own website, not a social page if you have a site.
- Services. List the work you actually do: brakes, oil changes, diagnostics, A/C, alignments, state inspections and so on.
- Photos. Add real photos of the outside of the shop (so people recognize it), the service bays, and your team. Google's photo tips recommend real, well-lit photos of your business.
- Reviews. Ask happy customers for reviews and reply to them, the good and the bad, politely and briefly.
- Link back from your website. Put a "Find us on Google" or "Get directions" link to your profile in your website's header or footer. Our free check looks for this link.
Keep it matching your website
Your shop name, address, phone and hours should be the same on your profile, your website and any directories. Mismatched details confuse customers.
Check your own site in seconds
Our free website check for auto repair shops looks at one page for broken links, Google basics, phone setup, HTTPS, image descriptions and business details for Google, and explains what it finds in plain English.
Official sources
- Google Business Profile Help: Guidelines for representing your business on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips to improve your local ranking on Google
- Google Business Profile Help: Tips for business-specific photos
More for shop owners
Related guides
- What to Put on Your Auto Repair Shop Homepage: Hours, Phone, Services
- Adding Business Details for Google: LocalBusiness / AutoRepair Schema
- Why Is My Auto Repair Shop Website Not Showing on Google?
General information for shop owners, not legal advice. Last reviewed October 2026.