The buzz around artificial intelligence in automotive search marketing is deafening. What exactly does it look like? How much does it matter? The answers to these questions are constantly changing, but for now, you might be surprised to know how little AI has truly impacted customers’ path to purchasing a vehicle at your dealership. Between AI Overviews and the general increase in LLM use, how is this possible? Let’s get into it.
AI Overviews’ Impact on Search Results
Google’s initial release of AI Overviews sent a shockwave of fear through the automotive industry. When this first happened, though, AI Overviews weren’t appearing on any search engine results pages (SERPs) for transactional keywords; they were appearing on SERPs for research-focused keywords. This makes a world of difference.
Transactional vs Research-Focused Keywords
When working on automotive SEO, transactional keywords should be the primary target. Transactional keywords are those that show the person’s intent to find a dealership or purchase a vehicle, such as “Chevy dealer” or “Ford F-150 for sale.”
Research-focused keywords are those that someone would search when they want to know more about a vehicle or are in the earlier stages of figuring out what kind of vehicle they might want to purchase. These keywords are things like “Mazda CX-5 cargo space” and “GMC Sierra 1500 towing capacity.”
The main difference between transactional and research-focused keywords is that one is more likely to lead to conversion–the transactional keywords. Research-focused keywords are, more often than not, going to look like this:
- Someone searches a research-focused keyword, like “Ram 1500 towing capacity.”
- The person clicks on an article to get the answer (or, in more recent times, reads the AI overview).
- Once the person gets their answer, they stop their online journey or perform another search.
Because research-focused keywords are searched in order to get an answer to a specific question, rather than find somewhere to purchase something, they’re effective in growing website traffic, but not in actually increasing conversions or sales. If someone lands on your website after performing a research-focused search, they’re likely to leave after getting their answer.
Transactional keywords, on the other hand, are being searched by people who are looking to make a purchase. When someone lands on your website after searching for something like “Hyundai dealership,” they’re looking for you specifically, rather than looking for anyone with the answer to a question, which means they’re more likely to convert.
Are AI Overviews On Transactional Keyword SERPs?
When AI Overviews were first introduced, they weren’t on SERPs for any transactional keywords. It’s now been a year and a half since this feature was released, and we’re seeing AI Overviews on some transactional keyword SERPs, but they’re still largely irrelevant for a few reasons:
- Most SERPs for transactional keywords still don’t have AI Overviews on them.
- The SERPs for transactional keywords that do have AI Overviews on them are longtail keywords that have low search volume, meaning there isn’t a lot to gain from those SERPs anyway.
- When AI Overviews are showing up on transactional keyword SERPs, they’re typically below at least the first organic result, if not below the first two or three.
So yes, AI Overviews can appear on transactional SERPs. But that doesn’t mean what many people assume. Even in the rare cases where they show up, they’re not displacing the high-value organic real estate. Plus, earning a mention in an AI Overview depends on the same fundamentals that matter in traditional search.
When it comes down to it, AI Overviews are not a threat to your site’s traffic or conversions because they remain uncommon on the SERPs that matter, tend to surface on low-impact longtail queries, rarely outrank top organic results, and ultimately rely on your existing SEO authority.
The Use of AI Chat Models
The other side of concern in terms of AI impacting SEO is the increase in LLM use. There’s no denying the fact that people use ChatGPT, Gemini, and other chat models to talk about anything and everything. Since the introduction of chat models, their use has grown exponentially. So, it’s no surprise that the question of “How do I make sure my dealership appears in chats?” has come up. But the fact of the matter is that it’s unlikely your dealership will need to.
People are certainly using LLMs to learn about vehicles and try to weigh the pros and cons of different models. But they’re not going to LLMs and typing “Jeep dealership in San Diego.” This brings us back to the conversation of transactional vs research-based searches. LLMs are primarily being used for research purposes.
There are some rare cases in which this conversation may lead to a user asking for a specific dealership suggestion, but just like AI Overviews, a mention there would be earned by the same efforts you should already be putting into your SEO strategy. So long as you have a strong SEO strategy in place, you should be covered in those rare cases when someone is looking to take the next step straight from an LLM.
Moving Forward With Artificial Intelligence
All in all, AI has introduced new layers to how people gather information, but its influence on automotive purchase intent remains limited. AI Overviews still have minimal presence on the SERPs that drive conversions, and LLMs continue to function primarily as research tools rather than replacements for traditional transactional search.
A well-structured website, strong technical SEO, and authoritative content are still the biggest drivers of visibility and leads.
Want to learn more about AI’s influence on the automotive industry? Contact us at Wikimotive today!