Fintechs Are Writing for Google. Users Are Asking ChatGPT.
Google isn't the only search engine anymore. Here's how Perplexity, ChatGPT and AI are changing visibility.
A Quick Note Before We Start
This isn’t another “AI is changing everything” hot take. No panic. No hype.
Just a clear look at what Google actually announced at I/O 2025 — especially the rollout of AI Overviews and generative search results — and what it really means for fintechs.
Because if you're past product-market fit (PMF) and scaling, SEO hacks won’t cut it. You need strategy.
Let’s go
What Google Actually Changed
The Big Shift: AI Is Now the Middleman
At I/O 2025, Google confirmed it: AI-generated summaries now appear directly in search results.
We’ve entered the age of no-click search — where users get full answers without visiting your site. No click. No context. No chance to convert.
For fintech brands trying to drive awareness, trust, or leads? That’s a problem.
Your content still needs to rank — but now it also needs to be understood by AI to even show up.
If your page doesn’t speak clearly to both humans and machines, it might not show up at all.
Not Just Google
While Google’s AI Overviews got the spotlight at I/O, they’re not alone.
Perplexity is building a browser with built-in AI chat that answers questions directly
Opera is relaunching Neon, now positioned as an "agentic" AI-powered browsing experience
OpenAI is reportedly working on its own browser, with ChatGPT integrated at the core
The message is clear: the way people search, browse, and discover is shifting — and it’s not just Google leading the charge.
4 SEO Shifts Fintechs Can’t Ignore
1. Semantic SEO > Keyword Stuffing
Google’s AI understands context. It no longer matches keywords — it interprets meaning.
So stop chasing phrases like “best credit card.” Start answering actual questions:
“How do I build credit with no history?”
“What business loan options exist for startups under 6 months?”
✅ Action: Focus on user intent, not keyword volume.
2. Clarity Wins — Every Time
AI scans fast. Your message must be instant.
Be direct. Ditch jargon. Lead with the takeaway. Make sure the essentials pop — even in a snippet.
✅ Action: Could this be skimmed and understood in 3 seconds? If not, rewrite.
3. Voice-Friendly Content Isn’t Optional Anymore
People speak differently than they type.
With AI parsing natural language, content needs to reflect how people talk.
✅ Action: Add conversational FAQs. Use tools like AnswerThePublic. Speak their language.
4. E-E-A-T = Authority on Steroids
Experience. Expertise. Authoritativeness. Trustworthiness.
This isn’t fluff. These principles are how Google’s AI — and increasingly, other AI-powered platforms — decide what deserves to surface and what disappears.
Whether it’s a summary in Google, an answer in Perplexity, or a future ChatGPT browser result, credible content gets chosen. Everything else gets skipped.
So don’t just write. Demonstrate credibility.
Feature experts.
Link to research.
Show your work.
✅ Action: Let your team shine. Real names, real insights.
Real Fintech Wins You Can Steal
Not just theory — here’s how two real fintechs are already adapting to AI-powered search.
Case Study: Wise — Scaling with Programmatic SEO
Quick explainer: Programmatic SEO is when you use code or automation to generate lots of useful, search-optimized pages — fast. It's especially powerful for answering long-tail queries at scale.
Wise, formerly TransferWise, used programmatic SEO to build over 500,000 landing pages tailored to specific long-tail queries like "convert USD to INR" or "send money to Brazil." Each page was auto-generated but structured with clean UX, localized content, and real-time exchange rate data — all optimized for both users and search engines.
By addressing hyper-specific user intents and matching them with clear, structured information, Wise (formerly TransferWise) significantly expanded their reach in search results. This programmatic SEO strategy has been incredibly successful, fueling their growth to well over 60 million monthly organic visits, with some analyses suggesting figures even higher, potentially approaching 90 million monthly organic visitors.
Result: Massive visibility across international search — especially for transactional queries where trust and clarity are key.
Takeaway: Programmatic SEO works when it’s useful. Structured, relevant pages don’t just scale — they perform well in AI summaries too.
What To Do Next
You don’t need to become an SEO pro. But you do need to adjust.
Start here:
✅ Review top-performing pages — do they answer real questions?
✅ Write for problems, not just features.
✅ Show your team’s expertise — don’t hide it behind branding.
✅ Watch what works — track AI traffic via Search Console.
✅ Don’t wait. Adapt fast. The winners here are clear, useful, and credible.
Final Thought: Visibility Is Strategy
You didn’t scale just to vanish behind an AI box.
This is your moment to stand out — by being actually useful, not just optimized.
Be clear. Be helpful. Be found.
🙋♀️ Your Turn
What’s your take?
What surprised you most?
What’s working already?
What’s keeping you up about SEO?
Reply to this post or email me at hi@anapaulapicasso.com if you want to chat about it — or connect with me on LinkedIn.
Let’s make fintech great!