From SEO to GEO WHY BANKS MUST LEAD IN THE AGE OF AI SEARCH By Joe McMann, Co‑Founder & CRO, Artificial Intelligence Risk Inc. The Heartbeat of Communities Banks are more than financial institutions. They are neighbors, employers and champions of local progress. They sit at the crossroads of personal relationships and financial trust, ensuring that small businesses thrive, families can buy homes and local economies remain resilient. Unlike megabanks, banks derive their strength not from sheer scale but from their rootedness in people’s lives. But as the financial landscape changes, the way customers find and trust information about their banks is shifting dramatically. Just as the Yellow Pages gave way to Google two decades ago, today Google is giving way to generative AI search tools like ChatGPT, Claude and Perplexity. This transition — from search engine optimization (SEO) to generative engine optimization (GEO) — is not a passing fad. It represents a profound reshaping of how people get answers about who we are, what we do, and why they should trust us. For banks, the implications are immense. In a world where artificial intelligence is fast becoming the new “source of truth,” your digital footprint becomes your AI identity. The reputation built over generations of serving communities could be amplified — or undermined — depending on how well banks prepare for this transition. The SEO to GEO Shift: Faster Than the Yellow Pages to Google In the early 2000s, people slowly abandoned the Yellow Pages and shifted to online search. Google went from processing 18 million searches daily in 2000 to 14 billion today. The Yellow Pages, once found in 90% of American homes, had virtually disappeared by 2010. The shift we are seeing now, from SEO to GEO, is happening at lightning speed. Deloitte reports that 68% of Gen Z now prefer ChatGPT over Google for quick answers. McKinsey finds that nearly half of enterprise workers use generative AI weekly. Adoption that once took a decade is now occurring in less than three years. What this means for banks is that if your institution isn’t visible in AI answers, it risks invisibility altogether. A customer asking ChatGPT about the best mortgage lender in their county may never see your name — not because you aren’t the best, but because the AI hasn’t been trained to recognize your value. Why GEO Matters More for Banks Large national banks can spend billions on advertising, buy the top slots in Google search results and dominate through sheer financial muscle. Banks cannot — and should not — compete on those terms. Their strength lies in trust, local knowledge and authentic relationships. But generative AI changes the playing field. You cannot buy your way to the top of an AI answer. You earn it through clarity, trustworthiness and a well-positioned digital footprint. That’s where GEO comes in. For banks, GEO is about ensuring that when AI tools search the internet to answer questions like: “What bank supports small businesses in my town?” “Which local bank has the best track record in community involvement?” “Who can I trust with my mortgage?” ... The answers reflect your institution’s values, commitments and track record of community service Trusted Sources: The New Gatekeepers AI models don’t pull from everywhere equally. They rely heavily on a set of trusted sources — official websites, regulatory filings, press releases, respected news outlets and professional profiles like LinkedIn. For banks, this means: 1. Your website must be crystal clear. Schema markup, structured data and consistent messaging about your services, leadership and community involvement ensure AI can “understand” you. 2. Consistency matters. Information must align across LinkedIn, press releases, NCUA/FDIC filings and local news stories. Inconsistency raises red flags. 3. Third-party credibility is golden. Mentions in state banking associations, local news coverage and customer testimonials are not just good PR — they directly strengthen your GEO presence. In short: AI trusts what the community trusts. Banks already excel at being trusted in real life. Now they must translate that trust into digital form. Colorado Banker 18
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