google my business marketing Archives

Google Adds Short Names To Your Google My Business Listing

June 12, 2019 by Jeffrey Taylor

Have You added your short name to your Dealership Google My Business listing yet?

What Are Google My Business Short Names?

Short names (or short links) have come to Google My Business. The brand new feature announced in a limited fashion in April appears to be available to most verified GMBs now.

There are still some businesses that have not received this new feature yet, so check your GMB dashboard.

As Google continues to add features and data points to your Google My Business Listings, it is now one of your most powerful marketing tools on the Internet. It makes sense that they would eventually add a way for you to shorten your link to it and make it easier to share with customers.

How does having a short name added to your Google My Business listing help your dealership?

Google has quietly released this feature that allows you to create a short name for your GMB, making it much easier to share your Google My Business listing with customers.

This newest addition to the Google My Business data portal was long overdue because it now makes it easier for users to follow a simple link and get access to your GMB profiles without the humongous link that Google now provides.

GMB Short Names Make it Easier to Direct People to Leave Reviews and Find Your Dealership!

For dealerships that are actively seeking 5 star reviews from Google it has been a nightmare emailing or directing satisfied customers to your GMB review link. The link is huge!

Google’s new release of short names is a huge step towards helping your dealership connect people to your GMB by eliminating the long URL that is easily lost in translation or cut off in emails.

Here’s How Google My Business Short Names Works!

Inside your GMB dashboard you will be able to choose a short name between 5 and 32 characters in length. It can contain the name of your dealership, location, and certain keywords, as long as you stay within the Google guidelines.

The shortened URL you can share with customers will look like this:

g.page/(shortname)

Google announced that short names will be first come first serve, so if you are looking for a short name with your city and keywords, it may get taken by your competition if you hesitate to take action.

If you have several GMBs – like sales, service, parts, body shop, you need to get into action quickly. I just helped a Ford dealer grab g.page/fordservice for their service department GMB.

What is the long term outlook for GMB short names?

At this point in time your GMB short name is a simple 301 redirect and has no SEO significance. In the short run a simple to remember name makes sense.

However, from my 20 years of following Google, there is a good chance it may evolve into much more. It is just another sign that Google is all in when it comes to local search and Google My Business profiles.

For right now having a short name will enable you to easily send satisfied customers to your Google My Business listing to leave a review at g.page/yourshortname/. If you hand review business cards to customers, it will be much easier for them to find the GMB .

If you have multiple dealerships or multiple brands under one rooftop (Chrysler, Jeep, Dodge, Ram) or (GMC, Buick) it is time to sit down and put together a good strategy before moving forward.

Things to consider:

Five to thirty two characters
You can use location in name (your city)
You can use keywords (honda dealer) (auto repair shop)
Must have verified listing in good standing
You can change your short name 3x per year. Once you relinquish one, it goes into the open market again.

Why Should You Care About Google My Business Marketing?

Google has been adding features to your GMB at an accelerated rate. With the huge growth of mobile device use, they see the revenue potential in local search, and have purposely placed your Google My Business listings in front of thousands of eyeballs every day.

Here are just some of the major GMB features that have been released in the past several years:

Google Posts – Events – Offers
Google Q&A
GMB Website
Services
Messaging
Videos
Videos in Google Posts
Multiple Offers – (2019)
Products (2019)
Short names (2019)

If your marketing strategists or digital agency gurus are not paying attention to what is currently happening on Google and cannot articulate a Google My Business marketing plan, it is time to engage with GMB experts that can effectively lay out a plan.

Great Article: When it comes to GMB Marketing Who’s Got Your back?

Want to see how you can drive more traffic to your website, increase phone calls and sell more cars? Let’s schedule a FREE, full analysis of your current situation and an online Demo of our proven GMB marketing platform in action.

Do you have a few minutes to learn the truth about what your Google My Business profile really does for your dealership? Are you tired of inefficiencies in your GMB platform that is costing you traffic and leads? Seriously, when it comes to GMB marketing, Who’s Got Your Back? AutoNet Media has Your Back!

Contact us right now by phone at 904-796-8527 (that’s the direct number of the top dog Jeffrey Taylor, our GMB expert ready to answer your questions) or fill out the form on this page and we will contact you promptly to set up a date and time. Just like Google, we move fast!

