Can Atlas Really Change the Car-Buying Journey?

In this episode of In Search of Insights, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings unpack the hype surrounding OpenAI's newly released Atlas - and what (if anything) it means for automotive dealers right now. Is Atlas the beginning of a fundamental shift in how shoppers discover, research, and buy vehicles? Or is it just another AI headline with no real-world impact… yet? Dan and Zach dive deep into LLM adoption, schema problems across dealership websites, consumer behavior inside LLMs vs Google search, and the realities behind OEM claims about AI.

Why Watch

• Understand the real status of Atlas - beyond the headlines
• Learn why LLM-powered shopping journeys still break down at the transaction stage
• See how schema failures across ALL major automotive website platforms impact LLM accuracy
• Get clarity on why Google's AI Overviews aren't the threat many OEMs are claiming
• Hear early insights from upcoming MRC research on LLM vs Google traffic, conversions, and behavior
• Walk away with a grounded understanding of what's real, what's hype, and what actually matters heading into 2025

In This Episode

00:00 – Intro: Welcome to In Search of Insights

00:40 – First impressions of Atlas: breakthrough or nothing-burger?

03:05 – Why big AI announcements rarely change anything immediately

05:10 – Adoption barriers: devices, OS limitations, and early access friction

07:45 – Schema 101: what it is and why dealers should care

10:15 – The wetsuit test: when LLMs misread product data

12:25 – Automotive inventory problems: transient data and broken LLM links

14:50 – The real consumer path: LLM for research, Google for transaction

17:20 – How shoppers refine choices inside an LLM (truck research example)

20:10 – Why 90–99% of consumers still return to Google to complete the journey

22:40 – Early study preview: LLM traffic vs Google vs Bing across 150 dealerships

24:50 – OEM messaging vs reality: the truth about Google AIO usage

27:00 – Trust factors: why consumers prefer organic results over AI answers

28:35 – The rush to "newer = better" and the consequences for automotive

30:10 – Closing thoughts & preview of MRC discussion

31:17 – Episode wrap-up

About In Search of Insights

A monthly, no-fluff snapshot of the automotive marketing landscape - designed for dealership stakeholders, management, and marketers who want clarity, not hype.

Subscribe to get data-driven insights and candid conversations delivered straight to your feed.

• Learn why dealer websites have become overloaded - and how extra GTM containers, scripts, and legacy tools quietly destroy performance
• Understand ASC compliance: which vendors support it, which don't, and how the lack of standards breaks measurement, CDPs, and OEM reporting
• See why most CTA stacks fail (and which CTAs actually convert on SRP + VDP)
• Hear why 20 Groups often become echo chambers - and what true education and innovation should look like
• Get a candid breakdown of AI in retail: what's real today, what's smoke, and how many AI tools a dealership can realistically manage
• Learn the mindset shift every GM and marketing leader needs to make to survive data-driven retail

• Understand what PMax really is — and why Google's "Happy Meal" approach is costing dealers money
• Learn how to identify bot traffic and fake conversions in GA4
• See what triggers actually reveal shopping behavior vs. vanity clicks
• Get the facts on AI-driven traffic and how much impact ChatGPT and Gemini really have
• Hear practical advice for holding vendors accountable and cutting wasted ad spend

• Understand where AI tools actually fit into dealership marketing workflows
• Learn why AI content can't simply replace human SEO strategy
• See how Google's AI Overviews are impacting blog traffic and search behavior
• Get a preview of real data from ongoing studies into LLM behavior, content performance, and consumer search habits
• Walk away with clarity on what matters heading into Q4 — not just hype

• How a lean two-person marketing team drives outsized results
• Why dealership customer experience is a competitive advantage
• The role of reputation management for dealerships in sales growth
• Post-COVID consumer behavior and third-party marketplace value
• What vendors + agencies can do better for dealership leadership teams

In this premiere episode of In Search Of…, Dan Barker (CEO, Wikimotive) and Zach Billings (Co-founder, Wikimotive) sit down with Tara Rego (Director of Strategic Partnerships, Spectrum Reach) to demystify the evolving world of OTT video advertising.

From her unorthodox entry into automotive retail to her leadership in digital media strategy, Tara shares sharp insights into audience fragmentation, data-driven targeting, and how to measure the true contribution of OTT within a dealership's marketing mix.

This is the episode for anyone trying to make smarter media buys, understand household-level attribution, and follow the data—in order to sell more cars.

And if you're looking to sell more cars, visit Wikimotive for more insights into SEO, SEM, and Social Advertising, and a better understanding of the white glove services that we offer.