In every one of America's 25 biggest metro areas, AI assistants already have a favorite Volkswagen dealer. This report names all 25. In 20 of 25 metros the AI leader is not the metro's biggest store by review count, and the leaders' average Google rating (4.5★) is no better than the field's (4.5★). Store size and Google ratings do not decide who AI recommends. And with 17 of 25 metros still a contested race, the leader in most metros can still change.
Measured with identical non-branded Find / Buy / Service questions asked city by city across each metro, with every city's results weighted by its real search demand - so every metro and every dealer is measured the same way. The full method is at the end of this report.
25 metro AI leaders named
80% of metros: the biggest store is not the AI leader
84% of leaders do not hold their metro's highest Google rating
68% of metros are a contested race
The National 25 - who AI recommends, metro by metro
The dealer AI assistants recommend most in each of the nation's 25 biggest metros. Share of voice: of every time AI named a Volkswagen dealer in the metro, how often it named this one. AI visibility: how often AI names the dealer at all. Named first: how often it is the very first dealer named.
New York - Bayside Volkswagen (based in Bayside, NY) leads with 21% share of voice, named in 74% of answers, named first 26% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 3.4★.
Los Angeles - Volkswagen of Downtown LA (based in Los Angeles, CA) leads with 18% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 73% of answers, named first 12% of the time. Google 4.3★, Yelp 4.1★.
Chicago - City Volkswagen of Chicago (based in Chicago, IL) leads with 18% share of voice, named in 77% of answers, named first 49% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.6★.
Dallas-Fort Worth - Hendrick Volkswagen Frisco (part of the Hendrick group) (based in Frisco, TX) leads with 13% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 47% of answers, named first 27% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.5★.
Houston - Archer Volkswagen (based in Houston, TX) leads with 21% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 84% of answers, named first 35% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 2.9★.
Atlanta - Jim Ellis Volkswagen of Chamblee (based in Atlanta, GA) leads with 23% share of voice, named in 85% of answers, named first 52% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 2.9★.
Washington DC - Alexandria Volkswagen (based in Alexandria, VA) leads with 20% share of voice, named in 71% of answers, named first 64% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 2.7★.
Miami - Palmetto57 Volkswagen (based in Miami Gardens, FL) leads with 19% share of voice, named in 73% of answers, named first 10% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp not rated.
Philadelphia - Colonial Volkswagen (based in Feasterville-Trevose, PA) leads with 13% share of voice, named in 55% of answers, named first 16% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 3.3★.
Phoenix - Volkswagen North Scottsdale (based in Phoenix, AZ) leads with 18% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 80% of answers, named first 32% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 4.1★.
Boston - Wellesley Volkswagen (based in Wellesley, MA) leads with 21% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 81% of answers, named first 48% of the time. Google 4.9★, Yelp 4.6★.
Riverside - Riverside Volkswagen (based in Riverside, CA) leads with 17% share of voice, named in 53% of answers, named first 41% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 5.0★.
San Francisco Bay Area - Sunnyvale Volkswagen (based in Sunnyvale, CA) leads with 13% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 44% of answers, named first 10% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 3.6★.
Detroit - Suburban Volkswagen of Farmington Hills (based in Farmington Hills, MI) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 78% of answers, named first 18% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 2.4★.
Seattle - University Volkswagen (based in Seattle, WA) leads with 19% share of voice, named in 68% of answers, named first 29% of the time. Google 4.4★, Yelp 3.3★.
Minneapolis-St. Paul - Luther Westside Volkswagen (based in St Louis Park, MN) leads with 30% share of voice, named in 88% of answers, named first 33% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 2.4★.
Tampa - Volkswagen of North Tampa (based in Tampa, FL) leads with 17% share of voice, named in 67% of answers, named first 20% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 2.6★.
San Diego - Kearny Mesa Volkswagen (based in San Diego, CA) leads with 27% share of voice, named in 92% of answers, named first 69% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp 3.6★.
Denver - Emich Volkswagen (based in Denver, CO) leads with 27% share of voice, named in 93% of answers, named first 55% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 3.7★.
Orlando - Napleton's Volkswagen of Orlando (part of the Napleton group) (based in Orlando, FL) leads with 31% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 86% of answers, named first 33% of the time. Google 4.6★, Yelp 2.3★.
Charlotte - Carolina Volkswagen (based in Charlotte, NC) leads with 26% share of voice, named in 95% of answers, named first 14% of the time. Google 4.3★, Yelp 2.5★.
Baltimore - Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville (based in Baltimore, MD) leads with 19% share of voice, named in 77% of answers, named first 28% of the time. Google 4.5★, Yelp not rated.
