Google vehicle ads for car dealers: what they are and how to start

What a vehicle ad shows

An image of the vehicle with its make, model, price, mileage and the advertiser's name. A click takes the shopper to the vehicle's page on your website, where they can contact you (Google).

Who can use them

• Allowed: dealers, retailers, aggregators and manufacturers, for new and used vehicles.
• Not allowed: private sellers, individuals and auto brokers.
• Vehicle types: non-commercial passenger vehicles such as cars and pickup trucks. Commercial vehicles, farm vehicles, buses, two-wheelers, boats and outdoor utility vehicles are not allowed (Google).

Where they're available

Source: Google Merchant Center Help

What you need to start

1. A Google Ads account linked to a Merchant Center account and to your Google Business Profile.
2. The vehicle ads add-on turned on in Merchant Center.
3. A vehicle data feed with every required detail filled in.
4. A Performance Max or Standard Shopping campaign in Google Ads.
5. A website with a page for each vehicle, since that's where the ad sends shoppers.

Steps from Google Merchant Center Help.

What happened to Google's free vehicle listings?

Google's developer page says the organic vehicle listings feature "will no longer appear" in Search and that "processing of vehicle listing feeds will also be stopped" (Google for Developers). Paid vehicle ads continue.

Tips that make vehicle ads work

• Real photos of the actual vehicle, following Google's image guidelines
• The same price as on your website and Marketplace
• Your own video assets: Google recommends uploading them so Performance Max doesn't create videos automatically
• Placement exclusions so your ads don't show in irrelevant apps

Or let Drive Good set it up

We connect your vehicles, build the campaigns and keep your Google Business Profile and reviews active. See Google vehicle ads and reviews →