Google expands Vehicle Listing Ads to new markets

Vehicle Listing Ads (VLA) within Google Ads are now live and open for Beta-listing in the UK, Germany, and France.

Previously only available in open beta in the U.S., Canada, and Australia, VLA will also soon be rolled out to the Netherlands, Italy, and Spain by the end of the second quarter of the year.

Why we care. If you are a business or marketer trying to sell vehicles in the UK, Germany or Frances, VLA can help you reach high-value consumers actively looking for vehicles, increasing your chances of generating high quality leads.

What are VLA? Google’s Vehicle Listing Ads enable auto advertisers to display their full inventory directly to consumers searching for vehicles on Google. This format provides key information such as images, make, model, price, mileage, and advertiser details within search results, facilitating connections with interested buyers and generating qualified leads.

Clicking on a VLA directs customers to the vehicle description page on your website. Here, they can take further actions such as contacting the dealer, filling out a lead form, and more, prior to visiting the dealership.

First spotted. Christopher Bell, Head of PPC at Kelkoo, was the first to flag the VLA news and shared a screenshot on LinkedIn:

Accessibility. VLA are accessible exclusively through the classic version of the Merchant Center, as they have not yet been integrated into the Merchant Center Next platform.

Eligibility. VLA support both new and used vehicle inventory from dealers, retailers, aggregators or original equipment manufacturers (OEMs). However, some exclusions apply, such as:

• Private sellers.
• Individuals.
• Auto brokers.
• Some vehicle types like recreational and commercial vehicles, farm vehicles, etc.

Getting started. To start using VLA, you will need to upload your vehicle data feed to Merchant Center, including key details such as make, model, price, mileage, color, and more. Google utilizes this information to match customer searches with the most relevant cars.

However, to utilize VLA, you must first create Performance Max campaigns with vehicle feeds on Google Ads. Additionally, you need to link you Google Ads account to a Merchant Center account and a Google Business Profile. Alternatively, a shop feed can be used if you do not manage the profiles for the dealer locations.

Benefits. VLA can help you reach “vehicle shoppers online at the right moment, with the right listings and information to move them closer to a purchase,” according to Google. Key advantages include:

• More qualified leads.
• Omnichannel goals.
• Automated targeting.

Deep dive. Read Google’s vehicle ads overview for more information.