SEO vs. GEO?

Search engines are changing fundamentally. While traditional SEO measures have long focused on Google rankings, the rise of generative AI systems has led to a new discipline gaining in importance: generative engine optimization (GEO). Brands no longer become visible through rankings on search results pages only, but through their presence in AI-generated responses. This raises a key question for financial services providers, banks and insurers: how do you remain relevant when the click is replaced by the answer? We have been examining this question in our interview with Dominik Amend, Senior Manager at zeb.
 

Why is GEO becoming a strategic consideration for financial institutions?

Dominik Amend: WBecause visibility is changing fundamentally. Customers no longer only search via traditional search engines, but increasingly via AI-based systems or even social media (such as TikTok). These do not provide lists of links, but direct answers. If you are not mentioned in these answers as a valid source, you lose digital relevance, regardless of your Google ranking.
 

What does this mean for digital brand management?

Dominik Amend: GEO requires a redefinition of visibility. Appearing in rankings is no longer sufficient. Companies and their content need to become part of the answer economy. They need to strategically invest in trustworthy, AI-compatible content in order to remain in the users’ relevant set. This is what brand management in the digital space looks like.  
 

What role will content be playing in customer retention?

Dominik Amend: High-quality content is the new gateway to digital customer interfaces. AI systems use content with proven subject matter depth, trustworthiness and relevance. If you don’t appear on the scene, you lose digital reach and therefore also access to customers, especially for financial products that require a lot of advice. 
 

What infrastructure requirements are essential?

Dominik Amend: In addition to technical precision and structured data, you need to ensure that AI crawlers have access to key content. It is no longer about organic traffic alone, but about machine-readable evidence of trust that is integrated into the website architecture. What is more, it is essential to publish topics comprehensively with expert status. By now, content clusters and topical authorities should be standard if you don’t want to be left behind in GEO searches.
 

What opportunities are arising from this change for financial institutions?

Dominik Amend: Investing in GEO early on not only ensures digital visibility, but also a qualitative edge over the competition. By having a strong presence in AI-generated responses, institutions can build trust, reach new target groups and position themselves as a digital authority – far beyond traditional touchpoints. If you take the transition to an AI-based search environment seriously, you have to establish GEO as a management topic. It equally affects brand management, sales, IT and regulation and will determine digital relevance and compatibility in future.