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Here’s what Google announced during today’s AdWords livestream

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Google’s AdWords livestream today served as the launching point for several new advertising products, including larger rollouts of some previously announced products. Below you’ll find a recap of the event’s announcements.

First up on the docket was a new type of ad unit: automotive. Google says that most searches related to buying a car happen from mobile devices, and is introducing a new type of ad that is aimed at helping dealers find the right customers. When users search for a specific car model, they’ll be presented with a series of interior and exterior photos, and a list of dealers who sell that car.

At launch, the ads will only be available on mobile devices for Chrysler cars. Desktop support and other types of cars will be added later.

Google also announced that its hotel ad unit is now rolling out globally, allowing users in any part of the world to take advantage of it. A representative revealed that hotel ads have proven to be a better option for marketing, highlighting a 12% higher return on investment for hotels that participated.

Finally, the company announced that the insurance comparison service it launched last year in California has been expanded to several new markets, including Texas, Pennsylvania, and Illinois. New features for this comparison will allow users to rate insurance providers and write reviews. Contact information for local agents has also been added.

Other announcements today revolved around marketer tools for tracking and measuring ad impact. Ten new countries will gain estimated store visits, while cross-device tracking will help marketers detect when users click an ad on one of their devices, but use a different device to finish buying a product. Marketers can use this data in automated ad buys later this year.

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