Chris Pearce, Group Managing Director, Greenpark
The way we search and find the right financial institution for us is changing.
As AI shifts behaviour from keywords to conversational prompts, and increasingly delivers answers directly, the discovery model we’d come to know like the back of our hand is transforming. For financial brands, that’s means a complete reset in how trust is built at the very top of the funnel. And in a category defined by complexity and regulation, that reset cuts deeper than in most other sectors.
Consumers are already beginning to think about turning to AI in their financial service needs. 40% of Brits have used a generative tool such as ChatGPT or Gemini for personal finance advice – a number that rises to 65% for Gen Zs and 61% for millennials. And in an industry where products are harder to compare and the stakes are higher, that reliance is only likely to accelerate. Whether someone is asking about the best savings account or comparing mortgage options, AI is fast becoming the first port of call.
This creates a new kind of competitive pressure. One where brands are being assessed and shortlisted within AI-generated responses, not just necessarily a Google results page. Effectively, the narrative around your brand is being shaped before a customer ever reaches your website.
Rebuild the foundations of content, intent and consistency
Despite this shift, some fundamentals still hold. They just need to be rethought. SEO remains central, yet optimisation now extends beyond keywords into how clearly and comprehensively your brand can answer real customer questions.
In this light, your website has become the primary source from which AI models draw, and it needs to function accordingly. That means presenting information in a way that is structured and accessible, with clear explanations of complex products, and content that reflects how customers actually phrase their concerns, rather than relying on technical jargon. If your neighbour couldn’t understand it, then it probably needs rethinking.
A unique opportunity lies in the queries themselves. Whether it be uncertainty around fixing a mortgage or questions about investment risk, AI is surfacing a live feed of what people are thinking about. These signals should actively shape content strategies, because relevance in financial services is closely tied to credibility.
Optimisation therefore hinges on understanding intent. A single query can represent multiple needs, and AI systems are designed to interpret those nuances and deliver a tailored response. So, if content doesn’t map to those different motivations, it becomes far less likely to be included.
Simultaneously, consistency has taken on new importance. AI models are piecing together a view of your brand from everything available online. So, if your messaging varies across pages, those inconsistencies will be quickly exposed. Financial brands therefore need to build a coherent content ecosystem where each element reinforces a clear and credible position on the topics they want to be known for.
Winning in an AI-shaped decision journey
Authority sits at the centre of this shift. AI-generated answers are constructed by drawing on signals from across the web, meaning inclusion depends on how trustworthy your brand appears in broader context. This extends beyond compliance into reputation. External validation plays a critical role, whether through expert commentary, media coverage, independent platforms or content that demonstrates genuine expertise.
Therefore, it’s important to understand how your brand is currently represented. Especially when the last three months of 2025 had the highest number of customer bank switches since records began. For many brands, AI has already formed an opinion on them before they know it. New auditing tools can assess whether your brand appears in AI-generated answers, how prominently it features and how it is positioned in terms of sentiment and credibility. They also highlight gaps to help teams focus on the areas that will have the greatest impact.
This overall shift also means we need to rethink how we measure our SEO strategy. Traditional metrics such as clicks and traffic only tell half the story, because much of the decision-making now happens long before a user reaches your site. The more meaningful questions centre on whether your brand is recommended and whether it is positioned as a credible option alongside competitors. And addressing this requires a broader set of metrics, including share of voice within AI outputs and sentiment.
In a sector where scrutiny is high and investment decisions are carefully weighed, demonstrating impact is vital. And establishing clear KPIs helps bridge the gap between established measurement models and emerging realities, making it easier to build confidence in new approaches.
Success will come from building a consistent presence across the entire ecosystem and ensuring that when AI systems assemble answers, your brand is the one they recognise as reliable and worth including.
