UK Automotive Online Car Retailers - PPC Market Share Analysis January 2026

Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the UK Online Car Retailers category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.

Google AI Overview visibility for Automotive Online Car Retailers UK

See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.

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AIO Frequency

How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.

Frequency	Percentage
Frequency	13.2170600184
	86.7829399816

13%

Complex Query Frequency

A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.

Frequency	Percentage
Frequency	65
	35

65%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent	Distribution
Investigational	37%
Transactional	41%
Navigational	2%
Seasonal	0%
Local	1%
Problem Solving	3%

Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 UK Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.

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Share of Clicks - Last month

Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain	Share of clicks
webuyanycar.com	30.26
carwow.co.uk	21.6
cargurus.co.uk	8.71
motorway.co.uk	7.35
pistonheads.com	6.8
autotrader.co.uk	4.65
arnoldclark.com	1.91
cinch.co.uk	1.47
copart.co.uk	1.29
enterprise.co.uk	0.78
others	15.18

webuyanycar.com - 30.26%
carwow.co.uk - 21.6%
cargurus.co.uk - 8.71%
motorway.co.uk - 7.35%
pistonheads.com - 6.8%
autotrader.co.uk - 4.65%
arnoldclark.com - 1.91%
cinch.co.uk - 1.47%
copart.co.uk - 1.29%
enterprise.co.uk - 0.78%
others - 15.18%

In the competitive landscape of Google’s PPC, webuyanycar.com leads with 30.26% click share, followed by carwow.co.uk at 21.6%. Others collectively hold 15.18%, showcasing diverse advertiser presence.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 UK Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month.

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Share of Spend - Last Month

Share of Spend - Last Month
Date	carwow.co.uk	webuyanycar.com	motorway.co.uk	cargurus.co.uk	motorpoint.co.uk	bigwantsyourcar.com	pistonheads.com	autotrader.co.uk	arnoldclark.com	motormoolah.com
2026/01/01	22.07%	25.95%	15.03%	12.52%	1.1%	1.06%	0.17%	1.39%	1.44%	0.03%
2026/01/02	23.71%	25.86%	15.21%	9.53%	1.93%	0.88%	0.02%	3.43%	1.6%	0.78%
2026/01/03	23.21%	26.48%	15.35%	9.88%	0.99%	0.5%	0.02%	2.61%	1.1%	1.71%
2026/01/04	24.95%	21.06%	15.32%	9.01%	1.11%	0.58%	0.58%	2.17%	1.6%	2.27%
2026/01/05	22.6%	26.66%	15.84%	7.07%	1.04%	1.3%	1.67%	3.38%	1.21%	1.47%
2026/01/06	22.68%	25.06%	15.68%	6.33%	1.29%	0.33%	1.52%	5.96%	2.01%	1.68%
2026/01/07	22.21%	20.86%	14.87%	10.7%	0.74%	1.18%	1.97%	2.08%	1.08%	0.09%
2026/01/08	21.84%	29.89%	15.16%	4.75%	1.24%	1.16%	1.43%	6.65%	1.61%	0.82%
2026/01/09	23.04%	27.2%	15.4%	6.77%	1.7%	0.43%	1.38%	5.54%	1.25%	2.09%
2026/01/10	21.1%	30.14%	14.5%	6.29%	0.6%	1.08%	1.51%	5.17%	0.72%	1.92%
2026/01/11	24.57%	26.19%	14.8%	6.19%	0.41%	0.69%	1.86%	3.92%	1.16%	0.88%
2026/01/12	22.46%	24.97%	15.93%	5.87%	0.64%	1.37%	1.35%	3.02%	1.2%	1.2%
2026/01/13	21.85%	27.64%	14.01%	7.41%	0.76%	1.31%	1.72%	2.73%	1.45%	1.61%
2026/01/14	23.75%	22.8%	14.81%	6.94%	1.69%	2.07%	2.18%	2.62%	1.87%	1.97%
2026/01/15	25.35%	25.56%	13.52%	10.09%	0.58%	1.13%	3.09%	1.84%	2.74%	0.29%
2026/01/16	23.01%	27.17%	15.38%	6.76%	1.7%	0.43%	1.38%	5.53%	1.25%	2.08%
2026/01/17	24.4%	23.47%	17.24%	8.75%	0.48%	1.04%	1.44%	2.57%	1.72%	0.99%
2026/01/18	20.72%	29.64%	13.3%	7.04%	0.83%	2.57%	1.52%	2.04%	2.37%	1.36%
2026/01/19	23.92%	24.24%	14.22%	10.05%	0.87%	2.3%	1.58%	2.46%	1.72%	1.27%
2026/01/20	19.5%	25.89%	13.24%	14.45%	0.68%	2.63%	1.32%	1.52%	1.38%	0.91%
2026/01/21	22.31%	27.69%	13.59%	9.17%	1.22%	1.47%	1.68%	2.13%	1.47%	1.94%
2026/01/22	21.32%	26.13%	15.36%	7.93%	1.88%	0.62%	1.37%	2.16%	3.43%	0.29%
2026/01/23	22.18%	22.22%	17.31%	5.24%	2.53%	2.21%	1.39%	1.41%	4.11%	0.83%
2026/01/24	22.35%	27.67%	16.93%	6.21%	1.28%	0.8%	1.61%	1.06%	3.32%	0.92%
2026/01/25	21.21%	28.22%	15.77%	5.61%	1.18%	1.79%	1.6%	1.17%	2.3%	1.24%
2026/01/26	20.94%	30.9%	13.9%	6.15%	1.78%	2.59%	0.99%	1.17%	2.22%	0.79%
2026/01/27	22.86%	28.4%	14.58%	7.74%	1.45%	0.86%	1.66%	1.22%	3.06%	0.83%
2026/01/28	24.18%	27.8%	14.26%	7.94%	1.02%	0.49%	1.34%	1.61%	2.77%	1.38%
2026/01/29	23.07%	25%	15.28%	9.14%	1.91%	1.45%	1.7%	1.26%	1.99%	1.26%
2026/01/30	21%	29.19%	15.24%	7.59%	0.99%	0.89%	1.29%	0.93%	1.87%	0.52%
2026/01/31	26.43%	23%	18.9%	5.9%	1.59%	1.59%	1.52%	1.49%	1.41%	0.22%

