04.15.24
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Google Business Profile Integration

With our Google Business Profile integration, you can advertise vehicles with valid VINs directly in Google search results next to your Google Business Profile, showing your vehicles at the first point of customer contact on the largest search engine. This article will help you troubleshoot and resolve errors that could interfere with the integration.

Listings only display in Google search results, not other Google services like Maps.

Troubleshooting

Dealership Matching

After our integration specialists configure your site to send inventory, Google will connect the inventory feed to your Google Business Profile. If it can’t find a match, the integration may not work properly. Here are some tips to resolve any issues that may come up:

  • Google will match your website to your Google Business Profile based on the dealership name and address, so make sure your name and address are up-to-date on your Google Business Profile and that they match what’s on your website.
  • Make sure your Google Business Profile is in a dealer category (example: “RV Dealer”, “Boat Dealer”, “Honda Dealer”) and not a general category. See this Google help article for more info on choosing categories.
  • If your Google dealership profile has access to multiple data providers, Google will automatically select one based on factors like how recently the feed has been updated and how complete the units are. You can manually select a data source from your Google profile settings under Vehicle Listings.

Inventory Verification

Google may not list units that have missing or invalid data. Here are some tips to make sure your units show up correctly on Google:

  • Missing or incorrect VIN: Google automatically checks the VIN for each uploaded unit using a decoder like this one to make sure it’s a valid vehicle. Make sure your units have just the VIN entered in the VIN field – no extra identifiers or stock numbers.
  • Missing price: Units must have prices entered for Google to accept them.
  • Missing mileage on pre-owned units: Pre-owned units are also required to have their mileage filled out.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s required for the feed to work?

  • Your dealership must be located in the United States.
  • You must have a Google Business Profile for each physical address connected to your website.
  • Your Google Business Profiles must be categorized as dealerships for vehicle inventory to display.
  • Your Google Business Profle must have a store code (your Dealer ID should work for this). See Google’s documentation for more information.
  • Your units must have valid VINs (HIN/PIN/GTIN/Serial Number are not considered VINs for this).
  • Used/Pre-Owned Vehicles must have Mileage as a data element.
  • Units must have prices and photos.

How Do I Set Up My Google Business Profile?

Here are some Google help documents describing how to get your Google Business Profile up and running so you can use it with the integration:

How do I configure vehicle listings on my Google Business Profile?

  1. Access your Business Profile account at http://business.google.com/locations.
  2. Next click the See Your Profile button to change settings for that location.
  3. Then Click the Edit Profile button, and finally the Vehicle Listings button.
  4. Make adjustments to your preferred providers or turn off your vehicle listings. IF you don’t set a preferred provider, Google will choose a provider based on the overall data quality, such as the number of complete high quality vehicles and data freshness.

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