GA4 Automotive Standards Council ASC event tracking GA4 automotive dealership analytics

Unlocking the Power of GA4 for Automotive Dealers: A Guide to the Automotive Standards Council

The transition to Google Analytics 4 (GA4) has brought immense opportunities for automotive dealerships to enhance their data-driven strategies. The Automotive Standards Council (ASC) plays a crucial role in streamlining this shift by providing universal standards that ensure consistent, reliable, and actionable data across the industry.

What is the Automotive Standards Council?


SilverBack Advertising joined the ASC as a Founding Member with the goal of standardizing the implementation of GA4 tracking for automotive businesses. The council's mission is to eliminate inconsistencies in analytics data, particularly when multiple vendors handle website management, marketing, and reporting. ASC sets best practices for event tracking, custom dimensions, and reporting, ensuring that all dealership data is seamlessly integrated and optimized for performance analysis.


Why ASC Standards Matter for Dealerships


Data fragmentation has long been a challenge in automotive marketing, with disparate systems reporting different metrics, often leading to confusion and missed opportunities. The ASC guidelines mitigate this by establishing a uniform framework for dealerships using Google Analytics. With these standards, dealers can accurately track customer interactions, from page views to lead form submissions, across various platforms like Dealer.com and CDK Global.


ASC event tracking simplifies the process by standardizing key performance metrics such as:

  • VDP Views: A critical metric to assess the performance of vehicle detail pages.

  • Form Submissions: Tracking the number of leads generated via forms.

  • Click-to-Call: Monitoring phone inquiries from potential buyers.


Future-Proof Your Dealership with GA4 & ASC

As GA4 becomes the new standard for analytics, dealerships that align with ASC guidelines are better positioned for success. By adopting these universal standards, dealers can confidently make data-driven decisions, optimize marketing spend, and track their sales pipeline more effectively.

Whether you're managing a single dealership or a large dealer group, ASC standards provide a roadmap to effective data management, making it easier to measure marketing ROI, customer engagement, and operational success.


Key Takeaways:

1. Consistent Data: ASC standards reduce inconsistencies in tracking and reporting.

2. Optimized Tracking: Events such as form submissions and VDP views are measured uniformly.

3. Enhanced Insights: Actionable insights help dealerships refine their marketing strategies.

4. Collaboration: Work with platforms and partners that implement ASC standards for accurate GA4 data.


By partnering with SilverBack Advertising and aligning with universal GA4 event tracking, automotive dealers can gain a competitive edge and turn their website analytics into a powerful tool for advertising and marketing. SilverBack Advertising goes beyond the basics to run deep audits and setup of GA4 events and parameters and provides customized reporting dealers can use. Contact a representative today to review your analytics needs related to your advertising and see how SilverBack and ASC can be your advantage.