Google My Business Marketing for Car Dealers in 2020

April 15, 2019 by Jeffrey Taylor

Google has made major changes regarding how searchers find and use your website!

Fact: Your Dealership Google My Business listing has replaced your website home page in the Google local search results.

In most searches on Google, that is the case. Read on to understand how Google has purposely redesigned its search results pages to intercept traffic that normally would go to your website.

It is time that both Car Dealerships and Digital Marketing agencies change the way they view the many facets of the Google search engine and how it relates to driving traffic to your website.

Car shoppers aren’t engaging with your dealership on Google the same way they used to, and Google is changing how they display your dealership in the search results as well.

It is no secret that when it comes to people finding information, Google is the most powerful search tool on the planet. In fact, when it comes to driving prospects to your website and dealership, there is no alternative choice.

Fact: 90% of your customers will begin their search on Google.

The forward thinking dealerships that closely monitor Google and utilize all of the powerful tools they provide, will without a doubt have a major advantage over the competition.

Like it or not, Google is working harder to keep searchers on Google, instead of them clicking straight to your website.

The fact is, for quite some time now, Google has been showing more information about car buying related search phrases on the search results pages, with the full intent to keep them inside Google as long as possible.

These continuous changes by Google have made your Google My Business (GMB) profile more important than your website homepage.

Why? Because your GMB is now the first thing most shoppers will see before they ever reach your website.

Before Google redesigned their page one search results to make the local 3-pack more prominent, searchers would have to click to your website for hours, phone number, address etc…

In other words, Google has populated your GMB with so much information, there is very little reason to click to your website. Unless you give them one!

Not only can searchers get your number, location, and hours, they can decide if they want to do business with you by reading the reviews.

Did you know there is a Q&A section on your GMB where people ask and answer questions? They can refer to this section to ask a question about an oil change wait. Are you monitoring and responding?

As the presence of the Google 3-pack on page one of the Google search results continues to grow and the information and tools Google continues to add to your GMB knowledge panel continues to expand, it is time to implement a Google My Business Marketing plan or lose valuable leads and traffic!

I no longer call it a Google My Business listing because it is not a simple listing anymore. With all the tools and additions Google has made to your dealership knowledge panel, it is now the first thing searchers see when they do a Google search.

Google Marketing is not only about Website SEO and Pay Per Click Advertising.

You are probably thinking that staying on top of all the Google Paid search tools or hiring a top pay per click agency keeps you ahead of the curve when it comes to grabbing the massive search traffic that is generated by Google.

Yes, learning about the latest techniques and upgrades provided by Google Ads is extremely important, and paid search strategies like re-marketing, mobile, and text ads can give you an edge online and are necessary digital marketing strategies.

However, as Google Ads rising cost continues to eat more of your online advertising budget, it is time to discover the other powerful Google tools available that can effectively drive more views to your new and used VDPs, and traffic to your service and parts departments.

This has created a huge hole in your online marketing mix you need to fill!

Increase your new and used VDP views and generate more leads using Google My Business Marketing!

It is no secret that there is a direct correlation to VDP views and car sales. Numerous studies have proven this correlation, and most car dealers take steps to drive traffic to their VDPs.

It is also no secret that your service and parts departments are major profit centers at your dealership and it is in your best interests to maximize service traffic as well as provide excellent customer service.

For those reasons alone, it is time to take a hard look at how you can utilize your Google My Business profile and all the tools inside it to create cost effective lead funnels to those two very important sources of dealership revenue.

Why hasn’t your digital marketing agency addressed this major hole in your online marketing funnel?

The answer is simple. Most agencies are focused on Google Pay Per Click because that is where their profit comes from. Every time they ramp up your paid search budget, they make more money.

Google My Business marketing is not even on their radar because they do not understand how it works and probably lack any expertise when it comes to fixing broken listings and maximizing the tools within your GMB to increase leads and traffic to your dealership.

I know this for a fact because as a veteran GMB expert, I do consultant work for Automotive Digital Marketing Agencies that hire me to clean up GMB profiles for their clients (dealers). They do not know about the Q&A feature, how to drive VDP views, create service department traffic, because it is not part of their marketing mix.

