At the beginning of 2025, many predicted that it would be a year that changed automotive SEO forever. There were numerous statements and rumors being thrown around about how AI was going to take over, and traditional search was on its way out. Because of this, many dealers braced for a complete reset in how people research and shop for cars online. But time went on, and the initially projected shift from traditional search to an AI takeover never came to fruition.
With that said, there were still plenty of changes to the world of automotive search in 2025. AI didn’t take over, but it did come into play a bit more. Google played a game of constantly updating its results pages, adjusting which features appear for what searches. And in turn, keyword tracking tools saw tons of data volatility because they simply could not keep up. There’s a lot to unpack there, so let’s take a closer look at how this year really impacted automotive search.
AI’s Impact Was Minimal
If you listened to the industry chatter at the beginning of 2025, you’d expect that artificial intelligence would have completely rewritten the rules of automotive search marketing by today. Between Google’s introduction of AI Overviews and the general increase in chat-based tools like ChatGPT and Gemini, it was fair to guess that some major shift was going to happen. However, the dealership world is unique and was actually largely untouched by AI in the ways that matter.
The initial fear with AI Overviews, specifically, was that they would bury dealerships’ organic positions in search results. This had the industry asking the question, “How can I earn a mention in the AI Overview?” If these overviews were going to display on all SERPs, having your dealership mentioned in the description would be important. However, the rollout of AI Overviews was and continues to be much more nuanced.
At first, AI Overviews were only showing up for informational-based searches, like “Chevy Silverado 1500 towing capacity” or “Ford Explorer safety features.” For months, these overviews did not show up when searching for transactional keywords, like “Chevy Silverado 1500 for sale.” This meant that dealers with the right SEO strategy in place—one that focuses on transactional search—weren’t impacted at all.
Now that time has passed, we’ve seen the introduction of AI Overviews on some (very few) search results pages for transactional keywords. With that said, we have only seen them on results pages for low-search-volume, long-tail keywords below the top organic listings. So, even in the rare cases they’re present, they’re not pushing dealerships out of the most valuable real estate.
This same pattern holds true with how people are utilizing large language models. Shoppers are absolutely using AI tools to research vehicles and compare options, but they’re not asking them where to buy a car. When shoppers are ready to take action, they are still typically turning to traditional search.
The bottom line: AI has added new layers to how people research vehicles, but it hasn’t impacted the value of ranking organically for transactional keywords, which, again, are the ones that matter. While 2025 saw a lot of evolution in AI, its true impact on automotive SEO was minimal.
Google SERP Volatility—It’s Getting Worse
Almost two years ago now, I wrote a blog about why you couldn’t rely on map pack positions to drive traffic to your website. While there are a couple of reasons for this, the major one is that map packs come and go from search results pages constantly. If you’re only ranking in the map pack and not in any regular organic position for any given keyword, on the days the map pack isn’t on the SERP, you’re not driving traffic to your website from that search.
Here we are now, in 2025, and the problem has only gotten worse. We are now observing map packs coming and going from SERPs more and more frequently. In some cases, we’re even seeing SERPs change daily. Unfortunately, AI Overviews have followed suit, and as Google is trying to determine when these should be used, we’re seeing them come and go as well.
Not only does this type of volatility impact dealer’s visibility in search results, but it also impacts their keyword tracking data, as tools like Semrush and Mangools struggle to keep up with the constant changes. This issue makes it nearly—if not completely—impossible to measure where you need to target and what needs more attention. If you’ve noticed major spikes in your keyword tracking data over the last year or two, this is likely why.
In short, this volatility highlights the importance of earning regular organic positions for target keywords. While Google’s features, like the Map Pack, are good extras in terms of increasing your dealership’s visibility, you can’t rely on them for consistent results.
The Ongoing Importance of SEO Fundamentals
Despite all the early predictions, 2025 didn’t bring the seismic shift many expected. Traditional automotive SEO didn’t disappear, and dealerships that stayed focused on the fundamentals weren’t left scrambling to recover. AI made some noise, introduced new layers to the research process, and gave the industry a few new things to monitor, but it didn’t rewrite the playbook.
What did change was the environment around search. Google’s increasing SERP volatility reinforced a truth that’s becoming harder to ignore: relying on features you don’t control is a risky strategy. Map Packs, AI Overviews, and other dynamic features can enhance visibility, but they aren’t dependable foundations. Consistent organic rankings for high-intent, transactional keywords remain the most reliable way to drive meaningful traffic.
As we move forward, the lesson from 2025 is clear. Automotive SEO isn’t about chasing every new feature or reacting to every algorithm shift—it’s about staying grounded in strategies that consistently deliver results. The tools and interfaces may keep evolving, but the value of strong, intentional SEO remains exactly where it’s always been.