Blog

In Search Of AI Noise, Market Headwinds & Fact-Checking Vendors (w/ Brooke Furniss)

What happens when the “AI revolution” meets the unglamorous reality of dealership operations, OEM programs, and messy data? In this new episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Brooke Furniss to cut through the noise and get brutally practical about what actually moves the needle heading into 2026. Together, they unpack why “AI-only” promises and paid “GEO/AEO switches” don’t […]

How Is AI Really Impacting Automotive Search?

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 […]

In Search Of INSIGHTS | MRC 2025 Recap – November 2025

In this episode of ‘In Search of…Insights’, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings break down their biggest takeaways from MRC 2025 — from real-world tech adoption to AI myths, dealership education, and why so many stores are still chasing “level 47” when they haven’t mastered levels 1–4. This conversation pulls back the curtain on what dealers are actually doing with advanced technologies, […]

In Search Of…INSIGHTS | AI in Context – November 2025

Can Atlas Really Change the Car-Buying Journey? In this episode of In Search of Insights, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings unpack the hype surrounding OpenAI’s newly released Atlas – and what (if anything) it means for automotive dealers right now. Is Atlas the beginning of a fundamental shift in how shoppers discover, research, and buy vehicles? Or is […]

In Search Of…Data Leaks, Dealer Fatigue & the Education Void (w/ Brian Pasch)

What happens when the automotive industry’s biggest blind spots finally get called out? In this new episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Brian Pasch – author, researcher, conference founder, and one of automotive retail’s most respected voices.Together, they unpack what’s actually hurting dealership performance today: bloated websites, missing ASC events, broken measurement, AI hype cycles, and an industry-wide […]

Where AI Shines (and Stumbles) in Modern SEO Strategy

It’s been three years since ChatGPT was released to the public, making a boom in industries around the world. Access to this type of technology has changed the way we think, process, and execute. And now, with access to a variety of models from Gemini to DeepSeek, and the ability to train models how to do specific tasks, artificial intelligence […]

In Search Of…PMax Reality, AI Objectivity & GA4 Triggers (w/ George Nenni)

What happens when you cut through the hype and look at what’s actually driving dealership performance?In this new episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with George Nenni, Founder of Generations Digital and one of automotive retail’s leading digital minds. Together, they unpack the myths, metrics, and realities behind Google Performance Max, GA4 reporting, and the growing influence of […]

In Search Of…INSIGHTS | AI in Context – October 2025

Can AI really handle your dealership’s SEO? In this first episode of In Search of Insights — a new spinoff of the In Search Of podcast — Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings joins Dan Barker to unpack the realities vs. misconceptions surrounding generative AI in automotive marketing.Why Watch Understand where AI tools actually fit into dealership marketing workflows Learn why AI content can’t simply replace human SEO strategy See how […]

Are Website Migrations a Traffic Death Sentence?

If you migrate your website, you’re going to see a change in traffic. This might be frustrating, but unfortunately, it is inevitable. With that said, migrations are not a traffic death sentence. Realistically, you will see a temporary drop in traffic immediately following your migration due to URL and page changes. With a solid automotive SEO strategy in place, though, […]

In Search Of…Local Legacy, Proven Performance & the Human Factor (w/ Patrick Downes)

In this episode of In Search Of…, Dan Barker is joined by Zach Billings (Co-Founder, Wikimotive) and Patrick Downes of Ruge’s Automotive Group to uncover how a family-owned dealership competes — and thrives — in today’s mega-group marketplace.From reputation management (1,500+ reviews at 4.9 stars!) to smart use of third-party automotive sites, SEO vs. SEM strategy, and where AI in automotive marketing actually helps, Patrick shares a playbook that’s just as relevant for metro dealers as […]

The Cost of Control: 4 Ways Automotive Website Providers Restrict Optimization

The truth is, your dealership’s online success is only as strong as the platform it’s built on—and too often, those platforms are the problem. In the competitive dealership market, SEO (search engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization) are critical to ensuring those looking for a vehicle find you, whether in organic results, AI overviews, or an AI chat. But […]

Your Composite Report Is Wrong | Pitfalls of the Marketing Composite Yardstick

In today’s installment of “Stuff I Mythbusted This Week,” we have a story from a 20 group. Most myths seem to propagate through 20 groups, so this isn’t a shock, but just about everyone reading this will face this exact problem at some point. There’s no doubt that your 20 group is an excellent place to gather new ideas and […]

Enough of the Noise | Finding What Is Driving Sales & Tuning Out What’s Not

Visualize this scene and see if it’s familiar. You’re at your desk, determined but worn… Determined to grow your store but worn out from drowning in a deafening sea of what has become white noise. Your inbox is filled with reports; some say everything is great! Others say the sky is falling… The news is saying tariffs could price consumers […]

Unlocking SEO Performance: The Power of Content Diversity

Is your content working as hard as it could be? In the ever-evolving world of search, what worked yesterday might not be enough today. Don’t worry, though. We’ve cracked the code on a more agile approach to SEO, one that embraces shorter, AI-friendly content without sacrificing organic performance. Our recent case study on 600-word pages coupled with long-form foundational content […]

5 Automotive SEO “Must Knows” Going Into the 2nd Half of 2025

As we move into the second half of 2025, one thing is clear: the automotive SEO landscape is shifting faster than ever. From the rise of AI Overviews and chat-based search to the continued importance of intent-driven content and technical SEO fundamentals, dealers must stay agile to stay competitive. I’ve talked about all of these changes and developments in my […]

Excuses. We Can’t Stand Them… But Are We Making Them?

We’ve all been there. The month is going slow, and the showroom is a ghost town. You get on a vendor meeting and ask them what they’re doing to fix it, and they feed you a line about how it’s the market and everyone is down right now. They deflect the blame and offer nothing useful to actually help you […]

Car Dealers, Meet Generative Engine Optimization

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 […]

In Search Of…Owning Households, Elusive Audiences & the Pursuit of Perfection (w/ Tara Rego)

In this premiere episode of In Search Of…, Dan Barker (CEO, Wikimotive) and Zach Billings (Co-founder, Wikimotive) sit down with Tara Rego (Director of Strategic Partnerships, Spectrum Reach) to demystify the evolving world of OTT video advertising. From her unorthodox entry into automotive retail to her leadership in digital media strategy, Tara shares sharp insights into audience fragmentation, data-driven targeting, […]

Google Business Profile Suspensions: What Dealerships Need to Know

Over the past few weeks, car dealerships across the country have been facing a widespread and frustrating issue: Google Business Profiles are being suspended and unverified, often without warning or explanation. These suspensions are more than just a technical hiccup. Your dealership’s Google listing plays a crucial role in how customers find, contact, and engage with your business online. When […]

TARIFFying | Boom or Bust With Tariffs Looming

As featured in AutoSuccess Magazine. 25% tariffs! 35% tariffs! No tariffs on Canada and Mexico? Just kidding, 10% tariffs! But maybe not for USMCA-compliant cars… Ah, heck, pause them for 90 days and just pile all the tariffs on China! It’s been a moving target, for sure. Tariffs were the hot topic into early April, and then the 90-day pause […]