If they tell you your GMB is not really that important and if it is verified and accurate that is all you need, they are misleading you, and you need to look elsewhere for help.

In fact, if you are spending money on re-marketing ads that require driving vistors to your website, a well designed GMB marketing plan can help boost your re-marketing efforts at a lower cost.

Put your dealership ahead of the GMB marketing curve and reap the benefits!

There are very few dealerships, if any, doing GMB marketing properly. The Internet is littered with unclaimed listings, duplicate listings, unanswered Q&As, inaccurate contact information, and underused or not used marketing tools that Google is giving you. In fact, in almost every analysis I do, there is at least one Google best practices issue, and no one is using the marketing tools properly.

Just as in 1996, AutoNet Media was ahead of the curve when we created the first online photo classifieds and VDPs, we are ahead right now when it comes to seeing the enormous value in your Google My Business profile and how you should use it to drive more leads to your dealership.

Our digital marketing agency focuses on one area, Google My Business Marketing. Although we have been SEO specialists for 22 years, we do not claim to be experts in everything.

If the contents of this article have opened your eyes to the potential lead funnels that lie within your GMB, let’s have a talk.

First and foremost, we do a complete analysis of your current presence and give you expert advice on what steps need to be taken to fast track your GMB to becoming a serious lead funnel driving more traffic to your VDPs and service department.

Fill out the form on this page and let’s schedule a consultation, or call GMB Expert Jeffrey Taylor direct at (904) 796-8527 and put your dealership in front of pack when it comes to Google My Business marketing.

The Importance of Your Google My Business Listing

April 11, 2019 by Jeffrey Taylor

Putting your dealership message in front of car shoppers and service clients is becoming more and more difficult, complex, and expensive.

You already know that today’s car shopper does almost all of their research online before they even visit a dealership.

The average car shopper today makes just two dealership visits in the search for the perfect vehicle. That’s because today car shoppers turn to mobile to research models, find deals, and get real-time advice. Google

To make things even more complicated, car dealerships require more diverse digital strategies because of the many departments found under one roof. These departments new sales, used sales, service department, parts department, collision center, etc… have different hours, phone numbers and objectives.

Because your dealerships probably has multiple businesses built into one website, your optimization strategy must be multi-faceted too.

This becomes even more complicated if you are a family of dealerships with individual websites for each location.

Accountability in Your Digital Marketing

In my 22 years of doing digital marketing in the Auto Industry, I have never seen more accountable marketing funnels than exist today.

Like most dealers, you probably spend more marketing dollars on Paid Search because based on your metrics it brings in leads, and turns leads to sales.

As a consultant for digital marketing agencies that work with car dealers, I sit in on many strategy calls, and most of the talk centers around Paid Search strategy, conversions, and monthly spends on pay per click.

Some of the talk revolves around improving website content and landing pages as well as tracking users through the website. Re-marketing is a hot topic because it allows you to target potential customers after they leave your website. This is all very important, and I am not here to discourage you from this type of marketing.

I am writing this to bring to your attention a major traffic driver and lead funnel that is extremely cost effective when used the way Google intends you to use it.

Click Here fill out your GMB – Google Maps Analyis Form and get your results in 48 hours.

Your Google My Business Listing is a major traffic driver!

The Numbers Don’t Lie!

In 22 years of working in the Auto Industry, I have never seen a more misunderstood and misused marketing tool than your Google Business listings. I spend quite a bit of my working time setting up and charting metrics, as well as fixing messed up GMBs for Auto dealers across the country.

I scratch my head in amazement when I talk with Digital Marketing experts and Internet Managers that have no idea about how to fix, optimize, and track the metrics involving their Google Business Listings.

Your Google My Business listing is a Free Tool given to you by Google and placed in a prominent position on their page one search results. It is a huge traffic driver that generates thousands of website visitors as well as phone calls. Google has made it no secret that they are serious about GMBs and it is time dealerships get serious also.

The evolution of mobile searches and why Google is all in when it comes to GMB Marketing!

Google Business listings have been around for many years and what started out as a simple place to list your business has evolved into a major information center with massive potential when used properly.

