Google My Business adds inventory

[Greg Spencer]

Dealership panels on Google My Business have recently added inventory. Now dealerships can have VDPs with multiple photos and vehicle features. Has anyone taken advantage of this?

How do you all think this will impact third-party sites?

 

[Dan Sayer]

Dealership panels on Google My Business have recently added inventory. Now dealerships can have VDPs with multiple photos and vehicle features. Has anyone taken advantage of this? How do you all think this will impact third-party sites?
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From what I understand, in an article sent to my 20Group by David Kain here, we would have to select one of a few approved vendors to set up the feed. Anyone know what that vendor list is?

 

[Cody Teegerstrom]

Open it up, Google!

 

[Jim Lease]

I just saw that DBA out of St. Petersburg, FL is an approved vendor and they are charging $35/mo per location with a one year contract.

And right now, the inventory tabs will only show up in the mobile view of a GMB listing.

 

[Jim Lease]

They're saying the inventory postings will not initially be indexed by Google. But they're pointing to what Google did with SWIS. Initially when SWIS was launched the listings we're not indexed and then a little later on users saw inventory posted via SWIS showing up in the Google search results.

 

[Greg Spencer]

I'm working on an AIM Group article about this. I put some detailed questions to Google, most of which were ignored. It's a pilot test, so seems like they're keeping it close to the vest. But here's what Google told me:

"Last year, as part of our continued efforts to help connect businesses with potential customers, we began working with select car dealers and data providers in the U.S. to pilot new ways for dealerships to showcase their cars for sale directly on their Business Profiles in Search. We've heard from potential car buyers that surfacing this inventory information directly on Google helps them quickly explore and compare available cars, leading to more qualified leads for dealers.

Dealers and related businesses can fill out a partner interest form if they’d like to learn more about this opportunity. The car inventory information is powered by feeds shared directly from dealers or their data providers. Google is not charging a fee for this feature."

 

[Dan Sayer]

@Jim Lease one of my 20Group members just signed up with DBA as well. I scheduled a demo with them Friday morning but went ahead and enrolled here https://dbaplatform.com/car-dealership-inventory-on-google and it seems to be a pretty automated process so far.

 

[Jim Lease]

DBA is saying they can just scrape all the required inventory info from a dealer's website.

When asked if dealers can send their inventory feed directly to Google, DBA's reply was "Not at this time. Dealers need to go through an approved vendor."

 

[Dan Sayer]

DBA is saying they can just scrape all the required inventory info from a dealer's website.

When asked if dealers can send their inventory feed directly to Google, DBA's reply was "Not at this time. Dealers need to go through an approved vendor."

For good measure I also filled out the form @Greg Spencer provided here which gives the option of my sending the file without a vendor.

 

[Greg Spencer]

Great info @Dan Sayer and @Jim Lease !