carwow.co.uk
webuyanycar.com
motorway.co.uk
cargurus.co.uk
motorpoint.co.uk
bigwantsyourcar.com
pistonheads.com
autotrader.co.uk
arnoldclark.com
motormoolah.com

In January 2026, carwow.co.uk’s PPC spend share fluctuated, peaking at 26.43% on the 31st. webuyanycar.com led with a high of 30.90% on the 26th. motorway.co.uk saw a steady rise, ending at 18.90%. cargurus.co.uk’s share dipped, closing at 5.90%. motorpoint.co.uk and bigwantsyourcar.com maintained low shares, while pistonheads.com and autotrader.co.uk showed moderate stability. arnoldclark.com peaked mid-month, and motormoolah.com remained minimal.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

Ever wondered how many competitors you’re up against in your industry? Well look no further, here we can see the number of advertisers bidding over the last month.

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Competitor Count - Last month

Competitor Count - Last month
Date	Competitor Count
2026/01/01	307
2026/01/02	313
2026/01/03	323
2026/01/04	314
2026/01/05	327
2026/01/06	336
2026/01/07	322
2026/01/08	320
2026/01/09	321
2026/01/10	306
2026/01/11	311
2026/01/12	324
2026/01/13	310
2026/01/14	297
2026/01/15	321
2026/01/16	321
2026/01/17	296
2026/01/18	307
2026/01/19	301
2026/01/20	303
2026/01/21	295
2026/01/22	290
2026/01/23	287
2026/01/24	289
2026/01/25	288
2026/01/26	320
2026/01/27	309
2026/01/28	310
2026/01/29	296
2026/01/30	306
2026/01/31	289

January began with 307 advertisers, peaking at 336 on the 6th. A decline followed, ending the month at 289.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

Here we’re looking at the Top 10 biggest industry movers by market share gains and losses for the last 30 days.

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Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month

Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name	Market Trend
webuyanycar.com	2.77%
cargurus.co.uk	1.15%
arnoldclark.com	0.86%
volvocars.com	0.28%
mazda.co.uk	0.21%
tradecentreuk.com	-0.28%
copart.co.uk	-0.3%
cinch.co.uk	-0.37%
carwow.co.uk	-0.38%
autotrader.co.uk	-3.85%

Webuyanycar.com surged with a 2.77% click share increase, while Autotrader.co.uk dropped by 3.85%. Cargurus.co.uk and Arnoldclark.com also saw positive gains.

Campaign Efficiency

UK Automotive Online Car Retailers Share of Impressions

Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.

