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Press kit · A3 Brands Research

Dealership AI Search Study, August 2026

Everything on this page is free to reuse with credit. The five figures carry the credit line in the image. The one-page summary is not behind a form. The full dataset and methodology are available to journalists and researchers on request.

Download the one-page summary (PDF)Read the study

Figures, 2× PNG with credit

  • Study headline over a showroom photograph: AI Search Cites 0.8% of Dealership Inventory Pages

    Headline card

    AI Search Cites 0.8% of Dealership Inventory Pages · 3200×1584

    PNG
  • 21.1% of published editorial pages were cited by an AI engine versus 0.8% of vehicle detail pages

    21.1% vs 0.8%

    Editorial pages cited vs vehicle detail pages cited; 27× ratio

    PNG
  • 89% of dealerships show a higher citation rate on editorial content than on inventory, with the sample funnel from 661 to 328

    89% of dealerships

    291 of 328 show the pattern individually; the 661→328 funnel

    PNG
  • Bar chart of technical readiness checks from 100% server-rendered content down to 4.3% vehicle schema

    Technical readiness

    Nine checks, 100% to 4.3%; readiness did not predict citation

    PNG
  • Range bars comparing cited and uncited editorial pages on words per page, headings and spec terms

    Cited vs uncited pages

    Words, headings, spec terms; middle 50% and median

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  • Four donut charts: Google AI Overview cites a source in 98% and names the dealership in 6%; Gemini 61% and 51%

    Cites vs names, by engine

    AI Overview 98% · 6%; Gemini 61% · 51%

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Suggested citation

A3 Brands. The Dealership AI Search Study. A3 Brands Research, August 2026. n=661 US franchise dealerships, 113,094 AI prompts across Google AI Overview, Google AI Mode, ChatGPT and Gemini. https://a3brands.com/ai-search-study/

Figures may be reproduced with the credit shown in the image. Please do not crop the credit line.

Key figures

27×
an editorial page is more likely to be cited by an AI engine than a vehicle listing (21.1% vs 0.8%)
89%
of dealerships publishing ≥10 pages of each type show the pattern on their own site (291 of 328)
0 of 4
assumed signals predicted citation: technical readiness, star rating, review volume, platform
+0.362
correlation between editorial pages published and AI citation, the only signal whose interval excludes zero
98% · 6%
Google AI Overview cites a source · names the dealership; Gemini 61% · 51%
97.9%
of the dealerships audited are technically eligible for Google’s AI features

For the full dataset, the methodology, or an interview with the study’s authors, reach us through the contact page.