Is traditional Google search the best and only tool for your client’s and prospects to get information on asset managers? The answer is: No.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) search has become as valuable as Google. AI has changed how potential investors find information. Traditional SEO marketing strategies that focus on getting great Google rankings are not dead but are no longer exclusive. The two systems differ but AI complements rather than replaces traditional search.

This article explains how asset managers who understand this shift will be best positioned to adapt their content marketing strategies to connect with people who increasingly use AI to understand the financial services marketplace.

Key takeaway: Traditional Google search isn’t gone. It is now complemented by AI.

How AI and Google Search Differ

In less than a decade, AI has become central to how advisors and clients search for information, financial and otherwise. AI search has made evolutionary advances in large language modeling, machine learning, and information retrieval.

ChatGPT launched in late 2022. Newer players include Claude (from Amazon), Gemini (from Google), Copilot (from Microsoft), Perplexity (privately launched), and many other broad and specialized AI search firms.

Lots of new names. But what are the differences between AI and Google search?

Keywords vs Comprehensiveness

Great Google results are driven by how good you are at Search Engine Optimization (SEO), keywords, backlinks, meta tags, domain authority, popularity, site structure, and mobile-first factors, among other attributes. AI looks for comprehensive and accurate content. Traditional SEO signals matter less.

Ranked List vs Conversational Answers

When you search on Google, you get a list of links to choose from based on keywords and popularity: those on the first page, and those buried on lesser-viewed subsequent pages. AI systems, by contrast, provide conversational, organized, synthesized, and consolidated results. You’ll get nuanced results but limited attribution.

External Links vs Closed System

Google may help drive traffic to your website, if done right. When you search on an AI platform, you stay within the AI platform. You can ask more questions to get more refined and detailed answers, but you have to leave AI on your own.

Public vs Private Data Sourcing

Google remains unmatched for discovering publicly available content, while AI search excels at generating insights from both public and private data sources.

Key takeaway: Google focuses on keywords, authority, online experience, and content popularity. AI looks for context and strategic information. Both look for content quality.

Asset Manager Strategies for AI Content

To be considered high-quality, AI places a premium on fresh, readable, well-organized, and authoritative content. Asset managers need to:

Create High-Quality, Well-Structured Content

• Create fresh, regularly updated, factual content that solves problems.
• Design for user needs rather than keyword density.
• Use clear headings, sub-heads, bullet points, lists, FAQs, and tables.
• Organize content into clearly defined topics and subtopics.
• Cite authoritative original sources.
• Create resource pages that AI systems can use for reference.

Build Authority and Credibility

• Demonstrate expertise through comprehensive content.
• Publish financial market commentary, original research, and unique insights.
• Get quality backlinks from authoritative domains.
• Verify your company on Google Business Profile and Bing Places.

Write Like You Talk

• Use conversational language rather than investment jargon.
• Write scannable headings, subheadings, and paragraphs.
• Employ active rather than passive voice.
• Don’t be afraid to let your personality shine through.

Develop Different Formats

• Create content in multiple formats—text, tables, FAQs, audio, video, tables, checklists, assessments, and white papers.
• Post transcripts for audio and video content.

Technical Optimization

• Ensure fast loading speeds and mobile responsiveness.
• Implement semantic HTML to help AI understand your content’s purpose.
• Build a sitemap and keep your robots.txt file updated.
• Use descriptive URLs, alt text for images, and proper heading hierarchy.

Google also excels at visual-oriented searches, such as finding images and videos of people, places, and things. But not for long. AI is catching up on the ability to understand artistic styles, relationships between details, and emotional elements. AI-generated design platforms can also create videos for asset managers—with a high variance of input required and  results.

Location-based Searches

Google is great for finding location-specific results. Let’s say investors ask AI for “wealth managers near me.”  An AI system will list national and regional firms but few if any local firms near you. AI may recommend you read online directories for wealth managers near you.

A Final Word on New Search With AI

Forward-thinking asset managers—and their high-net-worth families and individual clients—have adopted AI as a financial research tool. However, the most effective research combines traditional Google search for broad discovery and AI search to help analyze and make sense of what you find.

Asset managers who use Google and AI together will get ahead of those that do not.

Schedule a complimentary strategy session to discover how to grow your marketing to attract more clients and revenue.

Frank Serebrin is the Content Marketing Director for Sondhelm Partners. He leads strategic and creative content and marketing services for our asset management and wealth management clients.