St. Louis - Suntrup Volkswagen (based in St. Louis, MO) leads with 22% share of voice, named in 78% of answers, named first 25% of the time. Google 4.3★, Yelp 2.5★.
San Antonio - North Park Volkswagen (based in San Antonio, TX) leads with 35% share of voice, named in 98% of answers, named first 85% of the time. Google 4.7★, Yelp 3.1★.
Austin - Onion Creek Volkswagen (based in Austin, TX) leads with 34% share of voice; a near-tie - the runner-up's share is within 1 point, named in 96% of answers, named first 12% of the time. Google 4.1★, Yelp 2.6★.
Monthly brand and model searches across each metro's measured cities - the demand AI answers compete for:
New York - 37,450 searches per month
Los Angeles - 19,220 searches per month
Chicago - 16,860 searches per month
Houston - 15,900 searches per month
Dallas-Fort Worth - 14,830 searches per month
Miami - 11,540 searches per month
San Francisco Bay Area - 10,690 searches per month
Denver - 9,770 searches per month
Atlanta - 9,700 searches per month
Seattle - 8,620 searches per month
San Diego - 8,360 searches per month
Philadelphia - 8,350 searches per month
Phoenix - 8,280 searches per month
Minneapolis-St. Paul - 8,080 searches per month
Austin - 7,970 searches per month
Orlando - 7,920 searches per month
Tampa - 7,490 searches per month
San Antonio - 7,360 searches per month
Washington DC - 7,170 searches per month
Charlotte - 6,870 searches per month
Boston - 6,320 searches per month
Baltimore - 5,740 searches per month
St. Louis - 4,980 searches per month
Detroit - 4,500 searches per month
Riverside - 4,210 searches per month
What AI reads, nationally
The websites AI cited most when answering shopper questions across the 25 measured metros, as a share of all citations:
dealerrater.com - 11.6% of citations
carfax.com - 7.1% of citations
caredge.com - 5.2% of citations
cars.com - 4.4% of citations
kbb.com - 4.1% of citations
cargurus.com - 4.0% of citations
autotrader.com - 2.9% of citations
yelp.com - 2.1% of citations
vw.com - 1.9% of citations
reddit.com - 1.7% of citations
edmunds.com - 1.3% of citations
autostoday.com - 1.1% of citations
capitalone.com - 0.9% of citations
cbac.com - 0.5% of citations
National insights
AI recommends locally. In 22 of 23 metros, a dealer's share of voice falls as its distance from the metro's center grows - the strongest single force we measured, ahead of ratings and store size. The typical metro leader sits 11 miles from the city center; the typical measured store sits 18.
Higher-rated dealers are named earlier, not more often. How highly a store is rated barely predicts whether AI names it at all. But comparing stores at a similar distance from the metro's center, the better-rated store is usually named earlier in the answer - the pattern holds in 17 of 23 metros. A strong rating does not make AI name a store more often; it moves the store earlier in the answer.
Different dealers win sales and service. In 12 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. In Los Angeles, New Century Volkswagen wins the purchase questions while Pacific Volkswagen wins service.
Yelp is a weak spot for some leaders.10 of the 23 metro leaders with a Yelp listing carry a rating below 3 stars. Yelp is a major review source for AI answers, so the gap matters.
DealerRater ratings vary far more than Google ratings. The metro leaders are tied on Google, but on DealerRater - a review site AI reads in nearly every measured metro - their ratings run from 3.9★ to 5.0★. The widest gap: Kearny Mesa Volkswagen in San Diego holds 3.9★ on DealerRater against 4.5★ on Google.
What To Do
Build real pages for the nearby markets you want to win. AI recommends locally: in 22 of 23 metros, the dealers it names most are the ones closest to where the shopper asks. You cannot move the store, but you can make your relevance to each nearby market visible. Give every city you serve its own page with real substance: the inventory you deliver there, the drive time from that city, the services those customers use, and reviews from real customers who live there. Thin copies of one page do not help; give AI real local content to cite.
Work on service visibility separately. In 12 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. Winning the sales conversation does not carry over. Service needs its own footprint: service pages on your website, service reviews, and service questions answered on the same sites.
Publish content only your dealership can offer. Leaders and the field are tied on Google ratings (4.5★ to 4.5★), so generic claims about quality do not separate anyone. Give the sites AI reads specific, factual material to cite: your actual inventory, real customer reviews, and the services your store offers - and keep it current.
Know where you stand. Every metro here was measured with the same non-branded questions real shoppers ask, and 17 of 25 metros are a contested race. You cannot aim any of the steps above without knowing your own position: which questions you win, which you lose, and to whom. That is what a dealer-level measurement shows.
