UK Automotive Online Car Retailers - PPC Market Share Analysis September 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.

Online Car Retailers – UK

Google AI Overview visibility for Automotive Online Car Retailers UK

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

AIO Frequency

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

Frequency Percentage
Frequency 28.2781212972
71.7218787028
28%

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 51
49
51%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 18%
Transactional 44%
Navigational 20%
Seasonal 0%
Local 3%
Problem Solving 4%

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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.

Share of Clicks - Last month
Share of Clicks - Last month
Domain Share of clicks
autotrader.co.uk 41.22
webuyanycar.com 14.79
carwow.co.uk 12.59
cargurus.co.uk 4.6
motorway.co.uk 3.55
arnoldclark.com 3.49
pistonheads.com 2.82
cinch.co.uk 1.59
volvocars.com 0.76
bigmotoringworld.co.uk 0.7
others 13.89
  • autotrader.co.uk - 41.22%
  • webuyanycar.com - 14.79%
  • carwow.co.uk - 12.59%
  • cargurus.co.uk - 4.6%
  • motorway.co.uk - 3.55%
  • arnoldclark.com - 3.49%
  • pistonheads.com - 2.82%
  • cinch.co.uk - 1.59%
  • volvocars.com - 0.76%
  • bigmotoringworld.co.uk - 0.7%
  • others - 13.89%

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In the PPC landscape, AutoTrader.co.uk dominates with 41.22% click share, followed by WeBuyAnyCar.com at 14.79%. ‘Others’ collectively hold 13.89%, showcasing diverse competition.

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. 

Share of Spend - Last Month
Share of Spend - Last Month
Date webuyanycar.com motorway.co.uk carwow.co.uk cargurus.co.uk autotrader.co.uk bestcarbuyer.co.uk arnoldclark.com cinch.co.uk cardaddys.co.uk volvocars.com
2026/09/01 38.24% 9.55% 14.86% 1.67% 4.99% 7.63% 3.59% 1.23% 0.45% 1.56%
2026/09/02 25.2% 11.22% 15.78% 4.08% 7.22% 3.83% 4.06% 1.75% 1.42% 1.55%
2026/09/03 21.62% 16.32% 18.91% 3.5% 3.92% 2.32% 3.76% 1.81% 0.91% 1.82%
2026/09/04 23.98% 13.74% 24.01% 2.74% 4.72% 0.06% 5.15% 1.65% 2.66% 1.21%
2026/09/05 20.92% 17.1% 19.96% 3.53% 6.06% 0% 6.18% 1.96% 2.64% 1.33%
2026/09/06 19.2% 17.1% 21.46% 4.34% 6.72% 0.14% 4.72% 1.99% 0.31% 2%
2026/09/07 18.04% 16.11% 22.15% 3.98% 6.87% 0.85% 5.03% 2.33% 1.41% 1.29%
2026/09/08 17.67% 16.99% 24.69% 4.05% 7.14% 2.17% 4.23% 1.22% 1.01% 1.45%
2026/09/09 24.06% 14.44% 17.9% 4.44% 8% 0.36% 4.25% 1.57% 1.55% 1.84%
2026/09/10 25.32% 11.08% 20.2% 3.98% 4.41% 3.26% 6.31% 1.37% 3.47% 1.64%
2026/09/11 21.11% 11.69% 23.78% 3.44% 5% 0.42% 5.12% 2.14% 2.12% 2.47%
2026/09/12 28.71% 9.67% 18.69% 3.46% 7.62% 0.03% 5.73% 2.66% 0.41% 1.9%
2026/09/13 30.1% 9.8% 15.59% 2.43% 7.79% 0.54% 5.66% 2.82% 2.04% 2.14%
2026/09/14 34.74% 7.48% 12.45% 2.75% 6.86% 7.6% 2.66% 2.53% 3.56% 1.43%
2026/09/15 26.28% 14.98% 18.21% 3.42% 4.76% 2.6% 3.98% 2.01% 0.76% 1.78%
2026/09/16 19.81% 18.46% 23.39% 4.21% 5.55% 0.9% 2.28% 1.74% 1.22% 0.94%
2026/09/17 18.54% 20.46% 22.66% 3.03% 6.98% 0.49% 2.54% 2.08% 0.22% 1.39%
2026/09/18 28.43% 11.3% 20.51% 3.44% 6.28% 0% 3.77% 2.32% 0.49% 1.08%
2026/09/19 18.91% 18.69% 23.11% 3.18% 5.95% 0.02% 2.37% 2.3% 1.79% 0.86%
2026/09/20 19.43% 20.86% 23.08% 3.27% 7.17% 0.43% 2.82% 1.95% 0.13% 0.55%
2026/09/21 22.28% 18.27% 23.23% 3.13% 5.88% 2.65% 2.37% 1.95% 0.46% 0.58%
2026/09/22 20.79% 21.97% 20.79% 3.34% 5.21% 0.52% 2.61% 1.81% 1.97% 0.52%
2026/09/23 18.72% 21.45% 23.87% 2.6% 4.75% 0.21% 2.92% 1.76% 2.14% 0.32%
2026/09/24 18.29% 16.09% 21.64% 7.49% 3.85% 3.06% 2.9% 1.16% 3.27% 0.4%
2026/09/25 22.62% 16.3% 24.92% 6.11% 3.69% 3.41% 1.82% 1.13% 0.51% 0.34%
2026/09/26 13.99% 23.12% 27.66% 7.01% 3.92% 0.04% 2.22% 1.32% 0.94% 0.35%
2026/09/27 19.24% 19.05% 26.44% 7.02% 4.18% 0.78% 2.03% 1.52% 1.09% 0.26%
2026/09/28 28.33% 17.05% 15.71% 5.16% 4.59% 2.24% 1.33% 1.56% 1.29% 0.43%
2026/09/29 27.39% 20.09% 16.72% 6.04% 5.49% 0.51% 1.93% 1.32% 0.61% 0.49%
2026/09/30 27.58% 19.44% 13.05% 6.71% 4.14% 2.87% 1.9% 1.57% 0.76% 0.49%
  • webuyanycar.com
  • motorway.co.uk
  • carwow.co.uk
  • cargurus.co.uk
  • autotrader.co.uk
  • bestcarbuyer.co.uk
  • arnoldclark.com
  • cinch.co.uk
  • cardaddys.co.uk
  • volvocars.com

