Optimising your online visibility in the AI era

You may not have realised it at the time, but August 2024 was also a date that marked a fundamental change in how people search for things online. Why? Because it was when Google introduced AI overviews into its search engine, a new way of gathering information designed to take the ‘leg work’ out of searching.

Since then, there has been increased consumer use of other AI tools like ChatGPT, Gemini and CoPilot for finding information. This means that more and more people are skipping traditional search and getting instant answers from AI instead.

What does this mean for financial advisers?

If you still rely on traditional search traffic i.e. search engine optimisation (SEO), it could be a problem.

In finance, legal and advisory sectors, around a third of total web traffic comes from organic search. However, last year Gartner, one of the world’s leading research and advisory firms, predicted a 25% drop in search volume by this year.

That’s not to say that SEO should be abandoned – organic search will remain an important tool in your marketing plan – but the fact is that a drop in visibility means a drop in leads.

But, don’t panic! There is a way to stay ahead of the curve. And that is by getting your Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO) strategy in order.

AEO is a content strategy that helps your business show up in AI-powered answers. While SEO focuses on search engines, AEO is about preparing your content for answer engines including AI chatbots and summary boxes that deliver instant, relevant responses.

Writing like a human for the robots

What does that mean in practice? Fundamentally, it comes down to better writing. This isn’t about gaming the algorithm, it’s about giving real answers to real people, in a format AI tools can easily understand and quote.

AEO belongs to businesses that explain themselves well. It’s time to think like a robot, then write like a human, in a way that makes sense to clients, search engines, and AI.

This means that your website and your content should be written:

• Clearly and concisely
• In natural, everyday English
• With one question or topic per section
• In a way that shows trust, authority and intent

Also, a word of warning – don’t rely on AI to write your content as this could harm both your search and AI visibility. Sure, use it as a prompt or for research, but always get a human involved to give it your unique personality and tone of voice.

Clicks may go down, but trust will increase

If AI pulls answers straight from your site, does that mean fewer clicks? Maybe. But it also means more visibility, more credibility and more trust.

Being quoted by AI is ‘top-of-funnel’ brand positioning. Like being featured in a publication, it drives brand recognition, leads to direct searches and makes people more likely to come back when they’re ready to act. People are time-poor, they want their answers quickly, so while click-through rates may dip, quality interest remains.

It’s also more compliant. When your content is clear, structured and human, it’s also more aligned with consumer duty. You’re helping clients understand, reduce risk and support better decisions.

So, it starts as a visibility, but ends in better compliance.

Two steps to take now

1. Get better at storytelling: we use StoryBrand principles to help our financial services clients shape content around their client’s needs, making it easier to read, easier to trust and more likely to show up in search. Remember money is an emotional topic, so using human language is important.
2. Do an AEO audit of your website and content: we’re increasingly working with our clients to look at how their brand and website are performing, not just for search, but for real people and the AI tools they rely on. Then it’s about defining a tone of voice, writing content that builds trust and refining website content to align with AEO principles.

We’re in an AI era

AI search is only going to grow. And, in an era of financial advice consolidation, being seen is becoming even more important. With better writing and better story telling, your brand can stand out, and you can make the most of the AI era.