We Found 20 AI SEO Agencies Helping Businesses Rank in LLM Results in 2025

Quick Summary 

We analyzed 20 AI SEO agencies that help brands appear in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and more. Our top picks are Embarque, NoGood, and Scandiweb. Read more to see which agency fits your goals and budget.

Looking for agencies to help you rank on AI search engines?

Hiring any SEO agency is tough—but hiring one for AI search is even harder. 

The space is still new. The rules are slightly different. And a lot of teams are either overpromising or just rebranding their existing services without changing much. 

That’s why we’ve reviewed 60+ AI SEO agencies and shortlisted 20 options that actually understand what it takes to show up in AI search results.

But first…

Why listen to us?

Embarque has helped multiple clients drive traffic from AI search engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity. 

MentorCruise brought in over 11,500 visits from tools like Perplexity in just a few months. We’ve also helped other clients like SignWell, Growform, and Instatus appear consistently in AI search results. 

We built this list based on agencies that we think would deliver similar results for you. 

What are AI SEO agencies?

AI SEO agencies help businesses show up in search results generated by tools like Perplexity, ChatGPT, AI Overviews, and other large language model (LLM) platforms. 

You might also hear people call this LLM SEO, GEO (generative engine optimization), or AEO (answer engine optimization). Same idea—different labels.

Watch our youtube video on the topic.

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Why hire an AI SEO agency

They bring focused strategies while most are still experimenting

AI search is still new, which means there’s a real advantage to moving early. These agencies are already helping clients show up across LLM search tools and turning that visibility into clicks, leads, and revenue. While most teams are still figuring it out, you’ll already be getting results.

They know how to measure AI search traffic and impact

Most analytics setups don’t separate AI search traffic properly, which means it often gets ignored. The right agency can help you surface that data, see what’s working, and start building a strategy around it—before your competitors catch on.

They understand how content gets chosen in AI search

Perplexity, ChatGPT, and similar tools don’t index the web the same way Google does. They pull from a smaller set of trusted sources and often choose which links to include in responses. Agencies that focus on AI SEO understand these patterns and know how to structure content that’s more likely to get cited.

Top 20 AI SEO Agencies to Help You Rank on AI Search Engines

1. Embarque

Embarque is a fast-moving, high-touch, and revenue-driven SEO agency that’s fully aligned with how search is changing. 

Since 2020, we’ve worked with dozens of fast-growing SaaS brands to help them rank not just on Google, but on AI-powered engines like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. We specialize in AI SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), with a strong focus on structured content, programmatic SEO, and several other AI ranking signals.

Our strategies are designed to…

• Help clients show up in LLM-generated answers,

• Gain visibility in AI summaries,

• And turn that traffic into real revenue.

We’re one of the few agencies with real client results from AI search, not just untested theories. We experiment early, test aggressively, and focus only on what drives meaningful business growth. That’s how we’ve helped startups move from 0 to thousands of visits—and thousands in MRR—from AI sources alone.

Key services

• AI SEO strategy built for LLM visibility (ChatGPT, Perplexity, etc.)
• Structured content production (e.g. “What is” / “How to” / comparison pages)
• Programmatic SEO to scale topical coverage and appear in AI answers
• Entity optimization and schema strategy for better LLM recognition
• Internal linking and site architecture aligned with topic clusters
• Keyword benchmarking and tracking across AI and traditional search
• On-demand content packages with flexible, no-lock-in monthly terms

Key results

• Helped MentorCruise drive 11,500+ visits from AI search in under 3 months
• Achieved 1600% annual revenue growth for MentorCruise via SEO
• Instatus and Growform both saw 800+ AI search visits shortly after publishing
• Clients regularly appear in AI-generated summaries across Perplexity, Gemini, and ChatGPT

Pricing

• Starting price: $299/month (trial services)
• Managed plans: $1,499/month
• Advanced/Enterprise: $4,500+/month
• Flexible, no long-term contracts

When to choose this agency

When you want an AI-first, revenue-focused partner that moves fast, especially if you need structured, scalable content (including programmatic) tuned for LLM citations and AI summaries.

Best for

SaaS and product-led startups and enterprises that need measurable growth from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini mentions, not just traditional rankings.

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Looking to boost your legal practice’s visibility? Explore these top law firm SEO companies that specialize in ranking attorneys higher on Google.

2. Coalition Technologies

Coalition is one of the most established names in SEO and has already moved fast into the AI search space. 

With over 200 team members and a client roster that includes both Fortune 500s and local businesses, they’re helping clients get featured across ChatGPT, Bing Chat, and Google SGE. Their approach combines strong technical SEO, structured data, and platform-specific tweaks to improve how content gets pulled into AI responses.