Claim and work your Yelp listing. 10 of the 23 leading dealers we could rate score below 3.0 on Yelp, while those same dealers average 4.5★ on Google. AI assistants read both. Claim the listing, reply to the reviews already there, keep your hours and services current, and ask satisfied customers to post where shoppers are already looking.
Regional footprint
Who leads each sub-market, and where
The dealer AI names most in each sub-market. Each sub-market is measured at its anchor city -
shown with its population - chosen to represent that part of the region; the anchors together
span the metro's major population centers. On the map, each anchor's bubble is sized by its
monthly shopper search demand, so larger circles are the markets with more search activity.
National footprint
The 25 metros, coast to coast
Each bubble is one of America's 25 biggest metro areas, sized by monthly shopper search
demand in its anchor city and numbered by metro rank. The table that follows names the dealer
AI recommends most in each.
Market demand
Where the nation shops
Monthly brand and model searches in each metro's anchor city - the demand AI answers compete
for. Search demand weights and sizes the markets in this report; it is not a sales figure.
Market demand
What the region is searching for
How many shoppers near the region search for each model every month. This is the
demand AI answers compete for, and it sets how much each city counts toward the scores. Search
demand weights the cities in this report; it is not a sales figure.
Metro leaderboard
The National 25 - who AI recommends, metro by metro
The dealer AI assistants recommend most in each of the nation's 25 biggest metros, measured
with identical non-branded Find / Buy / Service questions in each metro's anchor city.
#
Metro
Dealer city
AI leader
Share of voice
AI visibility
Named first
Google
Yelp
1
New York
Bayside, NY
Bayside Volkswagen
21%
74%
26%
4.4★
3.4★
2
Los Angeles
Los Angeles, CA
Volkswagen of Downtown LA
18%*
73%
12%
4.3★
4.1★
3
Chicago
Chicago, IL
City Volkswagen of Chicago
18%
77%
49%
4.7★
3.6★
4
Dallas-Fort Worth
Frisco, TX
Hendrick Volkswagen Frisco · Hendrick
13%*
47%
27%
4.7★
3.5★
5
Houston
Houston, TX
Archer Volkswagen
21%*
84%
35%
4.4★
2.9★
6
Atlanta
Atlanta, GA
Jim Ellis Volkswagen of Chamblee
23%
85%
52%
4.7★
2.9★
7
Washington DC
Alexandria, VA
Alexandria Volkswagen
20%
71%
64%
4.6★
2.7★
8
Miami
Miami Gardens, FL
Palmetto57 Volkswagen
19%
73%
10%
4.4★
-
9
Philadelphia
Feasterville-Trevose, PA
Colonial Volkswagen
13%
55%
16%
4.5★
3.3★
10
Phoenix
Phoenix, AZ
Volkswagen North Scottsdale
18%*
80%
32%
4.6★
4.1★
11
Boston
Wellesley, MA
Wellesley Volkswagen
21%*
81%
48%
4.9★
4.6★
12
Riverside
Riverside, CA
Riverside Volkswagen
17%
53%
41%
4.7★
5.0★
13
San Francisco Bay Area
Sunnyvale, CA
Sunnyvale Volkswagen
13%*
44%
10%
4.4★
3.6★
14
Detroit
Farmington Hills, MI
Suburban Volkswagen of Farmington Hills
22%
78%
18%
4.4★
2.4★
15
Seattle
Seattle, WA
University Volkswagen
19%
68%
29%
4.4★
3.3★
16
Minneapolis-St. Paul
St Louis Park, MN
Luther Westside Volkswagen
30%
88%
33%
4.5★
2.4★
17
Tampa
Tampa, FL
Volkswagen of North Tampa
17%
67%
20%
4.5★
2.6★
18
San Diego
San Diego, CA
Kearny Mesa Volkswagen
27%
92%
69%
4.5★
3.6★
19
Denver
Denver, CO
Emich Volkswagen
27%
93%
55%
4.6★
3.7★
20
Orlando
Orlando, FL
Napleton's Volkswagen of Orlando · Napleton
31%*
86%
33%
4.6★
2.3★
21
Charlotte
Charlotte, NC
Carolina Volkswagen
26%
95%
14%
4.3★
2.5★
22
Baltimore
Baltimore, MD
Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville
19%
77%
28%
4.5★
-
23
St. Louis
St. Louis, MO
Suntrup Volkswagen
22%
78%
25%
4.3★
2.5★
24
San Antonio
San Antonio, TX
North Park Volkswagen
35%
98%
85%
4.7★
3.1★
25
Austin
Austin, TX
Onion Creek Volkswagen
34%*
96%
12%
4.1★
2.6★
A share marked * is a near-tie: the runner-up's share is within 1 point, and the ranking follows the unrounded scores. In 8 of the 25 metros the lead is this close.
