Blog

If the past two decades of digital marketing were defined by SEO, the next chapter is being shaped by something new: generative engine optimization, or GEO. As AI-powered search experiences like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Claude and Perplexity reshape how people discover information, brands are no longer just competing for clicks; they’re competing to be included in the answer.

Most financial technology companies are led by executives with deep industry knowledge: people who have spent decades solving complex problems, anticipating market shifts, and advising clients. But that expertise does not always reach the audiences that matter most. Prospects, reporters, analysts, and AI-powered search tools can only recognize what is visible. When leaders are too busy running the business to consistently share their perspective, valuable insight stays internal instead of building external credibility.

For years, communications teams measured visibility through traditional search rankings, media coverage, and website traffic. Today, a new reality is emerging. Visibility is no longer only about whether your news appears in organic and/or paid search results. It is increasingly about whether your information can be discovered, understood, and referenced in AI-generated answers.

LinkedIn has evolved. It's no longer just a place to network professionally or announce company news. Today, it's often where your audience will form their first impression of your organization. Many years ago, LinkedIn functioned primarily as a platform for networking and recruiting. Now, it's one of the very first places people visit when researching a company. Before visiting your website, many people will open LinkedIn and scroll through your page to understand your expertise, culture, and credibility. That means that your LinkedIn strategy should be intentional, not an afterthought.

The way audiences find information has dramatically changed. Not long ago, finding answers online meant scrolling through pages of search results and piecing together information. That process has been replaced by a more seamless experience where AI-powered tools, featured snippets, voice assistants and AI-overviews deliver immediate and organized search answers.

Every four years, the World Cup reminds us that talent alone doesn't guarantee success. This year's tournament has once again shown that well-prepared underdogs can stand toe-to-toe with some of the biggest names in soccer, not because they have the largest budgets or deepest rosters, but because they know exactly who they are and how they want to play. Those same principles can offer valuable lessons for fintechs looking to stand out in a competitive market.

Imagine asking ChatGPT for the top providers in your industry and discovering that your company isn’t mentioned. Not because your solution isn’t competitive or because your website doesn’t exist, but because your digital presence isn’t structured in a way that AI can confidently understand and trust enough to reference. Whether it’s Google’s AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini, or another generative search platform, AI is increasingly serving as the bridge between brands and prospective customers. Before someone clicks a link, downloads a white paper, or requests a demo, they may first encounter your company through an AI-generated response. As a result, visibility is not determined solely by rankings anymore. It depends on how effectively your website is able to communicate your expertise, your authority, and your relevance to both the human audience and the AI-powered search tools.

Artificial intelligence is rapidly changing how financial institutions interact with customers, but success depends on more than just automation. It requires trust, accuracy and regulatory compliance. In this FinovateSpring 2026 interview, Veritus Founder and CEO Joshua March sat down with WMA CEO William Mills to discuss the next generation of AI-driven customer communications. The conversation explores how banks, credit unions, lenders and fintechs are using intelligent voice and messaging agents to improve customer engagement, streamline operations and scale service across key touchpoints. March also shared insights into the unique compliance challenges facing financial institutions, the safeguards required to deploy AI responsibly and why organizations that embrace these technologies today will be better positioned to compete in the years ahead.

Finovate events are always impactful and for last month’s FinovateSpring, the West Coast sensibility was on full display among the more than a thousand bank, credit union and fintech executives that gathered in San Diego to see first-hand the latest in tech innovation that is (and will be) impacting our industry.

Designed as a city-wide experience rather than a single conference, Atlanta Fintech Week (September 28-October 2, 2026) brings together the full ecosystem of payments giants, startups, banks, students, and investors, for something more intentional than typical industry gatherings. In this Q&A, Laura Gibson-Lamothe, Executive Director of Georgia Fintech Academy, shares how the event aims to spark real connection, highlight what’s next in financial technology, and showcase the collaborative force that continues to define Atlanta’s role in the global fintech community.