- Apr 7, 2009
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This thread is just the tip of the iceberg.The people ahead of the curve aren't Googling for answers — they're already in here, having the conversations you haven't found yet. DealerRefresh is free.Get the full picture →
Google Base
- Thread starter joe.pistell
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- May 1, 2006
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- Alex
- Apr 7, 2009
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- Brian
Dealer.com exports to Google base for free and has so for a year or two but I can't recall if I have ever had someone mention finding it on Google base. I tell myself that it helps our organic rankings but I am not sure if I can verify that statement. I am not sure if google base has any value but like Alex mentioned you can't really complain since it's free and requires no effort on our part. Can anyone weigh in on the benefits of google base? @ Joe- curious why you ask?
- May 1, 2006
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I don't know exactly what Google has up their sleeve, but by watching how our SEO performance changes and speaking with some people who know it better than me I have a theory:
Google's mission is the provide the searcher with the most relevant and timely results. Within that mission, they want to give their customers a way to get to the end result - no middlemen. In the case of new vehicles in the automotive industry, this would mean the end result is a car dealership's website or the actual manufacturer's page. Used vehicles get a little tricky because there are independent sellers and private sellers that are just as relevant and timely as a franchised dealership. But, Google is still trying to get the person past the middleman. So, if the middleman is Cars.com or Autotrader.com then they will either benefit (in Google searches) by a market of non-SEO-knowledged dealerships or will have to do more with PPC advertising in order to breach Google's goals.
As for Google Base, I think it was an experiment by Google to see if they could be the middleman themselves, but then realized it did not jive with their mission. That, or they realized there is a better revenue stream from somewhere else, so they don't do much with Google Base anymore.
These are just my theories - I have nothing to back them up.
Google's mission is the provide the searcher with the most relevant and timely results. Within that mission, they want to give their customers a way to get to the end result - no middlemen. In the case of new vehicles in the automotive industry, this would mean the end result is a car dealership's website or the actual manufacturer's page. Used vehicles get a little tricky because there are independent sellers and private sellers that are just as relevant and timely as a franchised dealership. But, Google is still trying to get the person past the middleman. So, if the middleman is Cars.com or Autotrader.com then they will either benefit (in Google searches) by a market of non-SEO-knowledged dealerships or will have to do more with PPC advertising in order to breach Google's goals.
As for Google Base, I think it was an experiment by Google to see if they could be the middleman themselves, but then realized it did not jive with their mission. That, or they realized there is a better revenue stream from somewhere else, so they don't do much with Google Base anymore.
These are just my theories - I have nothing to back them up.
- Apr 13, 2009
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We send to Google Base... Benefits are once your inventory is their users can create mash ups... their distribution is not like Oddle or Vast... but still every little bit helps... also There were plans from Google to link the vehicles to organic search results... same as shopping results... but so for no go. here is a shot from 2004...
- Apr 7, 2009
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hmmm....Maybe they just want to steal our pics for Google Images -Kidding- good feedback thanks!
- Apr 7, 2009
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Any Google Base updates out here? Any one using it? Has Google Base wandered into our arena? I hit my radar again a few weeks ago and I want to bury it 
refinance rate - Google Search
refinance rate - Google Search
- Apr 10, 2009
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- Matt
Google base is now Google Merchant Center and it doesn't seem to allow vehicle listings.
- Apr 7, 2009
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Matt, take a look around,
Ebay's and trucksales.com is all over it: FORD F150 - Google Product Search
BZ and BiondiMotors: FORD focus - Google Product Search
I dont see it on natural search, but if you drill into the shopping side, some people are there
- Apr 10, 2009
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In their program policies it says vehicles are not allowed.
"Event tickets, vehicles, services, and products bundled with service plans (such as cell phones) should not be submitted for listing in Google Product Search."
Program Policies - Google Merchant Center Help
"Event tickets, vehicles, services, and products bundled with service plans (such as cell phones) should not be submitted for listing in Google Product Search."
Program Policies - Google Merchant Center Help
✨ AI Highlights
Dealers discuss whether Google Base (later rebranded as Google Merchant Center) is worth using for vehicle inventory distribution. While the service is free and some dealers use it, there's skepticism about its actual value—no one reports meaningful traffic from it, and Google's official policies explicitly prohibit vehicle listings, though some sellers appear to circumvent this on Google Product Search. The consensus is that it's a low-effort, no-cost option that may theoretically help SEO, but dealers have little evidence it generates real business results.
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