How to read this. Share of voice: of every time AI named
a dealer in this metro, how often it named this one. AI
visibility: how often AI names the dealer at all. Named first: how often it is the very first
dealer named - kept separate from visibility, as always. Bars are scaled to a 50% share.
Regional leaderboard
The regional leaderboard
Who AI recommends most across the region. Share of voice is the headline:
out of every time AI named a dealer, how often it named this one.
AI visibility is how often AI names the dealer at all, and
named first is how often it is the very first dealer named - a dealer can be
named often yet rarely first, so we keep these separate. Cities with more shopper demand count
for more.
Winning patterns
The winners are not who you'd expect
The two things dealers invest in as reputation - store size and Google rating - do not
separate the AI leaders from the field. Most metros are led by a store that is not the biggest
in its market, winning under its own local name.
Where AI's winners rank by store size. Every metro's
dealers, ranked by Google review count; the groups below show where each metro's AI leader
falls in that size order.
Dealer scorecard
Dealer ranking scorecard
Read each grade cell as two numbers: a bold 0-100 grade, and in grey the share of voice it
comes from. The grade is relative - the region's strongest dealer scores 100 and every other
dealer is measured against it. Find, Buy and Service are graded on their own and count equally
toward the Weighted overall. "Weighted" means busier cities count for more: each city's result
is scaled by its monthly search demand before the cities are combined, so how a dealer does
where the shoppers are matters most.
AI sources
Top Sources
The websites AI cited most when answering shopper questions across the region - each shown
as its share of all the citations AI made. Getting listed and well-reviewed on the sources that
rank highest here is how a dealer gets into AI answers.
AI sources
What AI reads, nationally
Store size and ratings do not decide who AI recommends. The clearest national pattern is
what AI reads: the same few sources appear in metro after metro. Each website is shown as its
share of all the citations AI made across the 25 measured metros. Getting listed and
well-reviewed on the sources that rank highest here is how a dealer gets into AI answers.
Market opportunity
Most metros are still up for grabs
The small number next to each metro is the leader's share of voice divided
by the runner-up's - 1.0x means the leader and runner-up are tied.
Contested - the runner-up is within striking distanceHeld - the leader is comfortably aheadBubble size = market size (monthly searches)
Leader's share of voice
Of every time AI named a dealer in that metro, the percentage that went to the metro's
#1 dealer.
Runner-up's share of voice
The same measure for the #2 dealer. The closer the two shares, the closer the race;
a leader can never sit below the dashed line, only above it.
Share of voice = a dealer's AI mentions ÷ all dealers' AI mentions in its metro
Striking distance = the runner-up holds at least the leader's share ÷ 1.2
Market opportunity
Share of Voice vs Share of Demand
This chart plots each dealer's Share of Voice (up)
against its Share of Demand (across). The dashed line is break-even, where the
two are equal. Below it, a dealer's Share of Demand is larger than its Share of Voice - the
clearest gaps to close. Bubbles are sized by Google review count.
At or above its opportunityBelow its opportunity (a gap)Bubble size = Google review count
Share of Voice
When AI assistants recommend dealers in this region, the percentage of those
recommendations that go to this dealer.
Share of Demand
This dealer's slice of the region's shoppers, based on distance: each town's shoppers
count toward the stores nearest them, and busier towns count for more.
Share of voice = a dealer's AI mentions ÷ all dealers' AI mentions
Share of demand = a dealer's nearby demand ÷ all dealers' nearby demand
Regional insights
Regional Insights
These patterns stand out when the region's answers are read together. Each one is
computed from the measured runs behind this report.
National insights
National insights
Beyond the headline story, these patterns stand out when all the metros are read together.
Each one is computed from the measured runs - per-metro results are directional, but these
cross-metro patterns rest on the full national sample.
Recommended actions
What To Do
The patterns in this report are national, but the actions they point to are local - and none
of them requires being the biggest store in the market. Five places to start, each grounded in
what this measurement found.
Methodology
Methodology
We asked non-dealer branded questions - where to find, buy, and service a Volkswagen - city by city across each of America's 25 biggest metro areas, and recorded which dealerships each AI assistant named and in what order. Every Volkswagen dealership in the metro's measured footprint is included, and dealers are never named in the questions, so every dealer is measured the same way. Each city's results are weighted by its real search demand, and every metro gets the identical question set, which is what makes the cross-metro patterns comparable.
