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What Is Automotive SEO? The Complete 2026 Guide for UK Car Dealers & Automotive Businesses

May 2, 2026

Automotive SEO (search engine optimisation) is the specialised process of optimising an automotive business’s website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results for queries related to vehicles, services, and parts. It combines local SEO, on-page optimisation, technical SEO, content marketing, and off-page strategies to increase organic visibility, attract high-intent buyers, and drive leads and sales for car dealerships, auto repair shops, and parts retailers.

This guide has been written and reviewed by experienced SEO practitioners who have worked directly with automotive businesses across the UK. Every recommendation in this guide is grounded in real-world experience and current best practices for the 2026 search landscape.

When someone in Manchester types “used Ford Focus near me” into their phone, or a family in Bristol searches for “MOT and service centre open Saturday,” something important happens. Either they find your dealership, or they find your competitor. That is what automotive SEO is all about.

Automotive SEO is the strategic process of optimising a car dealership or automotive business website so it appears prominently in search engine results and AI-powered search tools when potential customers look for vehicles, services, or dealerships in their area. It combines local visibility tactics, content strategy, technical website improvements, authority building, and modern AI optimisation to connect your business with buyers who are actively searching.

This guide explains exactly what automotive SEO entails, why it matters for UK dealers in 2026, and how the various pieces fit together to drive real results for your business.

What Is Automotive SEO? A Clear Definition

At its simplest, automotive SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) means improving your dealership website’s visibility in unpaid, organic search results. When someone searches Google, Bing, or even asks ChatGPT for car-buying advice, automotive SEO determines whether your business appears in the answer.

The practice encompasses five interconnected areas:

  • Local SEO: Ensuring your dealership shows up in Google Maps results and “near me” searches

  • On-page optimisation: Crafting individual website pages that match what buyers are searching for

  • Technical SEO: Building a fast, mobile-friendly website that search engines can easily understand

  • Content strategy: Creating helpful information that answers buyer questions at every stage

  • Authority building: Earning trust signals through reviews, backlinks, and consistent business information

What automotive SEO is not: paid advertising (Google Ads or PPC), social media marketing by itself, or a one-time website fix. It is an ongoing strategy that builds momentum over time.

Why is this different from regular SEO?

Unlike a restaurant with a fixed menu or a clothing shop with seasonal collections, car dealerships face unique challenges. Your inventory changes daily. You compete within tight geographic radiuses against other dealers selling identical products. Manufacturer guidelines restrict what you can say and show. And customers spend weeks researching before they ever set foot on your forecourt. Standard SEO approaches simply do not account for these realities.

Why Automotive SEO Matters for UK Dealers in 2026

The numbers tell a compelling story. More than nine out of ten car buyers begin their search online before visiting a dealership. Those buyers spend an average of nearly fifteen hours researching before making contact. And over eighty per cent never look beyond the first page of search results.

The UK automotive industry is navigating significant change. According to the Society of Motor Manufacturers and Traders, UK vehicle production fell to 764,715 units in 2025—a challenging year for the sector. However, the outlook for 2026 shows recovery, with car production expected to rise by more than ten per cent as new electric models enter production. (Source: https://www.smmt.co.uk/tough-year-for-auto-but-new-models-and-industrial-strategy-can-deliver-growth/)

What does this mean for your dealership? In a recovering but competitive market, visibility wins. Dealers who show up first capture the majority of local interest.

Consider these realities:

Shoppers visit multiple websites. The average buyer looks at over four different websites during their purchase journey. If you are not visible at the moment they are comparing options, you never enter the conversation.

Local intent drives action. Nearly eight in ten local mobile searches lead to an offline purchase—often a showroom visit or phone call. When someone searches “EV dealer near me,” they are usually ready to take action.

Mobile dominates research. Over seventy per cent of automotive research now happens on mobile devices. If your website does not work perfectly on a smartphone, you are turning away qualified buyers every day.

The cost of not ranking is enormous. Industry analysis suggests that a dealership ranking tenth in search results might need to spend nearly three million pounds annually in paid advertising to match the traffic of the number one organic result. Organic visibility compounds over time; paid traffic stops the moment your budget runs out.