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Date	carwow.co.uk	motorway.co.uk	cargurus.co.uk	webuyanycar.com	cinch.co.uk	pistonheads.com	arnoldclark.com	autotrader.co.uk	bigwantsyourcar.com	cashforcars.co.uk
2026/01/01	18.69%	14.71%	22.05%	9.68%	2.47%	0.36%	1.66%	1.61%	1.67%	3.33%
2026/01/02	23.1%	15.13%	17.14%	9.54%	2.31%	0.05%	2.09%	5.1%	0.58%	2.23%
2026/01/03	22.23%	16.89%	16.98%	9.92%	2.2%	0.04%	1.76%	3.54%	0.38%	2.61%
2026/01/04	22.86%	13.74%	15.53%	8.48%	2.87%	1.38%	2.07%	2.59%	0.46%	2.48%
2026/01/05	21.56%	18.16%	13.34%	10.06%	2.65%	3.05%	1.47%	3.19%	1.61%	0.69%
2026/01/06	20.83%	16.58%	13.84%	9.67%	2.83%	2.99%	2.44%	5.62%	0.41%	0.82%
2026/01/07	19.44%	13.66%	17.94%	7.34%	1.81%	3.31%	1.54%	2.98%	0.46%	3.32%
2026/01/08	20.2%	17.12%	10.14%	11.85%	1.49%	3.46%	2.33%	7.4%	2.03%	0.72%
2026/01/09	22.25%	15.23%	13.75%	10.96%	1.34%	2.82%	2.07%	6.24%	0.56%	3.13%
2026/01/10	21.03%	15.85%	10.52%	11.49%	1.57%	3.03%	1.41%	5.59%	1.82%	2.78%
2026/01/11	23.27%	16.68%	10.92%	10.04%	1.67%	3.27%	1.73%	5.35%	0.45%	1.27%
2026/01/12	20.57%	18.06%	9.74%	9.2%	1.62%	2.51%	2.14%	2.63%	1.2%	1.88%
2026/01/13	18.57%	16.61%	12.1%	10.14%	2.15%	3.26%	2.07%	2.62%	1.34%	2.39%
2026/01/14	22.91%	15.57%	11.62%	8.13%	1.42%	3.71%	2.26%	3.34%	1.79%	3.77%
2026/01/15	26.4%	12.51%	16.81%	9.13%	1.23%	5.91%	2.54%	1.73%	1%	1.56%
2026/01/16	22.25%	15.23%	13.75%	10.96%	1.34%	2.82%	2.07%	6.24%	0.56%	3.13%
2026/01/17	21.87%	17.7%	13.94%	9.09%	1.37%	2.85%	3.28%	3.21%	0.5%	1.92%
2026/01/18	22.07%	14.06%	13.16%	11.01%	1.8%	2.84%	3.92%	2.54%	1.76%	3.02%
2026/01/19	21.88%	15.63%	17.8%	8.73%	1.77%	2.95%	2.83%	2.02%	1.8%	2.74%
2026/01/20	18.53%	12.87%	25.26%	9.27%	1.98%	2.51%	2.16%	1.49%	2.56%	0.61%
2026/01/21	23.07%	17.2%	14.75%	9.99%	1.31%	3.01%	2.56%	1.6%	1.46%	1.82%
2026/01/22	18.45%	17.78%	14.7%	9.52%	0.95%	3.09%	3.11%	2.57%	0.78%	3.88%
2026/01/23	18.67%	20.49%	10.1%	8.69%	1.18%	2.78%	4.71%	1.57%	2.38%	1.82%
2026/01/24	19.42%	19.51%	12.72%	10.73%	1.33%	3.38%	3.83%	1.09%	0.68%	2.28%
2026/01/25	18.31%	17.8%	10.72%	10.87%	0.96%	3.26%	3.04%	1.43%	2.65%	4.8%
2026/01/26	19%	12.94%	11.75%	12.99%	2.1%	2.46%	3.98%	1.59%	2.15%	2.63%
2026/01/27	21.36%	14.25%	13.89%	10.85%	2.75%	3.07%	3.95%	1.61%	0.41%	4.91%
2026/01/28	22.9%	13.13%	14.51%	10.99%	2.34%	2.89%	4.06%	1.95%	0.23%	1.4%
2026/01/29	19.52%	14.22%	18.18%	9.82%	2%	3.74%	3.1%	1.59%	1.34%	0.13%
2026/01/30	18.33%	18.49%	14.59%	10.88%	3.65%	2.62%	3.04%	0.87%	0.49%	0.04%
2026/01/31	23.52%	18.56%	12.71%	8.33%	4.12%	3.21%	2.28%	1.47%	0.92%	0.04%

carwow.co.uk
motorway.co.uk
cargurus.co.uk
webuyanycar.com
cinch.co.uk
pistonheads.com
arnoldclark.com
autotrader.co.uk
bigwantsyourcar.com
cashforcars.co.uk

Carwow.co.uk led January 2026 with fluctuating impressions, peaking at 26.40% mid-month. Motorway.co.uk and Cargurus.co.uk followed, showing varied trends. By month’s end, Carwow.co.uk maintained dominance, closing at 23.52%.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

Ever wondered how your rivals’ ads are doing? Here we can see the top-performing ads in the industry over the last month.