Read each metro's result as one measurement in time. AI answers vary run to run, and in a closely contested metro the top spots can trade places between measurements. The national patterns, aggregated across all the metros, are the robust layer of this report. Share of voice, visibility, and named-first are always reported separately. A dealer counts as part of a dealer group only when the group's name is in the dealership's own name, so a store a group owns but brands locally counts as local. Review counts decide which dealers we measure; they never enter the score. Metro population figures are US Census Bureau estimates; search demand is Google search volume; dealer ratings are Google Business Profile, DealerRater, and Yelp.
Related reports
Related Reports
The national report this regional report belongs to, and sibling regions as they publish.
Regional reports
Regional Reports
Metro-level reports, each ranking the dealers AI
recommends across that metro, city by city.
Next step · For your dealership
Custom Dealer Reports
This regional report shows how AI sees the whole market. A Custom
Dealer Report goes deeper on one dealership: yours.
This national report shows how AI sees dealers across
America's biggest metros. A Custom Dealer Report goes deeper on one dealership: yours.
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How often AI names each dealer across this month's shopping prompts
Your Dealership
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Competitor A
41%
Competitor B
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Competitor C
27%
FIND
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SERVICE
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Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.1949,"visibility":0.7263,"first_rate":0.0995,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":null},{"rank":9,"metro":"Philadelphia","anchor":"Philadelphia, PA","home":"Feasterville-Trevose, PA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Colonial Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.1328,"visibility":0.5531,"first_rate":0.1618,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":3.3},{"rank":10,"metro":"Phoenix","anchor":"Phoenix, AZ","home":"Phoenix, AZ","near_tie":true,"leader":"Volkswagen North Scottsdale","group":null,"sov":0.1839,"visibility":0.7972,"first_rate":0.3157,"google":4.6,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":4.1},{"rank":11,"metro":"Boston","anchor":"Boston, MA","home":"Wellesley, MA","near_tie":true,"leader":"Wellesley Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2054,"visibility":0.8057,"first_rate":0.4769,"google":4.9,"dealerrater":4.9,"yelp":4.6},{"rank":12,"metro":"Riverside","anchor":"Riverside, CA","home":"Riverside, CA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Riverside Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.1669,"visibility":0.5349,"first_rate":0.4075,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":4.2,"yelp":5.0},{"rank":13,"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","anchor":"San Francisco, CA","home":"Sunnyvale, CA","near_tie":true,"leader":"Sunnyvale Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.1272,"visibility":0.4361,"first_rate":0.0997,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":3.6},{"rank":14,"metro":"Detroit","anchor":"Detroit, MI","home":"Farmington Hills, MI","near_tie":false,"leader":"Suburban Volkswagen of Farmington Hills","group":null,"sov":0.2152,"visibility":0.7791,"first_rate":0.1771,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":4.6,"yelp":2.4},{"rank":15,"metro":"Seattle","anchor":"Seattle, WA","home":"Seattle, WA","near_tie":false,"leader":"University Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.1876,"visibility":0.684,"first_rate":0.2936,"google":4.4,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":3.3},{"rank":16,"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","anchor":"Minneapolis, MN","home":"St Louis Park, MN","near_tie":false,"leader":"Luther Westside Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2986,"visibility":0.8752,"first_rate":0.3303,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":2.4},{"rank":17,"metro":"Tampa","anchor":"Tampa, FL","home":"Tampa, FL","near_tie":false,"leader":"Volkswagen of North Tampa","group":null,"sov":0.1746,"visibility":0.668,"first_rate":0.1969,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":4.5,"yelp":2.6},{"rank":18,"metro":"San Diego","anchor":"San Diego, CA","home":"San Diego, CA","near_tie":false,"leader":"Kearny Mesa Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2741,"visibility":0.9199,"first_rate":0.6911,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":3.9,"yelp":3.6},{"rank":19,"metro":"Denver","anchor":"Denver, CO","home":"Denver, CO","near_tie":false,"leader":"Emich Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2733,"visibility":0.9301,"first_rate":0.5549,"google":4.6,"dealerrater":4.7,"yelp":3.7},{"rank":20,"metro":"Orlando","anchor":"Orlando, FL","home":"Orlando, FL","near_tie":true,"leader":"Napleton's