Welcome back to the Fintech Takes podcast. I’m Alex Johnson, joined by Carlos Caro (author of the Free Toaster newsletter and host of the Free Toaster podcast) for the second episode of Facing Credit, where we unpack what’s really happening in lending right now.
This one’s about marketing; the overlooked starting point of every loan.
Everything in lending sits downstream of how you acquire customers and what it costs to reach them. And right now, that system is in flux.
AI has upended the old rules of digital acquisition. Google’s “Helpful Content” update triggered what Carlos describes in his writing as the “SEO Apocalypse”, a collapse that’s wiping out 50–90% of organic traffic and forcing publishers, affiliates, and lenders to rewrite their playbooks. The rise of AI-generated search results and zero-click answers means the economics of attention have changed for good.
Carlos and I dig into:
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How AI is breaking traditional digital marketing and reshaping lender acquisition costs
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What Google’s updates mean for SEO, SEM, and the affiliate ecosystem
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How creators like My Rich BFF and MrBeast are becoming the new distribution channels for lenders
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And what “Generative Engine Optimization” (GEO) might mean for the next phase of search
Tune in for Carlos’s take on how lenders, publishers, and fintechs can survive the SEO extinction event (and what it’ll take to win attention in the AI age).
Plus, we reference these three Free Toaster pieces throughout the conversation; consider them required reading:
The SEO Apocalypse Has Arrived
How New Balance’s CMO Turned Around A 15-Year Decline
Reddit Isn’t an Affiliate Channel
This episode was brought to you by Marqeta. Don’t sacrifice agility for stability. With Marqeta, launch payments experiences that perform at scale and flex with your business. Learn more at https://marqeta.com/ftt
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Follow Carlos Caro:
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/the-carlos-caro/
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YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJgfH47QEwbQmkQlz1V9rQA/videos