US Automotive Dealerships - PPC Market Share Analysis September 2026

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

Dealerships – US

Google AI Overview visibility for Automotive Dealerships US

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 51.7105263158
48.2894736842
51%

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 38
62
38%

Search Intent Distribution

Breakdown of search queries by their underlying goal.

Intent Distribution
Investigational 5%
Transactional 41%
Navigational 7%
Seasonal 0%
Local 5%
Problem Solving 4%

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Market Exposure

Share of Clicks for top 10 US Automotive Dealerships 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
cargurus.com 18.94
carvana.com 15.03
autotrader.com 6.24
carmax.com 5.7
cars.com 5.07
carfax.com 3.1
kbb.com 2.42
bmwusa.com 1.27
ford.com 1.22
toyota.com 0.96
others 40.05
  • cargurus.com - 18.94%
  • carvana.com - 15.03%
  • autotrader.com - 6.24%
  • carmax.com - 5.7%
  • cars.com - 5.07%
  • carfax.com - 3.1%
  • kbb.com - 2.42%
  • bmwusa.com - 1.27%
  • ford.com - 1.22%
  • toyota.com - 0.96%
  • others - 40.05%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Cargurus.com leads with 18.94% click share, followed by Carvana.com at 15.03%. Others collectively hold 40.05%, showcasing diverse competition.

Market Exposure

Share of Spend for the top 10 US Automotive Dealerships 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 carvana.com cargurus.com cars.com carmax.com autotrader.com carfax.com drivetime.com toyota.com vw.com ford.com
2026/09/01 17.4% 6.04% 3.42% 4.69% 2.26% 1.7% 1.06% 1% 1.33% 3.15%
2026/09/02 18.63% 6.11% 3.67% 3.64% 2.07% 1.48% 1.17% 1.05% 0.99% 0.76%
2026/09/03 22.11% 6.06% 3.26% 3.66% 1.65% 1.45% 1.63% 1.14% 1.49% 1.17%
2026/09/04 24.23% 6.04% 3.42% 3.64% 1.89% 1.56% 1.56% 0.93% 1.38% 1.75%
2026/09/05 25.11% 5.52% 3.17% 3.78% 1.69% 1.73% 1.83% 1.16% 1.19% 2.03%
2026/09/06 25.5% 6.09% 2.69% 4.47% 1.47% 1.48% 2.26% 1.32% 1.03% 1.96%
2026/09/07 26.84% 5.6% 3.36% 4.07% 1.29% 1.46% 1.86% 1.33% 1.14% 1.94%
2026/09/08 25.74% 5.45% 2.94% 4.06% 1.2% 1.4% 2.01% 1.18% 1.13% 2.47%
2026/09/09 25.28% 5.38% 2.95% 3.84% 1.07% 1.33% 2.43% 1.33% 0.77% 2.19%
2026/09/10 22.64% 5.77% 3.54% 3.8% 1.43% 1.48% 2.35% 1.29% 1.04% 1.27%
2026/09/11 20.25% 6.05% 3.55% 3.59% 1.57% 1.48% 1.86% 1.34% 0.94% 0.99%
2026/09/12 16.4% 6.64% 3.79% 3.27% 2.36% 1.38% 1.49% 1.51% 1.07% 0.74%
2026/09/13 13.07% 6.95% 4.09% 3.4% 2.62% 1.57% 1.62% 1.53% 1.4% 0.65%
2026/09/14 11.65% 6.98% 5.04% 3.01% 2.64% 1.8% 1.16% 1.33% 1.28% 0.58%
2026/09/15 19.95% 6.21% 3.81% 3.47% 1.96% 1.62% 1.54% 1.12% 1.12% 0.9%
2026/09/16 20.55% 6.43% 4.08% 3.7% 1.74% 1.52% 1.33% 1.27% 0.98% 1.15%
2026/09/17 16.5% 6.97% 4.27% 3.19% 2.3% 1.62% 1.27% 1.13% 1.26% 0.94%
2026/09/18 15.77% 6.73% 3.9% 3.53% 2.17% 1.55% 1.34% 1.09% 1.47% 0.98%
2026/09/19 16.95% 6.9% 3.43% 3.55% 2.16% 1.63% 1.25% 1.08% 1.81% 0.73%
2026/09/20 17.15% 6.9% 3.37% 3.41% 1.85% 1.84% 1.21% 1.14% 1.22% 0.88%
2026/09/21 17.95% 7.65% 3.56% 3.2% 1.99% 1.5% 1.58% 1.02% 1.22% 0.56%
2026/09/22 16.66% 6.93% 3.58% 3.5% 2.15% 1.63% 1.18% 1.29% 0.94% 0.98%
2026/09/23 16.88% 7.24% 3.01% 3.96% 2.37% 1.38% 1.46% 1.06% 1.33% 1.26%
2026/09/24 15.98% 7.91% 2.59% 3.08% 2.28% 1.44% 0.88% 1.25% 0.73% 1.11%
2026/09/25 16.58% 8.83% 3.03% 3.38% 2.32% 1.59% 1.34% 1.3% 0.88% 1.28%
2026/09/26 17.77% 8.5% 2.4% 3.17% 2.37% 1.36% 1.5% 1.38% 0.78% 0.93%
2026/09/27 19.08% 9.29% 2.73% 3.54% 2.67% 1.55% 1.87% 0.97% 0.73% 0.43%
2026/09/28 18.39% 8.07% 2.96% 3.04% 2.66% 1.58% 1.82% 1.84% 1.01% 0.93%
2026/09/29 18.34% 8.16% 3.36% 3.05% 2.81% 1.93% 1.47% 1.35% 1.44% 0.86%
2026/09/30 17.7% 9.31% 3.79% 3.51% 2.45% 2.29% 1.46% 1.41% 1.35% 0.68%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • cars.com
  • carmax.com
  • autotrader.com
  • carfax.com
  • drivetime.com
  • toyota.com
  • vw.com
  • ford.com

