With its 5.4 billion searches daily, Google is the world’s leading search engine, and it is also the top destination for prospective car buyers since more than 90% of them start their car buying journey online. So, the importance of Google Vehicle Listings in increasing dealership visibility and generating more leads is immense. As a pivot feature, vehicle listings on Google enable car dealers to stand out from the crowd and showcase their car inventories to potential customers when actively searching. It can be even more powerful when this feature is linked with Google Ads, shown at the top of the search results. This article delves into the workings of Google Vehicle Listings and provides dealerships with practical advice for optimizing their use of this feature.
Features and Advertising Integration
Google Vehicle Listings allows dealerships to display their car inventory on Google’s SERP for free, enhancing the search experience for consumers. This feature provides essential details like the car’s year, make, model, and MSRP, along with the dealership’s location and distance from the visitors. Listings appear in the dealership’s Google Business Profile (GBP) and on the right side of search results, offering a clickable path to view the full inventory, with options to filter and sort by various criteria like price and mileage. If Google Vehicle Listings are integrated with Google Ads, dealers could potentially use the data from their car listings to launch Vehicle Ads.
They are a targeted, multi-channel, conversion-oriented advertisement type designed for automotive advertisers to showcase their full inventory to potential buyers on Google. These ads present an image of the vehicle with the exact details as vehicle listings. When a customer clicks on one of these vehicle ads, they are directed to the Vehicle Description Page (VDP) on the advertiser’s site, where they can engage in various activities such as reaching out to the dealer, filling out a lead form, among other steps, prior to visiting the car dealership. It would enable dealers to reach a broader audience, increase visibility for their inventory, and drive more qualified traffic to their listings or websites.
Best Practices for Google Vehicle Listings
- The dealership must be in the U.S. or its territories, where the vehicle listings program is available, and have a Vehicle Identification Number (VIN).
- Parts, accessories, services, auctions, and rentals are unsupported; only vehicles like cars, trucks, RVs, ATVs, motorcycles, and trailers are eligible.
- List only dealership direct-sale inventory; private, individual, or broker listings are prohibited.
- Show the minimum price accessible to every consumer, with discounts that apply to all.
- Vehicles priced outside the expected range for similar models will be excluded.
- New vehicles exceeding 20,000 miles will be excluded.
Image Policies for Vehicle Listings on Google
Under Google image policies, high-quality images that display the vehicle for sale against a minimal background are essential for optimal viewing on all screen sizes. Furthermore, images should be free from unstable URLs, watermarks, and overlays and appropriate for Google to crawl. It is not recommended to use placeholder or stock images that fail to depict the vehicle accurately.
Conclusion
In conclusion, Google Vehicle Listings is a pivotal tool for dealerships aiming to enhance online visibility and attract more potential buyers in the ever-evolving digital landscape. By integrating these listings with Google Ads, dealers can significantly amplify their reach and showcase their inventory to a broader audience right at the moment of search intent. Adhering to the best practices outlined for Google Vehicle Listings ensures compliance with Google’s guidelines and optimizes the online shopping experience for consumers, leading to increased engagement and potential sales. With the automotive industry increasingly moving online, leveraging Google Vehicle Listings effectively is a strategic imperative for dealerships to remain competitive and capitalize on the vast opportunities provided by Google’s extensive search network.
If you have any questions or comments regarding this article, please email [email protected].
All-in-one Digital Marketing Tool for Car Dealerships.