Mobile search now dominates the way consumers find information online. Google is ahead of the curve and has revamped its search results pages to cater to mobile searches. Over the past few years Google has enhanced what goes into your GMB and has created multiple marketing streams to allow you to reach more interested consumers and engage them right off your GMB.

As someone that follows every move Google makes, it has become evident that every signal screams loud and clear that if you want to drive more traffic to your dealership you better start paying more attention to all the tools within your GMB.

The difference between your Google Business Listing and your Google Maps Listing.

Google uses all the data within your Google Business listing in the search results and your maps listing. They may lay out a little differently, but they are in fact from the same data feed. This means any data errors in one will show up in the other. If you have duplicate listings or unclaimed listings floating around the web, they will also show up on both.

Why are Digital Marketing Agencies ignoring your Google Business Listing?

I work with digital marketing agencies and businesses every day helping them create GMB lead funnels and fixing broken listings as well as claiming unclaimed listings floating around and updating inaccurate data that is hurting conversions.

It has become apparent that most digital marketing agencies and web design companies do not have anyone in-house that understands how GMBs work or how to use them to drive traffic to your dealership.

Why? I believe that many are so focused on Paid Search which is a major revenue driver for their agency, they do not see the importance of hiring a GMB expert. Another reason is, Google has made so many upgrades to Google Business Listings in such a short amount of time, it is impossible for them to keep up with the changes.

I work with some very smart digital marketers and when the topic of GMB marketing comes up, they get blank stares on their faces and admit they are too busy to keep up with that stuff.

What should you expect from a properly implemented GMB Marketing plan?

When your GMB or GMBs are set up properly and all duplicates or erroneous listings eliminated, it is time to get moving on driving more traffic to your website and generating more phone calls to your dealership.

Once we activate all the components within your GMB knowledge panel including Google offers, photos, Q&As etc… it is time to set up all the tracking metrics.

Once we properly tag and integrate your GMB with Google analytics, you will see exactly how many visitors are finding your GMB in the Google search results and Google Maps and what they are doing once they reach your website.

In most cases we see about 40-50% of all organic traffic is coming directly from your GMB and we also track new and used VDPs views.

**This image shows an actual dealer with the GMB providing 46% of organic traffic with 53% of that being new VPD views originating from the GMB.**

What Should You Do Next?

Click Here fill out your GMB – Google Maps Analysis Form and get your results in 48 hours.

To maximize your exposure in Google Maps and the Google search results it is important to do a complete analysis of what is currently live in the Google index. My experience shows that 7 out of 10 dealers have at least one duplicate or unclaimed listing, or inaccurate information that causes Google to suppress your listing in the search results.

Several years ago Google announced that car dealers can now create department GMBs for service departments, parts departments and Collision centers if they want to more closely target those markets. Most dealers and marketing agencies have no clue that this is allowed.

The problem is, Google has on its own created thousands of Google Business listings for dealerships and most of them have inaccurate information and are unclaimed. These listings are hard to find and fix unless handled by a GMB expert.

To create a powerful lead funnel to your sales department as well as your service and parts you need to fix this stuff. This is not an option and hurts your ability to rank in more areas. Some searchers may land on an unclaimed listing and get inaccurate data creating a poor user experience.

Once we fix and optimize all your Google Business Listings, we focus on the Metrics set up and the marketing data needed to increase click throughs and VDP views.

Your website plays an important role in your GMB rank!

We look at your website and all the location data, page set up and SEO components because Google connects the information on your website with the information on your GMB. This blended algorithm plays an important role in ranking you outside your main city.

Google looks at your exact location when determining what city you will rank in the 3-pack for your top keywords. However, like most dealers you want to appear in your outlying cities and to do that effectively you need carefully laid out and optimized location pages on your website.

Simply adding a few city names to your homepage or meta tags is not enough if there is any level of competition. Google looks for certain elements in location pages and unfortunately most OEM website providers fail to deliver properly optimized location pages. The more outlying cities you can rank your GMB and Maps listing in the more traffic you will push to your dealership.

Get a Complete GMB – Google Maps Analysis Today!

This is the first step to taking advantage of one of your most powerful lead funnels and driving more leads, phone calls, and VDP views using a tool Google provides for Free!