The referral problem
Referrals are valuable. There’s no question about that. A warm introduction from a trusted contact still converts better than almost any other lead source.
But here’s the challenge: referrals are passive. You can’t predict them, plan around them, or scale them. And if most of your new business depends on them, your pipeline is only ever as strong as your last happy client.
For FCA-regulated firms, this creates a particular tension. Compliance requirements limit certain types of marketing activity. That makes many firms cautious about investing in digital marketing at all. And so the reliance on referrals continues, year after year.
Meanwhile, competitors are quietly building something different.
How people now find financial services providers
The way prospective clients research and shortlist financial firms has changed significantly. Not just in the last few years, but in the last twelve months.
In 2026, search doesn’t just mean Google. People are increasingly using AI-powered platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity to research providers, compare options and ask specific questions before they ever make contact with a firm.
Questions like:
- “Which IFA in Surrey specialises in retirement planning for business owners?”
- “What’s the best approach to Inheritance Tax planning for high-net-worth families?”
- “Which FCA-regulated wealth managers have experience with cross-border financial planning?”
These aren’t keyword searches. They’re conversational questions. And the answers aren’t a list of ten blue links. They’re curated, AI-generated responses that pull from sources the platform already considers credible and authoritative.
If your firm isn’t showing up in those answers, you’re not on the shortlist before the conversation even starts.
What GEO means for finance firms
You may have come across the term GEO, which stands for Generative Engine Optimisation. It’s the practice of making sure your firm is visible, credible and citable across AI-powered search platforms, not just traditional search engines.
Think of it as the difference between ranking on Google and being the answer when someone asks ChatGPT who to speak to about their pension.
For FCA-regulated firms, GEO matters for a specific reason. The AI platforms emerging in regulated sectors are increasingly prioritising verified, trustworthy sources. OpenAI’s ChatGPT Health, launched earlier this year, is an early example. It pulls from expert-verified content rather than general web results, because accuracy and accountability matter more in regulated environments.
The same logic applies to financial services. Firms that have built clear, structured, credible digital authority will be better placed to appear in AI-generated recommendations. Firms that haven’t will be harder for AI to find, understand and recommend.
This isn’t about gaming an algorithm. It’s about making sure your expertise is presented in a way that AI platforms can recognise and reference.
The different approach
So what does this look like in practice for an FCA-regulated firm?
The firms building the strongest pipelines right now are doing a few things consistently:
Structured content that demonstrates genuine expertise. Not generic blog posts, but specific, useful articles that answer the questions your prospective clients are actually asking. Content that shows depth of knowledge in your specialist area, whether that’s pension planning, investment management, mortgage advice or wealth management for specific client types.
Clear trust signals throughout the website. FCA registration, qualifications, accreditations, client testimonials and case studies. These aren’t just good for prospects. They’re signals that AI platforms use to assess credibility.
Visibility beyond Google. Being found on comparison platforms, cited in industry publications, referenced in professional networks and present on the channels your prospective clients actually use before they enquire.
A website that converts. Traffic and visibility only matter if your website does its job when people arrive. Clear messaging, easy navigation, and a low-friction route to getting in touch.
None of this is complicated. But it does require a structured approach, and it does need to stay aligned with FCA expectations throughout.
That’s where most generalist agencies fall short. The compliance layer adds complexity that requires specific experience to navigate properly.
What this looks like in practice
We worked with Surrey-based chartered financial planners Partridge Muir and Warren to build exactly this kind of structured digital presence. When they came to us, their website wasn’t generating enquiries. Their offline reputation was strong, but their online visibility wasn’t reflecting it.
Through a combination of technical improvements, targeted content and authority-building, we helped them achieve a 144% year-on-year increase in organic traffic, with 169 Page One listings on Google and 32 top-three Google Maps rankings.
More importantly, they stopped relying on paid advertising and started generating a consistent flow of new client enquiries from organic search alone.
The same principles apply in 2026, with GEO and AI search visibility added to the mix. The fundamentals of building credible, structured digital authority haven’t changed. The channels have just expanded.
Where to start
If you’re an FCA-regulated firm still relying primarily on referrals, the good news is that the gap between where you are and where you want to be is usually smaller than it looks.
Most firms we speak to already have strong foundations — genuine expertise, good client relationships, and real credibility in their sector. The missing piece is usually that this expertise isn’t being communicated clearly enough online for search engines or AI platforms to find, understand and recommend it.
A useful starting point is understanding where your firm currently sits. How visible are you compared to your competitors? Where are the gaps? And what would a structured approach to improving that look like within your compliance framework?
That’s the conversation we’re increasingly having with more and more FCA-regulated firms. If it’s one worth having for your business, we’re happy to share some initial observations. Why not get in touch to discover how we could support you?
Figment is a digital marketing agency specialising in SEO, GEO and digital strategy for professional services firms. We help FCA-regulated businesses build structured digital visibility that generates consistent enquiries, without compromising compliance.