SEO leads cost less. Organic search leads typically cost sixty to eighty per cent less than equivalent paid search leads. That margin difference directly impacts your bottom line.

How Automotive SEO Differs from Standard SEO

Understanding why automotive SEO requires a specialised approach helps explain why generic SEO advice often falls short for dealers.

Inventory That Changes Daily

Your stock is not static. Vehicles sell, new arrivals land, prices adjust. Standard SEO assumes pages stay relatively stable. Automotive SEO must account for sold vehicle pages (should they redirect or remain?), seasonal stock changes, and the need to optimise hundreds or thousands of Vehicle Detail Pages efficiently.

Hyper-Local Competition

In most UK towns and cities, multiple dealers sell the same makes and models. A Ford dealer in Leeds competes not just with other Ford dealers in Yorkshire, but with independent used car sellers, car supermarkets, and online marketplaces. Proximity to the searcher is a fixed factor—you cannot move your showroom closer. Optimisation becomes the controllable variable that tips the balance.

Manufacturer Compliance Requirements

Franchise dealers operate under strict brand guidelines. What you can say about pricing, how you display imagery, even the language used to describe vehicles may be constrained by OEM agreements. Automotive SEO must work within these boundaries while still differentiating your specific location.

Multiple Departments, Different Audiences

Your sales department targets buyers ready to purchase. Your service department needs customers due for MOTs, repairs, or routine maintenance. Parts, finance, and fleet departments each serve distinct search intents. A cohesive SEO strategy addresses all these audiences without cannibalising efforts.

High-Consideration Purchases

Nobody impulse-buys a twenty-thousand-pound vehicle. Buyers need extensive information before committing. They research reliability scores, compare specifications, watch video reviews, and seek reassurance about after-sales support. Automotive SEO must support this lengthy decision process with content that builds genuine trust.

The Five Core Pillars of Automotive SEO

Every successful dealership SEO strategy rests on five foundations. Neglect one, and the others underperform. Master all five, and you build a sustainable competitive advantage.

Pillar 1: Local SEO — Your Most Powerful Asset

When someone searches for a car dealer or service centre, Google typically displays a map with three highlighted businesses before showing traditional website links. This Local Pack drives roughly one-third of all clicks from search results pages. Appearing there is essential. For dealerships seeking expert guidance, professional local SEO for car dealerships services can provide the specialised focus required to dominate these critical local results.

Google Business Profile optimisation forms the foundation of local SEO. Your GBP is the single strongest controllable signal for Local Pack rankings. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/) For automotive businesses, this means:

  • Primary category selection: Choose precisely what you are—”Ford dealer,” “Used car dealer,” “Car repair and MOT.” This single choice heavily influences which searches you appear for.

  • Additional categories: Add relevant secondary categories like “Motability dealer,” “Bodyshop,” “Auto parts shop,” or “EV charging station” to capture broader search visibility. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/)

  • Complete every field: Accurate address, phone number, website link, and opening hours. This NAP consistency (Name, Address, Phone) must match your website and all directory listings exactly.

  • Attributes matter: Indicate wheelchair access, EV charging availability, Wi-Fi, and other amenities. These help Google match you to specific searches.

  • Fresh photos and videos: Upload forecourt shots, interior images, staff photos, and short vehicle walkarounds. Profiles with strong visual content generate more clicks and direction requests. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/)

  • Regular posts: Share new arrivals, service specials, community involvement, and events. One quality post per week signals to Google that your business is active and engaged. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/)

Reviews and reputation signals heavily influence both rankings and buyer decisions. Local search data consistently shows that review quantity, rating score, recency, and content all contribute to visibility. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/) A dealership with fifteen hundred recent reviews at 4.7 stars will almost always outrank a competitor with seventy reviews at 4.3 stars, even if they sell identical vehicles.

Key review factors include:

  • Consistent four-point-five-plus star ratings across sales and aftersales

  • Steady flow of new reviews rather than occasional bursts

  • Keywords appearing naturally in review text—”Motability,” “service department,” “finance,” “part-exchange”

  • Thoughtful responses to every review, positive or negative

  • Reviews on platforms beyond Google, including Auto Trader, Trustpilot, and manufacturer sites

Local citations and directory listings reinforce your business identity. Ensure your dealership appears accurately on automotive-specific directories (Auto Trader, Motors.co.uk, CarGurus), manufacturer dealer locators, and general business directories (Yell, Thomson Local). Consistency across all these sources strengthens your local authority.