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Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers - Last month

1
View Cars In-Stock & Available | Wide Range Of Cars In Stock https://www.autotrader.co.uk
Lease A Brand New Car With 14-21 Day Delivery, 30 Day Money Back Guarantee & Free Delivery. Worry Free Motoring With 30 Day Money Back Guarantee & Roadside Assistance. No Admin Fees.
2
Enter Reg for free valuation https://www.carwow.co.uk
We collect & pay quickly — We only work with verified dealers to give you an only WOW experience when you sell a car. We put...
3
Free Collection From Your Door https://www.cashforcars.co.uk › sell-my-car › land_rover
Sell Broken Land Rover — Complete Our Simple Online Form For A Free...
4
How Much Is My Car Worth? https://www.motorway.co.uk
84% Get More Than Market Price — Get Your Free, Instant Car Valuation Based On Live Market Data. Sell With Motorway Today. Sell Your...
5
We Buy Any Car https://www.webuyanycar.com
Free Valuation in 30 Seconds — Selling your car made simple – enter your reg and get a free 30 second valuation now. Get started by...

In the competitive world of online car retail, AutoTrader shines with its promise of a wide range of cars, quick delivery, and a money-back guarantee. Carwow offers a seamless selling experience with verified dealers. CashForCars simplifies selling broken Land Rovers with free collection. Motorway entices with valuations above market price, while WeBuyAnyCar offers quick, hassle-free valuations. Each ad highlights unique selling points, from convenience to financial benefits, capturing diverse customer needs.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report useful and how should I use it?

Why is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report useful?

Imagine being able to instantly see your competitors Market Share, Share of Spend and their top performing ad copy so you can effectively benchmark your own performance.

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Data within the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report is aggregated every month, highlighting the most significant changes from the previous period.
How does Adthena collect this data?

We use observed data from Google’s search results pages. With 20 million Google SERPs indexed per day. Adthena forms a global index of publicly available searches on Google.

On top of observed data, our data science models and patented technology expand on the insights through estimated metrics like market share, share of spend, and more.

We have 12 years of historical data across industries and our custom-built AI models learn from continuously updated data every day.
How accurate is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report?

The UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report is powered by Adthena’s Whole Market View, which is the patented technology that drives value for our 300 enterprise customers.

Our unique approach to search intelligence ingests Google’s Keyword Planner into its learning models, providing a more accurate and up-to-date view of keyword data compared to traditional panel data methods.

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Does this include mobile, desktop and Google Shopping data?

Yes. The UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report aggregates data from across both device types and Google Shopping.
Who is this UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report for?

The UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report is for enterprise brands and agencies who want quick and high-level, historical benchmarks that are easily digestible and reveal insights, trends and market winners relevant to their own industry.
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Customer Success Stories

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Mazda are the world’s largest independent car manufacturer which allows them to be reactive and adaptive in the ever changing automotive industry.

They came to Adthena to help monitor a new program for their national dealer network in order to drive efficiencies and protect their brand message in paid search.Read case study

Innovating in the hybrid cars market with competitive intelligence

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Volkswagen achieves a 13% increase in brand conversions

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A sudden drop in market share triggered an immediate response using Adthena's market intelligence.Read case study

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AIO Frequency

Complex Query Frequency

Search Intent Distribution

Share of Clicks for top 10 UK Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Share of Spend for the top 10 UK Automotive Online Car Retailers brands

Competitor Count for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

Market Loss & Market Gains for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

UK Automotive Online Car Retailers Share of Impressions

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report useful and how should I use it?

Why is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report useful?

How often is the data updated?

How does Adthena collect this data?

How accurate is the UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report?

Does this include mobile, desktop and Google Shopping data?

Who is this UK Automotive Online Car Retailers January 2026 Report for?

Can I get a custom report for my brand?

What is Ask Arlo?

Customer Success Stories

Mazda drives 31% dealer efficiency with Adthena

Innovating in the hybrid cars market with competitive intelligence

Volkswagen achieves a 13% increase in brand conversions

Get the full picture

See this data specific to your brand performance

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