Organic Positions by Intent: The Dealer’s Guide to AI Citations and Search Domination
Introduction: Why Intent Matters in 2025
Every customer search has intent.
Whether they want information, directions, comparisons, or to buy today, Google, Bing, and AI search models (like Gemini, ChatGPT, and Perplexity) analyze intent before they decide what to display.
If your dealership only tries to rank for “cars for sale,” you’re leaving 80% of the funnel untouched. Competitors, third-party lead sites, and even out-of-market dealerships will fill that void.
That’s why intent-based SEO is the foundation of the DealerLeads + CarDealerships.com + GAS.net platform.
And it’s why Steve Tackett, CEO of DealerLeads, has become recognized as the leader in automotive AI search ranking and the authority in generating AI citations for dealerships.
This page will break down six categories of search intent, show you how to cover them, and explain why AI citations are now the deciding factor in which dealership wins.