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Take Charge of Your Dealership’s Digital “Face”

Jan. 8 2024 Dealership Tips By Dealer Spike

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How your business looks to online shoppers is your digital “face.” Google Business Profile (formerly known as Google My Business) is a free service from Google that influences how your dealership appears in search results and on Maps.

When shoppers search online – and most do – they typically don’t look beyond the first page of search results. Dealerships that don’t optimize their online presence are likely to get missed by shoppers, who will discover their competitors instead. In addition to creating a high-ranking website and keeping your social media accounts active, make sure you’re taking full advantage of your Google Business Profile (GBP).

  • Why Use Your Google Business Profile
  • Benefits of Google Business Profile
  • How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile

Why Use Your Google Business Profile

Google receives billions of searches every day and is one of the top-ranking search engines, and it’s likely where your potential customers are shopping for their next unit. Google-verified businesses are twice as likely to be seen as trustworthy by shoppers.

You can claim and verify your business on GBP and start managing your profile, including updating your contact information and listing popular inventory and services.

Benefits of Google Business Profile

Prove to Shoppers that Your Dealership Exists

Considering Google search has become foundational to the customer buying journey, not having a Google presence means your business is practically invisible online. Claiming your business on GBP will help your dealership appear in local search results, as well as improve your brand’s credibility and give you another opportunity to highlight your location and services.

Take Charge of Your Brand Information

If you’re not monitoring your business’ information across all your online directories, it’s easy for listings to be overlooked and become outdated. When leads come across inconsistent business information on the internet, they are likely to assume the business is unreliable or inactive. 

Each time you update your business information on GBP, your updates will populate the rest of your business listings to keep your online presence consistent. The information you add to your GBP will be what shows up in Google search results and Maps, and since most of your customer base is searching online, what they see (or don’t see) on about your dealership is critical.

Keep Your Dealership Information Accurate

Local search makes up nearly half of all Google traffic, and shoppers looking for local businesses will often include phrases like “near me.” You can drive more local traffic to your website by adding your store’s address, phone number, business hours and website URL to your GBP.

You can also add temporary updates such as holiday store hours to notify shoppers of any changes to your availability. Google typically sends email prompts to remind GBP businesses to update their store hours.

Sales Lead Engagement

GBP facilitates interactions with potential sales leads in two main ways:

  • Inventory and services images: Including good-quality images of your dealership, especially your logo and popular inventory, encourages shoppers to interact with your content. Consumers are visually driven, so the appeal of photos has a greater pull than just text alone. 
  • Shopper reviews: Too often, businesses focus entirely on either positive or negative reviews, which leaves a large part of their customer base unaddressed. We encourage you to follow up with anyone who leaves an online review. If you find yourself faced with a dissatisfied customer, express your apologies for the experience and offer a resolution, even if none of it was your fault. This reaction shows other online searches that your business is deeply invested in the customer experience.


Drive New Sales Leads

Claiming and maintaining your GBP makes your website easier to find online and increases your appeal for potential customers. Your dealership’s website is linked to your GBP, which means shoppers can jump directly from your GBP to your webpages.


How to Set Up Your Google Business Profile

If you never used Google My Business, you’ll probably need to claim your business on GBP. Log in to your Google account (or create one if you haven’t before) and sign in to Google Maps. Use the search bar to look up your dealership in case a listing already exists. If it doesn’t, you can click the Add Business button in the menu. Once you know your dealership has a Google listing, be sure to claim it through your Google account and then follow the onscreen instructions to verify it.

Take some time to familiarize yourself with your GBP dashboard, especially the following features:

  • Info: This is where you will enter your dealership’s contact information and any important updates.
  • Photos: Both you and your customers can take pictures of your dealership and upload them to your GBP for others to view.
  • Products and services: Keep your services and inventory listings up to date.
  • Calls and messages: Track incoming Google calls and messages.
  • Insights: This dynamic analytics dashboard will show you how far your dealership’s online reach is.
  • Posts: Spotlight your seasonal sales, new inventory arrivals and specialty services.
  • Reviews: Read and follow up on any Google reviews from customers.


Claiming and managing your Google Business Profile gives your dealership better control of your online reputation and helps you connect with shoppers directly on the search results page. From understanding how and why shoppers visited your website to following up on customer reviews, GBP ensures you always have the insights to make informed decisions for your dealership.

To learn more about supporting your online presence, check out our recent blog on understanding and acting on your website analytics.