Topic hub # Automotive dealership marketing: Alex Melen's book, dealer talks and articles Alex Melen is the author of Automotive Search Marketing: A Car Dealer's Guide to Google & AI Search and has presented to dealers at NADA, NIADA, Digital Dealer, DrivingSales, LeadsCon, AutosBuzz, DealersEdge, NCM and IARA. His automotive material covers dealership SEO, Google Ads and vehicle listing ads, stopping junk leads, and, since 2026, how dealerships get recommended by ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews. [Book Alex on this topic](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/)[The signature talk](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#automotive) Signature talk Automotive ## Stop the Junk Leads: SEO, PPC & AI Search for Dealers Drawn from the book. Where dealership marketing budgets leak, how to win the searches that actually produce buyers, and how vehicle listing ads and AI search are rewriting the playbook for franchise and independent dealers. **For:** Dealers, dealer groups, OEM regional teams, 20 Groups **Format:** Keynote · Dealer meeting · 20 Group session Watch Video: [How Automotive Brands Can Stop Junk Leads & Increase Real Buyers Paramus, NJ · Feb 18, 2026](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n10YckrUNVc) Video: [Search Marketing for WordPress in the Age of AI @ WordCamp Canada 2025 Ottawa, Canada · Oct 16, 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CDBRn5mZi_s) Video: [Mastering Modern WordPress SEO @ WordCamp Canada 2025 Ottawa, Canada · Oct 15, 2025](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ckBSZPMVDiQ) Key facts - Signature talk: Stop the Junk Leads: SEO, PPC & AI Search for Dealers (keynote, dealer meeting or 20 Group session) - Automotive Search Marketing, Second Edition (2026): 20 chapters, 5 parts; four AI-search chapters free on this site - NIADA Convention 2022: Top 10 most-attended of 52 sessions; NPS 100 for the BHPH Super Forum workshop - Auto Remarketing 40 Under 40: Industry (2023) Other topics - [AI Search & Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/ai-search-geo/) - [ChatGPT Ads & Advertising Inside AI Answers](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/chatgpt-ads/) - [Scaling an Agency & Using Generative AI to Run It](https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/agency-scaling/) Read ## Chapters and explainers. [Free chapter 13 Winning AI Search: The Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) Playbook for Car Dealerships](https://www.alexmelen.com/book/chapters/geo-for-car-dealerships/) Talks and interviews ## 33 sessions on this topic. [All engagements](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#archive) - May 20, 2026 [Turning Next-Gen Ad Formats into Marketplace Advantage @ AutosBuzz 2026](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/turning-next-gen-ad-formats-into-marketplace-advantage-autosbuzz-2026/) Slides Sitges, Spain - Feb 18, 2026 [How Automotive Brands Can Stop Junk Leads & Increase Real Buyers](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-automotive-brands-can-stop-junk-leads-increase-real-buyers-alex-melen/) Podcast Transcript Paramus, NJ - Oct 16, 2025 [Search Marketing for WordPress in the Age of AI @ WordCamp Canada 2025](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/search-marketing-for-wordpress-in-the-age-of-ai-alex-melen-wordcamp-canada-2025/) Transcript Slides Ottawa, Canada - Oct 15, 2025 [Mastering Modern WordPress SEO @ WordCamp Canada 2025](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/mastering-modern-wordpress-seo-alex-melen-wordcamp-canada-2025/) Transcript Slides Ottawa, Canada - Jun 25, 2025 [Automotive Dealership AI, SEO & PPC @ NIADA 2025](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/automotive-dealership-ai-seo-ppc-alex-melen-niada-2025/) Transcript Slides Las Vegas, NV - Apr 9, 2025 [How Independent Dealers Are Outperforming Name-Brand Franchise Counterparts @ LeadsCon](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-independent-dealers-are-outperforming-name-brand-franchise-counterparts-alex-melen-leadscon/) Transcript Slides Las Vegas, NV - Apr 24, 2024 [10x Your Marketing Efficiency with Generative AI](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/10x-your-marketing-efficiency-with-generative-ai/) Video Slides Raleigh, NC - Mar 7, 2024 [Generative AI: Transforming Automotive Digital Marketing](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/generative-ai-transforming-automotive-digital-marketing/) Podcast Sandy, UT - Feb 29, 2024 [How to Plan and Manage a Pay Per Click Campaign in 2024 @ DealersEdge](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-to-plan-and-manage-a-pay-per-click-campaign-in-2024-alex-melen-dealersedge/) Video Slides Paramus, NJ - Feb 15, 2024 [The “Degenerative” AI Impact: Transforming Automotive Digital Marketing](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/the-degenerative-ai-impact-transforming-automotive-digital-marketing/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Oct 18, 2023 [Your Dealership is Losing Out on its Most Valuable Traffic Channel @ DigitalDealer](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/your-dealership-is-losing-out-on-its-most-valuable-traffic-channel/) Video