Google My Business adds inventory

[Carl R.]

Hi, who are you using for the listing on Google. I have one company that I set up a call with, Automotive Only. Looking for other options to talk to before making a decision. Thanks!

Hi Loris. I work for Automotiveonly. Hopefully we will earn your business. Either way we wish you much success!!

 

[Rick Buffkin]

Any of you guys have this feature on both your mobile and desktop GMB listings now. I just saw it on ours. Could be gone in the the morning. Who knows

 

[Anthony G.]

Any of you guys have this feature on both your mobile and desktop GMB listings now. I just saw it on ours. Could be gone in the the morning. Who knows

View attachment 5670

It's been around on mine for a couple of months.

 

[Greg Spencer]

It looks like the GMB inventory ads have evolved from just mobile to mobile + desktop. Plus they've added a pop-up panel that shows larger format photos of listings you click on. I notice, though, when you click on the blue call-to-action words (e.g. "buy" or "learn more") you're sent directly to the VDP on the dealer's site.

I Googled a few dealership names from my desktop computer and can see some dealers' GMB panels have inventory ads, but most don't. I reckon you have to be actively participating in this project in order for the feature to work.

 

[Ryan Everson]

Any of you guys have this feature on both your mobile and desktop GMB listings now. I just saw it on ours. Could be gone in the the morning. Who knows

View attachment 5670

I noticed this as well.

Maybe this will double the referral traffic these GMB listings are driving from 10 clicks per month to 20 clicks per month?

 

[DrewAment]

We've been live for almost an entire month at 1 store and have UTM tags on the URLs. Results thus far.....1, yes 1, website visitor.

We saw similar results. And we also saw a decrease in SRP/VDP traffic from Google organic. You might see the same if you look at your logs.

A few comments:

1. Over 95% (stupid made up stat, but it is almost all) of the traffic is from customers looking for your dealership by NAME.

2. Customers viewing on inventory on GMB can't be retargeted - on sem, display, social, etc

3. Limited control over pricing, and displaying of OEM offers. No rebates, no APR specials, no lease specials, etc.

4. No cross selling other same/similar inventory

etc etc


I am still recommending removal of GMB inventory listings for all my stores. At least until we have some solid stats and info on WIIFTD.

 

[Rob]

I noticed this as well.

Maybe this will double the referral traffic these GMB listings are driving from 10 clicks per month to 20 clicks per month?

Always dropping little truth bombs.

There was such a hard push from EVERYONE to get this set up as soon as possible or else.

And..... boy is it underwhelming so far.

 

[KodyVoyles]

Still unlucky to the small businesses who can't get them listed without going through an approved vender.

Google needs to make this available to all dealerships.

 

[Ryan Everson]

If the dismal referral traffic results weren't enough to convince you to potentially reconsider GMB Cars For Sale listings, Google just rolled out a new "feature" that allows a user to choose between going to your dealership website or a third party site like AutoTrader, Cars.com, Carfax, Edmunds, etc.

Google My Business / Google Business Profile traffic is consistently dealerships' highest quality traffic source, now Google is trying to siphon off some of that coveted traffic to third party sites.

Thoughts @George Nenni?

 

[DrewAment]

Still unlucky to the small businesses who can't get them listed without going through an approved vender.

Google needs to make this available to all dealerships.

You can set it up yourself - you just need to know how to create a merchant center feed, connect the merchant center to Adwords, GMB, etc etc.

Problems I have seen include things like
-- overlays/branding (not allowed by google) - and most venders can make workaround like skipping first photo, zooming photo, etc etc
-- not knowing how/what campaign structure to use in Adwords
-- Goals not set-up in Adwords correctly

Paying a vender a reasonable FLAT (no %%) fee is totally worth it in my opinion to handle all these problems, and any changes "the Googles" come up with... remember still a "beta" and is changing.


EDIT/NOTE -- the notes above are for the PAID GoogleSEM.VLAs. I missed that this was for GMB.Inventory (SORRY)