The new battle of the banks is not in the commissions, but in climbing positions in the responses of the AI

In the midst of the expansion of conversational assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini or Perplexity, consumers are no longer just searching, they are actively asking AI: “Which bank do you recommend nearby?” or “Where can I find personalized attention to open an account?”

In this new environment, digital visibility and online reputation have become key levers of competitiveness. This is how he concludes report “Local SEO and online reputation in Spanish banking”, prepared by the digital consultancy Good Rebelswhich analyzes the digital presence of Banco Santander, CaixaBank, BBVA and Banc Sabadell from a business and positioning perspective.

Although the Spanish banking sector closed 2024 with record profits (27,775 million euros, +18%), the study indicates that the opportunities for differentiation are no longer only in the product or the commercial network, but in how brands are found and evaluated digitally at moment zero of the decision.

“In the new conversational search ecosystem, whoever is not visible is not eligible. Local SEO has gone from being a technical tactic to a competitive advantage,” explains Ugo Smith, Head of Search Performance at Good Rebels.

A highly competitive environment… also in digital

The study carried out by Good Rebels reveals that More than 93% of the digital traffic of the Spanish banking sector comes from organic or direct channelswhich is equivalent to an estimated value of almost 37 million euros per month in unpaid deposits. The conclusion is clear: visibility in search engines and digital platforms has become a strategic business asset.

In this new dashboard, the main banking entities show different approaches to gain relevance. Banco Santander consolidates its presence in geolocated searches, reinforced by a greater volume of positive reviews, which contributes to generating local trust in the digital environment. CaixaBank, With a strong domain authority, it positions itself solidly on high-value keywords, although it still has room to extend that positioning to its entire physical ecosystem.

BBVA, for its part, stands out for the organization of its branch network in digital environments and shows potential to advance in web experience and review management. Banc Sabadell presents a solid digital structure in local directories and good technical bases to compete, with clear opportunities for growth in visibility and digital reputation.

Beyond tactical differences, the report points to an underlying trend: digitalization has ceased to be just a technological issue and has become a reputational, recruitment and differentiation lever in the medium term.

Digital reputation: an underused lever in the sector

Beyond traffic and web positioning, the study identifies a common area of ​​improvement for the entire sector: Digital reputation continues to be below the expectations of today’s consumer. The average score on Google listings—Google Business Profile, the main showcase for local information and online reviews— does not exceed 3.1 out of 5 in any of the entities analyzed. This suggests a possible disconnect between the perceived physical experience and its reflection on digital channels.

Online reviews They not only condition the brand imagealso directly influence visibility, since the AI-based assistants and search algorithms prioritize those entities with the best trust signals. In a context where automated recommendation gains weight over traditional word of mouth, active online reputation management becomes a strategic differentiation lever.

Local visibility: connect the physical map with the digital one

The report also highlights the growing importance of what could be considered the new digital cartography of banking: well-structured local files, presence in directories, Coherence in contact information and specific pages per branch are today key elements to appear in searches with greater conversion intention.

In a scenario where 7 out of 10 digital interactions end up in local searches, the challenge is no longer just having a powerful app or investing in recruitment campaigns, but also ensuring that the brand is correctly represented and visible in each geographic location where it operates.

For entities with a large physical presence, this represents a tangible opportunity to align their territorial footprint with their digital positioning, reinforcing trust and user choice in increasingly automated environments.