It’s time to pay attention to AI overviews. Over the last couple of years, we’ve stated time and again that you didn’t need to put energy into optimizing your dealership’s website for artificial intelligence because it wasn’t yet being utilized for transactional search terms––the ones you want to rank for, the ones that bring you meaningful leads. But within the last few months, this has started to change. Google’s AI overviews have been appearing on more and more search engine results pages, including those for transactional keywords, meaning AI is now something auto dealers need to consider when optimizing their websites. It’s not just SEO anymore; it’s also GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).
There Is Opportunity in AI
Previously, AI overviews weren’t even showing up on SERPs for transactional keywords like “Chevy dealer” or “Ford F-150 for sale.” The intention of these AI overviews was to provide an answer to a searcher’s query, so the focus was primarily on informational searches for which the overview could give a solid explanation. For example, “2025 BMW 3 Series horsepower” could be answered in a sentence or two. The AI model didn’t know how to assist with people looking for a car dealership or a specific vehicle for sale.
Now, though? These overviews are being presented on SERPs for lots of searches. A search for “Chevy dealer” may lead to an AI overview that suggests a few local Chevy dealerships. A search for “Ford F-150 for sale” might have an AI overview that tells the user where they can find an F-150. What does this mean for dealers?
First and foremost, this is another opportunity to appear on a SERP. Think of AI overviews like featured snippets. Like featured snippets, being included in the AI overview means that your dealership is being presented in a digital spotlight––it’s being mentioned in the top result. If you’re mentioned in the AI overview, the map pack, and holding the top organic position on a SERP, your likelihood of driving traffic to your site only increases, giving you even more opportunities to convert.
When you think about it, as AI overviews evolve to help users find dealerships and vehicles that meet their needs, it’s likely that the use of other AI models, like ChatGPT, will increase for the same use cases. Picture this: a consumer is wondering what type of vehicle would be right for them, so they start a conversation with ChatGPT to generate some ideas based on their needs. ChatGPT makes some good suggestions, and now they want to find one to test drive, so they ask where they should go to look at some in person, and the model presents a list of local dealerships. You want to be on that list.
When push comes to shove, as AI continues to develop, its use cases are only increasing. We see it happen right before our eyes when we are car shopping. This means it’s more important than ever to start optimizing for this. But how do you do that?
The Practice of GEO
When it comes down to it, GEO and SEO are quite similar. Like search engines, generative engines aim to provide the best, most helpful answer to a user. This means that a huge factor in being featured in an AI overview or being served as an AI answer is simply having high-quality content on your site. So, as long as you or your SEO provider produce content targeting transactional keywords related to your dealership, you’re on the right track.
The other major factor in performing well with AI is schema. In the automotive industry, schema, code that labels your content and helps search engines and generative engines best understand what kind of information is there, is typically handled by your website provider. But that doesn’t mean that it can’t or shouldn’t be audited. It’s as easy as using a Schema Validator tool to see the current schema for any given page on your website and sending updates to your site provider for implementation.
First and foremost, it’s important to make sure that the information about your dealership, such as the address, phone number, and name are all accurate. After you double-check all of the general details, you should look for opportunities to optimize. The top line of schema is “@type,” and this should always be AutoDealer. You want to tell search and generative engines what type of business you are. Another place to check is “areasServed,” which should list your actual city name and then a few of your major target cities. Schema is pretty self-explanatory because of the clear labels for each section, but you can always have your SEO provider take a look if you’re not sure what tweaks to have your site provider make.
High-quality content and optimized schema are the heart of GEO. Once you have those down pat, you’re on your way to ranking success. The next step is to measure your performance.
Measuring AI Ranking Success
Measuring your performance in terms of ranking with AI is very similar to measuring your search engine rankings. In fact, Semrush, the keyword-tracking tool we use here at Wikimotive, has already revised its position-tracking tool to include AI overview rankings. If you’re ranking in the AI overview for a given keyword, you’ll see a symbol next to it in Semrush. You can also toggle this off if you want to get a look at your rankings aside from the overviews.
Semrush has also started a ChatGPT ranking beta tool, allowing you to measure your performance within ChatGPT for certain terms. Because it’s only in beta right now, you can’t track many keywords, but once this product is fully launched, it will likely give loads of insight into how you’re performing and how (or if) people are using chat models to buy cars.
Optimize Your Site for Artificial Intelligence
The rise of AI overviews in search results marks a pivotal shift in how consumers are finding car dealerships and shopping for vehicles online. AI is no longer confined to informational queries, and GEO isn’t just a buzzword. It’s time to take a step and start looking at how you can take advantage of AI and use it as another chance to get in front of shoppers in your market area. This starts with investing in high-quality, keyword-rich content and ensuring your schema is accurate and optimized.
Don’t wait to be left behind. Optimize today, and be ready for the way car shoppers are finding dealerships tomorrow.
Have questions? Contact us at Wikimotive. We’re ready to help dealers take advantage of every opportunity.