Key services

• LLM SEO and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
• Technical SEO tailored for Bing and other AI platforms
• Structured data and schema implementation for better AI visibility
• Full-service SEO support for large, complex sites

Key results

• Local client (Pier 39) now ranks as a top AI-recommended restaurant
• Over 5 million leads and 19 million+ transactions generated
• 1,000+ positive reviews and 700+ case studies across industries

Pricing

• Average pricing: $2,000-$2,500/month
• Range: $1,200-$50,000 depending on scope
• Local SEO: ~$2,000/month
• E-commerce: ~$2,500/month (can vary significantly)

When to choose this agency

When scale and cross-platform coverage matter, technical SEO plus AI-chat visibility, with specific attention to Bing, Copilot, and SGE.

Best for

Mid-market to enterprise brands that want a large team to operationalize AI search across multiple engines.

3. Soar

Soar is one of the few agencies actively building for how AI tools are trained, not just how they surface results. 

They adopt a community-driven LLM SEO. In other words, Soar primarily focuses on seeding your brand in places like Reddit, Quora, and Discord—platforms that often show up in both Google rankings and AI training data.

Key services

• LLM SEO through Reddit, Quora, and Discord campaigns
• Content placement for AI training data exposure
• Community-first SEO and digital PR
• Managed content seeding across forums and micro-communities

Key results

• Generated 18,335 visits in one day from a Reddit campaign
• Drove 1.4M+ impressions and thousands of brand mentions
• Helped clients get picked up in AI model answers by seeding authoritative threads
• 5.0★ average reviews with strong praise for responsiveness and campaign results

Pricing

• No public pricing found
• Likely custom pricing based on community-driven campaigns

When to choose this agency

When you need community-led LLM visibility, seeding credibility where models and users look (Reddit, Quora, Discord) so answers pull your brand.

Best for

Category creators and challenger brands that can win narrative and UGC signals in public forums.

4. OMNIUS

OMNIUS brings a full-stack B2B SaaS marketing lens to AI SEO. Their team goes deep on technical SEO, intent mapping, and structured data to make sure your site gets recognised and cited by LLMs. 

With clients across fintech, AI, and e-commerce, OMNIUS is especially well-suited for scaling startups that need data-backed SEO with clear business impact.

Key services

• LLM SEO and AI-focused content strategy
• Technical SEO for AI crawling and indexation
• Structured data, schema, and search intent mapping
• GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) and content cleanup

Key results

• Helped AuthoredUp grow organic traffic by 110% in six months
• Generated 84M+ new users for clients since launch
• Delivered 64% higher conversion and top-3 rankings for key commercial terms
• 5.0★ Clutch rating with standout feedback on SaaS and AI expertise

Pricing

• No specific pricing disclosed
• Typical B2B SaaS agency pricing likely $3,000-$10,000/month range

When to choose this agency

When you want B2B-grade GEO and AEO with deep schema and entity work, intent mapping, and explicit tracking of AI citations across engines.

Best for

SaaS, fintech, and AI companies needing technical rigor such as llms.txt, semantic structure, and board-level reporting on LLM visibility.

5. Stella Rising

Stella Rising is an agency with decades of experience helping consumer brands grow. Now, they’ve expanded that expertise into generative AI, helping B2C companies stay visible across AI tools. 

Their proprietary GEO approach combines technical SEO with visibility tracking and AI-driven reputation management. 

Key services

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) strategy
• AI visibility and brand monitoring across platforms
• Technical SEO tuned for LLMs and AI answer engines
• Full-stack content and reputation support for consumer brands

Key results

• Boosted ROAS by 126% for AHAVA Dead Sea Labs
• Helped Covered California build an award-winning search and media strategy
• Named 2023 Search Engine Land finalist and 2024 PPC Agency of the Year
• Recognized by clients for maintaining strong visibility during AI search shifts

Pricing

• Project range: $5,000-$90,000 depending on scope
• Pricing undisclosed for monthly retainers
• Premium positioning for consumer brands

When to choose this agency

When your consumer brand needs GEO plus brand and visibility monitoring in generative results, technical meets reputation in one motion.

Best for

B2C brands such as beauty, health, wellness, and retail that need steady presence across AI Overviews and social or retail surfaces.

6. Gorilla Marketing

Gorilla Marketing is a niche agency that does AI SEO for two of the most competitive, regulated markets in local SEO: healthcare and legal clients. 

