Leveraging Adthena’s Whole Market View, this analysis explores recent trends in Google Ads for the US Online Car Retailers category from the last month. Our Data Analyst, Ask Arlo provides commentary on key findings.
See how often AIOs appear and how search intent is distributed across buying signals.
How often a Google AI overview appears on search terms relevant to this category.
| Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 16.3214050646 |
| 83.6785949354 |
A complex query is a longer, more detailed search that often contains multiple keywords, specific conditions, or multi-part questions.
| Frequency | Percentage |
|---|---|
| Frequency | 61 |
| 39 |
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Here are the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Clicks for the last month.
| Domain | Share of clicks |
|---|---|
| carvana.com | 35.59 |
| kbb.com | 20.65 |
| cargurus.com | 6.67 |
| cars.com | 5.11 |
| carmax.com | 4.95 |
| autotrader.com | 3.89 |
| edmunds.com | 3.48 |
| enterprise.com | 3.42 |
| carfax.com | 2.24 |
| campingworld.com | 1.27 |
| others | 12.73 |
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Carvana leads with 35.59% click share, followed by KBB at 20.65%. Others collectively hold 12.73%, while CarGurus captures 6.67%.
Curious about your market position? Here you can see the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Spend for the last month.
| Date | carvana.com | carmax.com | cargurus.com | kbb.com | cars.com | autonation.com | enterprise.com | edmunds.com | autotrader.com | carfax.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/03/01 | 22.34% | 13.8% | 11.41% | 7.96% | 4.77% | 3.07% | 2.53% | 3.05% | 4.48% | 2.9% |
| 2026/03/02 | 21.9% | 11.31% | 11.21% | 7.97% | 6.14% | 1.83% | 5.52% | 2.83% | 4.53% | 3.13% |
| 2026/03/03 | 32.48% | 9.01% | 11.66% | 7.68% | 4.32% | 2.55% | 2.46% | 1.61% | 4.76% | 2.74% |
| 2026/03/04 | 22.51% | 10.06% | 13.66% | 8.64% | 4.65% | 1.6% | 3.96% | 2.83% | 4.25% | 2.86% |
| 2026/03/05 | 29.03% | 9.5% | 10.51% | 6.9% | 4.84% | 2.33% | 4.15% | 2.58% | 4.86% | 1.91% |
| 2026/03/06 | 29.53% | 10.13% | 11.38% | 6.99% | 4.83% | 1.32% | 2.93% | 1.95% | 4.67% | 1.89% |
| 2026/03/07 | 26.09% | 11.25% | 9.59% | 9.15% | 4.62% | 1.76% | 3.95% | 2.36% | 4.06% | 2.15% |
| 2026/03/08 | 31.81% | 11.37% | 9.63% | 7.39% | 3.55% | 2.99% | 2.68% | 2.49% | 4.49% | 1.65% |
| 2026/03/09 | 19.84% | 12.34% | 12.06% | 9.38% | 5.38% | 2.2% | 4.3% | 2.44% | 3.71% | 1.75% |