For dealer groups with multiple locations: Each rooftop needs its own Google Business Profile and dedicated location page. Never copy-paste content between locations—this risks doorway page penalties and fails to signal genuine local presence. Unique imagery, staff information, and community references help each location stand out.

Pillar 2: On-Page SEO for Dealership Websites

Once local visibility brings visitors to your website, on-page optimisation ensures they find what they need and take action.

Vehicle Detail Pages (VDPs) are your digital forecourt. Each vehicle listing should include:

  • Page titles incorporating make, model, year, key features, and location (e.g., “2024 Ford Puma ST-Line | Low Mileage | Manchester”)

  • Compelling meta descriptions that give searchers a reason to click

  • Unique vehicle descriptions beyond templated specifications—highlight what makes this specific car special

  • High-quality images with descriptive alt text (not “IMG_4728.jpg”)

  • Clear calls to action: “Reserve online,” “Check finance eligibility,” “Book test drive”

  • Vehicle schema markup helping search engines understand price, mileage, and availability

Service department pages capture high-margin, high-frequency traffic. Create dedicated pages for each core service: MOT testing, brake repairs, servicing, air conditioning recharge, tyre replacement. Optimise these for “service + location” combinations like “MOT Belfast” or “car service Manchester.” Include transparent pricing where possible, trust signals like certifications, and clear booking options.

Category and model pages help capture earlier-stage researchers. Effective pages include:

  • Make pages: “Used BMWs in Bristol”

  • Model pages: “Volkswagen Golf for sale near me”

  • Body type pages: “Used SUVs under £15,000”

  • Fuel type pages: “Electric vehicles in stock”

  • Price range pages: “Cars under £10,000”

These category pages matter because two-thirds of car buyers do not know exactly which model they want when they begin searching. They need help narrowing options before diving into specific VDPs.

Content optimisation basics apply across all page types:

  • Title tags under sixty characters with primary keywords near the front

  • Meta descriptions of 150-160 characters that compel clicks

  • Logical header structure (one H1, relevant H2s and H3s)

  • Internal links connecting related content and guiding visitors toward conversion

Pillar 3: Technical SEO — The Foundation

Behind every fast, findable website lies solid technical infrastructure. For dealership sites, this is particularly important given the volume of images and dynamic inventory pages. Many dealers benefit from specialised technical SEO for car dealerships to ensure their website’s foundation supports all other optimisation efforts.

Core Web Vitals and page speed directly impact both rankings and user experience. Automotive websites average over four seconds load time, yet Google’s threshold for good performance is under two and a half seconds. Slow-loading VDPs frustrate buyers and signal poor quality to search engines.

Image optimisation is critical. Vehicle photos, often high-resolution and numerous, account for most page weight. Compress images appropriately, use modern formats like WebP, and implement lazy loading so images only load as users scroll to them.

Mobile-first indexing means Google primarily uses the mobile version of your site for ranking decisions. Your website must work flawlessly on smartphones: tap-friendly buttons, readable text without zooming, forms that are easy to complete, and click-to-call functionality that works with one touch. With over seventy per cent of automotive research happening on mobile devices, mobile experience directly impacts revenue.

Schema markup (structured data) helps search engines understand exactly what each page contains. Critical schema types for dealers include:

  • Vehicle schema on VDPs: VIN, brand, model, year, mileage, fuel type, transmission, price, availability

  • LocalBusiness schema on location pages: address, phone, geo coordinates, opening hours

  • Service schema on maintenance pages: service type, price range, service area

  • FAQPage schema on Q&A content: enabling rich results in search snippets

  • Organisation schema with logo and social profile links

Properly implemented schema can generate rich results—those enhanced listings with star ratings, pricing, and availability that stand out in search results and improve click-through rates.