Their strategy is primarily based on voice search, AI content, and digital PR. Gorilla is a performance-driven pick for any business in a high-trust industry and want simultaneously take advantage of AI-driven search

Key services

• AI SEO and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
• Voice search and featured snippet targeting
• AI-optimized PR for building trust in AI-generated results
• Technical audits and compliance-focused SEO for regulated industries

Key results

• 150% business growth for a medical client in 18 months
• Helped healthcare and legal clients secure “position zero” results
• Increased high-quality leads and patient inquiries across the board

Pricing

• No public pricing
• Healthcare/legal niche likely commands premium ($3,000-$8,000/month estimated)

When to choose this agency

When compliance and trust signals are non-negotiable, voice and AEO plus PR tuned for regulated industries.

Best for

Healthcare and legal practices that need risk-aware AEO and position-zero capture.

7. Marcel Digital

Marcel Digital brings a deep analytics background into SEO, which makes their AI search strategy especially strong. 

This agency has strong experience across B2B, SaaS, and mid-market clients. And they’re a good fit for companies looking for clarity, consistency, and performance tracking around AI visibility.

Key services

• AEO strategy for voice and AI-driven search
• Structured content and schema markup for answer engines
• Ongoing content refreshes to match AI selection preferences
• Analytics-integrated SEO campaigns

Key results

• 61% increase in search-driven leads for Medius
• +208 new non-branded rankings after SEO/AEO rollout
• 8 of 10 top-performing blog posts built for AI and traditional search

Pricing

• No specific pricing found
• Mid-market B2B focus suggests $3,000-$7,000/month range

When to choose this agency

When you want analytics-driven AEO, structured content, schema, and continuous refresh cycles measured against AI visibility.

Best for

B2B, SaaS, and mid-market teams that want airtight measurement and executive-level clarity around AI search performance.

8. Techvando

Techvando is one of South Asia’s early movers in LLM SEO. 

Based in Islamabad and serving clients globally, their team combines traditional SEO with AI-driven tactics like schema tuning, AI content refinement, and rank tracking. Techvando also has a pretty lean in-house team of around 50 specialists, including developers and AI pros. This allows them to deliver enterprise-grade SEO at competitive rates.

Key services

• LLM SEO combining schema, AI content refinement, and crawlability
• AI-driven on-page optimization and rank tracking
• Technical SEO for large enterprise websites
• Full-stack SEO strategy with AI model integration

Key results

• 47% traffic increase for a multinational electronics site
• Dozens of new top-3 rankings in under 6 months
• Featured snippet and voice search visibility improvements
• Delivered 200+ SEO solutions across global industries

Pricing

• No specific pricing disclosed
• South Asia location suggests competitive rates ($1,000-$3,000/month estimated)

When to choose this agency

When you need enterprise-scale technical and LLM optimization at competitive global rates, schema tuning, AI-assisted on-page, and rank tracking.

Best for

Large sites and international brands that want pragmatic, execution-heavy LLM SEO.

9. Index Web Marketing

Index is one of the few Canadian agencies taking AI SEO seriously and building out services specifically for it. 

Their team focuses on getting brands indexed, understood, and cited by Gen AI. They’ve also developed internal systems to track AI citations and optimize site structure for visibility in AI results. 

Key services

• Generative SEO strategy and content restructuring
• Schema at scale and large FAQ deployments
• Real-time AI traffic and citation monitoring
• AI-enhanced personalization and on-page optimization

Key results

• +25.7% traffic boost to key commercial pages
• 50 new first-page Google rankings (28 in top 3)
• +192% add-to-cart rate and +68% conversion for e-commerce brands

Pricing

• No public pricing
• Canadian market rates likely $2,000-$5,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you want get cited by GenAI as a defined program, schema at scale, large FAQ deployments, and AI citation monitoring.

Best for

Canadian and North American brands that need structured, operational AEO for mid-to-enterprise sites.

10. Reboot Online

Reboot is taking a research-first approach to AI SEO. 

Their team develops strategies based on testing how AI tools like ChatGPT and Bing Chat select and cite content. With an 80+ person team including linguists and data scientists, they’re one of the few agencies equipped to run multilingual, AI-augmented SEO campaigns at scale.

Key services

• AI Optimization (AIO) with technical audits and schema
• Digital PR for AI citation and authority building
• Multilingual campaigns across 10+ languages
• In-house research and testing on AI search behavior

Key results

• Up to 845% organic growth for clients in AI-augmented campaigns
• Clients featured in 50+ publications through AI-driven PR strategies
• High placement in AI-generated lists and summaries
• 5.0★ Clutch rating with strong recognition in the UK SEO space

Pricing

• Range: £2,000-£20,000+/month
• Higher-end UK agency with proven track record
• Not the cheapest but delivers results

When to choose this agency

When you want research-first GEO and AIO plus digital PR engineered to influence what AI quotes.

