In this technology-driven era, when people want to buy cars, they search online first and read Google reviews for car sales before visiting any showroom. If your dealership doesn’t show up when people search “car dealers near me” on Google, you’re losing business. Setting up a Google My Business (GMB), now rebranded as Google Business Profile (GBP), is the first step car dealers take to improve their dealership’s online visibility. Google Business Profiles works as a wonder for dealerships, as it can help buyers search and identify your brand and interact directly in case they need used cars in India or any new model.
Get More Local Buyers to Your “Car Showroom”—Start with Google
For some car dealers, the question remains the same: why is there a need to set up Google My Business for car dealers in the first place? The answer is simple: today’s buyers search online before stepping into any showroom. In this blog, you’ll learn how Google can bring more buyers to your doorstep and how Google for Business can work as an asset to attract more buyers.
Why Google Business Profile is Essential for Car Dealers?
Your Google Business Profile is like your visiting card on the internet. It’s often the first thing customers see before visiting your actual dealership.
How a Google Business Profile Helps Your Dealership:
- Put Your Dealership on the Map: When someone searches for “car dealerships near me,” Google shows a map with red pins. Each pin is a dealership with a Google profile. No profile means no pin—you won’t show up at all. To get attention from potential buyers, a car dealer online presence is a must.
- Show Your Inventory: Automotive digital marketing works best when buyers can see everything online. Your profile lets you add photos of your showroom, cars, and team. Dealerships with quality photos get 42% more driving directions requests than those without them.
- Share Key Details: Google My Business for car dealers shows hours, phone number, website, and what you offer, like test drives or financing. When customers see this upfront, they’re more likely to visit because they know what to expect.
Expert Tip: Keep your profile updated with your latest working hours, new arrivals, and clear photos of your showroom and cars.
Optimizing Your Google Business Profile for Maximum Visibility
Having Google My Business for car dealers isn’t enough—you need to make it stand out. Think of it: your Google Maps car dealerships are always on top, and sales are increasing as a result. Well, it is possible if you optimize your car dealership’s Google profile:
- Pick the Right Categories: Don’t just choose “Car Dealer.” Add more specific ones like “Used Car Dealer” or “Car Leasing Service” if they fit your business. Each extra category helps you show up in more searches.
- Use Keywords in Your Description: Include terms people search for like “Affordable Used Cars,” “Google Maps Car Dealership”, or “Family SUVs” in your description. Write naturally about what makes your dealership special, not just a list of keywords.
- Keep your info the same everywhere. Make sure your dealership name, address, and phone number are exactly the same on Google, your website, Facebook, and other places. This authenticity improves the car dealer online presence, resulting in better sales results.
Expert Tip: Add your service area if you offer pickup or at-home test drives. This helps you appear in searches from nearby towns.
How Local SEO Helps Car Dealers Get More Leads?
Local SEO for car sales is about making sure your dealership appears when people in your area are searching for cars you sell.
Local SEO strategies that bring customers to your lot:
- Create Pages for Each Area you Serve: If you serve multiple areas, make pages for each one (like “Used Cars in [Area Name]”). Include local information on these pages. One dealer saw 34% more website visitors after creating just five area-specific pages.
- Use Local Keywords: Include your city and nearby towns in your website content. Instead of just “Best Used Trucks,” use “Best Used Trucks in [Your City].” This helps when people search for “used trucks [your city].”
- Get Listed in Local Directories: For effective local SEO for car sales, make sure your dealership is active on popular e-commerce platforms like Droom, where you can create multiple listings and get a chance to connect with over 20 crore buyers across India.
Expert Tip: Partner with famous platforms that will create local links to your website and bring in referrals.
The Role of Google Reviews in Auto Sales
Reviews are like word-of-mouth that can make or break a sale before customers even meet you. Positive Google reviews for car sales can build trust among buyers, and they are likely to come back for more automobile-related purchases.
- Reviews Build Trust: About 93% of car buyers read online reviews before contacting a dealership. Good reviews make people feel confident about visiting you. Having 40+ reviews with a high rating can greatly increase your walk-in rate.
- Reviews Help Your Google Ranking: Google reviews for car sales help dealerships tend to rank higher in searches. Google wants to show users the best businesses and uses reviews as a sign of quality.
- Responding to Reviews Shows You Care: When potential customers see that you respond to both good and bad reviews, it shows you care about customer satisfaction. Responding to negative reviews is especially important—it shows you take problems seriously.
Expert Tip: Create a direct link and make it easy for happy customers to share their experience.
Google Ads vs. Organic Strategies for Auto Dealers
Both paid ads and free strategies have their place in automotive digital marketing. Knowing when to use each can save you money.
- Google Ads Give Quick Results: If you’ve just opened or got new popular models, ads can put you at the top of search results right away. Target specific terms like “2025 Citroen Black Edition on Sale” rather than broad terms like “cars.”
- Organic Strategies Work Long-Term Without Ongoing Costs: While ads stop when you stop paying, organic rankings keep working for you 24/7. When it comes to working on local SEO for car sales, the initial work is more, but the long-term cost is much lower than running ads forever.
- Use Both for Best Results: Run ads for competitive keywords while building organic presence for broader terms. Dealerships using this approach typically see 30-40% more leads than those using just one method.
Expert Tip: Set a small monthly budget for ads and focus on improving your Google Business Profile at the same time.
Conclusion
Getting Google My Business for car dealers to rank well on Google takes effort but isn’t complicated. By effectively managing your Google Business Profile, you can bring more buyers to your lot. Running a dealership is a full-time job, so managing Google might be hard to handle yourself. That’s where the Droom Chairman Club comes in.
Our Google for Business solutions help improve car dealers online presence, and as a member of Droom Chairman Club, you’ll get 10 powerful marketing and software solutions, including our Google for Business, Social Media Management, Influencer Marketing Management, and more. Our team will optimize your profile, implement local SEO, help you get more reviews, and manage your online reputation—all while you focus on selling cars.