“Bank customers’ behavior is shifting from just searching the internet for financial information to asking gen AI for more definitive information about what to do with their money.2 Banks should consider building on classic SEO by developing robust generative engine optimization (GEO) capabilities. Unlike SEO—which focuses on driving traffic—GEO is designed to ensure inclusion and correct framing inside the model’s answer. In our gen AI survey, 49 percent of consumers reported using AI-based search; 53 percent of those said they used it specifically to guide brand discovery and purchase decisions. One financial institution that introduced GEO optimization saw sixfold growth in monthly organic (unpaid) website traffic, according to McKinsey research.”