Many financial firms live and die by the traffic Google sends to their websites. Wealth managers and investors search online to learn about opportunities they hear about in the media or that are recommended to them. Few people today simply trust the latest hot tip.

If you’re not found online, a competitor with a better search engine optimization (SEO) or marketing strategy could steal the online traffic intended for you, along with the related investment dollars.

The complication: Advances in artificial intelligence (AI) are making the results generated by Google’s algorithm highly volatile, and AI-powered alternatives to Google pop up constantly. As a result, financial firms that rely on dependable website traffic through standard Google searches could be at risk.

No need to worry. We’ve compiled our best ideas about how financial firms can stay visible despite today’s uncertain search environment.

Focus on All Types of Google Search Results

Google introduced several search engine result page (SERP) positions, expanded on others, and introduced new types of results over the last two years. This includes featured snippets, Artificial Intelligence (AI) powered overviews, videos, questions-and-answers, and knowledge panels. More are likely to come.

That means financial firms must reconsider their SEO strategies and move beyond the traditional things they have been doing. It will be critical to raise brand recognition across all the search result types that could benefit your business.

For instance:

• If you offer unique investment strategies, you may want to produce authoritative thought leadership (blog) content that could be featured in an AI-powered overview, prominently exposing your strategy to prospective investors and financial advisors who might be interested in it.
• If your firm has a telegenic asset manager, consider producing short-form (one or two-minute) videos that could top video page search results, something many people are more likely to turn to than traditional search engine results pages.
• If your solutions serve a unique need or solve a financial problem, including answers to frequently asked questions (FAQs) related to those needs and issues in your content could earn you a space in the question-and-answer section of related SERPs.

What’s next: Don’t leave your firm vulnerable to changes to Google’s algorithm. It’s time to move beyond focusing on traditional Google search listings and consider other types that could benefit your business. Focusing on the right search result features will be essential to staying competitive in a changing environment.

Prioritize Earning AI Responses Over Featured Snippets

If your asset management firm currently depends on featured snippets for a significant amount of its website traffic from search (and related business), consider focusing more on being part of AI responses. As AI gets smarter, Google will serve up more of these types of results, and we expect the trend to accelerate.

What’s next: Continue developing authoritative content that ranks high in Google results. Don’t focus exclusively on including brief answers to common questions in your copy to earn featured snippet positions. Also include unique insights that could be a part of a broader AI-powered narrative. It will keep your firm visible in that zero (top) position now and in the years ahead. (Or until Google changes its algorithm or SERPs layouts again.)

Prioritize Development of Authentic Original Content

The issue with the current generation of AI-generated content is that it can’t come up with original insights. It can only serve up a mash-up of what is already available on the Internet. Add to that AI content is frequently inaccurate and includes many disconnects. You can see why original, high-quality content is still a top priority in SEO. At its best, it delivers great value. At its least, it is the material that fuels the AI machine.

What’s next: Search will push financial businesses to focus on sophisticated original content that blends insights from multiple high-quality sources with unique ones. Content must deliver genuine value and resonate with those who encounter it. If you have smart asset managers working at your firm, leverage their unique ideas in your content so they help you get found online.

Make Social Search a Priority

As people lose trust in Google’s results — or find them confusing or overwhelming — more and more are turning to social media as a key source of information, from content to influencer opinions. The primary reason for this shift is that people trust the insights shared by others like them — and people and organizations they respect — on social media more than from companies they don’t know. That’s why social media search will become a more significant factor for businesses to consider now and in the future.

What’s next: Financial firms should repurpose their content in different media, including videos, images, factoids, and infographics, for social media distribution. Encourage followers to engage with your posts to show they deliver value, making them more likely to appear when people search for information on Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, and other social media platforms.

Develop Different Content Types

To protect against Google algorithm volatility, financial firms should develop content on various topics in different styles across multiple media. This will help protect against unexpected changes—and related biases—in Google’s algorithm. Also, consider distributing content through various channels, including email and social media, to reduce dependence on Google for website traffic and business.

What’s next: The last few years have demonstrated how risky it is to rely on a current Google algorithm for website traffic. Unannounced updates to it can devastate a business’s bottom line. Diversify your content, distribution, and search strategies to reduce dependency and increase resilience. Shift from focusing on traditional search engine optimization to looking for ways to increase website traffic and business overall. A solid and diversified marketing and communication plan is rapidly becoming more important than SEO.

Optimize for Multiple Search Engines

If enough users—and businesses—tire of Google’s changes and related undependable performance, they will increasingly turn to other sources for information and website traffic.

What’s next: Tools like SearchGPT and other LLM-based search engines are rapidly gaining traction, which means Google’s dominance could wane. Financial firms must still demonstrate experience, expertise, authority, and trust (EEAT) in their content to stand out across diverse search platforms. Companies must identify the “new Googles” and quickly jump on board. Many organizations regretted dismissing Google when it was launched against significant established competitors like Yahoo and Jeeves.

Put Your Business Out There

Why wait for Google to drive traffic to your website? It may make more sense to meet financial advisors and investors where they are: virtual communities and forums where they discuss different investment strategies, styles, and solutions. Some examples include:

• r/stocks on Reddit, which describes itself as the most serious place on the platform for investing-related discussions. Users share market news and financial education.
• Bogleheads.org is a forum for investment advice inspired by Jack Bogle, the former head of The Vanguard Group, who helped popularize the index fund. It’s a highly active group that addresses all aspects of investing.
• R/FinancialPlanning on Reddit is a resource for discussing and asking questions about personal finance, budgeting, income, retirement planning, insurance, investing, and more. While some threads are basic, many focus on sophisticated investment and financial planning topics.
• WSO Community Forum (Wall Street Oasis) includes active discussions in industry-specific groups, including investment banking, trading, and hedge funds. You can replace lost Google traffic and brand awareness by getting active on forums and online communities. Some people you interact with on forums may be more qualified leads than those Google and other search engines deliver to your website.

What’s next: Transfer some of the time you spend on traditional SEO to actively building relationships online. Share your insights and links to educational content on your website where appropriate. Don’t promote your business or solutions directly because it could violate community or forum rules and get you kicked off.

Go Live and In-Person

Another hedge against Google’s volatility is to focus more on real-world interactions and less on virtual ones. As more people tire of spending time in the digital realm, human experiences are becoming more valued in personal life and business.

What’s next: If in-person events aren’t part of your marketing mix, try one or two this year. You may find that you come away with more warm leads after a one- or two-day event than after a month or two of Google traffic.

SEO Trends for Asset Managers: The Final Word

As Google becomes increasingly volatile, asset managers and financial firms that depend on search traffic from the platform could be at risk. 

The key is to take on Google’s algorithm changes in real-time and address them head-on. Leverage the guidance in this article to guard against search volatility.

Go further by scheduling a free consultation with Dan Sondhelm to discuss additional opportunities for increasing traffic to your website.