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(Part 1 in a series) Jason Messick is the owner of RelentlessBusinessMastery.com, and if you’ve been following my work, you’ve probably heard his name before. I’ve featured him on two FCNews Marketing Mastery webinars, and based on the response, I decided to sit down with him for a three-part interview series to unpack what’s actually working in digital marketing right now, and what dealers need to understand before they get left behind.
I’ll start with a quick story: Like many of you, I was already investing in digital marketing for one of my local businesses—and we were generating activity. But when I dug into the numbers, I didn’t like what I saw. About 80% of the leads were poor quality. Price shoppers. Tire kickers. People who weren’t serious.
That’s when I brought in Messick to tighten up one specific area of local visibility. And I’m not exaggerating when I say it was like flipping on a light switch. The phone calls increased, but more importantly the quality flipped. Instead of 80% junk leads, roughly 80% of the calls were qualified. That changes everything.
So I asked Messick a simple question: What’s actually changing right now in search?
“The biggest shift,” Messick told me, “is that people aren’t searching the way they used to. They’re not clicking through 10 websites anymore. They’re asking AI for answers, and AI is giving them a handful of options.”
Platforms like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews are replacing the old model of scrolling through pages of results. Now the customer gets a direct answer, and usually just a few businesses to choose from.
“If your business isn’t being referenced in those answers,” Messick said, “you’re invisible at the exact moment the customer is making a decision.”
When AI includes your business, Messick explained, it acts like an implied endorsement. And that creates something most digital marketing struggles to deliver—instant trust.
Messick put it this way: “AI compresses the decision-making process. Instead of researching ten companies, the customer is choosing from a short list that’s already been vetted.”
Another major shift is when you capture the customer. “Traditional SEO and ads tend to capture people after they’ve already started shopping around,” Messick said. “AI visibility can put you in front of them before they’ve formed opinions.”
Many dealers don’t understand that AI SEO is now a real thing. Depending on the category, roughly 40% to 55% of consumers are already using AI tools to help make purchase decisions. And more than a third are starting their search with AI instead of a traditional search engine. That means a growing percentage of your potential customers may never even see the search results you’ve been focused on for years.
“This is why businesses can’t rely on traditional SEO alone anymore,” Messick said. “You have to be positioned in a way that AI systems recognize and trust. Otherwise, you’re not even part of the conversation.”
Speaking & Webinars. Jim is a sought-after speaker and founder of Flooring Success Systems. He delivers powerful live and virtual presentations that help floor dealers grow sales, improve margins, and strengthen their businesses. His team also offers a complete turnkey webinar package—handling hosting, promotions, and full execution. To inquire about booking Jim or setting up a custom event, contact Support@FlooringSuccessSystems.com.
April 20, 2026
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