The New Search Reality: How Firms Win in a Social and AI-Driven World

For years, firms have fought to dominate the first page of Google. Top ranking signaled that your firm was outperforming competitors and capturing the lion's share of organic traffic.

But today? Traditional search isn't the only game in town, and your clients aren't as predictable as they used to be. Translation: the client journey has changed, and your marketing strategy needs to do the same.

To succeed through the shift, your firm needs to show up everywhere clients are searching – and it's your job to make that happen. To set you on the right path, we're sharing insights from The New Search Reality: Winning in a Social and AI-Driven World, a webinar led by our Yext's Chief Data Officer, Christian Ward, and our VP of Financial Services, Stuart Greer.

Here are the top five takeaways:

There's no denying that search has changed. Your clients have scattered – going everywhere from Instagram to ChatGPT to look for advisors, learn about loan options, and get insurance policy recommendations.

How serious is this trend? Gartner predicts traditional search engine volume will drop 25% by next year. By 2028, that number could hit 50%.

Taking a client-centric approach focused on providing value wherever they're searching is the key to success as search continues to shift. Start by considering how clients are discovering information across multiple platforms — be it AI assistants, social media, and beyond. Think about what kinds of questions they're asking and make providing specific answers a core content goal. This is more important now than ever because…

Christian put it best when he said, "Search as you know it — where proximity, prominence, and relevance were key — is changing because AI is introducing personal, private ranking factors."

In other words, search results are becoming hyper-personalized, and AI is tailoring results based on user behavior, preferences, and context.

To make sure AI 'sees' your firm, you need to prioritize publishing clean, accurate, and comprehensive data across all digital touchpoints – emphasis on comprehensive.

Here's why it matters.

Let's say someone asks their voice assistant for an "advisor near me who speaks Spanish." If ten advisors at your firm speak fluent Spanish but that information isn't listed anywhere – Siri, Cortana, Alexa, and Bixby can't recommend your firm.

Christian put it bluntly when he said, "Winning over potential clients starts with earning the trust of AI search algorithms — and that begins with accurate, frequently updated data across all digital platforms."

That means making sure your firm, agents, and advisors have complete and correct information published everywhere clients are searching, including but not limited to:

• Google Business Profiles

• Facebook pages and other social profiles

• Firm, agent, and advisor websites

• Review sites (Yelp, TrustPilot, etc.)

• Other business listings and location pages

Beyond accuracy, frequency matters. Research shows that even small increases in data update frequency can significantly boost clicks to your website. Frequent updates also signal relevance, which helps your firm build trust with search engines.

The downside? It's incredibly tedious to manage data for multiple firms, agencies, agents, or advisors. Yext makes it easy by performing regular audits to make sure your data is consistent, suggesting opportunities to optimize listings, and helping your firm's digital presence meet the expectations of traditional and AI-powered search engines.**

For financial services firms, community presence isn't just about goodwill — it's a major factor in AI-driven search visibility. Stu explained, "Even agents at companies with strong brand recognition — like Allstate, should demonstrate their support and involvement in local communities. When customers prefer to work with local businesses, these efforts increase the firm's likelihood of appearing in search results on platforms like ChatGPT or Gemini." AI-powered search engines reward firms that engage with their local community by regularly:

• Hosting or sponsoring local events

• Partnering with community organizations

• Maintaining an active social media presence

Being active in your community isn't just good PR — it presents a clever opportunity to outrank competitors. Let's say someone types "learn how to invest class in San Diego" into ChatGPT. If your firm's website lists an upcoming community event that matches the query, AI is likely to surface – and may even highlight – that information.**

A dwindling percentage of clients prefer phone calls, while a rising percentage are 'team text.' These folks usually give their phone suspicious side-eye when it rings. But are your agents able to communicate with clients on their terms? If not, it may be time to re-evaluate.

For most firms, the all-too-predictable challenge is compliance. Stu put it this way: "Opening new channels and delivering personalized outreach can be challenging in financial services. But by equipping your agents and advisors with the right tools — those with built-in compliance — you empower them to connect with and serve clients in ways that were previously out of reach."

With Yext, your field can use social platforms like LinkedIn and Facebook to engage with clients and build brand awareness, relying on built-in compliance workflows to minimize risk. Agents and advisors can also compliantly text clients, making it easier than ever to stay connected, boost loyalty, and build lasting relationships.

The way people search is changing fast — and the key to staying ahead is giving your advisors the right tools to win from discovery to retention.

To help your firm and field thrive in this AI-driven landscape:

• Be proactive. Pay attention to search and tech trends. Check out Yext weekly digest, The Search Shift, for regular updates.

• Be consistent: Keep data accurate and fresh across every digital touchpoint to optimize visibility and build trust with AI-powered search engines.

• Be thorough: Add nuanced details about the services your field offers to every online touchpoint and regularly publish content that proactively answers client questions.

• Be engaged: Prioritize developing an active presence in your local community to build trust with AI search engines and outrank competitors.

• Be client-centric: Use purpose-built tools that allow your field to communicate with clients on their terms to boost loyalty and minimize compliance risk.

Now that you know what it takes to adapt your strategy and focus on the right things in 2025, it's time to get started. Kick things off by learning what a knowledge graph is and how it impacts your brand visibility.