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Carvana’s PPC spend peaked early September, then declined. Cargurus steadily rose, ending strong. Cars.com fluctuated, finishing higher. Carmax saw minor variations. Autotrader and Carfax showed gradual increases. Drivetime and Toyota remained stable. VW and Ford had inconsistent trends.

Market Exposure

Competitor Count for US Automotive Dealerships

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 3923
2026/09/02 4621
2026/09/03 4834
2026/09/04 5142
2026/09/05 5210
2026/09/06 5350
2026/09/07 5363
2026/09/08 5267
2026/09/09 5279
2026/09/10 5106
2026/09/11 4902
2026/09/12 4686
2026/09/13 4707
2026/09/14 4502
2026/09/15 5385
2026/09/16 5259
2026/09/17 5213
2026/09/18 5094
2026/09/19 5122
2026/09/20 5019
2026/09/21 5066
2026/09/22 5086
2026/09/23 4846
2026/09/24 5943
2026/09/25 5506
2026/09/26 5194
2026/09/27 5199
2026/09/28 5240
2026/09/29 5226
2026/09/30 5137

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

September saw a dynamic shift in distinct advertisers, starting at 3,923 and peaking at 5,943 on the 24th. The month concluded with 5,137 advertisers, reflecting a significant increase.

Campaign Efficiency

Market Loss & Market Gains for US Automotive Dealerships

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
cargurus.com 3.69%
autotrader.com 1.51%
kbb.com 0.42%
autonation.com 0.34%
penskeusedtrucks.com 0.3%
drivetime.com -0.23%
bmwusa.com -0.31%
ford.com -0.42%
cars.com -0.45%
carvana.com -4.66%

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana.com saw a significant drop of 4.66% in click share, while Cargurus.com experienced a notable increase of 3.69%. Autotrader.com also rose by 1.51%.

