05/29/2026
Talked to an auto shop owner last week who told me referrals were his bread and butter. Said he wasn't convinced Google was doing much for him. Totally fair assumption, because he wasn't seeing any obvious results from it.
We pulled up his Google Business Profile and showed him the last 30 days. 2,100 search impressions. That's how many times his shop showed up when someone nearby searched for auto repair. He went quiet for a second.
The problem wasn't the visibility. The problem was what people found when they clicked. His last photo was from three years ago. Hours hadn't been updated since he changed them after COVID. No recent reviews. The profile looked like the business might not even be open anymore.
He had no idea how many of those 2,100 people looked him up and kept scrolling. The referrals were working because those customers already trusted him. Everyone else needed a reason to, and the profile wasn't giving them one.