Best for

Brands that value experimentation and AiPR to earn mentions in AI answers at scale, including multilingual.

11. New Target

New Target is a US based digital agency that takes a full-funnel approach to AI SEO. They combine content optimization, technical SEO, and even chatbot integrations into one cohesive AEO strategy. 

New Target has been around for 25 years and has a pretty huge list of satisfied clients, including global brands, NGOs and non-profits. 

Key services

• AEO for voice search, featured snippets, and AI answer tools
• Off-site content and PR to support AI visibility
• AI chatbot integration and website optimization
• Full content strategy tailored to AI models like Bing AI and Google MUM

Key results

• 40% traffic increase for an NGO by dominating featured snippets
• FAQ content chosen by Alexa and Google Assistant for branded voice queries
• 20–30% boost in overall visibility via combined SEO and AEO tactics

Pricing

• No specific pricing found
• 25+ year agency likely charges $2,500-$6,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you need AEO wrapped into a full-funnel program including content, PR, and chatbot integrations with enterprise or nonprofit sensibilities.

Best for

Enterprises, associations, and NGOs that need governance-friendly AEO and voice or featured-snippet capture.

12 Rocks Digital

Rocks Digital is a full-service marketing agency that also runs one of the largest digital marketing conferences focused on AEO and local SEO.

They’ve carved out a niche in voice search for local businesses, using Q&A content, schema, and local listings to help clients show up where AI is pulling answers.

Key services

• AEO for featured snippets, voice search, and LLM outputs
• Conversational copywriting and long-tail keyword strategy
• Local schema and Q&A content for small businesses and franchises
• Educational support on ChatGPT’s impact and emerging AI tools

Key results

• 55% increase in voice queries captured for a Dallas-based medical clinic
• Position Zero wins and branded authority boosts via structured AEO
• High visibility for their own site on AI + local search terms

Pricing

• No public pricing available
• Local SEO focus suggests $1,500-$4,000/month

When to choose this agency

When local and voice is your battleground, FAQ schema, Q and A content, and AEO tuned for assistants and local packs.

Best for

Local SMBs and multi-location franchises targeting near me and conversational queries.

13. Arc Intermedia

Arc Intermedia is a Philadelphia-area agency focusing on multi-channel customer acquisition. 

Recently, they added AI SEO as part of their integrated marketing services. They often pair these efforts with PPC data to better target the exact questions people ask—especially in B2B and professional services. 

Key services

• Structured content and schema for voice search and answer boxes
• AEO-driven copy for featured snippets and LLM engines
• Paid search-informed keyword research for AI queries
• Integrated SEO and content strategy focused on conversion

Key results

• 65% increase in organic conversion rate for a professional services client
• 30+ #1 voice search placements through structured Q&A content
• 40% YoY growth in organic leads for select B2B clients

Pricing

• No specific pricing disclosed
• Philadelphia-area rates likely $2,000-$5,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you want AEO paired with PPC and search intelligence, using paid signals to prioritize which AI questions to win.

Best for

B2B and professional services needing integrated acquisition and answer-box or AI-overview presence.

14. SEO Locale

SEO Locale is another Philadelphia-based boutique agency that has embraced AI in their service lineup. 

They offer “AI Digital Marketing” with specific products for SearchGPT Marketing and AEO Marketing​. The AEO service optimizes websites to provide direct, concise answers for AI queries and voice search. This includes creating FAQ pages, optimizing Google Business Profile content for voice queries, and using AI tools to generate snippet-friendly text. 

Key services

• AEO and SearchGPT Marketing with voice and snippet targeting
• Schema-based FAQ and local SEO for AI/voice tools
• ChatGPT-powered campaign support (e.g., meta description ideation)
• Ongoing SEO strategy with performance-based pricing options

Key results

• 20% increase in long-tail impressions from AI-optimized content
• 40% rise in voice assistant traffic from FAQ schema
• 300% growth in organic goal completions over two years for a healthcare client

Pricing

• AI Digital Marketing mentioned but no specific pricing
• Small business focus suggests $1,000-$3,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you want straightforward AEO for SMBs plus SearchGPT marketing support to accelerate execution.

Best for

Local and regional businesses that need quick wins in AI, voice, and featured snippets.

15. NoGood

NoGood is an elite growth marketing agency that has offers Answer Engine Optimization service for its startup and enterprise clients.

NoGood has taken AEO so seriously that they've built a tech to back it up. Their proprietary platform, Goodie, tracks AI visibility across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini.

