By Christine Hayes, AD of SEO
Automotive marketers know that branded search makes up the bulk of most dealerships’ organic traffic and is an especially large part of that traffic that converts. Whether shoppers are searching on Google, social media, ChatGPT, or other mediums, the key to success is relevance. If your brand is visible across the ecosystem, you’re positioned to capture attention wherever people search.
To that end, it’s clear that automotive organic growth marketing requires a mindset shift. Dealers need to understand that the name of the game is not just to rank in Google anymore; it’s about brand visibility, cross-channel influence, and resonating with audiences wherever they are. At MozCon 2025, I picked up some tips and tricks dealers should consider when creating their organic media initiatives for the coming year.
The Evolving Automotive SERP
It’s important to note that the majority of your customers are still finding you on Google, but it seems the layout of Google SERPs changes daily with no signs of slowing down—especially as AI-powered ads and organic search results become more common. More diverse SERPs have created additional opportunities for monetization but have also led to a drop in traditional organic traffic for commercial queries and made it more expensive than ever to own your branded search results.
Paul Norris, Organic Growth Director at Journey Further, explored this at MozCon 2025 with his talk, How to Triple Organic Growth With a Multiplatform Strategy. He spoke about how the SERP is shifting toward a “best of” summary, a stark contrast to the old 10 blue links with two ads Google used to provide.
Today, consumers have many options beyond paid search and organic search: AI-generated summaries, maps, product feeds (vehicle ads), videos, FAQs, recommended searches, and forums like Reddit contribute to a more fragmented traffic ecosystem. Automotive marketers can’t rely on traditional organic search sessions alone; influence comes from multiple platforms, and the funnel is no longer linear.
Shifting Focus to Awareness
No matter which platforms shoppers are finding your website on, focusing on the awareness phase of the funnel can deliver additional brand value and visibility. PR isn’t just about press releases and media coverage—it happens everywhere thanks to social media, forums, and other digital channels.
Misty Larkins, Director of Public Relations and Internal Communications at the University of Missouri Health, reinforced this in her MozCon session, How to Diversify Your Traffic Outside Google SERPs. She emphasized using digital PR to fuel organic growth through brand visibility. For dealerships, the easiest way to do this is by partnering with local influencers or organizations to increase visibility and conversations about your brand.
Lily Ray, Vice President, SEO Strategy & Research at Amsive, drove this point home in her MozCon talk, GEO, AEO, LLMO: Separating Fact from Fiction & How to Win AI Search. One tip I loved was her approach to brand-led AI search strategy. She emphasized the importance of in-depth brand mention research across a variety of platforms to identify which brand-related queries need supporting content.
Video and Social Are Non-Negotiable
When building a brand-led strategy, consider what helps brands cut through the noise to gain recognition and visibility on and off Google. Shareable videos and unique social content can make all the difference.
We’ve all witnessed the online evolution from text to photo to video. Social media feeds, communication channels, and ads have followed this trajectory, but organic marketing must do the same. Social algorithms prioritize video, and if you want them to prioritize your brand—and therefore your organic growth—video content is essential.
This is where organic social meets SEO: Your content needs to resonate on multiple platforms, not just rank on Google. As Norris highlighted in his presentation, the goal isn’t just clicks but reach and resonance across channels, including social media, search, and large language models (LLMs).
Reporting on Organic Visibility in AI Search
This fragmented ecosystem can complicate SEO reporting and data analysis. Sources like forums, messaging platforms, social media, and LLMs can show up as direct, referral, organic social, and unassigned traffic rather than organic search in Google Analytics.
For example, ChatGPT citations can show up in both the referral and unassigned traffic channels, while AI Mode/AI Overviews are bucketed under organic search. If you’re only looking at organic search to understand how your website is being seen, you’re missing out on valuable insights that can help you understand your shoppers better.
AEO and GEO are an evolution of SEO, which means it’s time for a more nuanced approach to reporting and analyzing organic growth when it comes to brand visibility.
Embracing the Organic Marketing Mindset
So, how do you move toward a more cohesive organic marketing presence? It can be tough to know where to start, but in a nutshell, you need to shift your thinking:
- From SEO to Organic Growth: Think beyond traditional SEO metrics. Consider the entire ecosystem of search, social, and LLMs.
- From Clicks to Awareness: Move up the funnel and focus on brand presence and engagement over organic search sessions.
- From Siloed Tactics to Integrated Strategies: Organic media, digital PR, and multi-platform content must work together.
Ready to explore new ways to enhance brand visibility through organic search and social? C-4 Analytics is here to help dealerships showcase content that drives brand awareness and engagement in their local market.