In thinking of a mobile first world, Google has rolled out new site links to the search results on mobile search. 

Historically, Google would award "site links" to a domain, or the designation of 4-6 links to important interior pages of the site. This links would display under the main domain, and give a website more of the real estate in the organic search results. 

The new carousel format for site links has been confirmed this week with Google. Site links are now found in a single carousel format. Instead of scrolling down for links, the user can scroll left or right to access all of the site links.

Google continues to add new features and offerings to the Google My Business listing. First, it was adding in "busy times" to the knowledge graph, then location attributes, and most recently, bringing back a way to share timely information with "Google Posts". 

This week, Google announced they are rolling out the "chat with your customers" feature on Google My Business. Once activated, potential customers can message you right from the knowledge graph. 

There is a one time set up for this process. Sign into your Google My Business account, and look for the chat section titled "Message with Customers". You'll be asked to verify the phone number you will be responding from. After that, you will want to set your "welcome message" or the response every customer will receive. That is the same dashboard you will use to change the phone number or turn the chat feature off if no one will be responding. 

You've got to remember to be prompt in your responses. Nothing is worse than leaving a customer without the answer. As you respond back to more people, Google is keeping track of your average response time and will display that. 

Your online dealership reviews is the piece that can make or break a car sale. Research "discovered 54 percent of online buyers read online reviews before making a purchase". The first place potential shoppers will see those reviews is on your Google My Business listing. It's the first impression you are giving to every shopper.

It's commonly thought that the quantity of reviews you receive can help you rank higher in a local pack search. Google new update is a quality filter for the local pack. Now, when someone is searching for the "best car dealer in Los Angeles" or "great place to get my oil changed in Redondo Beach" the local pack will only feature business that have a 4 star rating or higher. Try any sort of positive adjective and you will see the same filter. Since this filter doesn't look at quantity of reviews, a dealership with a high review could be ranked above in the local pack from a dealership with more reviews.   

The new focus on review quality shows the importance of focusing on positive reviews for your dealership. Remember to always follow the Google Best Practices for Getting Reviews when asking for reviews. Those guidelines will  ensure you don't have reviews flagged.