The high stakes of ignoring local SEO and AEO
This isn’t just a wake-up call, it’s the siren at the track signaling that the race has already started. And if your powersports dealership hasn’t invested in local SEO and AEO, you’re not just behind — you’re off the grid entirely.
The digital landscape is shifting at full throttle. Traditional SEO is a slow build. Local SEO and answer engine optimization (AEO) are how consumers find, trust, and choose your dealership in real time. If you’re not feeding these systems consistently and correctly, your competitors will gladly take the leads, the service work, the parts orders — and the next unit sale.
The local search battlefield: Visibility = Profit
Today’s buyers aren’t just Googling “ATV dealership near me”— they’re expecting answers. Fast.
And they’re not just clicking the first blue link on a website. They’re reading Google Business Page (GBP) posts, looking at your reviews, checking out your photos, and comparing it all before they ever call or visit.
If your dealership hasn’t made it a priority to update your local profiles with offers, events, content, and Q&As, then you’ve already lost that customer. Now multiply that by 30, 50, or 100 missed leads a month.
AEO: It’s not the future It’s the now
Voice search. AI-powered search. Semantic search. Whatever you call it, it’s already here —and growing. Platforms like Google’s Search Generative Experience (SGE), Siri, Gemini, Alexa, and ChatGPT are pulling structured data from online content and giving direct answers to users.
You think your blog post from 2019 about “best beginner motorcycles” is ranking today? Not without fresh formatting, relevance, and cross-platform validation. These engines want fast, structured, relevant content. If your business isn’t providing it, your competitors — or AI-built listings — will.
You need to control your presence before the machines rewrite it for you.
What dealers are doing: the harsh truth
Here’s what we see across the country:
It’s not just that the opportunity is missed. It’s that the silence is hurting you. Search platforms treat dead or outdated listings like warning signs. To them, if you’re not actively speaking, you’re closed.
Retention = revenue. But only if you stay relevant
Here’s the kicker: according to Harvard Business Review, just a 5% increase in customer retention can increase profits by 25–95%.
If you had started optimizing for Local SEO two years ago and AEO 18–24 months ago, you’d be controlling the search landscape in your region. Now it’s catch-up time.
Each month you wait means:
Your dealership may have the best team, best pricing, and best selection — but if no one finds you or trusts you at first glance, it doesn’t matter.
What you should be asking yourself right now
The clock is ticking. But there’s still time to win.
You need someone who understands not just powersports, but the platforms, behaviors, and AI engines driving today’s buyer decisions. Because if your competitors read this before you act, you’ll be racing for scraps while they’re standing on the podium.
John Vaughan-Chaldy is the founder of MaxOpp Marketing and a former dealer principal, sales trainer and self-proclaimed strategy nerd. For more, visit maxoppmarketing.com.
Personal-planning moves to consider before year-end
By Paulina Matel & Brad Stanek
Much of our financial planning dialogue tends to center on implications for dealership entities. While these conversations are important, they often overlook a critical piece of the bigger picture — the personal financial planning moves every dealership owner should be considering right now. In this article, we will shift the focus from the showroom floor to your own personal net worth statement — highlighting practical strategies that can help you protect your wealth and align your personal and family goals.
Stress-test your assets
Powersports dealership owners often have most of their wealth tied up in the dealership itself — real estate, inventory, and goodwill. While this concentration can drive growth, it also leaves personal finances vulnerable if market conditions shift. Stress testing your portfolio and liquidity — by modeling scenarios in poor, average, and strong market conditions — can highlight potential gaps in cash flow and reveal whether you have enough readily available assets to sustain your lifestyle and obligations.
Unfortunately, we see this story play out all too often. When uncertainty strikes, many dealership owners are forced to borrow against their 401(K)s, tap IRAs prematurely, or take on second mortgages and personal lines of credit just to stay afloat. By proactively addressing liquidity today, you can avoid these costly moves and be better positioned to weather the next downturn with confidence.
Small moves. Big results
When we sit down with powersports dealers, we often find they’re not fully capitalizing on the small, incremental moves that — when compounded over years — can make a significant difference for their long-term wealth and their families. Simple steps like maximizing contributions to the dealership’s retirement plan (whether a SIMPLE IRA or 401(K)), taking advantage of the expanded 529 provisions for education savings, exploring whether new ‘Trump Accounts’ apply to your situation, and leveraging Roth contributions can all add up. The goal is to intentionally build a mix of tax-deferred, tax-free, and taxable assets giving you more flexibility and efficiency when drawing income from your portfolio in the future.
