Reserve with Google Button Being Tested on Automotive GMB Listings
Google may be getting ready to make it even easier for automotive dealers to connect with their customers. Reserve with Google — a booking service Google offers — is currently testing the feature for auto dealerships.
While I don't know all the details yet, I wanted to let car dealers in on this major development so they can start to prepare for what this means.
Below is a mock-up of what the new feature might look like on an automotive listing.
This development marks a major breakthrough for automotive dealers. Here’s why.
Most auto websites are notoriously slow to load on mobile and difficult for customers to navigate. Generally, they also don’t deliver shoppers a web experience in line with what they've come to expect in 2019. But this can all change through the possible introduction of a Reserve with Google button on your dealership's GMB listing.
Organic Online Traffic in Decline
Organic traffic to your dealership’s website will likely continue to decline. In fact, as Search Engine Land recently pointed out, half of all organic queries don’t even result in a click through to a website. Mobile organic — which is where most automotive searches occur — accounts for the most zero-click searches.
Online Visibility is the Key to Auto Dealership Success
Those factors mean that auto dealerships must find alternate ways to be more visible online. This holds particularly true when potential customers are out and about, actively searching for a place to buy a new vehicle or to service their current one.
Get in on the Ground Floor of Reserve with Google
While I haven’t seen all the details yet, I have gleaned some information from conversations with various contacts at Google. Reserve with Google is already available for other verticals. From what my contacts tell me, Google is actively exploring the possibility of making the feature available for automotive sites as evidenced by the test currently underway.
What intrigues me are the possibilities. Will this feature focus on booking a test drive? Or, on the other hand, will it help customers schedule service appointments, such as oil changes, regular maintenance visits, or repair services?
I am, of course, spitballing here as Google itself has not confirmed its plans to test it on automotive businesses. In fact, when you click on “Choose a Provider,” the drop-down menu isn’t working yet.
My team at PureCars spotted this feature on only one listing out of the thousands of Google My Business automotive listings we regularly spot-check for new rollouts.
This planned new feature could become anything from “Schedule a Test Drive,” “Schedule Auto Service,” or even “Buy a Car." No matter the end result, it will undoubtedly help your dealership sell more vehicles.
Stay at the Top of Your Game in Local Searches with Google My Business
Meanwhile, now’s the time to invest in your Google My Business listing so that you can capture the most local search impressions within Google’s search engine results page. That helps you drive phone calls, website clicks, and directions requests from Google My Business.
In a rapidly-shifting online environment, your dealership must position itself at the top of local searches to bring in customers. To learn how your dealership can find new customers and nurture your current ones with Google My Business, get in touch with the PureCars team today.