David Siddons – fintech copywriter

Stop chasing Google. Start getting found: an SEO playbook for fintechs

Most companies chase traffic. The smart ones build trust. Here's how to use search content that actually lands – and when to skip it entirely.

Few topics are more misunderstood than SEO – and in fintech the confusion runs even deeper.

The term itself has been distorted. When most startups say "SEO", they usually mean "Google" – and when they say "we're doing SEO", they often mean they've started blogging and are waiting for magic to happen.

That misunderstanding creates two common traps:

Both lead to the same problem: wasted effort.

So this isn't about algorithm tweaks or audit checklists. It's about purpose – knowing when SEO actually helps a fintech, what's worth optimising, and how to approach search without turning your blog into a graveyard of lifeless keyword posts.

You don't need to chase Google. But you do need to be discoverable.

That's what this is really about: smart content choices that help the right people find you – whether through Google, LinkedIn, Substack, or wherever your audience is searching.

SEO isn't just Google

SEO stands for "search engine optimisation." We all know that, but most of the time we pretend it just means Google.

A better definition is this:

"SEO is anything you do to help people find your content when they're looking for answers."

Maybe that search happens on Google. Or LinkedIn. Or inside a Slack channel. Or a review site like G2. Maybe it gets pulled up by ChatGPT or used in a Gemini summary. (Yes, LLMs also count as search engines.)

If your buyer is using search to solve a problem, that's SEO. And if you're publishing content without thinking about where and how they search, you're just filling a CMS instead of building visibility.

That doesn't mean Google doesn't matter. It does. But for early-stage fintechs especially, the question isn't "How do we win in Google?" It's: "Where do our buyers go looking for help?"

That's where SEO actually starts: with your buyer's habits, not Google's.

When SEO helps – and when it doesn't

SEO isn't useless. But it's rarely magic.

When it works, it works subtly. A potential buyer searches for a term, finds your article, reads it, and thinks: "These people get it". They might click around. They might sign up. Or come back six weeks later with a serious sales enquiry.

That's the good version – but only if these conditions are in place:

That first condition is where most fintechs trip. They run some keyword research and start pumping out content for terms like "what is open banking" or "benefits of cross-border payments". But think about the intent behind those searches:

Nine times out of ten, the answer is: not your buyer. The term has volume, but the people typing it aren't the people you sell to.

So the conditions are rare – especially for early-stage fintechs with weak domains and no distribution.

Here's the uncomfortable truth:

If your blog is new, traffic's flat, and your name carries no weight, SEO won't save you. Not at first.

SEO is a supercharger. Not a starter motor.

That's why the right question isn't "Should we do SEO?"

It's: "Do we have the foundation that makes SEO worth doing?"

If no one's reading, it's not SEO – it's shouting into the void

Let's be blunt: SEO won't rescue a blog that no one sees.

This is the trap many fintechs fall into. They publish keyword-driven articles, sit back, and wait for the leads to roll in. But without visibility – without distribution, sharing, linking, or any kind of amplification – those posts just sit unseen.

A good article doesn't rank just because it exists. It ranks because people link to it, quote it, reference it. That only happens if it's read – and that only happens if someone puts it in front of the right readers.

That means:

SEO content doesn't live in isolation. It works best when paired with a content strategy that moves – one that circulates ideas through real-world conversations, not just Google crawlers.

If your blog has no traffic and no plan to change that, you don't have an SEO problem. You have a visibility problem.

You can't outrank Stripe and you shouldn't try

This is the second trap: thinking SEO is about "competing" with the biggest players in your category.

You won't outrank Stripe for "card payments". Or Wise for "international transfers". Or HubSpot for "customer retention". They've had a ten-year head start, thousands of backlinks, and entire teams maintaining their domain authority.

That fight simply doesn't exist.

The alternative? Carve instead of chase.

Go after specifics, not generals:

In SEO terms, this is called going after "low competition, high intent" keywords.

In practical terms, it means answering the questions your buyers are Googling when they're a couple of tabs away from switching providers. It's a question of relevance.

And that's where most fintech blogs fall down: they chase volume, not value. They publish surface-level explainers on topics already covered by the market leaders, then wonder why nothing lands.

Don't write the third-best post on "What is PSD2?" Write the only good one on "How PSD2 exemptions affect card-on-file renewals".

That's how you win with SEO – by stepping sideways, not charging forward.

What kind of SEO content actually works?