Crawlability and indexation ensure search engines can find and catalogue your pages. Maintain an accurate XML sitemap, configure robots.txt correctly, use canonical tags to prevent duplicate content issues, and implement a clear strategy for handling sold vehicles (redirect to similar inventory rather than serving 404 errors).

Pillar 4: Content and Video Strategy

Content marketing for dealerships means creating genuinely helpful information that answers buyer questions at every stage—from initial research through ownership and eventual trade-in.

Effective content types for UK dealers include:

  • Buying guides: “How to choose your first car,” “PCP vs HP explained,” “What to check on a test drive”

  • Model reviews and comparisons: “Ford Puma vs Nissan Juke,” “Best family SUVs under £20,000”

  • Maintenance guidance: “When to change brake pads,” “Winter car checks for UK drivers”

  • Local content: “Best driving routes in the Lake District,” “EV charging stations in Cardiff”

  • Seasonal content: Registration plate changes (March and September), winter preparation, summer holiday checks

Video content has become essential for automotive SEO. Nearly two-thirds of car buyers say they would purchase without a test drive if video information is sufficient. Over eighty-five per cent of marketers report that video content directly increased sales.

Effective dealership videos include:

  • Vehicle walkarounds highlighting key features and condition

  • Customer testimonials sharing authentic experiences

  • Service department overviews building trust in your team

  • “How-to” maintenance clips (checking oil, tyre pressure)

  • Virtual showroom tours welcoming online visitors

YouTube optimisation extends your reach. The platform is the world’s second-largest search engine, and Google frequently surfaces YouTube videos in standard search results. Properly titled, described, and transcribed videos can appear in both traditional and video search results.

Content quality principles:

  • Write for humans first—answer the actual questions customers ask

  • Avoid keyword stuffing; use natural variations and synonyms

  • Structure content with clear headings for easy scanning

  • Update evergreen content regularly to maintain relevance

Pillar 5: Off-Page Authority and Link Building

Search engines view backlinks—links from other websites to yours—as votes of confidence. The quality and relevance of those links significantly influence your ability to rank for competitive terms.

Quality over quantity matters most. A single link from your manufacturer’s dealer locator, a respected local newspaper, or an automotive industry publication carries more weight than dozens of low-quality directory listings.

Effective link sources for UK dealers:

  • Manufacturer/OEM dealer locator pages (essential for franchise dealers)

  • Auto Trader, Motors.co.uk, and CarGurus dealer profiles

  • Local press coverage of community involvement or events

  • Chamber of Commerce and local business association memberships

  • Sponsorships of local sports clubs, charities, or events

  • Supplier and parts manufacturer relationships

  • Industry awards and recognition programmes

Domain authority—a metric predicting ranking potential—builds gradually as quality backlinks accumulate. Monitor your backlink profile regularly, identifying and disavowing spam or toxic links that could harm your standing.

How Automotive SEO Works: A Step-by-Step Framework

Understanding the mechanics helps explain why patience and consistency matter.

Step 1: Crawling and indexing. Search engines send automated crawlers across the web, discovering pages through links. Your technical foundation—sitemaps, internal linking, robots.txt configuration—determines whether inventory pages, service pages, and blog content get found and catalogued.

Step 2: Keyword research and intent matching. This means understanding exactly what phrases your potential customers type into search engines. More importantly, it means understanding why they are searching—are they researching options, comparing specific models, or ready to book a service? Different intents require different content approaches.

Long-tail keywords—specific phrases like “used Ford Focus automatic under £12,000 near me”—typically convert better than broad terms like “used cars.” They face less competition and better match buyer readiness.

Step 3: Ranking evaluation. Google evaluates hundreds of signals to determine which pages best answer each query. For automotive searches, local signals (GBP quality, reviews, proximity) carry exceptional weight. E-E-A-T factors—Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness—increasingly influence rankings for high-consideration purchases.

Step 4: Conversion. Rankings alone do not pay bills. Conversion optimisation—clear calls to action, simple forms, prominent phone numbers, easy booking paths—turns visibility into actual leads and sales.

The Three Essential Page Types for Automotive SEO

Every dealership website needs three core page types working together.

