Dealers noticing fewer clicks on their websites should know that at least some of the dwindling traffic is due to how AI is rewriting search engine rules.
April Simmons, corporate internet and marketing director for Horne Auto Group, explained why in a February 25 webinar hosted by Dealer eProcess (DEP), which provides automotive technology services.
“...Customers are getting the answers without even needing to visit your website,” Simmons said.
Driving the news: Simmons said when considering new tools, dealers don’t need to get distracted by every shiny new AI toy and do not need to get caught up in, as she puts it, the “fluffy-duffy crap.”
Instead, dealers should review what they have already and start by fixing that foundation.
Rewind: Simmons reviewed the importance of understanding key acronyms and terms related to search traffic.
SEO stands for search engine optimization and the core goal for it is building content that helps websites get seen in keyword searches to earn free traffic.
Position Zero refers to the highlighted featured snippet that appears at the top of Google search results, providing answers to a search without the user having to click a link to get the information.
LLMs meansLarge Language Models and refers to AI tools such as Google Gemini, ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity.
Website Schema/Schema markup is structured data added to a website's backend that labels content (like vehicles, reviews, and services) so search engines can understand the context to help generate rich results and improve visibility and click-through rates.
GEO stands for generative engine optimization. This is structuring and creating content to easily be understood, cited and summarized by AI. Simmons said it’s sort of like the SEO for AI.
Prompt visibility is how frequently and prominently a brand, product, or specific information shows up in AI-generated replies.
Agentic AI is an autonomous system that can independently plan, make decisions, use tools, and execute multi-step tasks with minimal human oversight—more like a proactive assistant that takes action, not just a researcher that provides information.
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Why it matters: Car buyers are moving away from keyword searches to more conversational searches.
Meaning, they aren’t asking for an “F-150 for sale near me” anymore. They’re asking AI: “What truck should I buy to tow a boat, fit a family of three, and have storage?”
And the LLM asks follow-up questions to better direct them.
That changes what matters most for dealers: prompt visibility.
Now that GEO is becoming a factor, the goal isn’t only to rank for keywords — it’s to structure content so AI can understand it, cite it, and summarize it. As “Position Zero” expands, clicks to dealer websites will drop, without a human being at fault, Simmons pointed out.
How to improve: Simmons shared her suggested to-do list to help improve visibility.
Review all sites for accuracy and create a strategy.
Build a stronger “about us” section for the website.
Check website schema and plan for better optimization with the website provider.
Make sure the dealership’s SEO provider builds content for humans, not just keywords.
Bottom line: Dealers can’t control every search outcome, Simmons said, but strengthening the foundation can help improve it.
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