AI Noise, Market Headwinds & Fact-Checking Vendors (w/ Brooke Furniss)

What happens when the "AI revolution" meets the unglamorous reality of dealership operations, OEM programs, and messy data? In this new episode of In Search Of, Dan Barker and Wikimotive Co-Founder Zach Billings sit down with Brooke Furniss to cut through the noise and get brutally practical about what actually moves the needle heading into 2026. Together, they unpack why "AI-only" promises and paid "GEO/AEO switches" don't exist, how strong SEO fundamentals (including schema) are still the foundation of visibility, and why most dealerships are being asked to manage far more complexity than any GM or Dealer Principal realistically can. The result is a candid conversation about accountability, ownership, and how dealers can protect the name on the building while making smarter decisions in a down market. Why Watch Cut through AI hype: learn why there's no "flip-the-switch" product for AI Overviews/LLMs—and what actually increases your odds of being cited Separate paid from organic: understand why "paid AI placement" isn't SEO, and how vendors blur lines to sell "new" solutions Get schema and fundamentals right: hear why "2013 SEO" best practices still matter—and how to sanity-check what's really implemented Own your data or stay blind: why dealers who don't control their analytics are forced to trust dashboards instead of truth Avoid panic changes in Q4: how market headwinds can make great marketing look "flat," and why changing too many variables at once breaks diagnosis Break out of OEM handcuffs: what's driving the surge in dealers exploring off-program solutions, dual-site strategies, and co-op tradeoffs Build real accountability: why leadership can't be the expert in everything—and the case for a trusted, objective partner who protects the store first