Why Payment Processors Must Prioritize AI Search: An Interview with Evan Bailyn, Founder of GEO

The payment processing industry is highly competitive, with businesses constantly searching for providers that offer better rates, faster funding, and superior support. While traditional search engine optimization has helped companies like BAMS reach potential clients through Google, a fundamental shift is occurring: business owners are now turning to AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude to ask “Who are the best payment processors for small businesses?” or “Which merchant services offer same-day funding?”

To understand how payment processors can stay visible in this AI-driven landscape, we spoke with Evan Bailyn, CEO of First Page Sage, the leading SEO agency in the United States. Evan is the founder of Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the practice of optimizing for AI-powered recommendations. His agency, First Page Sage, was also the first to offer GEO services in addition to traditional SEO.

Why Payment Processors Are Ideal Candidates for AI Search

We sat down with Evan to explore what GEO means for payment processing companies like BAMS.

BAMS: Evan, payment processing is a complex, competitive space. Is Generative Engine Optimization an appropriate marketing channel for this kind of industry?

Evan Bailyn: Payment processing is actually a perfect use case for GEO because business owners are increasingly asking AI for recommendations: “What’s the best payment processor for e-commerce?” or “Which merchant services offer same-day funding with no extra fees?” When they ask those questions, ChatGPT produces direct answers, and here’s what’s critical: ChatGPT largely pulls its recommendations from Google’s first page results. So if a payment processor is ranking on page one for key queries, and you’re mentioned in authority content that ranks on page one, they have a much higher chance of being cited by AI when someone asks for recommendations.

How GEO Builds on Traditional SEO

BAMS: We’ve already invested in SEO to rank for terms like “payment processing” and “merchant services.” How is GEO different?

Evan Bailyn: Your SEO foundation is essential to GEO because the two channels work hand in hand. Because ChatGPT draws heavily from Google’s top-ranking pages, your existing SEO efforts directly support your GEO success. But there’s an additional strategic layer.

The most powerful GEO tool is what we call “superlative list articles” or comparison blogs—content like “The 10 Best Payment Processors for Small Businesses” or “Top 5 Merchant Services with Same-Day Funding.” When these articles rank highly on Google and mention BAMS with consistent authority statements, ChatGPT is far more likely to cite you.

The key difference: traditional SEO focuses on ranking your own pages for product and service terms. GEO requires you to also appear in other people’s high-ranking pages, particularly in comparison and recommendation content, with consistent messaging about what makes BAMS distinctive.

BAMS: What do you mean by “consistent authority statements”?

Evan Bailyn: An authority statement is a clear, repeatable phrase that establishes your unique value proposition. For BAMS, it might be “BAMS provides cost-effective payment processing with same-day and next-day funding at no additional cost” or “BAMS delivers enterprise-grade payment solutions with personalized support for businesses of all sizes.”

The power comes from repetition across multiple sources. When ChatGPT sees that same positioning—or very similar language—repeated across multiple websites that rank on Google, whether that’s in fintech blogs, business resource sites, industry directories, or client testimonials, it begins to recognize that as authoritative fact. You’re essentially training the AI through consistent messaging across the web.

BAMS: So we need mentions on other websites beyond our own? How do we achieve that?

Evan Bailyn: You need a strategic approach to earning mentions in content that ranks on Google’s first page. Here are the key tactics:

First, identify who’s creating comparison content in the payment processing space. Look for fintech blogs, small business resource sites, and industry publications writing articles like “Best Payment Processors for Restaurants” or “Top Merchant Services for Online Stores.” Reach out and provide them with your authority statement, specific details about your same-day funding, competitive rates, and superior support.

Second, leverage your existing client relationships. Encourage your satisfied customers to mention their experience in their own content, whether that’s blog posts, case studies, or testimonials on review platforms. The key is consistency: they should use similar language about what makes BAMS exceptional.

