A recent study by digital marketing company Savvy Dealer scored 84 out of 100 dealership sites at below 60, or failing, saying those websites were “invisible to AI.” George Nenni, founder of Generations Digital, said the reality is more nuanced.
The reality: Nenni said inbound AI traffic for dealerships ebbs and flows, according to searches conducted by his group.
“Dealers definitely show up in AI search,” Nenni told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli De’ Martino. “If you ask AI: ‘Show me all the Chevrolet,’ or ‘Who are all the Chevrolet dealers in the greater Cincinnati area?’ It can do that.”
But, it’s not great at location, Nenni explained, so it may not share the closest store.
For context: Snagging traffic from ChatGPT was easier before the AI tool made its “zero-click shift” in which search results deliver less links around summertime last year.
Traffic from ChatGPT peaked for dealers around September or October, Nenni said.
Now, the tool aims to answer questions more thoroughly rather than link out to sites.
More to consider: Offering ads with ChatGPT would be great news for “anybody looking for clicks,” Nenni said.
But either way, dealers shouldn’t sweat ChatGPT results just yet.
Dealerships that Nenni works with typically “get 150 clicks from ChatGPT every month, while they get almost 10,000 organic search clicks,” Nenni said.
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Quality not quantity: Google still drives the most important search traffic for dealers to focus on.
Nenni said dealers should still prioritize it and its AI offerings.
Local SEO delivers more specific and locally relevant results compared with AI.
The signal: Dealers can take a few steps to help increase their site’s visibility.
Strengthen the “about us” section. Expand them to include separate pages for items including community involvement and philanthropy.
“AI loves chest-thumping,” Nenni explained, so make sure to list awards and accolades.
Build on what’s already working. Check analytics to see where AI traffic is landing and improve those pages instead of guessing.
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