Key services

• AEO with AI search audits, schema, and real-time AI mention tracking
• AI-focused digital PR and reputation management
• Dual-optimization for AI search engines and traditional SEO
• Access to Goodie, their in-house AEO tracking platform

Key results

• 15% boost in traffic for a fintech client from ChatGPT mentions
• 3 out of 5 top LLM answers referenced NoGood’s client
• $50M+ incremental revenue attributed to AI-supported SEO
• One startup scaled from 0 to 100K organic visits/month in 18 months

Pricing

• Pricing: Undisclosed
• Premium positioning suggests $5,000-$15,000+/month
• Custom proposals only

When to choose this agency

When measurement matters, AEO with Goodie, their platform, to monitor multi-engine mentions and iterate fast.

Best for

Startups and growth teams that want visibility analytics across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Claude baked into the retainer.

16. WebFX

WebFX’s services cover everything from optimizing content for Google’s AI snapshots and Bing Chat to technical tuning for platforms like Perplexity and DuckAssist. 

With over 450 team members and $10B+ revenue driven for clients, they back up their claims with scale and results. Their IBM Watson-powered analytics and in-house AI tools help track AI-sourced traffic and adjust content strategies in real time.

Key services

• AI SEO for Google SGE, Bing Chat, Perplexity, and other platforms
• AI-focused content optimization and technical SEO
• IBM Watson-based tracking of AI referral traffic
• Digital PR to earn citations in LLM search results

Key results

• 22% traffic lift from Google’s AI SERPs for a retail client
• ChatGPT citation earned after a high-authority PR feature
• $10B+ total client revenue generated across all SEO efforts

Pricing

• Average: $1,500-$5,000/month
• E-commerce SEO: $2,500-$7,500/month
• Enterprise: $500-$7,500/month (83% of businesses)
• Local SEO: $501-$3,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you need a full-service heavyweight that has already productized AI search strategy with OmniSEO, SGE, Bing, and Perplexity playbooks.

Best for

Companies that want one partner across SEO and AEO plus broader digital, with strong content ops and analytics.

17. Red Olive

Red Olive started out as a web design firm but has since evolved into a full-service growth collective agency for professional businesses and enterprises.

Recently, they rolled out AI SEO into their service lineup, so they really get the subtle factors that AI-driven algorithms consider for rankings. For example, the team has found that large language models tend to devalue stock images, which is why they encourage clients to use unique photography and video instead.

Key services

• AI SEO focused on semantic relevance, content freshness, and rich media
• Strategy adaptation based on Google MUM and AI algorithm changes
• Technical SEO for site performance and mobile UX
• Ongoing consultation on how AI engines process and prioritize content

Key results

• 138% increase in top-3 keyword rankings after reworking “expired” content
• 25% boost in dwell time from NLP-optimized content and UX improvements
• Increased engagement and visibility from swapping stock images for unique media
• 50+ 5★ reviews; praised for transparency and clear communication

Pricing

• No specific pricing disclosed
• Professional services focus suggests $2,500-$6,000/month

When to choose this agency

When you want AI SEO coupled with strong creative and dev, adapting content and media for how AI evaluates relevance and quality.

Best for

Professional services and brands that need site upgrades and AI-tuned content under one roof.

18. PageTraffic

PageTraffic is one of the few agencies in India offering full-scale AI SEO services alongside traditional campaigns. Their Next-Gen AI SEO strategy includes dual-optimizing content for Google and LLMs like ChatGPT and Perplexity, with clear tracking of AI visibility metrics.

They also use AI tools internally for forecasting and automation. With a global portfolio of 8,000+ clients and dedicated R&D around AI, PageTraffic helps brands show up where users are starting to search—and makes sure those appearances turn into clicks.

Key services

• Dual-engine SEO for Google and AI platforms like ChatGPT and Bing
• AI-first content optimization focused on intent, credibility, and authority
• AI performance tracking separated from traditional metrics
• Scalable SEO delivery with in-house AI research and tools

Key results

• 845% organic traffic growth for an e-commerce client
• 30% higher CTR from SGE placements for a travel portal
• Blog content frequently cited by Bing’s AI following trust-building efforts

Pricing

• No specific pricing found
• Indian market location suggests competitive rates ($800-$3,000/month estimated)

When to choose this agency

When you need dual-engine SEO that optimizes for Google and AI platforms simultaneously, backed by internal R and D and scalable delivery.

Best for

Global enterprises and high-growth companies that want proven large-scale SEO plus dedicated AI-first execution.

19. Scandiweb

Scandiweb is a large eCommerce agency in Latvia and has expanded into AI Search Optimization Services for online retailers. 

Their AEO services center around product Q&A, semantic clusters, and technical tuning for crawlability. For high-volume retailers, Scandiweb is particularly strong at pairing AI SEO with CRO and conversion tracking—so the goal isn’t just ranking, but revenue.

