Blog

In Search Of Dealer Distrust, Better Partnerships & the Accountability Standard (w/ Jason Monaghan)

What happens when dealers assume vendors are the problem… while vendors assume dealers just don’t understand the data? Distrust is common in automotive vendor relationships. Missed expectations, unclear reporting, weak communication, and underperforming campaigns have trained many dealers to stay skeptical. But skepticism alone doesn’t create better outcomes. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF…, host Zach Billings is joined […]

In Search Of Paid Media Myths, Outsider POV & the Automotive Blind Spot (w/ Emma Davis)

What happens when an industry spends millions on paid advertising… but still measures success by the cheapest possible lead? In automotive, cost per lead has become the default scorecard. Lower is better. Higher is a problem. But outsde of automotive, that way of thinking has already been left behind. In this epiosde of IN SEARCH OF…, host Dave Estey and […]

April 2026 Newsletter

This Month from Wikimotive… Dealers are producing more content than ever, and many are seeing less from it. Not because content doesn’t matter, but because it’s being built without the foundation that makes it work. From who’s representing your store to how customers experience and evaluate it, we’re breaking down the signals that actually drive visibility, trust, and conversion. The […]

How to Track Your Dealership’s AI Search Visibility

GEO, AEO, AI Search, AI Optimization. It goes by many names, but the idea is the same: getting your dealership to show up in answers from LLMs like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and others. You’re hearing about it in 20 groups, OEM meetings and vendor pitches, and you’re trying to separate buzz from substance and figure out how to measure your […]

DIY SEO Audit: How Auto Dealers Can Uncover Hidden Growth Opportunities

Most dealership websites have untapped potential that won’t be found by simply looking at a reporting dashboard. To uncover meaningful opportunities for improvement, you need to go straight to the source: your website. A visual audit focused on the existence and quality of navigational content, tool functionality, and technical SEO provides direct insight into what’s helping or hurting your automotive […]

In Search Of The Data Lie, Process Discipline & Experience Advantage (w/ Dan Moore)

What happens when your dealership keeps increasing marketing spend to drive more traffic… only to realize the real problem isn’t traffic at all? Many stores fall into the trap of chasing more leads and more tools, when the real breakdown is happening in process, data ownership, and customer experience. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF… host Dave Estey and […]

March 2026 Newsletter

This Month from Wikimotive… We break down what AI is actually changing, and what it isn’t. From the evolution of search to the growing gap between automation and real customer experience, this month is about separating progress from noise. From content that needs to be faster and more accurate, to the technical issues quietly holding performance back, we’re reinforcing the fundamentals that […]

GEO, AEO, LLMO — BS!

The promise of winning AI search is a lie. That’s not a hook. That’s not hyperbole. It’s the unpopular truth that directly contradicts the story vendors are selling from every trade show booth and webinar stage. And the narrative isn’t coming from vendors alone. It’s a commonly held assumption that, because ChatGPT and the like have become so popular, there […]

Mass-Producing Blog Posts Isn’t Helping Your SEO Strategy

“Just write more blogs” has become default SEO advice, and back in the day, this may have worked. But in today’s day and age, blog posts are rarely what actually moves the needle. Content is the core of any good automotive SEO strategy, but not all types of content on your website are equally impactful. Blogs play a supporting role, […]

In Search Of Adrenaline Marketing, Data Discipline & the SEO Backbone (w/ Jim Dodd)

What happens when your dealership keeps increasing marketing spend to drive more traffic… only to realize the real problem isn’t traffic at all? Many dealerships fall into the trap of “adrenaline marketing” relying on short-term paid tactics to stimulate results instead of building sustainable marketing infrastructure. In this episode of IN SEARCH OF… host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach […]

Gut-Checking Your Automotive Marketing Vendor: 5 Technical SEO Essentials They Should Provide

If your automotive SEO vendor is writing content, throwing it up on your site, and calling it a day, you’re likely not seeing the moves you expected. This is because, while high-quality content is the core of any successful SEO strategy, it’s not the only piece to the puzzle. Technical SEO matters too. Content should be considered the base; technical […]

February 2026 Newsletter

This Month from Wikimotive… We unpack the reality behind AI “magic,” why shortcuts rarely deliver ROI, and how to approach new technology with sharper questions and stronger fundamentals. From post-NADA reflections to the operational discipline behind high-quality SEO and content execution, we are cutting through hype, reinforcing proven processes, and making smarter decisions you can stand behind. Less chasing trends […]

Social Ads Are Costing You Sales

When a lot of us look at our website traffic reports, social media is a standout performer. If you’re spending any amount of money with a vendor that’s running social ads for you, there’s a good chance it’s your highest-performing traffic driver—at least by the measure of website sessions… How about lead forms? Chats? Calls? I talk to dozens of […]

5 Questions You Should Be Asking Your Automotive Marketing Company

Do you actually know what your digital marketing agency does for you, or are you just trusting that it’s working? If you don’t truly know what’s being done or how success is being measured, you might be paying for work that isn’t moving the needle at all. Sometimes it’s hard to know what your vendor should be doing or what […]

In Search Of Digital Storefronts, Conversion Drag & the Clutter Tax (w/ Lance Boehmer)

What happens when your dealership is spending $20K–$100K/month driving traffic… only to send shoppers into a digital storefront that’s cluttered, slow, and quietly killing conversion? In this episode of In Search Of, new host Dave Estey and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Lance Boehmer of Motive to break down the real cost of outdated website platforms—and why “good […]

Developing An Exhibit Hall Gameplan for NADA 2026

This article was written by Brian Pasch, Founder of Pasch Group and a guest contributor to the AutoSuccess 2026 Digital Marketing Edition, powered by Wikimotive. Excitement is building for the NADA convention in Las Vegas. Dealers are fielding dozens of vendor calls asking for commitments to parties, private demos and a visit to the vendor’s exhibit hall booth. […]

January 2026 Newsletter

This Month from Wikimotive… January is your clean slate—an opportunity to cut the clutter, regain control, and start the year with sharper strategy (not louder tactics). In this month’s newsletter, learn how to audit your vendor ecosystem, spend more wisely (not just more), and use competitive insights like PIPO data to make your SEO even more effective. And before you […]

Back To Basics: Shiny Things Are Killing Sales

CDPs. AI chat. Identity-resolution retargeting. GEO. AEO. First-party data activation. Cookieless solutions. Two weeks before NADA, the industry is once again awash in promises that this—finally—is the thing that will fix your 2026. It won’t—at least, not on its own. More and more, we’re lost in the static—the white noise of buzzwords and quick-fix shiny solutions. I’m going to call […]

In Search Of Market Volatility, Adaptive Leadership & Playing the Long Game (w/ Andrew Ruck)

What happens when “being nimble” stops meaning clever marketing tweaks—and starts meaning leadership, discipline, and brutal honesty about what’s actually changing week to week? In this episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Andrew Ruck, GM of LaFontaine Automotive Group, for a real-world look at what it took to win in 2025—and […]

How 2025 Changed (and Didn’t Change) the World of Automotive SEO

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 […]