Google’s Vehicle Listing Ads: Next Level Car Advertising

These days, most people know that you can buy almost anything online. Groceries can be easily purchased with organizations like Instacart, popular clothing retailers heavily promote their online marketplaces, and Amazon can be used for almost everything in between! Plus, despite where consumers eventually choose to buy from, nearly 63% of all sales start online. What does this mean? Well, even if consumers are not making their final purchase online, they’re using what’s there to guide their purchases.

The Internet is a massive resource for consumer research, and only a slightly less massive resource for actual purchases. With that being said, would it surprise you if we said even vehicles are being purchased online? It’s not as far-fetched as it seems, especially because Google has devised relatively new advertising formats specifically for car advertising. 

Online Car Ads with Google VLAs

Google VLAs, also known as vehicle listing advertisements, are a relatively new way of promoting local vehicle sales on Google. Released in March 2022, Google revealed this new ad format partially as a response to some key information. Around 89% of new car buyers research potential vehicles online! Why not purchase them there as well?

This type of ad is new in the realm of Google search ads, getting their own format for nearby vehicles that can be purchased close to home, or even delivered to consumers for them. With this type of vehicle advertising, shopping for a car, truck, or SUV online just got a lot easier. 

Using Google Search Ads for Vehicles

So, how does all that work? How is the format different from typical Google search ads, and what makes it more beneficial for vehicle advertising? 

Let’s say that you are in the market for a 2018 SUV, and you search that on Google. After searching, you’re likely to see a variety of vehicle options with immediate and easily available information about said vehicles, such as:

• Photos
• Location
• Make
• Model
• Price 
• Mileage

Clicking on the advertisement of a car you are interested in will bring you to the vehicle’s description page on the website of the dealership you chose, and allows businesses to direct you to either their contact page, or a lead generation form. Organizations are also able to pick the advertisement interactions they’d like to measure, such as website visits and form leads.

Get Started on Vehicle Advertising

If you are part of an auto dealership or group, Google’s vehicle listing advertisements are a great direction for your marketing strategies to go. Lastly, by feeding information about your inventory to Google, Google can match these details to potential customers and get key performance insights. Ready to get started with vehicle advertising? Get in touch with AdVentures Media Solutions for automotive advertising strategies.