Key services

• AI Search Optimization with product Q&A and shopping assistant targeting
• Persona-based content and topic clustering for broad query capture
• Technical SEO to support AI indexing and page speed
• Paid + organic AI search alignment for eCommerce clients

Key results

• +57% YoY increase in Google clicks from AI-informed SEO
• +192% add-to-cart and +68% conversion rate after AI optimization
• +278% organic transaction growth from content favored by AI style tools

Pricing

• Range: $2,500-$10,000/month
• Minimum project: $25,000+
• Hourly rate: $50-99/hour

When to choose this agency

When eCommerce revenue is the priority, pairing AI Search Optimization with CRO to make sure rankings turn into transactions.

Best for

Online retailers and marketplaces needing end-to-end AI search optimization tied directly to sales.

20. Codedesign

Codedesign brings a global, data-driven mindset to AI SEO. 

Their “ChatGPT SEO” service is built around helping brands appear in responses from LLMs like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and CoPilot. 

Codedesign uses AI tools like GPT to uncover long-tail keyword opportunities, expand semantic content clusters, and accelerate content production—then apply advanced SEO principles to help that content rank and get cited. 

Key services

• AI SEO strategy for ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and other LLMs
• GPT-powered keyword research and semantic clustering
• AI-assisted content creation paired with advanced SEO frameworks
• Technical SEO updates to improve AI visibility and crawl success

Key results

• 120% organic traffic growth in 6 months from ChatGPT-led content hubs
• Featured snippet wins for dozens of queries using AI-assisted FAQ mapping
• 5X ROI for a retail client after capturing new AI-based traffic channels

Pricing

• No public pricing
• Global agency likely $3,000-$8,000/month range

When to choose this agency

When you want a global team with a ChatGPT SEO programmatic framework, LLM-focused content and semantic clustering powered by AI tools.

Best for

Brands targeting multi-engine AI visibility such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity that want long-tail capture and rapid scale.

How to hire an AI SEO agency

There’s a growing list of agencies offering AI SEO, but very few are doing it well. Here’s what to look for when choosing the right agency. 

They’ve delivered real results from AI search

Plenty of agencies talk about AI SEO. Fewer can show you traffic from Perplexity or citations in ChatGPT. 

Look for case studies with actual numbers—like AI-driven traffic lifts, LLM mentions, or visibility gains across tools.

For example, in our work with MentorCruise, we helped generate over 11,000 visits directly from AI search engines. Other clients like Growform and Instatus have seen similar results.

They understand how LLMs select and cite content

It’s not just about ranking on Google anymore. LLMs use different signals when choosing what to surface. Your agency should know how tools like ChatGPT pick sources—and how to structure content (FAQs, schemas, clean headings) to make sure your site gets chosen.

They track AI search traffic separately

Most SEO reports ignore traffic from Perplexity or other AI tools. If an agency can’t isolate or attribute that traffic, they’re not ready. Make sure they have a way to track performance across both classic and AI search—and explain how they measure success in each.

They can reverse-engineer how LLMs choose sources

LLMs like ChatGPT don’t rely on backlinks or domain authority the same way Google does. Instead, they tend to prefer content that’s well-structured, clearly scoped, and entity-rich.

 A good agency should understand what these models prioritizee—and design your content around those signals. That means things like tight semantic clusters, embedded definitions, entity disambiguation, and precision formatting (e.g., “What is…” / “How to…” / comparison formats that LLMs commonly pull from).

How much does hiring an AI SEO agency cost?

Most AI SEO agencies charge anywhere from $700 to $5,000 per month, depending on how much work they’re doing, how custom the strategy is, and how much support is included. 

Here are four factors that directly impact cost.

Scope of work

Some agencies just handle strategy. Others include full content creation, technical implementation, internal linking, schema, and AI traffic tracking. The more hands-on the agency is, the higher the cost—because you’re getting execution, not just direction.

Content volume

If you’re publishing a few pieces per month, you’ll pay less than someone pushing out 50 programmatic pages weekly. High-volume content strategies—especially structured content like FAQs or comparisons—require more writers, editors, and oversight, which increases the cost.

Technical complexity

If the agency is working on a large site, dealing with complex architecture, implementing detailed schema across hundreds of pages, or fixing crawlability issues, the project will cost more. Technical depth takes time and often requires developer involvement.

Level of reporting and support

Some agencies give you a monthly report. Others provide custom dashboards, detailed breakdowns of AI search visibility, and weekly calls. More frequent reporting and support usually come with a higher retainer—but they also mean better transparency and faster iteration.

Why Do Some Traditional SEO Agencies Struggle with AI SEO?

