Your Google Business Profile (GBP) is often the first impression a potential customer gets of your dealership. From sales to servicing, Motability to leasing – it all starts with search. If your profile isn’t working hard for you, you’re missing out on visibility, leads, and trust.
At Localise, we’ve worked with hundreds of UK dealers to optimise their GBPs for better results, and we’ve compiled the essential checklist every dealership should follow to ensure they’re making the most of this free but powerful tool.
Why Google Business Profile matters
When someone searches for your dealership or a local car dealer near them, your Google Business Profile is what appears in the local 3-pack and sidebar. It’s a critical space for:
Showcasing customer reviews and star ratings
Displaying key contact details and opening hours
Driving traffic to your website or click-to-call
Highlighting your vehicle stock, services, and offers
With customer journeys increasingly starting online, your profile needs to be accurate, complete, and engaging.
How to rank in the Local 3-Pack
To determine which dealerships appear in local searches, Google uses three key factors:
Proximity – How close the searcher is to your dealership
Prominence – Your reputation, reviews, and online authority
Relevance – How well your profile matches what someone is searching for
To influence these, your GBP needs consistent attention across three areas:
Data Management
Keep your core information accurate and consistent – this includes your business name, opening hours, website, services, categories, and even linked social profiles.
Optimisations
From uploading new photos and sharing offer posts to using keyword-rich content and linking to targeted landing pages – every detail improves visibility.
Reputation
Review generation, fast responses, and keyword-aware replies all help signal quality and relevance to Google, boosting your position in local search.
The Google Business Profile checklist for dealers
Here’s what every dealership should review:
1. Business Information Accuracy
Ensure your dealership name, address, phone number, and website are correct and consistent with your website and directories.
2. Categories and Attributes
Select the right primary category (e.g., Car Dealer) and relevant secondary categories (e.g., Used Car Dealer, Car Leasing Service). Add attributes like wheelchair access or languages spoken to stand out.
3. Opening Hours (Including Special Hours)
Keep your hours up to date – including bank holidays and seasonal changes. Mismatched times frustrate customers and damage trust.
4. High-Quality Photos and Videos
Add recent, high-quality images of your showroom, forecourt, and vehicles. Videos showing your facilities, team, or customer handovers can help bring your dealership to life.
5. Products and Services
List key offerings – from new and used vehicle listings to servicing, parts, and Motability. Use the Products and Services features to showcase these with descriptions and pricing where appropriate.
6. Regular Posts and Updates
Use GBP Posts to share offers, events, or news. Fresh content shows customers (and Google) that your business is active and responsive.
7. Review Management
Encourage satisfied customers to leave reviews. More importantly, respond to all reviews – good or bad – in a timely and professional manner. Dedicate some time in your calendar each week towards review management and your GBP will start to shine!
8. Q&A Section
Monitor and answer any public questions on your profile. Better yet, post your own FAQs with helpful answers in advance.
Ready to Own Your Local Area?
This checklist is just a starting point, but the difference it makes can be huge. More visibility. More enquiries. More footfall through your showroom doors.
At Localise, we help dealerships dominate local search with expert optimisation, review strategies, and local SEO consultancy.
Let’s chat if you want to turn your Google Business Profile into one of your dealership’s top-performing digital assets.