Year-end tax planning
If you heard us speak before, you know we’re passionate about the importance of a strong advisory team for powersports dealers. This isn’t just critical in the year of a dealership sale – it matters every single year you’re operating. One of the most effective steps you can take is scheduling a call with both your tax adviser and your financial planner in the third or the fourth quarter. In just an hour or two, you can review your estimated income and tax liability, and more importantly, explore proactive strategies to manage the year (especially in a year like 2025, where we’ve seen new tax legislation). The call may include considerations like bunching deductions, can evaluate how impactful charitable donations can be from both a personal fulfillment and tax advantage standpoint, and review strategies like tax loss harvesting before year-end. A brief, focused conversation with your team can uncover valuable opportunities to help you get ahead of your taxes — not react to them after the fact.
Conclusion
At the end of the day, protecting your personal wealth as a powersports dealer requires the same discipline and foresight you bring to running your dealership. By stress-testing your liquidity, making small intentional financial moves, and by surrounding yourself with a strong advisory team, you can make a meaningful difference for your future. A dealership is often your largest asset, but your financial security goes beyond the showroom — it’s about aligning your business success with your family’s future.
For questions, resources, and help — please contact the Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley.
Brad Stanek, CFP, is an executive director with the Stanek-Haack Group at Morgan Stanley, email: brad.stanek@ms.com; Paulina Matel, CFP, is a vice president with the Stanek-Haack Group. Reach her at paulina.matel@ms.com.
Episode 4: Rebuilding trust, finding our leader
Starting off August was tough. July’s numbers were bad, and August is always slower. We needed momentum — fast. And somehow, we caught a little air. That first week, we had already lined up four deals, and for the first time in weeks, the store felt hopeful.
To keep the spark alive, we launched our first mass email campaign through Chester River Consulting. It said:
Moto Julia is back under original and local management. We’re here to rebuild the kind of shop riders truly want — and that starts with listening. Got a minute? Tell us what you’ve loved, what you haven’t, and what you’d like to see next. We’re designing this place for you.
Each recipient was sent to an anonymous survey, segmented by customer type: loyals (top 20% ELV), neutrals (middle 50%),
vulnerables (bottom 30%), and non-unit buyers (service/parts history only). As responses rolled in, I kept catching myself staring at the screen like it was a magic 8-ball. What would they say? What did we need to build next?
This isn’t just a turnaround. It’s product-market fit — for experiences. We’re not just a dealership. We’re in the lifestyle business. If we’re serious about being a rider-first operation, we have to design around the ride.
Lesson in listening
One response stood out: a furious customer swearing that they would never return. Instead of brushing it off, I called him.
The issue? A damaged accessory. The return process was fumbled. First, we said no. Then we offered a 20% restocking fee. Then 10%. Then still billed him 20%.
“How much do you believe you’re owed?” I asked. “Eighty bucks.”
I refunded his card and told him the truth: We’re trying to do better. We’d love the chance to regain your trust.
Weeks later, he emailed again — but this time, not to complain. He told me he regretted the bike. It wasn’t comfortable. He really wanted a different model — one that cost $8,000 more.
We talked it through. Seat options. Frame geometry. Forum threads. We explored every possible fix. Then he asked, “What would y’all give me on trade?”
He came in with his wife and friends. They traded the bike. Bought the one he really wanted. Every one of them left wearing Moto Julia shirts and thanking us for the experience.
All while our A/C was out (another crazy, unexpected issue), and the showroom was sweltering.
Dread
Despite that win, a familiar weight crept in. Tight chest. Sleepless nights. Fear that I may not be able to get out of this, may not be able to find the unicorn of a GM to step in and take over. I can’t just walk out without a true leader to hand the keys over to. Maybe I’m stuck?
Then one night, as I watched the sun rise in sleepless anxiety, it hit me: John Franco.
I’d met John back in 2014 when he walked into the store offering his motorcycle fabrication services. We started building custom bikes together. His resume? Wild. He’d owned a national exhaust manufacturing company, built bikes from the frame up, and worked with me on some of our most ambitious builds. He was even the first person I told when I found out I was going to be a dad.
A few months ago, just days after I agreed to take the dealership back, John called. “Is it true?” he asked. We discussed the vision, the risks, and the workload. I half-joked, “You want to run this place?”
“No,” he laughed. Fair enough. But that sleepless night, something changed. I realized: John is the guy. He just didn’t know it yet.
A few days later, we were catching up on the progress. And before I could bring up the opportunity, he asked me for the job.
But I couldn’t just give it to him. This role mattered too much — to the staff, to the riders, to the city. They had to choose him, too.
Picking our leader
At the next team meeting, I asked the staff, ‘What do you need in a leader?’
Their answers: Respect. Clarity. Empathy. Accountability. Integrity.
Later that day, I met with the largest motorcycle club in our region and asked them the same question: What do you look for in a community partner?
We made a list. Then, candidates were brought in — they were introduced to the team and measured against the list.
