Jeff Tucker is the Senior Director of SEO at SoFi, a US digital finance firm offering student loan refinancing, mortgages, personal loans, investing, and banking. He has served in that role since October 2017 and led the adoption of AI‑powered tools to boost keyword research and organic traffic. Before SoFi, Jeff held SEO leadership roles at Location3 and Green Tape, managing content strategy and search optimization.
About the Episode
Staying visible in search is harder than ever. AI-driven results and LLM-powered experiences are changing how users discover brands and how companies must compete for organic visibility. Host Tyler Lane speaks with Jeff Tucker, Senior Director of SEO at SoFi, about scaling enterprise SEO with AI, building authority through data-driven content, and navigating the next era of search. They discuss aligning SEO with business units for ROI, implementing AI without sacrificing quality, and future-proofing organic strategies in an evolving search landscape.
Key Moments
Discovering SEO and Joining SoFi
- How Jeff stumbled into SEO and joined SoFi during its early student loan focus [1:55].
From Agency to In-House
- Transitioning to in-house SEO and learning to navigate complex internal stakeholders [4:10].
Aligning SEO Across Teams
- Pitching ROI-focused strategies and integrating SEO with product and content teams [7:25].
Implementing AI in SEO Workflows
- Using AI to streamline research and ideation while maintaining human oversight for accuracy [9:38].
Proving SEO ROI
- Reporting on nonbrand traffic and demonstrating impact to business unit leaders [16:04].
Major Ranking Wins in Fintech
- Achieving top placements for personal loans and mortgages in highly competitive categories [28:02].
Building Authority and E‑A‑T
- Leveraging proprietary data and subject-matter expertise to outflank entrenched competitors [30:54].
Top Insights
- Leverage AI for content research and ideation – Using AI tools to analyze trends and generate topic ideas saves time and enhances content strategy efficiency.
- Maintain human oversight on AI-driven outputs – Ensuring human review of AI content protects brand voice, accuracy, and compliance, especially in regulated industries.
- Align SEO with product and content teams – Collaboration across departments strengthens execution, accelerates implementation, and increases the likelihood of measurable organic growth.
- Focus on nonbrand traffic for ROI reporting – Prioritizing non-brand performance provides a clearer view of true SEO impact without skewing results with existing brand equity.
- Build topical authority with expert-driven content and proprietary data – Establishing expertise and trust improves search rankings, enhances E‑A‑T signals, and future-proofs visibility in evolving AI-driven search environments.
Notable Quotes
- “I just sort of stumbled into it with my first job, like out of business school.”
- “Everything that I will ever publish on the site is going to have human eyeballs.”
- “I keep myself motivated by really celebrating my own wins and my team’s wins.”
- “Try new stuff out, even if you are 25% confident that it will help you improve.”
- “We are dead set on being a top ten financial company in the world.”
Resources
Industry Experts
Companies and Organizations
Tools and Platforms
Scale Your Organic Growth with Confidence
Winning in today’s search landscape requires speed, strategy, and authority. At Session Interactive, we help brands combine AI insights with human-led SEO to build durable, high-performing organic programs.
For more insights on AI marketing, adaptive SEO, and customer journey strategy, subscribe to the Built to Convert podcast. Ready to future-proof your brand’s visibility? Contact Session Interactive to see how we can help.
