You checked Google Maps, and your collision repair shop has 47 five-star reviews. The competitor down the street has 52 reviews, many with three stars. Yet, they are still getting more calls than you.
Why? It is about visibility.
Why This Matters
If your shop does not show in the Local Pack, the three businesses Google displays at the top of the map, customers never see you.
This is the section most people click when they search “auto body shop near me.”
If you are not there, your reviews do not matter because your shop is skipped before the phone ever rings.
The Mistake: Thinking Reviews Work Alone
Reviews matter, but they are only one signal. Google ranks local shops using three factors:
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Relevance
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Distance
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Prominence
How Google Decides Who Shows Up
Relevance
Does your shop clearly match what the customer searched for?
If Google cannot tell exactly what you do and where you do it, you will not rank.
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Missing services
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Vague descriptions
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Weak online presence.
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No or unclear location listed
How to fix relevance signals
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List all the services you offer in your Google Business Profile.
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Use clear phrases like “collision repair in [city]” in your description.
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Make sure your website mentions your city and nearby neighborhoods.
Distance
How close your shop is to the searcher.
You cannot change your address. But you can make sure Google understands where you actually serve.
How to fix distance signals
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Set your service area accurately in your Google Business Profile.
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Use location pages on your website for nearby cities or neighborhoods.
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Make sure your address is consistent everywhere online.
Prominence
How trusted and active your business appears. This is where reviews, photos, and activity matter.
How to fix prominence signals
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Respond to every review, good or bad.
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Add new photos regularly: shop, team, and active repairs.
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Post one update per week in your Google Business Profile.
What Most Shops Miss
Most shops focus on reviews alone while missing the other 2 key pieces. Google looks at the full picture.
A shop can lose visibility from weak relevance, unclear location signals, or inactivity. Fixing all three signals is what moves you into the Local Pack.
Consistency beats volume.