Inventory Pages (VDPs and SRPs)

Vehicle Detail Pages power transactional searches like “2023 Mazda CX-5 Sport for sale.” Each VDP should be treated as a unique product page with comprehensive information, quality imagery, and clear next steps. Search Results Pages (SRPs) showing filtered inventory groupings help buyers browse available stock efficiently.

Service Department Pages

These capture high-intent maintenance searches. Create individual pages for each core service, optimised for your geographic area. Include trust signals, pricing transparency where possible, and frictionless booking options.

Location Pages

For single locations, your contact page should include complete NAP details, embedded map, parking information, and local imagery. Multi-location groups need dedicated pages per rooftop with unique content reflecting each specific community.

How AI Is Reshaping Automotive SEO

Search behaviour is evolving rapidly. Traditional blue-link search results now compete with AI-generated answers for attention. Nearly half of automotive searches now trigger Google AI Overviews—those summary boxes appearing above organic results. (Source: https://hrizn.io/resources/automotive-seo-guide)

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) describes the practice of optimising content to be cited by AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google’s AI Overviews. This matters because AI tools are already forming opinions about dealerships, synthesising information from websites, reviews, and third-party platforms. (Source: https://geneo.app/blog/geo-for-automotive-ai-visibility/#content-that-earns-citations-in-ai)

With over seven hundred million people using ChatGPT and referral traffic from AI platforms growing dramatically, ignoring this shift means missing buyers who never visit traditional search results. (Source: https://geneo.app/blog/geo-for-automotive-ai-visibility/#content-that-earns-citations-in-ai)

Practical GEO steps for dealers:

The question has shifted from “Can I rank on page one?” to “Will AI name and recommend my dealership when buyers ask?” Dealers investing in these signals now are future-proofing their visibility across both traditional and AI-driven discovery.

Automotive SEO vs SEM: Understanding the Difference

SEO (Search Engine Optimisation) generates organic, unpaid visibility that compounds over time. SEM (Search Engine Marketing) , typically referring to paid search ads or PPC (Pay-Per-Click), delivers immediate visibility that stops when budget stops.

How they work together effectively:

  • Use PPC to test which keywords actually convert before investing in organic content

  • Cover highly competitive terms with paid ads while building organic authority for longer-tail phrases

  • Remarket to organic visitors who did not convert on first visit

  • Dominate SERP real estate by appearing in both paid and organic results

Organic leads typically cost significantly less than paid equivalents. A balanced strategy uses both channels strategically rather than treating them as alternatives.

How to Measure Automotive SEO Success

Rankings matter, but they are a means to an end. Focus measurement on business outcomes.

Essential tools:

  • Google Analytics 4: Track organic traffic, user behaviour, and conversion paths

  • Google Search Console: Monitor keyword performance, indexation issues, and technical health

  • GBP Insights: Measure local search visibility, calls, direction requests

  • Call tracking: Understand phone leads from organic visits

Key metrics that actually matter:

  • Organic traffic growth month-over-month

  • Organic lead volume (form submissions, phone calls, bookings)

  • Cost per organic lead compared to paid channels

  • Local Pack appearances for priority search terms

  • AI citation frequency—how often your dealership appears in AI-generated answers

  • Content-assisted conversions—leads who engaged with informational content before converting

Remember that rankings alone can be misleading. A top position for an irrelevant term delivers no value. Focus on qualified traffic that converts into actual business.

Common Automotive SEO Mistakes to Avoid

Relying solely on website provider SEO. Dealer website platforms handle basics but rarely provide the depth needed for competitive local markets. Layer dedicated SEO strategy on top of your platform’s foundation.

Treating SEO as a one-time project. SEO compounds with consistent effort. Single optimisations lose value as algorithms and competitors evolve.

Ignoring content beyond inventory pages. VDPs alone do not capture early-stage researchers or service customers. Invest in guides, comparisons, and local content.

Duplicating location page content. Copy-pasting location pages with only city names changed risks penalties and fails to signal genuine local presence.

Chasing rankings without measuring revenue. Vanity metrics do not pay staff or stock inventory. Track leads, appointments, and sales attributable to organic search.

Skipping schema markup. Without structured data, search engines must guess what your pages contain. Schema removes ambiguity.