And to my great relief, they picked John, too.
He started a few days later — almost exactly halfway through our 90-day turnaround. Until then, it was about survival: cutting expenses, increasing margin, and stabilizing operations. Now, we can shift gears.
From survive to thrive
With John on board, we finally had room to grow. We could chase volume. We could rebuild culture. We could start planning what would become our defining event:
Moto Julia’s Rebirth Locally Owned | Rider Focused
John’s not just a GM — he’s vesting equity. He’s now an owner. I warned him it would be brutal. I told him it would be long hours, high stress, and total commitment.
He signed up anyway.
Because that’s what it takes. Not someone chasing a title. Someone chasing responsibility. Someone who cares, even when it’s hard.
John’s first three days
I turned to John and said, “You can still quit.”
He just smiled and said, “I know what I signed up for.”
Follow along in real time:
Next: Episode 5 — The Rebirth
By Krystina Skibo
Businesses and consumers alike are going through troubling times. Between economic uncertainty and rising prices across the board, morale is taking a hit.
For businesses going through one or two difficult quarters, it can leave teams feeling the weight of missed targets, increased pressure or unexpected setbacks. While the instinct might be to immediately strategize for recovery, it’s crucial to first address the human element: team morale.
A dip in morale is a critical factor that directly impacts productivity, creativity
and retention. Ignoring it can lead to a downward spiral, making future success even
more elusive.
Alex Gabbert, a seasoned sales leader and mentor with over a decade of experience in helping businesses, offers practical, actionable strategies for companies to implement in this article. Let this be your guide to reignite passion and drive to help transform a challenging period into an opportunity for growth and stronger team cohesion.
Acknowledge the Difficulties
Gabbert’s first tip for boosting team morale? Acknowledge the difficult times.
“People know when a quarter was tough — don’t pretend otherwise,” he says. “What I’ve learned in over a decade of sales is that morale doesn’t bounce back with a pizza party. It starts with transparent leadership, then is built through small wins.”
Accomplish this by resetting the scoreboard, defining what progress looks like and then celebrating progress early and often.
“Bring everyone into the vision,” Gabbert advises. “Get people excited again about why we do what we do — not just what we provide.”
It’s also important to host daily, short tactical meetings for performance clarity. Keep meetings tight, focused and topic driven by KPIs, according to Gabbert. Your monthly or quarterly deep dives should allow your employees to reflect, share and even vent.
“You’ve got to balance structured topics with current issues to save everyone some of the ‘Hey, real quick’ meetings,” Gabbert says. “Too long of meetings? People tune out. Too short? People drift. Find that rhythm where your team knows you’re consistently checking in without micromanaging.”
Hire Strong Leadership
The reality is that a loss of motivation is preventable. It’s crucial to hire strong leadership to help keep team morale high.
“Have genuine, thorough onboarding interviews,” Gabbert advises. “As far as habits as a leader, it starts with you. Recognize the pattern that led to this loss and your actions dictate what happens next. If they need self-belief, stack small wins by a simple double-down on skill growth and volume.”
It’s also important to have leadership follow up with employees, especially if they voice concerns during meetings.
“The follow-up is where the real leadership happens,” notes Gabbert. “After the check-in, say something like, ‘Hey, you mentioned that Q2 felt overwhelming because of X. If I can remove friction and help you move quicker by providing x,y,z would that be helpful?’ That kind of follow-up shows that you actually heard them, and that you care enough to take action. Inspire through action, not just words.”
Always be sure to close the loop if someone shares an idea or concern, either during a meeting or a one-on-one follow-up. Circle back with the employee and let them know it’s either done or being worked on, and that you appreciate the feedback. “It shows that their voice matters, and that alone inspires ownership,” Gabbert says.
Preventing a Morale Slump
Your team’s morale reflects your culture. It’s not always easy to protect it but make the hard decisions and do what must be done.
Gabbert suggests avoiding the following mistakes to keep team morale from dipping:
Don’t lead with blame. Start with accountability — your own first. Then lead your team to solutions.
Don’t ghost your team when things go bad. Radio silence from leadership breeds fear and frustration.
Don’t forget to give credit where it’s due. If you send reporting up a ladder, when someone on your team innovates or performs, don’t act like it was you. It harms everyone. A real manager raises others during the wins and owns failures.
And never weaponize motivation. Don’t say things like “You’ve got to want it more.” That’s lazy coaching.
“Get your employees excited again about why you do what you do,” advises Gabbert. “And honestly? Get back to the fundamentals. Training, practice, roleplay — those aren’t just for new reps. Often, re-visiting
a lesson allows you to see it through a
different lens. When people feel like they’re now capable of something they weren’t yesterday, even if the numbers aren’t there yet, morale climbs.”