Volkswagen of Orlando","group":"Napleton","sov":0.3088,"visibility":0.8602,"first_rate":0.3255,"google":4.6,"dealerrater":4.4,"yelp":2.3},{"rank":21,"metro":"Charlotte","anchor":"Charlotte, NC","home":"Charlotte, NC","near_tie":false,"leader":"Carolina Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2626,"visibility":0.9512,"first_rate":0.1359,"google":4.3,"dealerrater":4.8,"yelp":2.5},{"rank":22,"metro":"Baltimore","anchor":"Baltimore, MD","home":"Baltimore, MD","near_tie":false,"leader":"Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville","group":null,"sov":0.1921,"visibility":0.773,"first_rate":0.2816,"google":4.5,"dealerrater":3.9,"yelp":null},{"rank":23,"metro":"St. Louis","anchor":"St. Louis, MO","home":"St. Louis, MO","near_tie":false,"leader":"Suntrup Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.2198,"visibility":0.7835,"first_rate":0.2451,"google":4.3,"dealerrater":4.3,"yelp":2.5},{"rank":24,"metro":"San Antonio","anchor":"San Antonio, TX","home":"San Antonio, TX","near_tie":false,"leader":"North Park Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.3541,"visibility":0.9787,"first_rate":0.8509,"google":4.7,"dealerrater":4.9,"yelp":3.1},{"rank":25,"metro":"Austin","anchor":"Austin, TX","home":"Austin, TX","near_tie":true,"leader":"Onion Creek Volkswagen","group":null,"sov":0.3399,"visibility":0.9567,"first_rate":0.1163,"google":4.1,"dealerrater":null,"yelp":2.6}]
[{"title":"AI recommends locally","html":"In <strong>22 of 23</strong> metros, a dealer's share of voice falls as its distance from the metro's center grows - the strongest single force we measured, ahead of ratings and store size. The typical metro leader sits <strong>11 miles</strong> from the city center; the typical measured store sits 18."},{"title":"Higher-rated dealers are named earlier, not more often","html":"How highly a store is rated barely predicts whether AI names it at all. But comparing stores at a similar distance from the metro's center, the better-rated store is usually named earlier in the answer - the pattern holds in <strong>17 of 23</strong> metros. A strong rating does not make AI name a store more often; it moves the store earlier in the answer."},{"title":"Different dealers win sales and service","html":"In <strong>12 of 25</strong> metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. In Los Angeles, <strong>New Century Volkswagen</strong> wins the purchase questions while <strong>Pacific Volkswagen</strong> wins service."},{"title":"Yelp is a weak spot for some leaders","html":"<strong>10 of the 23</strong> metro leaders with a Yelp listing carry a rating below 3 stars. Yelp is a major review source for AI answers, so the gap matters."},{"title":"DealerRater ratings vary far more than Google ratings","html":"The metro leaders are tied on Google, but on DealerRater - a review site AI reads in nearly every measured metro - their ratings run from <strong>3.9★ to 5.0★</strong>. The widest gap: Kearny Mesa Volkswagen in San Diego holds 3.9★ on DealerRater against 4.5★ on Google."}]
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[{"metro":"New York","searches":37450},{"metro":"Los Angeles","searches":19220},{"metro":"Chicago","searches":16860},{"metro":"Houston","searches":15900},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","searches":14830},{"metro":"Miami","searches":11540},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","searches":10690},{"metro":"Denver","searches":9770},{"metro":"Atlanta","searches":9700},{"metro":"Seattle","searches":8620},{"metro":"San Diego","searches":8360},{"metro":"Philadelphia","searches":8350},{"metro":"Phoenix","searches":8280},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","searches":8080},{"metro":"Austin","searches":7970},{"metro":"Orlando","searches":7920},{"metro":"Tampa","searches":7490},{"metro":"San Antonio","searches":7360},{"metro":"Washington DC","searches":7170},{"metro":"Charlotte","searches":6870},{"metro":"Boston","searches":6320},{"metro":"Baltimore","searches":5740},{"metro":"St. Louis","searches":4980},{"metro":"Detroit","searches":4500},{"metro":"Riverside","searches":4210}]
