The digital marketing landscape is evolving fast, and for registered investment advisor (RIA) firms, keeping up is essential.
From AI-driven search changes to PPC ad automation, here are some of the key changes you and your firm need to master.
Move to PPC ad automation
PPC advertising remains a powerful tool. Numerous sources report that PPC can deliver a 200% return on investment (ROI), earning $2 for every $1 spent. But the way PPC works is changing.
Platforms such as Google Ads are moving toward automation-first strategies.
Features like automated bidding, keyword selection, and ad copy generation are becoming the norm. Campaign types like Performance Max (PMax) and Demand Gen use AI to optimise across multiple channels, helping you reach the right audience at the right time.
At Unbiased, we saw a 67% increase in return on investment (ROI) after implementing automated bidding strategies.
To stay competitive, RIA firms need to:
- Embrace automation tools
- Upskill in Google Ads and campaign management
- Align automation features with business goals
Embrace social search
According to Statista, around one-quarter of US adults use social media as their primary choice for online searches.
This is hardly surprising, as social media usage across different generations is skyrocketing.
According to Attest, a consumer research platform, social media remains one of the most reliable places to reach consumers, with 45% using it several times a day and a further third using it at least once a day.
This shift means RIA firms must diversify their marketing channels and rethink how they show up online.
Optimise content for social platforms
Unlike traditional search engines, social platforms prioritise content based on user behaviour, preferences, and engagement, not just keywords.
To improve visibility, RIA firms need to:
- Use platform-specific keywords and hashtags
- Engage with trending topics and communities
- Create content tailored to each platform’s format and audience
Build trust with user-generated content (UGC)
Trust is a major barrier on social media. Attest found that 41% of US consumers don’t trust the information they see on social platforms.
The solution? UGC.
UGC, photos, videos, reviews, or posts created by real users feel more authentic and relatable. According to Nosto, 79% of consumers say UGC influences their purchasing decisions.
At Unbiased, launching UGC campaigns doubled our ROI compared to traditional creative.
“UGC makes paid social ads feel more authentic and relatable, which has helped drive better engagement and conversions. Trust is one of an RIA firm’s most important assets, and people trust real experiences over polished brand ads.”
— Marco Fernandes, head of performance marketing at Unbiased
Understand AI’s impact on search
AI is changing how people interact with search engines. Google and Bing now feature AI overviews, summaries that appear at the top of search results, often answering queries without users needing to click through.
According to Botify and DemandSphere, these overviews take up 42% of desktop and 48% of mobile screens, pushing organic results further down the page.
This is having a huge impact on RIA firms’ marketing, including:
- Organic clickthrough rates (CTR) dropped from 1.41% to 0.64% year-over-year, according to Seer Interactive
- High-ranking pages are seeing reduced visibility
- SEO is becoming less predictable and more competitive
How to adapt your SEO strategy
To stay visible and drive growth, RIA firms should:
- Prioritize commercial pages: AI overviews appear more for informational queries (59%) than commercial ones (19%). Focus on landing pages and service content that drives revenue.
- Focus on EEAT: Google rewards content that demonstrates experience, expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness (EEAT). At Unbiased, using EEAT principles led to a 68% increase in sessions and a 50% rise in conversions.
- Diversify content formats: Use videos, infographics, tools, and whitepapers to reach different audiences and reduce reliance on one format.
- Optimize for AI overviews: According to Botify and DemandSphere, 75% of websites featured in AI overviews rank in the top 12 organic positions. That means SEO is still important, but firms need to evolve alongside it to remain competitive.
Why this matters for your firm
Digital marketing in 2025 is more complex. Firms that adapt quickly will:
- Reach more clients across more channels
- Build stronger brand trust and engagement
- Drive predictable, scalable growth
But navigating this landscape requires the right tools and partners.
Work with Unbiased
Unbiased is a financial advisory platform that matches people with qualified financial professionals.
For RIA firms looking to scale their business, Unbiased offers predictable growth, sending validated and verified leads straight to your inbox: no changing tactics, no auction, no surprises.
Unlike other lead generation platforms, Unbiased never sells a lead more than once, meaning the leads you receive are exclusive to your firm.
Book a free demo today and learn how Unbiased can help you scale your business in a repeatable and effective way with a steady stream of new clients.