Havas Media Network UK Promotes Amy Banks to Head of SEO and GEO as AI Reshapes Search
Havas Media Network UK has announced the promotion of Amy Banks to the newly created role of Head of SEO and GEO. The appointment represents a strategic move to speed up the development of the agency's integrated organic visibility services. By bridging traditional search engine optimization with Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), the agency aims to help its clients maintain strong visibility across both standard search channels and emerging AI-powered discovery platforms.
Alongside Banks's appointment, the agency has promoted Emre Velicangil to the position of AI Product and Partnerships Director. The dual promotions reflect a wider effort within the agency to closely align its SEO and GEO divisions to address a rapidly changing digital landscape.
Expanding Leadership and Team Capabilities
In her new role, Banks will take charge of a specialized unit comprising 25 search professionals. She will be responsible for driving technological and strategic innovation across both SEO and GEO disciplines, nurturing internal talent, and delivering advanced solutions to keep clients competitive in an increasingly AI-influenced search environment.
Banks has a career spanning more than 12 years in the organic search and SEO sectors, including seven years spent at Havas Media Network UK. During her tenure at the agency, she has held several senior positions, most recently serving as the Director of SEO. She has played a key role in designing the agency's combined organic search and generative engine strategy, and she contributed to the creation of proprietary tools such as 'Brand Insights AI.'
According to Banks, the digital search sector is experiencing its most significant shift in decades. She emphasized that this transformation offers new pathways for brands to establish an online presence beyond traditional search result pages, noting the agency’s focus on helping clients remain discoverable and relevant regardless of where consumer queries take place.
Accelerating AI Tool Development
To support the agency's evolving organic search framework, Emre Velicangil's new role as AI Product and Partnerships Director will focus on building custom AI tools. His mandate is to design technologies that improve the efficiency of the department's output, advance the capabilities of the 'Brand Insights AI' product, and ensure that the agency can react swiftly to sudden shifts in the AI search ecosystem.
Simon Bevan, the Chief Operating Officer at Havas Media Network UK, highlighted Banks's past contributions to the network's organic search offerings. Bevan stated that her promotion positions the agency to better handle the growing convergence of search, artificial intelligence, and brand discovery, reinforcing Havas's readiness for the future of digital marketing.
