Should Google Vehicle Ads replace other advertising mediums car dealers use?
March 18, 2024
Lone told guests that this could complement the likes of Auto Trader advertising but the difference here was ‘people use Google as part of their daily lives’.
Lone did not think car dealers should change their existing advertising, but test with Vehicle Ads instead. He told the audience that Google advertising was intended to be a ‘profit centre’ for partners.?
‘When you invest one pound on this platform, we want you to make three pounds, because then you’ll be happy with it and you’ll continue investing in it,’ he said.
‘So I would really look at this as less of an additional cost. It’s a new opportunity to find new customers, and ultimately, to make more revenue for the business.’
Lone said it is ‘impossible’ to give a cost to the advertising solution as every advertiser can choose a different budget. He said dealers should think about what they want to get out of the adverts and then track the results of any campaigns carefully.
Mohammad Lone spoke to James Baggott at Car Dealer Live. Watch the video interview at the top of this page
Can dealers set up Vehicle Ads themselves?
They can, but it involves reading up on, and understanding, the feed requirements. One suggested that dealers look into this in detail first as they will need to have their feed of stock ‘approved’.
Lone added: ‘There are many business partners out there who are experts in feeds. So find the right partner for your business – that can help you quite a lot.’
Lone said the dealers who are getting the most out of the beta test are those that have taken a little longer to work out what they want to get out of the adverts – be that a call, a test drive, a reservation or something else.?
‘The key thing you need to make sure you do is tell the system what’s worth what to you,’ added Lone. ‘If you tell it what a call is worth to you and what a reservation is worth you can work out accurately what the ROI is.’
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Lone explained that maintaining your feed is important too, ensuring it is kept up to date. Lots of ‘high quality’ images are important too with ‘minimal/plain backgrounds’.
Lone said dealers should run campaigns for at least four to six weeks to get sufficient data.
Which dealers are being accepted onto the closed beta test?
While no specifics of who is currently on the test, Lone told Car Dealer that Google had been looking for a mix of car manufacturers, dealer groups, marketplaces and independent dealers.
‘They need to be open to new products and willing to test, learn and give feedback,’ he explained.
Dealers can apply to be part of the test via their Google account manager.
More details on the Google Vehicle Ads can be found in this ‘Performance Max’ campaign guide .
Watch the full interview with Lone from Car Dealer Live at the top of this page.
James Baggott
James is the founder and editor-in-chief of Car Dealer Magazine, and CEO of parent company Baize Group. James has been a motoring journalist for more than 20 years writing about cars and the car industry.