Surprisingly, more and more people have begun using the web to look up various auto purchase options. Google, of course, looks to lean into the trend, bringing with it a couple of new vehicle ads on Search. The new ads will feature nearby cars for sale, providing a more direct connection from search results.

Google Mobiles 

Google’s new vehicle ad option will allow auto sellers to occupy the crucial top of search real estate, helping to maximize attention and response.

As Google explains:

“For example, if someone searches for a 2019 SUV, they’ll see several vehicle options they can either purchase nearby or get delivered – along with pictures and inventory information like location, make, model, price, and mileage. Once they select a car, the ad will direct them to the vehicle description page on your website where they can fill out a lead form or get your dealership’s contact information.”

To use the new placement, auto advertisers will need to create what’s called a ‘Vehicle Inventory Data Feed’ and connect it via The Google Merchant Center. This is a step that cannot be skipped or overlooked as doing so currently would not allow you to fuel your listings and ensure that they’re up to date.

It could be a good way to maximize awareness among searchers, given that 95% of those wanting to buy a vehicle now use online sources to find vehicle information – twice as many as those who still go with the somewhat traditional car dealer approach. This must be a key consideration for modern auto sellers, where they must adapt old practices to better suit newer consumer trends and behaviors. If the real estate industry is making its way into TikTok, then we don’t see reasons why the car industry wouldn’t be able to do the same. Coincidentally, Facebook Marketplace has been seeing increased auto searches and purchases, with TikTok even publishing an auto marketer guide to help them better sell on the platform.

True enough, Google says that advertisers who complimented their existing Search campaigns with these new vehicle ads saw, on average, a 25% increase in conversion – and this was only in beta testing!

The Wrap

All things considered, it could well be a key consideration. With a shift towards a preference in online shopping, it’s not too far to imagine a future where cars and even houses would be as easy to buy online as it is to go to the convenience store and purchase a pack of gum. Well, at least that’s where the idea is headed. While it’ll take a considerable amount of time before things get fully normalized under a new ‘purchased online’ model, the important first steps have been taken.

Currently, Google’s new vehicle ads placement is available in the US, with expansions to other regions coming soon.

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Sources 

https://bit.ly/3MNXtpk