Position Overview

At PNC, our people are our greatest differentiator and competitive advantage in the markets we serve. We are all united in delivering the best experience for our customers. We work together each day to foster an inclusive workplace culture where all of our employees feel respected, valued and have an opportunity to contribute to the company’s success. We are looking to hire an AI Search Strategy Lead within PNC's Marketing organization.

The Evolution of Search: From Keywords to Conversations
The digital landscape is undergoing its most significant transformation in two decades. For years, Search Engine Optimization (SEO) was defined by the "ten blue links"—a race to rank for specific keywords on a static results page. Today, that paradigm is shifting rapidly toward Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). Users are no longer just searching; they are conversing with Large Language Models (LLMs) and expecting direct, synthesized answers from platforms like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity.

At PNC Bank, we recognize that appearing in these generative environments requires a fundamentally different strategy than traditional search. It requires a deep understanding of entities, structured data, and the probabilistic nature of AI models. We are seeking an AI Search Strategy Lead to pioneer our approach in this emerging field. This is not just a job; it is an opportunity to define how a leading financial institution connects with customers in the age of artificial intelligence.

Position Overview:
The AI Search Strategy Lead is a pivotal new role situated within the Digital Growth Marketing organization. You will operate adjacent to our established SEO Content and SEO Strategy teams, serving as the bridge between traditional organic search principles and the new frontier of generative AI.

While traditional SEO focuses on driving clicks to a webpage, this role focuses on optimizing for the "zero-click" future and ensuring PNC serves as the authoritative source of truth within generative responses. You will be primarily focused on identifying specific tactics and opportunities to help PNC improve our presence in generative answer engines.

The ideal candidate possesses a rare hybrid background: 5+ years of experience in technical and content SEO combined with a passion for—and deep understanding of—how LLMs operate, source information, and hallucinate. You understand the nuances between different models (e.g., how Perplexity cites sources versus how ChatGPT synthesizes training data) and can translate that technical knowledge into actionable marketing strategies.

Strategic Context: Why AEO Matters in Banking
In the financial services sector, trust and accuracy are the currencies we trade in. When a current or prospective customer asks an AI agent, "What are the best mortgage options for a first-time homebuyer?" or "How does a high-yield savings account work?", the answer they receive must be accurate, compliant, and helpful.

As the AI Search Strategy Lead, you will ensure that PNC’s financial expertise is correctly interpreted and surfaced by these models. This goes beyond simple keyword optimization; it involves training the digital ecosystem to recognize PNC’s authority. You will navigate the complexity of "YMYL" (Your Money Your Life) topics in an AI-first world, ensuring that our content is structured in a way that LLMs prefer and prioritize.

This role requires a strategist who can look at the search landscape not just as it is today, but as it will be six months from now. You will be responsible for future-proofing our organic visibility strategies against the volatility of algorithm updates and the rapid deployment of new AI search features.

Core Responsibilities:
Your day-to-day work will balance high-level strategy with granular technical analysis. You will be expected to:
1. Optimize AI-Driven Product Recommendations
You will analyze and optimize how PNC’s financial products are recommended by AI agents. This involves reverse-engineering the logic used by generative engines to improve customer acquisition and retention across all lines of business. You will test different content structures and schema markups to see which formats yield the highest visibility in AI-generated answers, moving beyond traditional click-through rate (CTR) metrics to measure share of voice in conversational results.
2. Competitive Intelligence & Differentiation
The AI search landscape is a competitive battleground. You will monitor competitor offerings and AI capabilities across all business segments to identify opportunities for differentiation. This includes analyzing how