As Google continues to evolve its lineup of products, it’s important that advertisers commit time to fully understand their capabilities. One of Google’s latest accomplishments has become an easy-win strategy for Reunion Marketing’s paid search advertising — Google Local Campaigns.
Local Campaigns as defined by Google are, “designed to help businesses provide their potential customers the information that they need to decide when and how to visit their stores. Local campaigns streamline the process for you, making it easy to promote your stores across Google’s largest properties including the Google Search Network, Maps, YouTube, and the Google Display Network.”
Google has such confidence in its efficacy that local campaigns were highlighted in the Dealer Guidebook 2.5 edition. The best part is that once you’ve enabled Local Campaigns and provided the required collateral, Google uses their machine-learning to assemble hyper-local ads that best resonate with the consumer who conducted the search, which is optimized to drive foot traffic and local actions or phone calls.
To start a local campaign you’ll need to have the following:
- Verified GMB Linked to Google Ads
- Minimum of 1 YouTube Video Link
- Images (1200×1200 & 1200×628)
Now that you understand what you need, let’s dive a little deeper what distinguishes them.
Ad Placements with Google Local Ads
Google Display Network & Youtube
Google Display Network (GDN) is the largest display network in the world with access to 90%+ of the global internet population. Local ads on the Display Network reach local users whilst they browse online and use apps associated with GDN. These placements encourage users’ to continue their shopping journey by seeing pertinent information like your store hours or getting direction requests from their location.
Similarly, Youtube offers another highly utilized platform to encourage local interactions with your dealership. With an unparalleled mobile reach, Youtube garners a billion users worldwide with >50% of views occuring on a mobile device. Ads with incentives and promotions typically perform the best on this channel.
Google My Business, Google Search Network, & Google Maps
On your dealership’s Google My Business (GMB) profile, users can easily see the latest promoted offers or service specials at your dealership with the aim to compel them to do business with you and visit your dealership. Local Campaigns are the only way to enable a promotional ad on a GMB profile. So, for shoppers in your geographic area who’ve conducted a non-branded category search for your vehicle make and/or services, your GMB profile just became that much more of an online storefront!
On Google Search Network, users’ attention will be directed to your advertisement at the top of the pack delivered upon their local search. It’s important to note that your GMB profile is the destination for these hyper-localized ads.
Lastly, on Google Maps, users can find the fastest way to get to the dealership because the ad will help highlight your location as the top destination. And fun fact, Local Campaigns is the only way to enable your logo appearing as the map pin! When a user clicks on your logo, they’ll now see an additional promotion that encourages them to visit the Business Profile where they can call, save or get directions to your business.
Performance Expectations
Like all digital advertising, success will vary based on circumstances. With local campaigns, those circumstances could be current inventory, incentives, and even population. You’re never going to have the identical market, budget, and/or creative as other dealerships out there, so Local Campaigns are a great avenue to let individuality take center stage.
Reunion’s partners who enabled this strategy have seen the following averages of metrics:
- $4 – $6 Cost per Lead
- $0.50 – $1.50 Cost per Click
- 10,000 – 30,000 Interactions
These results have been achieved by looking at an average of dealerships who spend from the Reunion-recommended minimum monthly budget of $300 up to $1,000.
If you’d like to learn more about local campaigns, our team at Reunion Marketing would love to help your dealership have a better grasp of the capabilities and value of this strategy. Contact us today at sales@reunionmarketing.com or 919-999-8876.