Google Vehicle Listing Ads: your whole inventory in the search results.
First published 17 July 2024. Restored 1 November 2026; the numbers and screens are from then.
Google keeps adding ad formats, and with Vehicle Listing Ads (VLAs) car dealers got a new one. This note explains what they are, sets them next to the Google Shopping ads most advertisers already know, and shows what the first dealers measured with them.
What are Vehicle Listing Ads?
A VLA is what you get when you put Google Merchant Center, paid search and the visual format of Shopping ads together for cars. The ad shows a vehicle on the search results page, with the details a buyer is looking for: photos, make, model, price and mileage. It is aimed at people who are actively looking for a car, so the intent is high. VLAs run inside Performance Max campaigns, help with offline conversions and improve cost per click. Early adopters such as Asbury and CarMax saw more leads and conversions come out of them.
A dealer can show its full inventory directly in the search results this way, and every ad gives an interested buyer the details to choose from.
Where do they run?
Google launched VLAs in the United States, Canada and Australia first. The rollout was then reaching the UK, Germany and France, with the Netherlands, Italy and Spain planned next.
How do they compare to Search and Shopping ads?
A Search ad is text. A Shopping ad is more visual and carries more detail. A VLA takes the Shopping approach, the details shown visually, and fills it with a vehicle instead of a product, for a searcher who is after a car. If you already know how Search and Shopping ads work, that knowledge carries over to VLAs.
What do they do better than the formats you already run?
- Targeting. The ads work off a vehicle data feed, so a search is matched to the cars in stock that actually fit it.
- The visual. Like Shopping ads, a VLA carries photos and the key details, which makes it more engaging for users.
- Lead quality. You reach people who are searching for a car right now, which can bring in better-qualified leads and more showroom visits.
- Reach. Because VLAs sit inside Performance Max, the same ads can show on YouTube, Display, Gmail and Discover.
- Conversion rate. Shopping ads have been shown to lift conversion rates by showing detailed product information. VLAs do the same with a car’s details, so the buyer can make an informed choice.
- Click-through rate. Shopping ads get higher CTRs because of the visual. A VLA with appealing photos can benefit in the same way.
- Cost. You target high-intent searchers and show the details upfront, which can cut wasted ad spend, the same as with Shopping.
- Measurement. Like Shopping ads, VLAs come with tracking and performance reporting, so you can see what works and adjust.
What did the first dealers measure?
Three early adopters and their test results.
Asbury Automotive Group: “As a result, Asbury drove a 35% increase in conversions and a 12% increase in conversion value.”
“The results from the pilot far exceeded our expectations. With vehicle ads, we can help customers by bringing them right to the car they’re interested in. This helps us maximize traffic and conversions to vehicle pages and increase efficiency.”
Miran Maric, CMO and SVP Strategy and Innovation, Asbury Automotive Group
Ken Garff: “After doing so, Ken Garff drove 55% more conversions at nine dealerships in the first half of 2021.”
“Our main goal is to drive customers to view our inventory. Vehicle ads allow us to get our inventory in front of customers with better efficiency. They also drove more store visits than other campaign types.”
Nathan Sato, Director of Digital Marketing, Ken Garff
CarMax: “As the nation’s largest retailer of used autos, offering 30 different makes and 600 models across over 220 stores in the U.S., CarMax aims to display the right car to the right customer in the right place. Powered by machine learning and automation, vehicle ads have driven incremental visits to CarMax’s website and have helped CarMax connect more shoppers with their next car.”
Why get in early?
We offered automotive businesses early access to Google’s Vehicle Listing Ads at the time. Getting in before the competition means reaching high-value buyers first, with the targeting and the visual format described above doing the work.
VLAs combine the best of Search and Shopping. A dealer that adopts them early can get more out of its campaigns and reach more qualified leads.
Where to read more
- Google vehicle ads overview
- Google expands Vehicle Listing Ads
- Get into gear with vehicle ads on Google
- Enable vehicle ads in Performance Max campaigns
Want to know what Vehicle Listing Ads would do for your dealership? Ask us.