We have seen other types of “Chatbots” deployed on dealer websites to handle requests and answer customer queries. Another article in the same edition of Automotive News described how AI is being used by automotive lenders to speed up the credit decision process. That said, there is a lot of hype around AI which makes it hard for dealers to assess the actual “here and now” impact of AI on their business. Dealers have a right to be skeptical, especially after more than a decade of over-promises and false expectations in the digital marketplace.

There are also use cases which sounds good but the hype exceeds the practical reality. For example, can generative AI such as ChatGPT be used to generate content for VDPs? The answer is no, not yet. Current AI services aren’t able to pull in recent data on new models, trim levels, etc. As of right now, the content would require significant amounts of human review and new processes to manage the workflow. All of this renders the concept as just that, a concept, and not a reality here and now.

Jazel and 10TH DEGREE are already implementing the practicalities of AI;

AI capabilities within search engines like Microsoft Bing and Google BARD only reinforce the importance of good solid search engine optimization of the content on dealer websites. These capabilities help shoppers connect with relevant information faster which means that each dealer’s SEO strategy should include:

• Well-optimized title tags and meta descriptions
• Ample and relevant schema data (must be germane to what they sell and provide)
• Using the right keywords throughout the copy
• Having enough backlinks from relevant sites with high authority
• Making sure their address, phone number, and URL are reflected consistently across the myriad of local listing sites
• Increasing positive online reviews
• Asking questions in Title Tags and H1 Tags and answering them with short succinct responses. This includes informational queries such as “Which SUVs are the safest?” Also, natural language comparison queries such as, “Do the Ford Explorer or Kia Sorento require premium gas?”

Every Jazel website features 100% Free Text “Power Search.” Styled after Google’s Free Text Search, this methodology of searching is one of the most universally recognized and utilized styles of searching for information on the internet. Auto shoppers can utilize Power Search to scan 100% of the dealer’s inventory by make, model, features, price, and more, and find relevant results by one or any combination of these attributes contained within the vehicle description.

Simply put, AI chatbots and browser capabilities are built to interpret natural language search queries. Jazel was an early adopter of natural language search which has given dealers many advantages e.g. shoppers using voice search assistants on their phones.

Dealers who provide a better user experience for shoppers on their website stand out in the crowd and convert more visits to leads and deals!