At last week's annual IMPACT conference in Boston, a senior figure from Charles Schwab outlined the ways that advisors can use AI and other tools to improve organic growth.

RIAs really, really want to achieve organic growth, and while many claim they do, the industry average remains stuck in the low single digits. No surprise then that the words “organic growth” was second only to “artificial intelligence” as the most repeated catchphrase at Charles Schwab’s annual IMPACT conference in Boston last week. 

(See previous articles from the event here, here and here.)

“Winning Organic Growth in the Age of AI Search” combined the two most popular topics at the conference and it offered advisors actionable tips they could apply to their practice.

Charles Schwab managing director Nikolee Turner (pictured below) urged RIAs to make sure their firm’s site is actually open to AI bots and agents and that AI systems know exactly what the firm does; have a “persona page” that makes the firm’s ideal client recognizable and make the site more attractive to AI search, known as AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) by rewriting advisors’ bios and FAQ Pages.

Nikolee Turner

Maxxing FAQs
FAQs are “really helpful” for AI search, said Turner, who heads Schwab’s business consulting and education for advisors. “Dig into your CRM to see what questions clients are asking and what are key words,” she continued. “You have to get really specific because  people aren’t clicking on links anymore. They want full answers.”

Each FAQ page should answer one specific client question using a four part structure, Turner said. Answers should be 40 to 60 words and read as a standalone, extractable answers that AI systems can pull into generate response; provide context in two to three paragraphs, covering the why, the exceptions and the trade-offs; include supporting references such as data, examples and tax code references and close with next steps, including related questions and clear call to actions.

Improving content for AEO
A “persona page” can be especially beneficial to smaller firms by detailing “exactly who they help,” Turner said. They need to be specific about an ideal client’s life stage, occupation or source of wealth, family context and defining situation. Specify goals, concerns, priorities and decision drivers that motivate an ideal client's motivations. Relationship preferences should include how the client wants advice delivered “and what the client values most.”

When rewriting advisor bios for AEO, firms should repeat the advisors’ full name at least three times; include all credentials and third-party validation such as board service and media mentions; specify the advisors’ niche client type and include questions that mirror real prospect queries as well as a “questions I can answer” block.

Schwab offering AEO lessons for advisors
Firms who need help can contact Schwab Advisor Services, which will offer a two-month course on using AI search in January, Turner said. Ideally, using AEO should result in clear positioning, strong referral support assets, consistent digital identity, greater AI visibility, more qualified organic opportunities and a growth system that compounds.

Being “super specific about clients you service” is critical, Turner emphasized, and the “biggest hurdle” facing most advisors.

Presentation of AI's benefits to advisors during IMPACT conference