Automotive dealer websites aren’t passing Google standards, study says

Less than 1% of automotive dealer websites pass Google’s standard assessment for website performance and user experience, according to a study completed by Overfuel. 

Overfuel, a website solutions company for dealership websites, studied 1,910 retail-focused websites tied to the top 50 dealership groups in North America as defined by Automotive News’s 2025 list of the “Top 150 Dealership Groups.” It notes that the websites included service, collision, and other verticals. 

Only seven sites passed the Google assessment on both mobile and desktop, with 99.6% failing on at least one and 95.5% failing on both. 

Sixty-five didn’t generate enough traffic for Google to score, the report says. 

“A visibility problem all its own,” the report says. 

The report tests the sites against Google’s Core Web Vitals, which Google describes as a set of metrics that measure real-world user experience with loading performance, interactivity, and visual stability of the page. 

Google uses three metrics: 

• • “Largest Contentful Paint (LCP): Measures loading performance. To provide a good user experience, strive to have LCP occur within the first 2.5 seconds of the page starting to load.
  • “Interaction To Next Paint (INP): Measures responsiveness. To provide a good user experience, strive to have an INP of less than 200 milliseconds.
  • “Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS): Measures visual stability. To provide a good user experience, strive to have a CLS score of less than 0.1.”

“Websites that fail to meet these standards frustrate users and risk losing visibility across Google’s organic ecosystem, including Search, Maps/Map Pack, Business Profiles, and even AI-generated results,” Overfuel’s report says. 

Website traffic can be increased by up to 20% for those who meet Core Web Vitals, the report says.

“Failing can deliver the mirror image as Google seeks to reward good site performance,” the report says. “And it’s not just about traffic — it’s about conversion rate.”

Failing to pass Google Core Web Vitals assessments can cost businesses $30 of every $100 in ad spend, the report says. 

“That’s nearly a third of your marketing dollars gone before a shopper even considers a vehicle,” the report says. “Poor Core Web Vitals don’t just frustrate users—they punish your bottom line with inflated costs, weaker quality scores, and lower engagement.”

Dealership websites are failing for a number of reasons, the report says, including: 

• • Legacy platforms with heavy client-side rendering and bloated JavaScript (JS)
  • Tag sprawl: multiple analytics suites, chat, popups, scripts firing on every page
  • Inventory pages that are image-heavy and poorly optimized. Search result pages and vehicle description pages (SRPs/VDPs) suffer most, the report says. 
  • Render-blocking resources and CSS/JS that delay the first render and interactivity
  • Layout shift from late-loading banners, toolbars, and consent modals
  • No real-world feedback loop: lab scores tuned, but CrUX (Chrome User Experience Report) field data ignored

Overfuel says that webpages can turn this around by: 

• • Using real user data (CrUX + PageSpeed Insights) to benchmark LCP/INP/CLS by template—especially SRP and VDP.
  • Prioritizing LCP first: serve optimized hero/primary images from a content delivery network (CDN), preconnect/preload resource hints, compress, and reduce server time to first byte (TTFB).
  • Taming INP: defer nonessential JS, break up long tasks, move heavy logic off the main thread, and minimize third-party script impact.
  • Stabilizing CLS: reserve space for images/video/UI, load fonts predictably, and delay disruptive UI (chat, promos) until after interaction.
  • Governing tags: implement a tag strategy by template and event—don’t let everything fire everywhere.
  • Set performance service-level agreements (SLAs) with vendors (including OEM-required tools) tied to core web vitals (CWV) budgets and enforce them.
  • Measuring what matters: connect CWV changes to organic traffic, lead volume, and conversion rate in Google Analytics 4 (GA4) and Search Console

Upcoming education for collision advertising

Those looking for the most current tips on advertising a collision business can sign up for a Repairer Driven Education session to be held at SEMA, titled “Automotive Advertising: The Road Map to Building a Successful Online Presence” by Sokal, an automotive digital advertising company. 

“Our team of advertising experts will break down five key trends to embrace in 2026 – and highlight three outdated tactics to leave behind,” the session description says. “Topics will include SEO, CTV, digital advertising, branding, social media advertising, and more.”

A cohesive advertising and branding strategy can create lifelong customers and maximize your marketing budget, the description says. 

The session will be held from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Nov. 5.

Register here for the session and other RDE sessions that will be held during SEMA Week.

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