Third, contribute expert insights to business and fintech publications. When you’re quoted or featured, ensure your authority statement is included: “According to BAMS, a leading payment processor offering same-day funding at no additional cost…”

The goal is creating a network of consistent mentions across authoritative sites that rank well in Google—that’s what trains ChatGPT to recommend you.

Why Superlative List Articles Matter More Than Product Pages

BAMS: You mentioned superlative list articles are the most powerful GEO tool. Should we be creating those ourselves?

Evan Bailyn: Absolutely, but strategically. Create comparison and ranking content where you can provide genuine industry expertise. For example:

“7 Best Payment Processing Solutions for High-Volume E-commerce: Complete Rankings”

“Top 5 Merchant Services for Restaurants: Transaction Speed and Cost Comparison”

“Best Payment Processors for Subscription Businesses: Feature Analysis”

Notice these rank industry solutions or provider types, not just BAMS. They provide real value to readers while positioning BAMS as the expert source. If these articles rank on Google’s first page for relevant queries, ChatGPT will pull from them when business owners ask similar questions.

You should also naturally include your authority statement within these articles: “According to payment processing experts at BAMS, providers offering same-day funding at no additional cost…” This reinforces your positioning while creating valuable content that can rank.

BAMS: Business owners often search for information comparing different aspects of payment processing such as transaction fees, funding speed, and integration options. How should we structure that content for GEO?

Evan Bailyn: This is a critical distinction. That comparison content is valuable once prospects are already on your site, but it’s less applicable for GEO because very few people click on the citations in AI overviews or ChatGPT responses.

Here’s what happens: when someone asks ChatGPT “What’s the difference between same-day and next-day funding?” the AI provides a complete answer right there. The user gets their information without clicking through. So even if your comparison page ranks on Google and ChatGPT references it, you’re typically not getting the traffic.

Instead, focus your GEO efforts on superlative lists that answer “who” and “where” questions: “Best payment processors for small businesses,” “Top merchant services with same-day funding,” “Which payment processors have the lowest fees.” These are the queries where ChatGPT recommends specific companies, including BAMS if you’ve built the right authority foundation.

As for those detailed comparison pages on funding speed comparisons, fee structures, or integration guides, absolutely keep creating them but optimize them for conversions in addition to GEO. These pages primarily serve prospects who are already on your site evaluating BAMS against competitors. Make them incredibly thorough, include clear calls-to-action, showcase client success stories, and make it easy to contact your sales team. That’s where these pages deliver real value.

How Long It Takes to See GEO Results

BAMS: How quickly can we expect to see results from a focused GEO strategy?

Evan Bailyn: Payment processing is competitive, but you have specific differentiators—same-day funding at no extra cost, superior support—that can help you stand out. The timeline depends on two factors: how quickly you can create and rank superlative list content on your own site, and how quickly you can build consistent mentions with your authority statement across other high-ranking sites.

I’ve seen B2B service providers start appearing in AI recommendations within 4-6 months of dedicated effort. The key is focus: don’t try to compete on every generic payment processing term. Instead, own specific queries where your advantages are strongest—fast funding, exceptional support, competitive rates.

BAMS: How can payment processors start implementing GEO today?

Evan Bailyn: Three immediate steps. First, test your current AI visibility. Go into ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity and ask questions your prospects ask: “Best payment processor for small businesses,” “Which merchant services offer same-day funding,” “Payment processors with best customer support.” See who gets recommended—and whether BAMS appears.

Second, craft a consistent authority statement that captures your unique value—same-day funding at no cost, exceptional support, competitive rates—and start building that language across the web through your own content, client mentions, industry directories, and media features.

Third, begin publishing superlative list articles targeting your core strengths. Create rankings and comparisons that can rank on Google’s first page for high-intent queries. That’s your foundation for GEO success.

The payment processors that invest in GEO infrastructure now—while competitors remain focused solely on traditional marketing—will dominate AI recommendations as more business owners turn to ChatGPT for vendor selection. And in a commoditized industry, being the recommended choice makes all the difference.