| 2026/03/10 | 19.68% | 11.95% | 12.04% | 9.17% | 5.84% | 2.45% | 4.8% | 2.51% | 4.8% | 1.96% |
| 2026/03/11 | 37.64% | 9.49% | 8.48% | 5.95% | 4.69% | 1.29% | 2.88% | 1.99% | 3.45% | 1.72% |
| 2026/03/12 | 25.31% | 10.48% | 10.53% | 7.57% | 5.02% | 1.59% | 3.75% | 1.83% | 3.13% | 2.65% |
| 2026/03/13 | 36.96% | 9.9% | 6.57% | 7.45% | 3.6% | 4.13% | 2.5% | 1.96% | 2.5% | 1.74% |
| 2026/03/14 | 29.05% | 11.22% | 9.72% | 7.47% | 4.53% | 1.96% | 2.63% | 2.17% | 3.01% | 1.84% |
| 2026/03/15 | 21.08% | 14.72% | 11.32% | 8.88% | 5.84% | 2.14% | 3.55% | 2.9% | 3.74% | 2.17% |
| 2026/03/16 | 19.47% | 12.98% | 11.76% | 8.88% | 5.23% | 2.01% | 3.9% | 2.44% | 2.86% | 2.27% |
| 2026/03/17 | 35.57% | 8.68% | 11% | 5.81% | 4.69% | 2.77% | 3.13% | 1.98% | 2.48% | 1.99% |
| 2026/03/18 | 20.54% | 12.1% | 12.43% | 8.84% | 5.11% | 2.28% | 3.34% | 2.86% | 3.54% | 2% |
| 2026/03/19 | 19.3% | 12.91% | 10.25% | 8.49% | 5.33% | 2.21% | 5.06% | 2.82% | 3.12% | 1.52% |
| 2026/03/20 | 19.19% | 10.93% | 11.8% | 10.86% | 5.65% | 3.14% | 4.06% | 2.95% | 4.02% | 1.38% |
| 2026/03/21 | 20.95% | 11% | 11.5% | 8.81% | 4.79% | 1.43% | 4.68% | 3.21% | 2.78% | 1.28% |
| 2026/03/22 | 20.95% | 13.88% | 12.1% | 8.23% | 5.4% | 1.99% | 3.58% | 2.29% | 4.97% | 1.64% |
| 2026/03/23 | 26.68% | 12.16% | 10.86% | 8.5% | 4.87% | 2.6% | 4.4% | 2.51% | 3.67% | 1.48% |
| 2026/03/24 | 20.79% | 12.84% | 11.33% | 10.57% | 4.39% | 2.55% | 6.01% | 2.04% | 3.58% | 2% |
| 2026/03/25 | 18.48% | 13.38% | 12.53% | 10.26% | 4.64% | 3.99% | 2.11% | 2.14% | 3.03% | 1.91% |
| 2026/03/26 | 27.32% | 11.68% | 11.17% | 10.13% | 4.25% | 2.96% | 2.86% | 2.28% | 3.42% | 2.12% |
| 2026/03/27 | 21% | 14.43% | 11.03% | 10.19% | 5.2% | 1.16% | 3.89% | 2.72% | 2.37% | 2.45% |
| 2026/03/28 | 19.55% | 13.94% | 13.02% | 10.77% | 4.77% | 1.35% | 3.69% | 3.17% | 2.65% | 2.12% |
| 2026/03/29 | 26.03% | 12.67% | 9.9% | 9.5% | 4.18% | 3.09% | 4.09% | 2.8% | 2.32% | 1.47% |
| 2026/03/30 | 24.82% | 10.39% | 9.86% | 9.92% | 5.26% | 2.33% | 3.38% | 3.41% | 2.81% | 1.89% |
| 2026/03/31 | 16.99% | 12.3% | 11.68% | 10.77% | 5.12% | 4.92% | 4.66% | 3.74% | 2.02% | 1.79% |
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Carvana led March with fluctuating spend, peaking at 37.64% on March 11. Carmax and Cargurus followed, showing steady trends. By month’s end, Carvana’s share dipped to 16.99%.
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.
