Google Vehicle Ads: Requirements Your Car Dealership Must Meet

At a glance

Topic

requirements for Google Vehicle Ads at car dealerships

Needed

direct sales with a physical location, vehicle data in the feed, one page per vehicle, Business Profile

Goal

about 7 business days from the first consultation to the first ad

Google Vehicle Ads (in German: Fahrzeuganzeigen) show your vehicles with image, price and mileage in Google Search. The click leads to the vehicle page on your website. AZ Onlinemarketing in Saarbrücken, Germany, is a Google Partner and Google Ads Vehicle Partner and manages vehicle ads for car dealerships.

• Direct sellers of new and used vehicles for purchase or leasing. Intermediaries are excluded.
• Aggregators and manufacturers may only upload vehicles from dealerships with a valid license.
• You need a physical location where customers can view or buy the vehicle.
• Dealers need a valid dealer license where local law requires one.

Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are allowed, as are vehicles not used commercially, such as motorhomes or quad bikes. Every vehicle needs a vehicle registration document.

• Not eligible: motorcycles, mopeds, boats, aircraft, agricultural vehicles, go-karts and race cars.
• Not eligible: vehicle subscriptions and auctions.
• Not eligible: spare parts, accessories, tires and services.
• Not acceptable: accident vehicles and vehicles with a lien.

The feed runs in Google Merchant Center with the "Vehicle ads" program. The following applies:

• The store code in the feed matches the business data.
• Your website passes the program's eligibility check.
• Image links and availability are present and correct.
• Mileage is given in a supported unit, for example kilometers.
• The link template contains "?store={store_code}" and leads to the vehicle page.

Google's help page does not give a complete list of all required attributes. Google defines the feed specification in a separate article. With us, the feed runs through a data partner.

Every ad leads to the page of exactly this vehicle. The address is reachable and displays the advertised vehicle correctly. The price in the feed matches the price on the page exactly.

Once a vehicle is sold, you update the availability in the feed. Outdated data leads to disapprovals.

1. A new Merchant Center just for your dealership.
2. Link the Google Business Profile with the Merchant Center. You approve it.
3. A new Google Ads account in your name. AZ is admin.
4. Link Google Ads and Merchant Center.
5. Verify the website.
6. Wait for Google's review. It usually takes 1 to 2 business days.
7. Enable the Vehicle ads add-on.
8. Submit the feed through the data partner, first with a small selection of vehicles.
9. Start the campaign, as a standard Shopping or Performance Max campaign with a vehicle feed.

In our experience, Performance Max needs about 2 weeks to ramp up and 4 to 6 weeks until the first evaluation. Our goal: about 7 business days from the first consultation to the first ad.

• Your vehicle inventory is available digitally in your dealer management software.
• Every vehicle has photos.
• Every vehicle has its own page on your website.
• You have access to your website for verification.
• You have a Google Business Profile for every location.

Frequently asked questions

Who may use Google Vehicle Ads?

Direct sellers of new and used vehicles for purchase or leasing with a physical location. According to Google's policies, intermediaries are excluded.

Can I advertise motorcycles or accessories with vehicle ads?

No. According to Google's policies, motorcycles, boats, spare parts, accessories and tires are not eligible. Passenger cars and light commercial vehicles are allowed.

Do I need a Google Business Profile?

For the setup by AZ, yes. We link your Business Profile with the Merchant Center before we link the Google Ads account.

Do vehicle ads replace vehicle marketplaces?

No. Vehicle ads complement vehicle marketplaces. The click leads to your own website. Compare the cost per inquiry.

Who sets up Google Vehicle Ads for car dealerships in Saarland?

AZ Onlinemarketing in Saarbrücken is a Google Ads Vehicle Partner and manages vehicle ads for car dealerships.