When a driver in Portugal is looking for a garage — whether for a service, tyre change or IPO — chances are they'll choose one of the first options that come up in search. If your Car Spot profile isn't optimised, those drivers will pass you by and go to a competitor. This guide explains exactly what determines where your garage appears in Car Spot's local search results, and how to make sure you're at the top.
How Local Search Works on Car Spot
Car Spot uses several factors to decide which garages to show a driver searching in a specific area. Location is the most important factor — Car Spot prioritises garages closest to the driver. But when several garages exist in an area (which is almost always the case in cities), other factors come into play: profile completeness, service list, review score, and whether the garage has an active Car Spot subscription.
Step 1: Make Sure Your Location Is Correct
The most critical factor in local search is having the correct address and postcode on your Car Spot profile. If your location is wrong — even by a single postcode error — your garage can show up in searches for the wrong area and fail to appear in the right ones. Check your address in the Car Spot dashboard and confirm the map marker is in the correct place.
Step 2: Complete Every Section of Your Profile
Car Spot rewards complete profiles with greater visibility. A profile with a detailed description, a full services list, photos, opening hours and complete contact details consistently ranks higher than a partially filled-in profile. Think of it as a checklist: every missing section is a lost opportunity for visibility.
- Garage description: A minimum of 100 words explaining what you do, how long you've been in the trade, and what sets you apart.
- Services list: Tick every service you offer — searches filter by service type.
- Photos: A minimum of five photos — exterior, workshop interior, reception and team.
- Opening hours: Including Saturdays — many drivers look for a garage at the weekend.
- Phone number and email: Both should be monitored during the stated hours.
Step 3: List All Your Services
The services list on Car Spot isn't just informative — it's functional. When a driver searches for 'annual service near me' or 'tyre change Lisboa', Car Spot filters results based on the services garages have listed. If you don't list a service, you won't appear in searches for it, even if you offer it. Take the time to go through the full services checklist in the Car Spot dashboard and tick everything your team does.
- IPO (mandatory periodic vehicle inspection) — preparation and follow-up
- Annual, intermediate and full service
- Tyres — supply, fitting, balancing, alignment
- Brakes — pads, discs, calipers
- Engine diagnostics and fault-code reading
- Air conditioning — regassing and repair
- Electrical — battery, alternator, starter
- Clutch and gearbox
- Battery servicing for electric and hybrid vehicles
The Car Spot dashboard gives you full control over your public profile. Update your services, photos, hours and description to maximise your visibility in local searches. A garage with a complete Car Spot profile receives significantly more enquiries than one with an incomplete profile.
Set up your garage profileStep 4: Build Your Review Score
Reviews affect both how drivers perceive you and where you appear in Car Spot's search results. A garage with 40 reviews at 4.8 stars will show up more often — and convert better — than one with 5 reviews at 5 stars. Volume matters. Make asking for reviews a habit after every job: at vehicle handover, or in a follow-up text message with a direct link to your Car Spot reviews page.
Step 5: Keep Your Profile Up to Date
Car Spot favours active profiles. A garage that regularly updates its information, adds fresh photos and keeps its services list current tends to rank higher than one that sets up its profile and then forgets it. Make a habit of reviewing your Car Spot profile once a quarter — update the description if anything has changed, upload a new photo if you have one, and check the opening hours are correct.