Bud Clary Auto Group is doubling down on its AI strategy—now with a focus on using the technology to strengthen its SEO rankings as AI reshapes how consumers search, explained marketing director Dustin Schuler.
“Most dealers aren't really thinking about SEO, and they haven't been thinking about it for a long time,” Schuler told Daily Dealer Live hosts Sam D’Arc and Uli De’ Martino. “This is going to make it a big priority for a lot of dealers to invest into…proper SEO because a lot of the cookie-cutter SEO stuff that you see, you'll find that there's a lot of duplicate content or content that just doesn't work.”
Getting connected: AI-driven tools such as Google Sheets Console and Google Analytics allow Bud Clary Auto to monitor critical SEO activities that boost the dealership’s visibility when consumers search for vehicles, Schuler explained.
Ensuring proper indexing of the dealer group’s page on Google and confirming it is receiving impressions.
Tracking engagement with blogs and paid content to verify consumers are clicking and interacting with material.
Monitoring Google Business Profile rankings, which becomes especially important when investing in an SEO subscription.
Reviewing online reputation, including the dealership’s Google ratings and third-party feedback on platforms like DealerRater.
How it works: These AI-based tools help ensure that dealerships are delivering SEO content aligned with customer searches, explained Schuler.
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“If you're getting customers to land on a page, and they're bouncing instantly, it's likely that the content doesn't serve what they're actually searching for. And as an AI search tool, or even a web browser or search engine, you really want to be able to serve your customers as best as possible the first time they come around,” he added.
There are also free Google Chrome extensions that allow dealers to view a web page the same way AI crawlers—bots that scan, read, and index web pages—see it, giving insight into how search engines interpret site content.
The payoff: Bud Clary Auto Group—which has also been leveraging AI to streamline other operations such as video creation (Google Veo 3) and voiceovers (ElevenLabs)—is already seeing strong results.
Bottom line: “We're about 13% ahead of last month right now in terms of total volume,” said Schuler. “New and used cars, both are right about the same percentage, up month over month. We're really stoked on that, especially when you look at the DMAs (Designated Market Areas) and how those are performing.”
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