| Date | Competitor Count |
|---|---|
| 2026/03/01 | 854 |
| 2026/03/02 | 846 |
| 2026/03/03 | 909 |
| 2026/03/04 | 891 |
| 2026/03/05 | 872 |
| 2026/03/06 | 936 |
| 2026/03/07 | 758 |
| 2026/03/08 | 777 |
| 2026/03/09 | 826 |
| 2026/03/10 | 846 |
| 2026/03/11 | 893 |
| 2026/03/12 | 877 |
| 2026/03/13 | 870 |
| 2026/03/14 | 847 |
| 2026/03/15 | 821 |
| 2026/03/16 | 862 |
| 2026/03/17 | 906 |
| 2026/03/18 | 887 |
| 2026/03/19 | 829 |
| 2026/03/20 | 797 |
| 2026/03/21 | 705 |
| 2026/03/22 | 790 |
| 2026/03/23 | 782 |
| 2026/03/24 | 708 |
| 2026/03/25 | 740 |
| 2026/03/26 | 687 |
| 2026/03/27 | 786 |
| 2026/03/28 | 764 |
| 2026/03/29 | 715 |
| 2026/03/30 | 750 |
| 2026/03/31 | 759 |
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March began with 854 advertisers, peaking at 936 on the 6th. A decline followed, reaching a low of 687 on the 26th. The month concluded with 759 advertisers, reflecting a dynamic landscape.
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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Kbb.com surged with a 6.26% click share increase, while carvana.com faced an 11.8% decline. Edmunds.com, cars.com, and enterprise.com also saw positive growth.
Take a look at the Top 10 competitors in the industry by Share of Impressions over the last month.
| Date | carmax.com | carvana.com | cargurus.com | kbb.com | autonation.com | edmunds.com | cars.com | carfax.com | autotrader.com | driveway.com |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026/03/01 | 14.48% | 19.31% | 13.13% | 7.15% | 4.2% | 5.03% | 4.48% | 3.33% | 3.82% | 1.08% |
| 2026/03/02 | 15.27% | 19.84% | 12.55% | 8.09% | 2.16% | 4.73% | 5.41% | 3.34% | 4% | 2.18% |
| 2026/03/03 | 11.45% | 30.86% | 12.85% | 7.38% | 3.54% | 2.24% | 4.02% | 3.34% | 4.41% | 0.8% |
| 2026/03/04 | 13.1% | 20.25% | 14.24% | 8.82% | 2.2% | 4.19% | 4.88% | 3.81% | 4.53% | 2.74% |
| 2026/03/05 | 12.08% | 26.65% | 11.32% | 7.21% | 4.23% | 4.05% | 4.3% | 2.36% | 4.4% | 2.55% |
| 2026/03/06 | 12.98% | 28.94% | 11.87% | 6.89% | 0.95% | 2.78% | 4.27% | 2.29% | 4.35% | 2.9% |
| 2026/03/07 | 13.17% | 24.04% | 10.8% | 8.73% | 2.63% | 3.84% | 4.42% | 2.4% | 3.47% | 3.08% |
| 2026/03/08 | 13.04% | 30.99% | 10.08% | 7.16% | 4.79% | 3.8% | 3.49% | 2.26% | 3.92% | 1.59% |
| 2026/03/09 | 14.4% | 17.29% | 12.24% | 9.67% | 3.85% | 3.88% | 5.76% | 2.12% | 3.51% | 1.56% |
| 2026/03/10 | 15.42% | 16.78% | 11.98% | 9.9% | 4.24% | 4.1% | 5.62% | 2.43% | 4.7% | 2.99% |
| 2026/03/11 | 13.73% | 37.71% | 7.89% | 4.75% | 1.05% | 2.87% | 4.23% | 2.64% | 3.06% | 0.81% |
| 2026/03/12 | 13.26% | 23.32% | 10.9% | 6.92% | 1.49% | 2.97% | 4.78% | 2.72% | 3.04% | 1.68% |
| 2026/03/13 | 12.02% | 31.81% | 6.64% | 6.84% | 6.09% | 3.5% | 3.56% | 3.3% | 2.31% | 2.77% |
| 2026/03/14 | 13.35% | 27.79% | 9.09% | 7.71% | 3.14% | 3.65% | 3.98% | 2.23% | 2.92% | 1.71% |
| 2026/03/15 | 16.92% | 18.27% | 11.59% | 8.47% | 2.1% | 6.72% | 5.33% | 2.66% | 3.98% | 1.24% |
| 2026/03/16 | 15.27% | 15.88% | 11.69% | 8.17% | 2.81% | 3.64% | 5.12% | 2.54% | 3.19% | 2.58% |
