Paid Search for Dealers, OEMs, and Automotive Brands
Retain Media runs paid search campaigns for automotive dealers and OEMs, built around the buying journey.
We Don’t Chase Clicks. We Chase Showroom Visits
We get just as excited about a phone call or a showroom visit as we do about a click, because that’s where the real relationship with your buyer starts. Most shoppers research high-value products for months before biting the bullet. What actually moves a sale forward is a showroom visit, a brochure download, a phone call, a finance quote, or a test-drive booking. We build and measure every campaign around those moments, not raw click volume.
Retain Media is a paid search agency that builds and manages Google Ads, Bing Ads, VLAs, and YouTube campaigns for automotive, construction, and machinery dealers and OEMs across Australia and New Zealand.
From farming equipment to commercial trucks and multi-dealer caravan networks, we only work with clients selling considered, high-value automotive and machinery products. That focus means your campaign starts with real, built-in industry knowledge, not a generic template borrowed from an unrelated sector. That translates to no misused spend and no time wasted educating generalist marketers about the way your industry works.
Paid Search for Dealers and OEMs
Every Channel Towing Its Weight
Each business has its own goals and motivations, and our Paid Search channels aim to cater to them all. No lock-in contracts and no paying for channels you don’t need. Just straightforward marketing on the platforms that benefit you most.
Google Ads
Google Ads puts you in front of people actively searching for what you sell. We filter out tyre-kickers and DIY browsers, so what’s left works harder on those ready to buy.
Bing Ads
Bing reaches seasoned, high-income buyers, often on desktop. We adapt what’s already working into high-performing ads campaigns that put your brand front and centre.
Vehicle Listing Ads (VLAs)
If you’ve got a live stock feed, we extend it straight into VLAs. Your actual inventory, photo, price, and specs, right in the search results when they’re looking.
YouTube Ads
YouTube builds awareness for your new model or seasonal promotion before anyone starts searching. We match the format to the goal, then let search pick up the demand.
No Idling. Track Demand, Not Page Views
We track leads the second they engage with your ads, then remarket until their search turns into your sale.
They Watch Once, We Hitch a Ride
We move anyone who watches a video, browses your site, or clicks an ad into a remarketing audience, then follow them across display, social, and search. When they’re ready to buy, or a finance offer goes live, your ads come back swinging.
Real Showroom Visits, Tracked Via Location
We track every showroom visit that started with a Google Ads click, using location data Google already has permission to use. That’s real proof your campaigns get people through the door, not just onto a landing page.
Ready to Make Paid Ads Work Harder?
We don’t run set-and-forget campaigns. We don’t guess. We build paid ads with purpose, then optimise daily to deliver the results that matter.
Whether you’re starting fresh or improving what’s already running, we’ll help you spend smarter and grow faster.
Let’s talk about what’s possible.
Paid Search Questions We Hear Most
How long until we see results?
Most campaigns go live within 7 to 10 business days of receiving your brief. That includes strategy, creative, approvals and tracking setup.
What do you need from us before you start?
There are two crucial things to get you started.
- Access to your Google Ads and/or Bing Ads account and;
- Access to your website to install or verify conversion tracking.
Once we have both, onboarding typically takes 5 to 7 business days.
Can you take over an account that's already underperforming?
Yes, and it’s some of the most satisfying work we do. Give us a tired account with the wrong structure or years of unchecked settings, and we can usually turn it around fast. We clean up the targeting, cut the waste, and often see cost-per-conversion (CPA) drop significantly on accounts we inherit.
Do you run campaigns against our competitors?
Yes, when it makes sense for your category. Bidding on competitor searches and being strict about excluding traffic that was never going to switch has cut cost-per-lead by around a third for our clients running these campaigns. It’s also lifting the number of leads coming through.
Is Performance Max worth using for automotive?
It can be, but only with active management. PMax is excellent for showroom traffic and reaching people browsing by category, but left alone it can quietly burn budget on cheap impressions instead of real leads. We treat it as a tool that needs regular attention, not something we switch on and leave running.
How much should we budget?
It depends on competition in your category and how many product lines you’re running campaigns for. We’ll walk you through the numbers and the reasoning behind them before you commit to anything.
“Their knowledge in the industry is tenfold. just in the past year, our conversions have doubled."