Neglecting Google Business Profile. An incomplete or inactive GBP is like a dark, uninviting showroom window. Keep it fresh and fully populated.

Frequently Asked Questions About Automotive SEO

What is automotive SEO?

Automotive SEO is the strategic practice of optimising a car dealership or automotive business website to rank prominently in search engine results and AI-powered search tools for relevant queries. It encompasses local SEO (Google Business Profile, reviews, citations), on-page optimisation (VDPs, service pages, location content), technical improvements (site speed, mobile experience, schema markup), authority building (backlinks, consistent NAP), and AI optimisation (ensuring your business is cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews). The goal is connecting with buyers actively searching for vehicles, services, or dealerships in specific geographic areas.

How long does automotive SEO take to show results?

Quick wins like completing your Google Business Profile and implementing basic schema markup can improve visibility within thirty to sixty days. Content-driven organic traffic typically takes three to six months to build meaningful momentum, with compounding returns over twelve to eighteen months. Local Pack improvements often appear within sixty to ninety days of consistent effort. SEO is a long-term investment, not a quick fix.

Is SEO still worth it with AI search taking over?

More than ever. AI search tools like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews synthesise answers from existing web content. Dealers who create helpful, well-structured content are the ones AI cites. The fundamentals—accurate business information, strong reviews, quality content—feed both traditional SEO and AI visibility. Dealers investing now are positioning themselves for both current and emerging discovery methods. (Source: https://hrizn.io/resources/automotive-seo-guide)

What is the difference between automotive SEO and regular SEO?

Automotive SEO addresses unique industry challenges: inventory that changes daily, OEM compliance requirements, multi-location complexity, extremely competitive local markets, high-consideration purchase journeys demanding extensive content, and optimisation for both traditional and AI-powered discovery. Standard SEO approaches do not account for these realities.

What should a dealership prioritise first for automotive SEO?

Start with foundational elements that deliver quick impact:

  1. Claim and fully complete your Google Business Profile with accurate information, categories, and photos. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/)

  2. Ensure NAP consistency across your website and major directories

  3. Implement basic schema markup (Organisation, LocalBusiness) on your location pages

  4. Establish a consistent review generation process for sales and service

  5. Fix any critical technical issues affecting mobile experience or page speed

These fundamentals create the foundation for more advanced efforts.

How do reviews impact dealership SEO?

Reviews are one of the most powerful ranking factors for local automotive search. Quantity, rating score, recency, and content all contribute to visibility. (Source: https://localise.co.uk/how-uk-car-dealerships-win-local-search-2026/) Beyond rankings, reviews directly influence buyer decisions. A steady flow of recent, positive reviews with detailed text (mentioning specific services, staff, or experiences) signals trust and relevance to both search engines and potential customers.

What is Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) and why does it matter?

Generative Engine Optimisation describes the practice of optimising content to be cited by AI-powered tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. As more buyers use AI tools for research, appearing in these answers becomes essential. GEO builds on strong SEO fundamentals—accurate entity information, quality content, and trusted reputation signals—with additional focus on conversational content and comprehensive schema markup. (Source: https://geneo.app/blog/geo-for-automotive-ai-visibility/#content-that-earns-citations-in-ai)

Getting Started with Automotive SEO

SEO success does not require doing everything at once. Begin with foundational steps that deliver the greatest immediate impact.

Week one priorities:

  • Claim and verify Google Business Profile for all locations

  • Ensure NAP consistency between website, GBP, and major directories

  • Install Google Analytics 4 and Google Search Console

First thirty days:

First ninety days:

  • Complete Vehicle schema rollout across active inventory

  • Publish first informational content piece (buying guide or local content)

  • Build three to five quality local backlinks

  • Establish AI visibility baseline by checking your dealership’s appearance in ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. (Source: https://hrizn.io/resources/automotive-seo-guide)

Long-term commitment:
SEO is a compounding investment. The dealership that starts today has an exponentially larger advantage twelve months from now than the one that waits. Every piece of optimised content, every review earned, and every technical improvement builds a foundation that continues delivering value long after the initial effort.

In 2026, visibility equals opportunity. The buyers are searching. The only question is whether they find your dealership or someone else’s.