Google is making things a little easier for car dealers and potential customers with the recent launch of vehicle ads. Ken Garff Automotive Group piloted the program, which shows nearby cars for sale to consumers, and the group has been using these ads ever since. Today on Inside Automotive, we’re pleased to welcome Google’s Head of Automotive Retail, Lissette Gole, and Nate Sato, Director of Digital Marketing at Ken Garff Automotive, to discuss this recent development further.
Google announced the start of its new automotive marketing program at the National Automobile Dealers Association Show this year, which will make it easier for car dealers to showcase their inventory, explains Gole. In other words, a Google user looking for a specific car is only one click away from discovering one that is available at a nearby dealer or retailer.
The Vehicle ads format is on the search engine results page and is only available to retailers and dealers, meaning individuals and private sellers are not eligible to use them. Vehicle ads only support non-commercial passenger vehicles, meaning commercial vehicles and recreational vehicles cannot be sold through the program.
Ken Garff Automotive was really excited to be approached by Google to pilot this endeavor, says Sato. The results were immediate, he adds. The nine dealerships that tested the platform saw low cost per clicks, high traffic to the website, and a 55% increase in conversions.
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