How does Google determine which auto repair shops show up in maps and the Local Pack? We get that question from auto repair shop owners all the time. The great news is that the recent release of Whitespark’s 2026 Local Search Ranking Factors gives us up-to-date answers.
For this incredibly in-depth survey, Whitespark asked 47 local search experts what factors are most important and what adjustments are having the biggest impact on Google search results. The depth and specificity of the survey results make this a can’t miss tool for local businesses like auto repair shops.
We are going to take an in-depth look at the details of the survey on this blog. We plan to do it in small bites, and we’ll start with a critically important piece for auto repair shops – the Local Pack and Google Maps.
What is the Local Pack?
The Local Pack is the box that usually will include three local businesses with an ad at the top. It usually shows up toward the top of Google’s search engine results page and on a desktop computer, it will be right next to the map. You can see an example below.
The Local Pack is important because somewhere around 33% of clicks on Google’s search engine results page (SERP) go to businesses represented in the Local Pack. For in-depth information on the Local Pack, please see our previous blog – What is the Local Pack and why does it matter for auto repair shops?
An important note before we dive into the results – your position in the Local Pack and Google Maps is driven by your Google Business Profile (GBP). It is your GBP that shows up in these places and carries the most weight for impacting your rankings.
An important note before we dive into the results – your position in the Local Pack and Google Maps is driven by your Google Business Profile (GBP). It is your GBP that shows up in these places and carries the most weight for impacting your rankings.
3 key local search trends and what they mean for auto repair shops
- Review signals are trending up in importance. Google loves to reward businesses for reviews. Quality, recency, and frequency all matter. If you want to perform well in the Local Pack and maps, make the effort to consistently get great reviews.
- Hours are significantly impacting results. This is a new development over the last year or two. When a consumer conducts a search for auto repair, Google is going to give an advantage to shops that are open at that time.
The first thing you need to do is make sure your shop’s hours are always accurate. You also may want to consider opening an hour early or staying open an hour later. If all the shops in your area are open from 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, you can gain an advantage by being open for more hours. If you are the only shop open until 6:00 pm and a consumer searches at 5:30 then you will be very likely to be the top result.
3. Choosing Google’s predefined services can give you an advantage. Select as many of Google’s predefined services as your shop offers. And then also add custom services. The services you select on your GBP can ensure you show up for searches specific to that service. For instance if you have selected AC Repair and a consumer searches for AC Repair you will increase the likelihood that you show up in the Local Pack.
Top 10 factors affecting the Local Pack and Maps
Unfortunately, there is very little you can do to help your shop perform better on factors 1 through 5. Make sure you pick the right primary category, which will almost always be Auto Repair Shop (#1). You are not likely going to change your location (#2 and #4). Don’t manipulate your business name in your GBP to include keywords because you risk getting suspended by Google (#3). (However, if you are changing your shop’s name, or haven’t named it yet, it’s a great idea to include auto repair in the name.) Finally at #5 – something you have some control over – your business hours. See above for guidance on those.
The good news is that you do have more opportunities to positively impact your ranking after that. Your Google review ratings can have a significant impact on your ranking. You see that at #6 – High Numerical Google Ratings and #9 – Quantity of Native Google Reviews. Getting more great reviews is going to increase your chances of performing well in the Local Pack and Maps. Another thing you can do is to make sure you select all of the categories for your GBP that your shop qualifies for – this is #8. These could be things like Tire Shop or Towing.
While impacting the Top 10 factors can be difficult, your opportunity increases significantly when you expand out to the Top 25 factors. Instead of just listing them let’s take a look at the Top 25 based on themes while highlighting some action items you can take.
Reviews significantly impact your rankings
We just mentioned reviews and they are worth mentioning again because they are a significant factor in the top 15:
- #6 – High Numerical Google Ratings (e.g. 4-5)
- #9 – Quantity of Native Google Reviews (w/ text)
- #11 – Recency of Reviews
- #14 – Sustained Influx of Reviews Over Time (rather than bursts)
The local search experts are saying that recency, frequency, quality and number of reviews all matter. We’ve been saying it for years – your best plan is to consistently ask for reviews from happy customers. Ask them verbally before they leave your shop. Ask them via text and/or email. This is really the #1 thing you can do to help your rankings in the Local Pack and Maps.
Google Business Profile optimization will help you rank higher in the Local Pack
By now search engine optimization or SEO is fairly well known by many as an approach to help your website perform better in organic search. However, far fewer business owners realize there is an art and a science to optimizing your GBP to perform better in the Local Pack and maps. There are 6 important GBP optimization factors in the Top 25:
- #8 – Additional GBP Categories
- #10 – Proper Placement of Map Pin
- #15 – HTML NAP Matching GBP NAP
- #16 – Completeness of GBP
- #21 – Proper Hours Set on GBP
- #22 – Presence of GBP Predefined Services
Your GBP presents a lot of opportunities for you to tell Google exactly what type of business you are and to help them display your shop in searches where potential customers are looking for the services that you provide. Help them help you by being sure to leverage all of those opportunities.
One of the key points from this list is to make sure everything is accurate on your GBP – the address, the phone number, your name, your hours, etc. The other big one is to be sure to select additional categories and services that you offer. These can give you a much greater opportunity to show up for more specific searches, things like brake repair or A/C service or BMW maintenance. The list goes on and on.
Your website’s SEO is also significant
We will cover the key factors in organic search in a later blog but it’s important to note that your website’s SEO is also a significant factor in your auto repair shop’s rankings in the Local Pack and Google Maps. Here are the SEO factors showing up in the Top 25:
- #17 – Keywords in GBP Landing Page Title Tag
- #18 – Geographic (City/Neighborhood) Keyword Relevance of Content
- #20 – Keywords in GBP Landing Page Headings (H1, H2, etc)
- #24 – Dedicated Page for Each Service
- #25 – Quality/Authority of Inbound Links to GBP landing Page URL
Just to confirm how important the Top 25 factors are – there were 187 total factors included in the survey. So, the Top 25 represent the top 13% of factors.
The website SEO factors highlighted above represent technical and content-focused SEO. They point to the importance of a smartly structured website with relevant content that represents everything that an auto repair shop has to offer. Importantly, this goes to show that if you don’t wisely optimize your website, it won’t just hurt your organic search results, it will also negatively impact your Local Pack and maps results.
Where your shop appears on the Local Pack and Google Maps when a potential customer searches for auto repair and other relevant services can have a significant impact on how much new business you can attract online. By focusing on the key factors highlighted above you can boost your visibility and beat the competition.
If you need help getting your shop to show up in the Local Pack and Google Maps, please call us at 919-398-6171 or email us at team_rsw@repairshopwebsites.com.
