The short answer
Your profile should accurately describe the real business, show current contact details and hours, and link to useful service or booking information. Genuine reviews and workshop photographs build confidence. Profile completeness is useful, but does not guarantee rankings.
Start with accuracy and ownership
Claim and verify the profile through Google’s available process. Keep access under your business’s control, rather than relying only on a former employee or supplier. Do not create duplicate profiles to target more keywords.
Use your real business name, not a string of search phrases. Choose an accurate primary category from the options Google provides. Add secondary categories only for work you genuinely carry out, rather than copying a competitor’s setup.
Check the details customers rely on
Compare your address, phone, opening and special hours against the website. Add current exterior, entrance and workshop photographs. Explain the services you really offer, and do not imply manufacturer approval or qualifications you do not hold.
Follow the website and appointment links on a phone. An appointment link should reach the right service or booking destination for the actual workshop, not a homepage that leaves the customer searching again.
Build a genuine review habit
Invite honest reviews after completed jobs without incentives. Never ask staff, family or a paid supplier to pose as customers. Google prohibits fake engagement, including incentivised reviews.
Answer feedback without publishing personal details. For a difficult complaint, explain a private contact route rather than exposing the customer’s history. Regular, thoughtful responses are more useful than defensive arguments.
Review the journey regularly
Open the profile as a customer would: check the hours, recent reviews, phone number and destination links. A correct profile still loses enquiries when the destination website is confusing.
Compare Google performance information with your own booking records. Views, directions and clicks are signals, not the same as completed paid work or proof that a particular edit improved ranking.
Sources & further reading
Put it into practice
A website built around your workshop.
Explore our specialist approach or talk to us about your next website. Clear scope, one fixed price.