How RIAs can boost visibility in AI search

WealthReach announced Thursday it will acquire search-engine optimizer AdvisorRankings to help registered investment advisers appear in AI-driven search results. The deal is intended to extend AdvisorRankings’ work on traditional search visibility to the summaries and answers produced by generative AI systems such as Google’s Gemini, OpenAI’s ChatGPT and Anthropic’s Claude.

Michael Barrasso, WealthReach co-founder and a consultant at United Financial Planning Group, says asking clients for testimonials and publishing them on a firm website produced an immediate increase in AI-driven traffic for his family’s firm. He described many responses as long, detailed endorsements that improved conversion when visitors reached the site.

Industry research still lists referrals as the main source of new clients, but advisors report prospective clients routinely run quick online searches before hiring. Barrasso says United Financial Planning Group now receives a majority of new clients through Google and AI-enhanced search, a shift from its previous reliance on referrals and trade-group memberships.

Marketing professionals recommend several coordinated steps for advisers seeking AI visibility. Michelle Burkowski, head of marketing at wealthtech consultant F2 Strategy, advises firms to take clear positions on specific topics and publish that content on outlets AI systems treat as authoritative. She warns that generic blog posts on common subjects are unlikely to register with AI models.

Some practical tactics remain useful. Chris Diodato, founder of WELLth Financial Planning, highlighted the benefit of marketing clear firm characteristics such as being fee-only. He reports that labeling his firm as fee-only has helped compete with larger firms that have larger advertising budgets because AI systems often treat fee-only models as a signal of client-aligned incentives.

Advisors taking a gradual approach report gains from a mix of formats and local focus. Brian Byrer, founder of Millennial Financial Planning in Indianapolis, prioritized expert quotes in articles, video content, LinkedIn posts, paid directory listings and a local SEO audit. After reshaping his website to emphasize the Indianapolis location and a focus on younger investors, he says AI-driven results now better target local millennial prospects.

Despite reported benefits, few firms publish client testimonials. A review of 14,286 registered investment adviser filings by marketing firm Paithos found that 11% used client testimonials publicly. The SEC’s marketing rule, implemented in late 2022, permits testimonials but requires firms to solicit feedback broadly, avoid selective publication and keep records of the solicitation and selection process. Burkowski notes that large firms with multiple practices face greater compliance complexity than smaller single-brand firms.

Technical site work and clearer service positioning can also affect AI recognition. Barrasso gave an example of a firm that performed tax planning but listed it only as a minor service; reworking the site to present tax work as a specialty made the firm easier for AI to identify for tax-related searches. AdvisorRankings has shifted from pure search-engine optimization toward strategies that combine on-page content, client voices and backend signals to improve inclusion in AI-generated summaries and targeted search results.

Advisers aiming to increase AI visibility are advised to combine client reviews, distinct topical authority, local search signals and basic SEO changes rather than relying on generic content alone.