Traditional SEO agencies built their playbooks around ranking websites on Google’s familiar search results.

But today’s search is evolving fast with AI-powered answers and chat-style results. 

Many old-guard agencies are struggling to adapt because they’re playing by outdated rules. Techniques that worked for “10 blue links” – like short blog posts targeting single keywords or basic link-building – don’t necessarily impress an AI that’s trying to synthesize the best answer from across the web.

Generative AI search rewards depth, clarity, and authority. 

It favors content that directly answers complex questions and is structured for easy parsing. Unfortunately, a lot of traditional agencies got comfortable doing the minimum: 

• churning out thin content 
• and tweaking meta tags to show incremental gains. 

Those tactics falter when an AI like ChatGPT or Google’s new AI-driven results are scanning for genuinely informative, well-structured content. 

Another reason is the pace of change. 

AI search has been rolling out quickly – think of Google’s SGE (Search Generative Experience) or Bing’s AI chat integration – and it’s unforgiving to agencies that didn’t start learning these systems early. 

If an SEO partner hasn’t talked to their clients about things like optimizing for ChatGPT or tracking AI citations, it’s a sign they’re behind. 

When AI SEO Is the Smarter Choice?

Choosing an AI-focused SEO approach can be a smart move when the environment demands more than the old tricks. One clear sign is when your audience has started using AI tools for discovery. 

For example, if you’re in B2B or tech sectors where buyers ask ChatGPT or Bing Chat for product recommendations, you absolutely want to be front-and-center in those answers.

AI SEO is the smarter choice if you suspect that ranking #1 on Google isn’t translating into the visibility it used to, because an AI summary is stealing the click. 

In scenarios where you need to future-proof your search presence, focusing on AI SEO early gives you a competitive edge before others catch on.

AI SEO is also a wise choice when your current SEO results have plateaued. 

Perhaps you have great content, but your traffic is dipping as user behavior shifts. That’s the moment to pivot: an AI SEO agency can identify opportunities that a traditional strategy might miss, like optimizing content to be quoted in voice assistants or building out Q&A sections that AI loves to cite.

AI SEO Agency vs. Traditional SEO vs. In-House Teams (Comparison)

Let’s compare how an AI-focused SEO agency stacks up against a traditional SEO agency and an in-house SEO team:

What Strategies Do AI SEO Agencies Use Differently?

AI SEO agencies often deploy a distinct toolkit of strategies that set them apart from traditional SEO services. Their mission isn’t just to get you to page one of Google – it’s to get your brand mentioned or cited by the likes of ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Mode, and whatever comes next. 

Here’s what they do differently:

• Content structured for easier AI consumption
• Topical authority around your category entry points 
• Continuous content refreshing and improvement
• Rich schema 
• Close monitoring for AI search results and brand citations 
• Integration with traditional SEO for an holistic strategy

In summary, AI SEO agencies expand the field of play. They optimize your content for algorithms that generate answers, not just those that rank links. The result is a strategy where your content is more likely to be the one an AI chooses to answer a user’s question, which is increasingly becoming the holy grail of digital presence.

How Do You Measure Success in AI SEO?

Measuring success in AI SEO is a bit different than traditional SEO, because the end goal isn’t solely increased organic traffic from search engines – it’s also about visibility within AI-generated answers.

Here’s how a business (and an AI SEO agency) might gauge progress:

AI citation and mention tracking

One direct indicator is how often your content or brand gets referenced by AI platforms. For example, if Google’s AI snapshot or Bing’s chat mode provides an answer and cites sources, are you frequently among those sources? 

AI SEO agencies will often manually test important queries on various AI search tools (like asking ChatGPT or Bing Chat industry questions) to see if your brand appears in the response. There are emerging tools and scripts that can automate some of this checking. 

Success looks like an upward trend in “AI mention share” – essentially, out of X relevant AI queries, your site is being recommended or cited more often over time.

Referral traffic from AI platforms

Some AI search experiences provide links back to sources (for instance, Bing’s chatbot or Google’s AI results sometimes show citations you can click). By examining your analytics, you can see if there’s traffic coming from those sources. 

It might not be massive (since AI often gives the answer without a click), but it’s a concrete number to watch. If you start seeing visitors from something like “bchatgpt.com” or other assistants, that’s a clear win – it means your optimization is paying off in actual user visits.

Lead quality and brand impact

Some effects of AI visibility are softer but still important. You might measure success by an increase in branded searches or direct traffic over time – implying that even if people didn’t click a link in an AI answer, they noted your brand and searched it later (or went straight to your site). 

Businesses have started to hear prospects say, “Oh, we found you through ChatGPT’s recommendation,” which is a huge sign of success even if it’s anecdotal. 

