With over 25 years in SaaS marketing technology, Nicky Senyard is a multiple award-winning CEO and Co-Founder of Fintel Connect.
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We are in a moment where AI-driven discovery is advancing faster than anything we've seen in traditional search and financial brands can't afford to ignore the shift. This change reshapes how financial products are found and which brands are being considered.
For decision makers in banking and fintech, understanding this shift is essential as visibility is no longer solely about where you rank, but whether your product appears in large language models (LLMs). The sources shaping LLM answers are much broader than many financial institutions realize. Independent publishers and affiliates are becoming critical visibility partners in this new era of discovery and are key in influencing product decisions.
The Shift From Search to Answers
Large language models don’t present a list of links the way traditional search engines do. They compile information from many different sources and deliver one synthesized answer which has a significant impact on how financial brands are discovered. Gartner expects traditional search volumes to fall by more than 25% by 2028 as users turn to AI tools for direct answers.
In our recent report, Competing for Visibility in the Age of AI, we saw how varied sources can be. For example, ChatGPT referenced about four times more citations than Copilot, showing how differently the models gather and prioritize information. And across three of the four AI models we tested, more than 60% of citations came from publishers or affiliate sites rather than the financial institutions themselves. The content ecosystem around a brand now matters as much as the brand’s own website.
Visibility today depends on being included in the information models pull from when generating an answer. That is very different from traditional SEO where ranking signals and metadata are more predictable. AI-driven discovery relies on broader context, trusted third-party sources, and content formats the models can interpret easily.
What GEO Means for Financial Institutions
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of ensuring your products appear in the information AI models draw from when creating an answer. While traditional SEO helps you rank on a results page, GEO helps you show up inside the answer itself.
This shift matters because consumer behavior is changing. People are asking AI tools direct, conversational questions, and the model becomes the intermediary. It decides which products are relevant, how they are described, and whether they are included at all. Trust is no longer held solely by the brand’s own website. It is shaped by the broader ecosystem of publishers, educators, and third-party sources the model relies on.
For banks and fintechs, visibility will depend on how well your information is represented across the sources AI tools trust. GEO is becoming essential for staying present in the consumer decision process.
Why Financial Brands Face a Higher Bar
Financial products require a level of trust, clarity, and accuracy that is higher than most categories. When consumers ask an AI tool about a savings account or a credit card, the model is not only pulling product data. It is pulling explainers, definitions, comparisons, risks, and guidance from across the ecosystem.
Our research also showed meaningful differences in how major models source information. Gemini leaned heavily on financial institutions’ pages, while ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot drew more from publishers and independent experts. One visibility strategy will not work across all platforms.
For financial institutions, the bar is higher because misinformation carries real consequences. Brands need content that is clear, consistent, and trustworthy, and they need to ensure it is present in the places AI models rely on most.
Affiliates as Gatekeepers in AI Search
Affiliates have always helped consumers evaluate financial decisions. They simplify complex products, compare options clearly, and provide explanations consumers trust. What has changed with AI-driven search is the scale of their influence. Affiliates now play a defining role in determining which products appear in AI model answers.
In our research, trusted publishers like NerdWallet and Bankrate appeared repeatedly as source material across the major engines. These partners are shaping not only consumer perception, but also the information AI systems use when assembling guidance.
This creates a dual benefit for financial brands. Affiliates support direct acquisition through performance-driven campaigns, and they also provide visibility within the AI-generated answer. If your product is not present in the content affiliates produce, it may never reach consideration.
Practical Steps to Stay Visible in an AI-Driven World
Staying visible in an AI-driven environment starts with making your information easier for models to understand and easier for consumers to trust. Financial brands can start with these steps:
1. Improving the clarity of your own product pages
Clean layouts, plain language, and simple comparisons go a long way. If important details are buried in an iFrame or behind layered navigation, the models will not read them. Bring key information onto the main page and present it in a way that is easy to interpret.
2. Strengthening partnerships with affiliates
These partners create much of the content that AI tools rely on, so they need current product data, updated FAQs, and a clear view of who each product is designed for. When affiliates have accurate information, they reflect your products more effectively in lists, reviews, and educational explainers.
Diversity in content formats also matters. AI tools tend to elevate pages that answer questions directly, whether through explainers, comparison tables, or intent aligned content that meets consumers at different stages of their decision process.
3. Tailor your visibility strategy to each platform
Gemini leans more heavily on financial institutions’ content, while tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Copilot often draw from publishers. Measuring where your brand appears, how often it is included, and where the gaps are will help you refine your approach over time.
What This Means for the Future of Fintech Growth
AI is reshaping the entire acquisition funnel by shifting influence much earlier in the product discovery. When a consumer’s first interaction is a single AI-generated answer, the brands included in that answer gain an immediate advantage. Those that are not included may never enter the conversation.
GEO levels the field for emerging brands because visibility is now driven by clarity, relevance, and the strength of the ecosystem around you, not by primarily paid search budgets. Smaller institutions can be discovered if they are accurately and consistently represented in the right places.
With this fast-changing shift, affiliate programs become more strategic than ever. They help ensure that products are reflected clearly in the content AI models use to guide consumers. Institutions that move early, build strong partnerships, and invest in GEO will gain a meaningful visibility advantage as AI-driven discovery becomes the norm.
Final Thoughts
AI-driven discovery is reshaping how consumers find and evaluate financial products, which is why financial institutions can't afford to wait on the sidelines. Fortunately, the path forward doesn't require a drastic change. It starts with small, thoughtful steps that help you understand how your products appear across the tools consumers now rely on.
Visibility today is earned through the ecosystem that AI trusts, and affiliates sit at the center of that ecosystem. Institutions that embrace this shift early will be far better positioned for the next era of digital growth.
