Autobytel Search Operations Generate Estimated $1.4 Billion in Revenue for Dealers in 2005; Every Second 19 Autobytel Search Ads Are Presented to Automotive Searchers; Every 2 Seconds an Automotive Searcher Clicks on an Autobytel Search Ad

Business Wire, Feb 11, 2006

ORLANDO, Fla. -- Autobytel Currently Manages More Than 500,000 Keywords and Adjusts Bids 1,600 Times Every Hour; Search Engines Listed 20 Million Autobytel Web Pages in January

Autobytel Inc. today announced the search marketing results that it's delivering for its member dealers, now in the fifth year of its industry-leading search engine marketing strategy. The company reports that its search operations generated an estimated $1.4 billion in gross revenue for member dealers in 2005.(a) The company also reports that, as a result of its aggressive search marketing campaign, an estimated 19 Autobytel search ads are currently being presented to automotive searchers nationwide every second on the major search engines, and that every two seconds a local car shopper clicks on one of these Autobytel search-generated ads.

"For years we've worked to provide our dealers with the search marketing muscle, technology, and economies of scale they need to compete for local search business," said Autobytel President and CEO Rick Post. "Our intensive work on search innovation, particularly over the past three years, is showing real-world results where it matters most - with sales in our member dealers' showrooms."

A major component of Autobytel's search strategy, which was recently profiled in Marketing Sherpa's "Best Minds in Marketing" series, has been its proprietary Search Engine Optimization (SEO) software, code-named "Black Condor." Originally developed in 2004, Black Condor currently manages more than 500,000 keywords, continually measures effectiveness, and automatically adjusts bids on 1,600 keywords every hour in real time - an efficiency enabled by its direct integration with the major search engine interfaces.

As a result of ongoing system upgrades, approximately 20 million Autobytel web pages were listed on the major search engines in January, up 100% versus June of 2005. Although that number varies significantly month to month, Autobytel's average monthly search engine page listing volume routinely tops the online automotive industry.

"Search is the big buzzword at NADA, but dealers have been doing major search business through Autobytel for years now," added Post. "We've been spending millions in keyword buys for them a year. We've developed tools that are designed to optimize that investment for them. We've been connecting local car buyers with dealers since 1995."

(a) Dealer revenue figure estimated based on recent Autobytel search data, 2005 NADA data, and a third-party dealer study.

About Autobytel Inc.

Autobytel Inc. (Nasdaq: ABTL), a leading Internet automotive marketing services company, helps retailers sell cars and manufacturers build brands through marketing, advertising, data and CRM products and programs. It's estimated that every 7.5 seconds an American car shopper requests a vehicle through Autobytel, which owns and operates the automotive websites--Autobytel.com, Autoweb.com, Carsmart.com, Car.com, AutoSite.com, Autoahorros.com, and CarTV.com. This automotive research and buying network reaches millions of car shoppers each month as they make their vehicle buying decisions, generating billions of dollars in sales for dealers. A leader in dealership customer management and CRM solutions, Autobytel also owns and operates AVV, Inc., a top provider of dealership CRM and sales management products, and Retention Performance Marketing, Inc., (RPM(R)), which powers dealerships with cutting-edge customer loyalty and retention marketing programs. Autobytel's AIC (Automotive Information Center) has been a trusted industry source of automotive marketing data and technology for over 20 years. Autobytel Inc. is the only company to achieve top rankings for both its lead management and lead generation services among the nation's top-100 Internet dealers.