If you’re a local business, you might see more customers mentioning that an AI assistant pointed them your way. In B2B, your sales team might hear that a client read about your solution via an AI summary.

Conversion metrics

At the end of the day, standard business metrics still apply. 

If your AI SEO campaign is working, it should reflect in your goals – more newsletter signups, product inquiries, or sales attributed to organic channels. 

You might create a custom segment for traffic that came via AI (when identifiable) and see how it converts.

Granted, it can be tricky to attribute a conversion to “they saw us in an AI answer” unless the user explicitly tells you, but a combination of the above indicators plus stable or growing conversions paints a picture.

So, is AI SEO the Future of Search Marketing?

AI SEO is quickly becoming a core part of search marketing’s future. We’re already seeing the biggest players (Google, Microsoft, etc.) weaving generative AI into how they deliver answers. That trend is unlikely to reverse.

So, embracing AI SEO is less about chasing a fad and more about adapting to the new normal. 

In the coming years, the line between “traditional SEO” and “AI SEO” will probably blur; successful search marketing will just be SEO that accounts for AI in all its forms.

Consider this: not long ago, voice search was the hot topic, and everyone wondered if they needed a “voice SEO” strategy. 

It turned out voice queries were just another use case for great content and structured data. 

AI-driven search is a bigger leap than voice, but it rhymes with that pattern. The fundamental goal remains answering people’s needs. What’s changing is where and how those answers appear. 

Instead of ten blue links, it might be one synthesized response. Instead of a browser, it might be a smart speaker or an AR headset giving the info.

AI SEO is about ensuring that no matter how search evolves, your content is tuned to be picked up by the new systems.

One could argue that AI SEO is just SEO evolving, as it always has with every algorithm update. But the scale of change with AI suggests a more profound shift: search marketing will become as much about optimizing information as it is about optimizing websites. We’ll optimize answers, not just pages. We’ll care about how an AI interprets our content, not just how a user or a bot crawls it. That’s a new mindset.

So yes, AI SEO is a huge part of the future of search marketing. However, it doesn’t render the fundamentals obsolete – it elevates the importance of doing things right. 

Ready to show up in AI search?

AI search is slowly but surely gaining grounds. And the brands that adapt now are the ones that benefit most. In this guide, we’ve covered everything you need to know about hiring AI SEO agencies, including 20 agencies leading the way.

If you don’t want to spend hours comparing agencies or figuring out which one fits, we can help. At Embarque, we’ve helped companies like MentorCruise, Growform, and Instatus drive thousands of visits directly from AI search engines.

Want to skip the guesswork? Book a free 30-minute consultation and let’s talk about how to get your site showing up in AI search results.

AI SEO Agencies – FAQs

How is optimizing for AI search engines different from traditional SEO?

‍AI-driven search (like results from ChatGPT, Bing Chat or Perplexity) doesn’t work exactly like Google.

These tools pull answers from a smaller set of trusted websites and give users a quick, cited response. So, content quality and authority matter even more.

You’ll want well-structured, factual content that AI models see as reliable enough to quote.

The core SEO principles still apply, but succeeding here means becoming one of those trusted sources an AI will choose to reference.

Should businesses invest in AI-focused SEO now, or is it too early?

‍It’s a good idea to start now. AI-driven search is new but growing quickly, and getting in early can give you a head start.

Some companies are already optimizing for AI platforms to stake out territory before their competitors do. Early movers face less competition and can learn what works as the rules evolve.

If you have the resources, adapting your SEO for AI now positions you better for when these search tools become mainstream.

Can my regular SEO agency handle AI SEO, or do I need specialists?

‍It depends on their expertise. Not all traditional SEO folks are keeping up with how content gets picked for AI-generated answers.

A specialized AI SEO agency has experience formatting content for things like featured snippets, using schema markup that helps AI tools understand your site, and tracking traffic or citations from AI platforms.

If your current agency hasn’t mentioned AI search at all (or doesn’t know how to track it), you might benefit from bringing in specialists.

The best approach is to ask them directly about their plan for AI-driven search – their answer will tell you if they’re prepared or if you should find an agency that is.

Will optimizing for AI search engines also help my Google rankings?

‍Generally yes – there’s a lot of overlap. High-quality content and clear site structure help both AI platforms and Google.

Tactics like using FAQ sections or schema markup can make your content friendlier to an AI model and also improve how Google displays your pages.

AI might favor very concise answers, but overall if you’re creating useful, trustworthy content (the kind an AI would cite), you’re likely improving your traditional SEO as well.

In other words, doing right by AI search usually means you’re doing solid SEO across the board.