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In September 2026, webuyanycar.com led with fluctuating spend, peaking mid-month. Motorway.co.uk and carwow.co.uk showed consistent growth. Cargurus.co.uk surged late month, while autotrader.co.uk remained steady. The month ended with diverse spend patterns.

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. 

Competitor Count - Last month
Competitor Count - Last month
Date Competitor Count
2026/09/01 225
2026/09/02 244
2026/09/03 241
2026/09/04 258
2026/09/05 254
2026/09/06 265
2026/09/07 272
2026/09/08 266
2026/09/09 259
2026/09/10 263
2026/09/11 243
2026/09/12 241
2026/09/13 230
2026/09/14 235
2026/09/15 248
2026/09/16 249
2026/09/17 257
2026/09/18 265
2026/09/19 254
2026/09/20 259
2026/09/21 273
2026/09/22 251
2026/09/23 238
2026/09/24 254
2026/09/25 258
2026/09/26 263
2026/09/27 252
2026/09/28 247
2026/09/29 258
2026/09/30 260

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

September saw a dynamic shift in distinct advertisers, starting at 225 and peaking at 273 mid-month. The month concluded with a steady 260, reflecting a vibrant advertising landscape.

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.

Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Market Loss & Market Gains - Last month
Name Market Trend
pistonheads.com 2.68%
cargurus.co.uk 1.76%
webuyanycar.com 1.39%
motorway.co.uk 0.59%
spoticar.co.uk 0.36%
honda.co.uk -0.24%
vertumotors.com -0.32%
volvocars.com -0.67%
arnoldclark.com -2.06%
autotrader.co.uk -4.03%

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Pistonheads.com surged with a 2.68% click share increase, while Autotrader.co.uk faced a 4.03% decline.

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.