{"pattern_title":"The biggest store does not always win","pattern_html":"In 20 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends most is not the metro's biggest store by Google review count. The most extreme example: Bayside Volkswagen leads New York while ranking #19 of 22 stores by review count.","fine_html":"","buckets":[{"count":5,"title":"The metro's biggest store wins","sub":"size predicted the winner","items":[{"metro":"San Diego","pos":"#1 of 5"},{"metro":"Orlando","pos":"#1 of 6"},{"metro":"Denver","pos":"#1 of 7"},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","pos":"#1 of 11"},{"metro":"Riverside","pos":"#1 of 11"}]},{"count":12,"title":"A top-half store wins","sub":"big, but not the biggest","items":[{"metro":"Miami","pos":"#5 of 9"},{"metro":"Philadelphia","pos":"#9 of 18"},{"metro":"St. Louis","pos":"#3 of 6"},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","pos":"#6 of 13"},{"metro":"Detroit","pos":"#3 of 7"},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","pos":"#2 of 5"},{"metro":"Boston","pos":"#6 of 16"},{"metro":"Los Angeles","pos":"#4 of 12"},{"metro":"Atlanta","pos":"#2 of 8"},{"metro":"Baltimore","pos":"#2 of 9"},{"metro":"Chicago","pos":"#3 of 21"},{"metro":"Washington DC","pos":"#2 of 14"}]},{"count":6,"title":"A bottom-half store wins","sub":"the winner is a smaller store","items":[{"metro":"Phoenix","pos":"#7 of 8"},{"metro":"New York","pos":"#19 of 22"},{"metro":"Charlotte","pos":"#5 of 6"},{"metro":"Seattle","pos":"#8 of 10"},{"metro":"Houston","pos":"#5 of 8"},{"metro":"Tampa","pos":"#6 of 10"}]},{"count":2,"title":"The smallest store measured wins","sub":"dead last in size - and still the AI leader","items":[{"metro":"San Antonio","pos":"#3 of 3"},{"metro":"Austin","pos":"#3 of 3"}]}]}
[{"value":"80%","label":"of metros: the biggest store (by review count) is not the AI leader"},{"value":"84%","label":"of leaders do not hold their metro's highest Google rating"},{"value":"92%","label":"of leaders carry their own local name, not a national group brand"},{"value":"64%","label":"of leaders are based in the metro's busiest shopping city"}]
[]
{"groups":[{"key":"contested","count":17,"title":"Contested races","sub":"the runner-up is within striking distance","items":[{"metro":"Austin","ratio":1.01},{"metro":"Dallas-Fort Worth","ratio":1.01},{"metro":"Orlando","ratio":1.02},{"metro":"Phoenix","ratio":1.02},{"metro":"Los Angeles","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","ratio":1.03},{"metro":"Boston","ratio":1.04},{"metro":"Houston","ratio":1.04},{"metro":"Charlotte","ratio":1.07},{"metro":"Chicago","ratio":1.08},{"metro":"San Antonio","ratio":1.08},{"metro":"Baltimore","ratio":1.09},{"metro":"Seattle","ratio":1.09},{"metro":"St. Louis","ratio":1.1},{"metro":"Philadelphia","ratio":1.1},{"metro":"Tampa","ratio":1.14},{"metro":"Miami","ratio":1.14}]},{"key":"clear","count":8,"title":"Clear leads","sub":"comfortably ahead, but not out of reach","items":[{"metro":"New York","ratio":1.22},{"metro":"Washington DC","ratio":1.25},{"metro":"Atlanta","ratio":1.27},{"metro":"Denver","ratio":1.29},{"metro":"Detroit","ratio":1.29},{"metro":"San Diego","ratio":1.29},{"metro":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","ratio":1.31},{"metro":"Riverside","ratio":1.32}]}],"scatter":[{"metro":"New York","full":"New York","dealer":"Bayside Volkswagen","leader":0.2065,"runner":0.1686,"searches":37450,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Los Angeles","full":"Los Angeles","dealer":"Volkswagen of Downtown LA","leader":0.1816,"runner":0.1762,"searches":19220,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Chicago","full":"Chicago","dealer":"City Volkswagen of Chicago","leader":0.1829,"runner":0.17,"searches":16860,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Dallas","full":"Dallas-Fort Worth","dealer":"Hendrick Volkswagen Frisco","leader":0.1314,"runner":0.1296,"searches":14830,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Houston","full":"Houston","dealer":"Archer Volkswagen","leader":0.2079,"runner":0.1991,"searches":15900,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Atlanta","full":"Atlanta","dealer":"Jim Ellis Volkswagen of Chamblee","leader":0.2323,"runner":0.1834,"searches":9700,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Washington DC","full":"Washington DC","dealer":"Alexandria Volkswagen","leader":0.2044,"runner":0.1635,"searches":7170,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Miami","full":"Miami","dealer":"Palmetto57 Volkswagen","leader":0.1949,"runner":0.1708,"searches":11540,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Philadelphia","full":"Philadelphia","dealer":"Colonial Volkswagen","leader":0.1328,"runner":0.1204,"searches":8350,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Phoenix","full":"Phoenix","dealer":"Volkswagen North Scottsdale","leader":0.1839,"runner":0.18,"searches":8280,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Boston","full":"Boston","dealer":"Wellesley Volkswagen","leader":0.2054,"runner":0.1977,"searches":6320,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Riverside","full":"Riverside","dealer":"Riverside Volkswagen","leader":0.1669,"runner":0.1268,"searches":4210,"status":"held"},{"metro":"San Francisco Bay Area","full":"San Francisco Bay Area","dealer":"Sunnyvale Volkswagen","leader":0.1272,"runner":0.1232,"searches":10690,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Detroit","full":"Detroit","dealer":"Suburban