The verdict in three sentences
A London private equity firm sells nothing online, yet its deal flow depends on what a founder thinking of selling, an M&A adviser building a shortlist and a candidate partner actually find. SEO still pays on sector and sell-side pages, while AEO/GEO (being described accurately by AI assistants like ChatGPT) takes over as soon as the question is which funds invest in a given space. In most cases the right call starts with a dated diagnostic of both channels, then a market budget of £2,000 to £7,000 a month, with no promise of rankings or recommendations.
Two channels, two logics
A fund has several audiences: founders and family shareholders, intermediaries (corporate finance advisers, M&A boutiques, bankers), portfolio management teams, LPs and recruits. They do not search in the same way.
| Dimension | SEO (Google) | AEO/GEO (AI assistants like ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|
| What it targets | queries such as sell my business to private equity UK or growth capital investors London | questions such as which London mid-market funds back B2B software with £2m to £10m EBITDA? |
| Time to effect | 4 to 9 months on niche queries | 2 to 6 months for more accurate answers, variable |
| 2026 market budget | £2,000 to £6,000 per month | £2,500 to £7,000 per month |
| Metrics | impressions, clicks, qualified inbound inquiries | share of answers naming the fund, accuracy, competitors named |
| Risks | traffic without deals, generic content | fuzzy measurement, promises of being recommended |
| Key content | sector pages, investment criteria, selling a business | consistent facts everywhere: check size, sectors, team, portfolio |
These ranges are a 2026 ballpark drawn from typical London agency quotes and public agency rate pages. At Kolonell, this work is on quote.
Where to invest in your situation
| Situation | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New firm, first fund | factual pages, then AEO | AI assistants and intermediaries first need to know who you are, your check size and sectors |
| Established brand | AEO focused on accuracy | answers already circulate, often with outdated figures |
| Active buy-and-build strategy | SEO on sector pages | founders of add-on targets search by sector |
| Heavily regulated content (fund pages) | neither, on those pages | LP communication stays behind restricted access |
| Limited budget, under £2,000 a month | diagnostic, then factual pages | the best return on a small budget |
| Hiring push | SEO and AEO on employer brand | candidates and headhunters ask both kinds of question |
The site has to prove strategy, sectors, check size, the value creation approach and the team. The portfolio is shown only with real holdings and the consent of the companies' management. A gated LP portal is priced on quote.
The UK framework to respect
A fund manager's communication touches the FCA's financial promotion rules, and marketing to LPs is regulated (AIFMD in the European Union, an equivalent UK regime at home): public pages talk about the firm, not about a subscription offer. Forms and email fall under the UK GDPR, the Data Protection Act 2018, the oversight of the ICO and PECR for cookies and marketing email. On accessibility, the Equality Act 2010 makes WCAG 2.2 AA the sensible target. This is not legal advice: your firm's compliance function signs off every piece.
How to measure each channel
For SEO, Search Console gives impressions and clicks per page, and the CRM links inbound inquiries to deals reviewed. For AEO, the honest measure is a dated record: the same questions, on the same dates, archived, showing the share of answers naming the fund, the accuracy of the facts and the competitors named. A serious diagnostic covers both: technical health and real queries, a baseline record of 30 to 50 questions, gaps between what AI assistants say and reality, and costed priorities.
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Illustrative example: Barrow Lane Capital, a fictional London lower mid-market firm, has about £45,000 for the year. The split under review: a £4,500 diagnostic, SEO at £1,800 a month and AEO at £1,500 a month, so 4,500 + 12 × 1,800 + 12 × 1,500 = £44,100. The baseline record shows the fund in 3 answers out of 40 (7.5%), and one AI assistant credits it with a £50m check size instead of £5m to £25m. If a single extra proprietary deal a year comes through this channel, it covers the spend several times over; if the record has not moved at 6 months, the AEO budget is reallocated.
FAQ
Do we have to choose between SEO and AEO for a London fund?
Not necessarily: with £3,000 to £4,000 a month, many firms fund both at a modest level. Below £2,000, start with a diagnostic and factual pages.
How long before results show?
Allow 4 to 9 months for SEO on niche queries. With AEO, more accurate answers sometimes appear within 2 to 6 months, and no serious provider promises a mention.
Can we publish fund performance?
That is financial promotion territory regulated by the FCA. Such information generally stays behind LP access, approved by your compliance team.
What is a dated record?
A fixed list of 30 to 50 questions put to AI assistants like ChatGPT every month, with the answers archived. You compare the share of mentions and the accuracy month on month.
Does Kolonell publish a package price?
No, SEO and AEO are on quote, after a diagnostic. The proposal sets out the scope, the budget split and the metrics tracked.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We compare what Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT show about your fund in your sectors today. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