Campaign Efficiency

US Automotive Dealerships Share of Impressions

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

Date carvana.com cargurus.com cars.com carmax.com autotrader.com carfax.com truecar.com toyotacertified.com drivetime.com toyota.com
2026/09/01 22.66% 10.21% 5% 5.02% 3.14% 2.53% 1.99% 0.61% 0.45% 0.67%
2026/09/02 23.01% 10.17% 5.19% 3.98% 3.56% 2.34% 1.44% 0.7% 0.59% 0.66%
2026/09/03 26.72% 9.92% 4.54% 3.92% 2.6% 2.28% 1.29% 0.76% 0.88% 0.78%
2026/09/04 29.13% 9.06% 4.53% 3.9% 2.66% 2.21% 1.37% 0.6% 0.92% 0.65%
2026/09/05 30.07% 8.46% 4.42% 4.05% 2.59% 2.56% 1.44% 0.62% 1.17% 0.74%
2026/09/06 30.67% 8.98% 3.87% 4.65% 2.25% 2.13% 1.28% 0.61% 1.33% 0.83%
2026/09/07 31.71% 8.93% 4.61% 4.25% 1.91% 2.24% 1.03% 0.68% 1.28% 0.89%
2026/09/08 30.92% 9.11% 4.21% 4.38% 2.08% 2.01% 1.06% 0.62% 1.29% 0.82%
2026/09/09 31.27% 8.61% 4.42% 4.08% 2.05% 2.04% 0.9% 0.65% 1.34% 0.88%
2026/09/10 27.9% 9.5% 4.64% 3.95% 2.38% 2.14% 1.01% 0.86% 1.26% 0.98%
2026/09/11 24.96% 9.39% 4.83% 3.76% 2.63% 2.03% 0.9% 1.24% 1% 0.95%
2026/09/12 19.97% 10.11% 4.96% 3.51% 3.68% 2.01% 0.52% 1.37% 0.77% 1.15%
2026/09/13 16.09% 11.02% 5.02% 3.69% 4.17% 2.23% 0.68% 1.54% 0.73% 1.16%
2026/09/14 14.63% 11.11% 6.05% 3.22% 3.94% 2.55% 0.6% 1.81% 0.63% 1.05%
2026/09/15 23.82% 9.18% 4.89% 3.5% 2.92% 2.28% 0.94% 1.15% 0.95% 0.8%
2026/09/16 24.1% 9.4% 5.51% 3.79% 2.82% 1.99% 0.91% 1.22% 0.85% 0.82%
2026/09/17 19.96% 9.54% 5.5% 3.36% 3.36% 2.09% 0.8% 1.47% 0.75% 0.81%
2026/09/18 19.2% 9.87% 4.91% 3.63% 3.57% 2.19% 1.15% 1.32% 0.76% 0.88%
2026/09/19 20.5% 10.8% 4.79% 3.65% 3.43% 2.32% 0.66% 1.19% 0.71% 0.77%
2026/09/20 20.61% 11.26% 4.73% 3.5% 3.27% 2.38% 0.98% 1.13% 0.68% 0.74%
2026/09/21 20.96% 12% 4.9% 3.19% 3.26% 2.12% 0.85% 0.91% 0.94% 0.69%
2026/09/22 19.86% 10.84% 5.33% 3.19% 3.58% 2.36% 0.95% 1.03% 0.61% 1.07%
2026/09/23 20.14% 11.12% 4.6% 3.68% 3.62% 2.02% 1.51% 0.97% 0.73% 0.69%
2026/09/24 18.47% 11.79% 3.98% 3.37% 3.92% 2.2% 1.03% 0.74% 0.45% 0.85%
2026/09/25 18.17% 12.83% 4.41% 3.42% 3.86% 2.24% 1.1% 0.87% 0.64% 0.91%
2026/09/26 20.35% 12.99% 3.91% 3.55% 3.76% 2.12% 1.45% 0.9% 0.85% 0.91%
2026/09/27 20.7% 13.37% 3.91% 3.6% 4.1% 2.19% 0.89% 0.6% 1.05% 0.59%
2026/09/28 20.41% 11.87% 4.08% 3.18% 3.99% 2.22% 1.09% 0.79% 1% 1.19%
2026/09/29 19.98% 12.56% 4.25% 3.15% 4.01% 2.7% 0.95% 0.68% 0.88% 0.89%
2026/09/30 19.78% 13.38% 4.12% 3.86% 3.51% 2.97% 1.22% 1.07% 0.86% 0.79%
  • carvana.com
  • cargurus.com
  • cars.com
  • carmax.com
  • autotrader.com
  • carfax.com
  • truecar.com
  • toyotacertified.com
  • drivetime.com
  • toyota.com

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

Carvana’s impression share peaked early September, then declined, ending at 19.78%. CarGurus rose steadily, finishing strong at 13.38%. Cars.com fluctuated, closing at 4.12%. CarMax saw minor changes, ending at 3.86%. Autotrader’s share varied, closing at 3.51%. Carfax showed slight growth, finishing at 2.97%. TrueCar’s share was low, ending at 1.22%. ToyotaCertified and Drivetime had minor fluctuations, closing at 1.07% and 0.86%, respectively. Toyota.com remained stable, ending at 0.79%.

Campaign Efficiency

Google Text Ad Copy Insights & Creative Trends for US Automotive Dealerships

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 US Automotive Dealerships - Last month
  1. 1
    CarGurus: Shop Used & New https://www.cargurus.com

    Search Cars on CarGurus — See cars for sale near you. Compare deals all in one place. Find the best local deals on cars in your...

  2. 2
    CarMax Has Upfront Pricing - CarMax lets you buy your way https://www.carmax.com

    Wanna find your ride? Buy online or in store. CarMax gives you the freedom to choose.

  3. 3
    Search Used Cars For Sale https://www.carvana.com › used-cars

    Buy, Sell, or Trade-in Online — Find The Right Used Car For You. Search By Price, Make, Model, Mileage And More! 100% Online...

  4. 4
    Official Kelley Blue Book Site https://www.kbb.com › shop › kbb

    Find Your Car's Book Value — Kelley Blue Book® Empowering You in the Car Market. From Values To Service & Repair Guide

  5. 5
    SoCal Chevy Official Site | Locate A Chevy Dealer Near You https://www.socalchevy.com

    Find the Latest SoCal Area Chevrolet Vehicle Offers, Incentives, Availability & More. Call or Visit Your Local Chevy Dealer Today.

Copyright © Adthena. All rights reserved.

In the competitive automotive landscape, CarGurus, CarMax, Carvana, Kelley Blue Book, and SoCal Chevy captivate audiences with unique propositions. CarGurus emphasizes local deals, CarMax offers buying flexibility, Carvana promotes online convenience, Kelley Blue Book provides valuation empowerment, and SoCal Chevy highlights regional offers.

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