Volkswagen of Farmington Hills","leader":0.2152,"runner":0.1669,"searches":4500,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Seattle","full":"Seattle","dealer":"University Volkswagen","leader":0.1876,"runner":0.1714,"searches":8620,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Minneapolis","full":"Minneapolis-St. Paul","dealer":"Luther Westside Volkswagen","leader":0.2986,"runner":0.2286,"searches":8080,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Tampa","full":"Tampa","dealer":"Volkswagen of North Tampa","leader":0.1746,"runner":0.1536,"searches":7490,"status":"open"},{"metro":"San Diego","full":"San Diego","dealer":"Kearny Mesa Volkswagen","leader":0.2741,"runner":0.2122,"searches":8360,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Denver","full":"Denver","dealer":"Emich Volkswagen","leader":0.2733,"runner":0.2122,"searches":9770,"status":"held"},{"metro":"Orlando","full":"Orlando","dealer":"Napleton's Volkswagen of Orlando","leader":0.3088,"runner":0.3024,"searches":7920,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Charlotte","full":"Charlotte","dealer":"Carolina Volkswagen","leader":0.2626,"runner":0.2458,"searches":6870,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Baltimore","full":"Baltimore","dealer":"Heritage Volkswagen Catonsville","leader":0.1921,"runner":0.1764,"searches":5740,"status":"open"},{"metro":"St. Louis","full":"St. Louis","dealer":"Suntrup Volkswagen","leader":0.2198,"runner":0.1993,"searches":4980,"status":"open"},{"metro":"San Antonio","full":"San Antonio","dealer":"North Park Volkswagen","leader":0.3541,"runner":0.3267,"searches":7360,"status":"open"},{"metro":"Austin","full":"Austin","dealer":"Onion Creek Volkswagen","leader":0.3399,"runner":0.3367,"searches":7970,"status":"open"}],"intro_html":"Today's leaderboard can still change. In 17 of 25 metros the runner-up is within striking distance of the leader, and no leader anywhere holds a dominant share. The groups below sort the metros by the size of the leader's margin.","scatter_head_html":"<strong>How close every race is.</strong> Each bubble is one metro, sized by market size. Up: the share of voice the leading dealer holds. Across: the share the runner-up holds. On the dashed line, the leader and runner-up hold equal shares. The tinted zone just above it is striking distance; the higher a bubble sits above the line, the larger the leader's margin. 7 of the 10 biggest markets are in the striking-distance zone.","callout_title":"Most answers do not put the leader first","callout_html":"Metro leaders are named in 77% of answers but are the first dealer named in only 34%. How often AI names a dealer and how early it names them are separate measurements, and this report keeps them separate."}
Build real pages for the nearby markets you want to win
AI recommends locally: in 22 of 23 metros, the dealers it names most are the ones closest to where the shopper asks. You cannot move the store, but you can make your relevance to each nearby market visible. Give every city you serve its own page with real substance: the inventory you deliver there, the drive time from that city, the services those customers use, and reviews from real customers who live there. Thin copies of one page do not help; give AI real local content to cite.
Work on service visibility separately
In 12 of 25 metros, the dealer AI recommends for service is not the dealer it recommends for buying. Winning the sales conversation does not carry over. Service needs its own footprint: service pages on your website, service reviews, and service questions answered on the same sites.
Publish content only your dealership can offer
Leaders and the field are tied on Google ratings (4.5★ to 4.5★), so generic claims about quality do not separate anyone. Give the sites AI reads specific, factual material to cite: your actual inventory, real customer reviews, and the services your store offers - and keep it current.
Know where you stand
Every metro here was measured with the same non-branded questions real shoppers ask, and 17 of 25 metros are a contested race. You cannot aim any of the steps above without knowing your own position: which questions you win, which you lose, and to whom. That is what a dealer-level measurement shows.
Claim and work your Yelp listing
10 of the 23 leading dealers we could rate score below 3.0 on Yelp, while those same dealers average 4.5★ on Google. AI assistants read both. Claim the listing, reply to the reviews already there, keep your hours and services current, and ask satisfied customers to post where shoppers are already looking.
Edmunds, AutoTrader and KBB are cited in every measured metro, but they sit well below the dealers' own sites and local sources - AutoTrader peaks at #6 (San Francisco); KBB peaks at #3 (New York); Edmunds never cracks a metro's ten most-cited.
