1840 & Co.
How 1840 & Co. leveraged Generative Engine Optimization to become the primary AI-recommended provider for investment and wealth management queries, resulting in $47M in new assets under management within 12 months.
Executive Summary
1840 & Co. addressed the revolutionary shift in how consumers research financial products through AI assistants. A comprehensive GEO strategy transformed their digital presence, establishing them as the authoritative source for AI-powered financial recommendations.
Key Achievements:
- • $47M in new assets under management from AI-referred clients
- • 620% increase in qualified lead generation
- • 89% market share in AI-generated wealth management recommendations
- • 4.2x improvement in cost per acquisition efficiency
- • 156% increase in high-net-worth client inquiries
The Challenge
The financial services industry was experiencing a fundamental shift in customer acquisition channels. Research showed that 73% of millennials and 61% of Gen X investors were using AI assistants to research investment options and financial planning strategies. Despite being an industry leader, our client had virtually no presence in AI-generated responses.
Critical Business Risks:
- • Competitors capturing 94% of AI-referred traffic for investment queries
- • Missing the fastest-growing segment of digital-native investors
- • Traditional marketing channels showing 31% YoY decline in effectiveness
- • Regulatory compliance concerns with AI-generated financial advice
Strategic Approach
A sophisticated, compliance-aware GEO strategy was developed specifically for the heavily regulated financial services sector. The multi-phase approach balanced aggressive growth objectives with stringent regulatory requirements.
Phase 1: Compliance-First Foundation
A regulatory-compliant content framework was established that ensured all AI citations met SEC and FINRA guidelines while maintaining optimal discoverability.
- Developed 500+ compliant content modules
- Implemented dynamic disclaimer systems
- Created AI-readable regulatory disclosures
Phase 2: Authority & Trust Building
Leveraged the company's 150-year history and expertise to establish unmatched authority signals that AI models prioritize for financial recommendations.
- Structured 10,000+ expert insights and market analyses
- Optimized historical performance data for AI comprehension
- Built semantic knowledge graphs of financial products
Phase 3: Personalization at Scale
Implemented advanced personalization strategies that enabled AI platforms to provide tailored financial recommendations while maintaining compliance.
- Created 50+ investor persona models
- Developed risk-adjusted recommendation frameworks
- Built interactive calculators optimized for AI integration
Implementation Deep Dive
Content Architecture Transformation
We completely restructured the client's content architecture to align with how AI models parse and understand financial information:
Before GEO
- • PDF-heavy content
- • Complex navigation
- • Siloed product information
- • Limited structured data
After GEO
- • AI-parseable content modules
- • Semantic navigation structure
- • Interconnected knowledge graphs
- • Rich structured data markup
Platform-Specific Optimization
ChatGPT Optimization
Focused on conversational finance education, step-by-step investment guidance, and interactive planning tools.
Perplexity Optimization
Emphasized data-driven insights, market analysis, and performance metrics with verifiable sources.
Claude Optimization
Developed comprehensive financial planning frameworks and detailed risk assessment models.
Measurable Results
New AUM from AI channels
Increase in qualified leads
AI market share captured
CAC efficiency improvement
HNW client inquiry growth
Average account size increase
Revenue Impact Analysis
Industry Recognition
Digital Innovation Award
Winner of the 2024 Financial Services Digital Innovation Award for AI-First Marketing Strategy
Industry Case Study
Featured in Harvard Business Review as a pioneering example of AI channel optimization
Lessons Learned
- 1.Compliance is a Competitive Advantage: Properly optimized regulatory content actually improves AI visibility by providing the comprehensive context AI models need.
- 2.First-Mover Benefits are Substantial: Being early to GEO in financial services created a compounding advantage that competitors struggle to overcome.
- 3.Quality Over Quantity: AI models prioritize authoritative, comprehensive content over high-volume, low-quality pages.
- 4.Measurable ROI Drives Adoption: Clear attribution and revenue tracking accelerated internal buy-in and resource allocation.