Date cargurus.co.uk autotrader.co.uk motorway.co.uk carwow.co.uk webuyanycar.com mini.co.uk pistonheads.com cinch.co.uk arnoldclark.com volvocars.com
2026/09/01 5.6% 17.89% 6.97% 9.99% 10.7% 0.4% 1.34% 1.95% 5.26% 5.1%
2026/09/02 9.66% 21.45% 5.77% 10.03% 6.11% 0.78% 1.55% 2.88% 5.11% 2.6%
2026/09/03 8.24% 17.01% 9.54% 12.55% 4.94% 0.67% 1.9% 3.03% 5.59% 2.91%
2026/09/04 6.67% 19.98% 9.14% 15.48% 5.62% 1.55% 0.82% 2.84% 8.44% 1.85%
2026/09/05 7.62% 18.5% 12.32% 11.77% 5.19% 2.79% 0.63% 2.94% 9.22% 1.88%
2026/09/06 9.04% 19.71% 12.71% 12.79% 6.07% 0.67% 0.56% 2.73% 6.9% 2.38%
2026/09/07 8.15% 18.51% 12.07% 12.6% 5.47% 3.31% 0.6% 3.13% 6.93% 1.7%
2026/09/08 8.77% 20.5% 11.96% 14.89% 4.11% 2.09% 0.9% 2.08% 6.29% 2.47%
2026/09/09 8.88% 20.46% 9.34% 10.59% 6.87% 2.81% 1.33% 2.38% 6.21% 2.56%
2026/09/10 9.36% 13.53% 7.53% 14.73% 6.64% 0.65% 1.22% 2.29% 9.49% 2.56%
2026/09/11 7.94% 15.7% 5.42% 14.78% 6.62% 2.51% 0.38% 3.15% 7.78% 3.38%
2026/09/12 7.32% 20.29% 5.27% 12.44% 8.76% 0.74% 1.93% 4.08% 8.15% 2.92%
2026/09/13 5.72% 19.62% 5.53% 11.82% 8.95% 0.23% 1% 4.79% 7.55% 3.65%
2026/09/14 7.16% 18.63% 4.99% 10.98% 9.04% 0.63% 1.14% 4.97% 4.38% 2.67%
2026/09/15 7.9% 13.42% 8.83% 13.71% 8.21% 0.82% 1.42% 3.25% 6.13% 3.05%
2026/09/16 9.27% 14.13% 11.22% 16.58% 8.5% 0.8% 0.84% 3.01% 3.38% 1.47%
2026/09/17 6.92% 22.59% 10.55% 14.27% 6.23% 1.49% 1.08% 3.51% 3.43% 2.19%
2026/09/18 7.81% 16.37% 5.66% 13.18% 9.94% 3.14% 1.28% 4.59% 5.24% 1.58%
2026/09/19 7.42% 15.14% 9.47% 15.21% 5.94% 2.86% 1.37% 4.2% 3.82% 1.72%
2026/09/20 7.53% 20.52% 10.76% 15.05% 5.66% 1.83% 1.38% 3.79% 3.73% 1.05%
2026/09/21 7.35% 19.24% 10.07% 15.83% 6.27% 2.65% 1.3% 3.57% 3.78% 1.2%
2026/09/22 7.58% 19.66% 11.78% 12.97% 6.21% 4.41% 1.52% 3.51% 4.14% 1.04%
2026/09/23 6.17% 16.2% 10.44% 14.41% 5.87% 4.09% 1.59% 3.18% 4.42% 0.48%
2026/09/24 15.39% 10.2% 8.85% 13.59% 4.11% 5.18% 4.4% 1.88% 3.16% 0.63%
2026/09/25 13.39% 11.83% 10.77% 16.21% 5.29% 5.55% 5.99% 2.02% 2.96% 0.55%
2026/09/26 14.42% 12.92% 11.7% 16.48% 5.3% 1.82% 4.61% 2.26% 3.16% 0.48%
2026/09/27 14.27% 11.73% 9.41% 16% 6.23% 6.71% 3.37% 2.92% 2.35% 0.42%
2026/09/28 11.99% 13.57% 9.02% 9.31% 9.26% 7.85% 3.38% 2.74% 2.3% 0.74%
2026/09/29 13.39% 15.7% 11.26% 10.79% 8.62% 2.46% 4.5% 2.32% 2.66% 0.99%
2026/09/30 14.94% 12.61% 10.23% 8.54% 8.32% 5.4% 3.13% 2.86% 2.67% 0.69%
  • cargurus.co.uk
  • autotrader.co.uk
  • motorway.co.uk
  • carwow.co.uk
  • webuyanycar.com
  • mini.co.uk
  • pistonheads.com
  • cinch.co.uk
  • arnoldclark.com
  • volvocars.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In September 2026, AutoTrader.co.uk led with a strong start, peaking mid-month. Carwow.co.uk surged late, while Cargurus.co.uk spiked towards the end. The month concluded with AutoTrader.co.uk maintaining dominance.

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.

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for UK Automotive Online Car Retailers - Last month
  1. 1
    Used Cars For Sale | Second Hand Cars | Autotrader UK https://www.autotrader.co.uk

    Used cars for sale, including private sales & dealerships near you. Shop in confidence with a free history check & instant price comparison.

  2. 2
    Enter Your Reg For A Valuation - Instant Online Car Valuation https://www.cardaddys.co.uk › car-valuation

    Sell Your Car The Easy Way. Enter Your Car Reg, Get A Free Valuation, & We'll Come To You. We'll Come...

  3. 3
    Enter Reg for free valuation - We collect & pay quickly https://www.carwow.co.uk

    Simple, free online process, home collection, and fast payment. Sell with Carwow

  4. 4
    Free Valuation - Enter Reg https://www.motorway.co.uk

    Get Your Highest Offer — Simply Enter Your Reg To Get A Free Valuation. Find Your Highest Offer On Motorway. Sellers On...

  5. 5
    We Buy Any Car https://www.webuyanycar.com

    Free Valuation in 30 Seconds — Get started by entering your reg number and see how much your car is worth in 30 secs. Selling...

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive landscape of online car sales, AutoTrader UK stands out with its promise of confidence through free history checks and price comparisons. Meanwhile, CarDaddys, Carwow, Motorway, and WeBuyAnyCar emphasize convenience and speed, offering instant valuations and hassle-free selling experiences.

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