| 2026/03/17 | 9.67% | 34.37% | 12.01% | 5.72% | 3.86% | 3.3% | 4.89% | 2.25% | 2.56% | 0.95% |
| 2026/03/18 | 14.57% | 16.93% | 14.17% | 9.17% | 2.98% | 5.11% | 5.57% | 2.6% | 3.83% | 1.72% |
| 2026/03/19 | 15.91% | 16.77% | 12.1% | 8.59% | 2.59% | 5.93% | 4.58% | 1.89% | 2.82% | 2.36% |
| 2026/03/20 | 14.15% | 16.03% | 11.92% | 10.39% | 3.9% | 5.09% | 5.05% | 1.68% | 3.82% | 4.46% |
| 2026/03/21 | 12.44% | 19.26% | 12.28% | 8.72% | 1.58% | 5.59% | 4.47% | 1.6% | 2.59% | 1.91% |
| 2026/03/22 | 16.27% | 21.28% | 12.78% | 8.33% | 3.1% | 3.3% | 4.73% | 1.98% | 4.03% | 3.87% |
| 2026/03/23 | 14.88% | 27.42% | 10.81% | 7.68% | 4.15% | 3.93% | 4.04% | 1.77% | 3.18% | 2.69% |
| 2026/03/24 | 15.61% | 20.47% | 12.29% | 10.7% | 3.48% | 2.71% | 4.29% | 2.33% | 3.39% | 1.48% |
| 2026/03/25 | 15.9% | 18.21% | 12.91% | 10.23% | 6.41% | 2.91% | 4.28% | 2.05% | 3.02% | 0.91% |
| 2026/03/26 | 12.53% | 29.5% | 12.03% | 9.73% | 4.56% | 3.46% | 3.89% | 2.5% | 2.96% | 1.47% |
| 2026/03/27 | 15.83% | 20.33% | 11.24% | 9.08% | 1.67% | 4.26% | 4.64% | 4.17% | 2.12% | 1.06% |
| 2026/03/28 | 14.52% | 18.43% | 15.09% | 10.74% | 1.52% | 5.58% | 4.65% | 2.54% | 2.59% | 1.9% |
| 2026/03/29 | 12.16% | 27.43% | 9.49% | 9.11% | 4.16% | 4.32% | 3.72% | 1.88% | 2.17% | 2.26% |
| 2026/03/30 | 11.86% | 23.83% | 10.71% | 10.11% | 2.72% | 5.97% | 4.33% | 2.24% | 2.44% | 3.34% |
| 2026/03/31 | 16.06% | 13.15% | 11.6% | 10.22% | 7.64% | 6.36% | 4.94% | 2.07% | 2.01% | 1.58% |
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Carvana dominated March with fluctuating peaks, notably on the 11th at 37.71%. Carmax and Cargurus showed steady trends, while KBB and Autonation had sporadic spikes. The month concluded with Carvana leading, followed by Carmax.
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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In the competitive world of online car retail, AutoNation, CarMax, Cars.com, Edmunds, and Kelley Blue Book dominate with compelling PPC ads. AutoNation emphasizes a fast, transparent car-selling process. CarMax offers a 7-day value comparison. Cars.com boasts a vast vehicle selection. Edmunds provides instant car valuations, while Kelley Blue Book highlights comprehensive car resources.
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.
Adthena’s PPC Market Share reports provide an instant view of performance insights across hundreds of sub-industries – so you can do just that.
How to use the US Automotive Online Car Retailers March 2026 Report
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Data within the US Automotive Online Car Retailers March 2026 Report is aggregated every month, highlighting the most significant changes from the previous period.
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Yes. The US Automotive Online Car Retailers March 2026 Report aggregates data from across both device types and Google Shopping.
The US Automotive Online Car Retailers March 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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