A step-by-step SEO framework you can implement this quarter

This checklist is organized by impact tier, not alphabetical order. The tasks at the top improve the most visibility for the least effort. That's intentional.

Each task includes:

• Priority level (Quick Win, Core, Advanced) — your roadmap for sequencing
• Estimated time — realistic time investment for an in-house team or agency
• Expected impact — what signal this sends to Google

If you're implementing this yourself with limited time, focus exclusively on Quick Win and Core tasks. Advanced tasks (schema markup, content clusters, technical refinement) compound results but aren't required to start ranking.

If you're auditing an agency or contractor's work, use this checklist as your quality bar. Any reputable SEO firm should complete Quick Win and Core tasks within the first 60–90 days. If they're not, ask why.

Google Business Profile optimization — This is the single biggest lever for local repair shops. Google surfaces map results first, and your GBP profile controls how you appear.

• Claim and verify your profile if you haven't already
• Fill every field: business name, address, phone, hours (including holiday hours), website URL
• Upload 10–15 high-quality photos of your shop, team, and completed work
• Set primary category to 'Auto Repair' and add 2–3 secondary categories (Transmission Repair, Brake Service, Diagnostic Service)
• Write a 150-word business description that includes your service area and key services

NAP consistency audit — Check that your Name, Address, and Phone number are identical across your website, GBP, and top local directories (Google Maps, Yelp, Apple Maps, Yellowpages, Angie's List). Mismatches confuse Google's algorithms and dilute your local authority.

Time investment: 2–4 hours. Expected impact: 20–40% of shops see position improvements within 2 weeks.

Service page optimization — Your homepage and generic service pages don't rank for specific repair types. Create dedicated pages for your top services: Transmission Repair, Brake Service, Engine Diagnostics, Oil Change, Tire Rotation, etc.

• One page per service (or service category)
• Include your service area name 2–3 times naturally in the page copy
• Add FAQ schema markup (structured data) — Google displays FAQ sections in results and uses them as ranking signals
• Link internally from homepage and navigation

Local citation building — After verifying NAP consistency, add your business to directories you're missing. Industry benchmarks suggest shops appearing in 10+ authoritative directories rank higher than those in 3–5. Priority directories for auto repair: Yelp, Yellowpages, Angie's List, HomeAdvisor, Local.com, Thumbtack.

Review generation system — Ask customers for Google reviews immediately after service completion (via text, email follow-up, or in-shop signage). Aim for 1–2 reviews per week. Review recency matters more than volume.

Time investment: 8–12 hours over 6 weeks. Expected impact: Consistent top-3 map pack positioning within 60–90 days (varies by local competition).

Site speed and mobile responsiveness — Google ranks fast, mobile-friendly sites higher. Use Google PageSpeed Insights to audit your site. If your site loads in over 3 seconds on mobile, prioritize speed optimization before pursuing advanced tactics.

Broken links and crawlability — Use Google Search Console or Screaming Frog to identify broken links and pages Google can't crawl. Remove or redirect old service pages, broken photo galleries, or outdated blog posts. A broken internal link structure tells Google your site isn't maintained.

HTTPS and SSL certificate — Your site must use HTTPS. If it doesn't, your ranking potential is immediately capped.

Mobile-first indexing check — Verify your site renders correctly on mobile. Google now indexes the mobile version of your site first. If your mobile site is missing content, broken, or has poor user experience, your rankings will suffer.

Time investment: 2–4 hours for audit; fixes vary by site. Expected impact: Unblocks ranking potential; prevents algorithmic penalties.

Local schema markup — Add LocalBusiness, Organization, and Service schema to your site's code. This structured data tells Google exactly what your business is, where it's located, and what services you offer. Industry benchmarks suggest shops with complete schema markup see 10–15% click-through rate improvements in search results.

Blog content strategy — Don't write random blog posts. Target question-intent keywords your customers actually search: "Why does my transmission slip?" "How often should I rotate my tires?" "What causes a check-engine light?" One blog post per month addressing these questions builds topical authority over 6–12 months.

Review response and reputation management — Respond to every review (positive and negative) within 48 hours. Response rate is a ranking signal. Negative reviews managed well can improve your reputation signal more than ignoring them.

Video content — Shops with video (walkthroughs of service, team introductions, customer testimonials) see 15–20% more local map visibility than text-only competitors. Start with 3–5 short videos (60–90 seconds each).

Time investment: 4–6 hours per month ongoing. Expected impact: Competitive differentiation, improved click-through rates, higher local authority over 6+ months.

If you have 4 weeks: Focus on Quick Wins (GBP optimization, NAP consistency) and one Core task (service page optimization for your top 3 services). You'll see movement quickly.

If you have 12 weeks: Complete all Quick Win and Core tasks. This is the standard implementation timeline for shops starting from scratch or recovering from poor prior work.

If you have 6+ months: Add Advanced tasks after Core tasks are locked in. Technical foundation work happens continuously in parallel.

Red flag for agency evaluation: If a firm promises ranking improvements in 2–3 weeks without completing GBP optimization and NAP consistency first, they don't understand local SEO. Expect 30–60 days minimum before ranking movement with solid work.

Common mistake: Shop owners prioritize content (blog posts, service descriptions) before fixing foundational local signals. Google considers GBP, citations, and reviews before crawling your website content. Fix the foundation first; then build on it.