Not all SEO content is junk. But the stuff that works has one thing in common:

It's written for real buyers, not for Google.

Good SEO content starts with the reader's question, not the keyword. It doesn't need to sound robotic. It doesn't need to be buried in jargon. And it definitely doesn't need to open with three paragraphs explaining what a payment provider is.

Here are a few formats that actually do land, especially for B2B fintechs:

1. The practical teardown

Take a complex problem your product solves and unpack it – step by step, no sales pitch. Think: "How to reduce false declines in card-not-present payments". Focused. Useful. Real.

2. The perspective piece

This isn't thought leadership for its own sake. It's an opinion, backed by experience, on a topic your buyer is wrestling with. Not a TED Talk. Just a clear, readable take.

3. The "You're Searching Wrong" post

When a buyer's Googling a problem with the wrong language or assumptions, this is your chance to reset their framing. Think: "The real reason your KYC checks keep failing (and what to do instead)".

4. The silent signal

Some posts won't pull big numbers, but the right reader will see them and think, "They get it". These posts build trust quietly. And trust, not traffic, is what moves high-consideration deals forward.

Don't get hung up on the perfect keyword. Get obsessed with clarity.

Because clarity is what earns shares, links, bookmarks – and buyers.

How to write SEO content your buyer will actually read

Let's assume SEO does make sense for you.

The challenge is writing content that ranks without sounding like it was built to. Most fintechs fail here. The moment they start chasing keywords, the tone flattens, the rhythm dies, and the entire piece becomes one long shrug.

So how do you avoid that?

A) Start with the question, not the query

Don't open Ahrefs and look for keywords. Start by asking:

"What's the actual question the customer needs answering?"

Maybe they're Googling "chargeback protection for travel" or "how to lower fraud rates on high-risk items". Great. But behind that query is a real-world question like: "How do I stop losing revenue to disputes?"

That's the problem you're solving.

If you start there, you're already ahead of 90% of SEO writers.

B) Choose one helpful, ownable angle

Once you've got the question, choose a specific angle. Not just a keyword category like "B2B payments" or "AML software," but a precise take that only you could write.

For example:

You're not writing Wikipedia. You're helping the buyer who's already halfway down the funnel.

C) Optimise gently

Once the draft is strong, you can sympathetically optimise:

But – and this is everything – don't optimise before you've said something true. Otherwise, you're just polishing a generic surface.

When it's worth investing more

Not every fintech needs a full-blown SEO programme. But if you're seeing signs that content is already pulling its weight, it might be time to invest further.

Here's what that can look like:

1. You're already getting inbound from content

Maybe a sales prospect references a blog post on a call. Maybe someone finds your newsletter via organic search. These are subtle but valuable signals. They mean the engine wants to turn – if you crank it.

At this point, you can start layering in intent-driven content: problem-focused landing pages, high-conversion explainers, long-form posts that tackle specific buyer anxieties. Still buyer-first. Still sharp. But more structured.

2. You have a clear market, a strong POV, and a reason to be found

If your product serves a specific audience with a specific need – and you've got something worth saying – SEO can work.

That might mean:

Here, content can do your positioning work for you.

3. You have time or budget to scale the right way

If you're planning to scale content (whether with a freelancer, in-house hire, or agency), SEO becomes more viable. But only if the team creating the articles knows fintech, and you give them the space to write well.

It's tempting to outsource SEO content to the cheapest option. But badly written content is worse than nothing. It's wasted budget, wasted trust, and a slower site filled with polite irrelevance.

If you're going to invest, invest in writing that earns its place in the search results.

Should you invest in SEO?

Only if you know what it's for.

SEO isn't strategy. It's a distribution method – a way of getting content in front of people who are already searching for what you solve. There's no universal playbook for fintech, and anyone promising one is selling something.

So treat SEO like any other tool in the chest, not a magic lever. It works brilliantly, but only when it's aligned with the stage you're at:

You might write a post that ranks. It might take six months. Or it might be read once by the buyer who matters and then forwarded to the decision-maker. Both are wins. Just don't confuse one for the other.

So get clear on what you want from it. Leads? Brand awareness? Shorter sales cycles? Then write content that serves that purpose, and stop chasing volume for its own sake.

If you've got strong positioning, decent traffic, and content worth surfacing, SEO is worth doing well. If you're still finding your voice or audience, don't start with search. Start with substance.

And if you're not sure? Start with one question your customer is actually asking. Answer it honestly. Then hit publish.

That's the only SEO trick that's ever worked.

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