Slides Las Vegas, NV - Aug 24, 2023 [What do you know about AI? Are you Leveraging it in your Marketing Efforts? Alex Melen @ IARA](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/what-do-you-know-about-ai-are-you-leveraging-it-in-your-marketing-efforts/) Video Slides Chicago, IL - Jul 25, 2023 [Alex Melen of SmartSites Car Dealer SEO Secrets & Chat GPT Hacks](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/alex-melen-of-smartsites-car-dealer-seo-secrets-chat-gpt-hacks/) Podcast Video Paramus, NJ - Jun 23, 2023 [ChatGPT Opportunities for Auto Dealerships @ NCM 20 Group 2023](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/chatgpt-opportunities-for-auto-dealerships-alex-melen-ncm-20-group-2023/) Video Slides Vancouver, Canada - Jun 21, 2023 [Increase your leads with these website & search marketing optimizations @ NIADA 2023](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/increase-your-leads-with-these-website-search-marketing-optimizations-alex-melen-niada-2023/) Video Slides Las Vegas, NV - Apr 27, 2023 [Automotive Search Marketing @ DealersEdge](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/automotive-search-marketing-alex-melen/) Video Paramus, NJ - Apr 19, 2023 [How To Leverage ChatGPT For Your Dealership @ Auto Intel Summit 2023](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-to-leverage-chatgpt-for-your-dealership-alex-melen/) Video Slides Raleigh, NC - Apr 11, 2023 [ChatGPT Opportunities for Auto Dealerships @ DealersEdge](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/chatgpt-opportunities-for-auto-dealerships-alex-melen-dealersedge/) Video Paramus, NJ - Nov 10, 2022 [How to Get Started with Vehicle Listing Ads @ NIADA BHPH Super Forum 2022](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/how-to-get-started-with-vehicle-listing-ads-alex-melen-niada-bhph-super-forum-2022/) Video Austin, TX - Nov 9, 2022 [Digital Marketing Workshop @ NIADA BHPH Super Forum 2022](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking-engagements/digital-marketing-workshop-alex-melen-niada-bhph-super-forum-2022/) Video Austin, TX Showing the 20 most recent of 33. [See the full archive.](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#archive) Press and articles ## In print on this topic. [All press](https://www.alexmelen.com/press/) - Jul 2, 2025 [Generative AI for Independent Car Dealership Marketing (NIADA Dashboard)](https://niada.com/dashboard/generative-ai-for-independent-car-dealership-marketing/) - Jun 4, 2025 [NIADA Previews Alex Melen's AI Session at the 2025 Convention](https://niada.com/dashboard/learn-how-ai-can-benefit-your-dealership-during-5-sessions-at-niada-convention/) - Dec 30, 2024 [The Dirty Secret of VLA Ads (Digital Dealer 2024 Year in Review)](https://digitaldealer.com/news/the-dirty-secret-of-vla-ads-2024-digital-dealer-year-in-review/162999/) - Dec 10, 2024 [10 Ways to Improve Your Dealership Marketing Efficiency with ChatGPT & Generative AI](https://digitaldealer.com/news/10-ways-your-dealership-marketing-efficiency-with-chatgpt-generative-ai/162633/) - Feb 1, 2024 5 Predictions for Automotive Websites, SEO, and Pay Per Click for 2024 and Beyond - Oct 4, 2023 [Alex Melen Named to Auto Remarketing's 40 Under 40: Industry for 2023](https://www.autoremarketing.com/ar/meet-the-40-under-40-industry-honorees-for-2023) - Apr 4, 2023 [How to Leverage ChatGPT for Your Car Dealership](https://read.nxtbook.com/digital_dealer/dealer_magazine/march_april_2023/how_to_leverage_chatgpt_for_y.html) - Dec 20, 2022 [5 Ways To Save Money on Dealership PPC Marketing](https://digitaldealer.com/marketing-advertising/5-ways-save-money-dealership-ppc-marketing/) - Dec 14, 2022 [Ways To Save Money on Dealership PPC Marketing](https://www.drivingsales.com/smartsites/blog/ways-to-save-money-on-dealership-ppc-marketing) - Dec 1, 2022 [A Deep Dive into Vehicle Listing Ads](https://read.nxtbook.com/digital_dealer/dealer_magazine/sept_oct_2022/a_deep_dive_into_vehicle_list.html) - Nov 7, 2022 [How to Get Started with Vehicle Listing Ads (NIADA)](https://niada.com/dashboard/how-to-get-started-with-vehicle-listing-ads/) - May 24, 2022 [Drive Traffic to Your Dealership by Optimizing Your Most Valuable Marketing Channel!](https://read.nxtbook.com/digital_dealer/dealer_magazine/may_june_2022/drive_traffic_to_your_dealers.html) Questions ## Frequently asked **Does Alex Melen present to dealer groups and 20 Groups?** Yes. The dealer talk is built for the specific market and brands in the room, and copies of Automotive Search Marketing can be provided for every attendee. **What is in the book for dealers?** Five parts: SEO, PPC (including vehicle listing ads and Performance Max), AI search (new in the second edition), measuring results and selling cars, and choosing an agency. ## Want this topic in your program? Alex builds every session for the room. Send the event, audience and dates and he will come back with a proposed talk. [Check availability](https://www.alexmelen.com/contact/) [Speaker kit](https://www.alexmelen.com/speaking/#kit) --- Source: https://www.alexmelen.com/topics/automotive/ · Markdown version of this page for AI agents and LLMs. Site guide: https://www.alexmelen.com/llms.txt