How do I choose the right AI SEO agency?

AI SEO (search engine optimisation for AI answers) is new enough that anyone can claim to do it. This page gives you criteria you can apply to any agency. It does not rank or recommend one.

How do I choose the right AI SEO agency?

Choose on evidence you can check yourself. Google's guidance on hiring an SEO is the best published starting point, and it applies to AI search too. It suggests interviewing candidates and asking for the following [1]:

• Past work. Examples of previous work and some success stories.
• Client references. Ask past clients whether the SEO gave useful service, was easy to work with, and produced positive results.
• Standards. Whether they follow the Google Search Essentials.
• Expected results and timeframe. What results they expect to see, and in what timeframe.
• Relevant experience. Their experience in your industry, country, or city.
• Transparency. Whether they will share every change made to your site, with detail on their recommendations.

Google also says a good SEO should show real interest in your business, including what makes you unique, who your competitors are, and how customers find you [1].

What questions should I ask an AI SEO agency?

Ask questions that have answers you can verify.

1. Can you show me pages you published and clients I can call?
2. What will you change on my site, and will you tell me about every change?
3. Which engines will you check, how many times for each question, and how will you report?
4. What do you expect, by when, and what is outside your control?
5. Who owns the content and the accounts if we stop working together?
6. What do you need from me, and how often will we talk?

For question 3, a good answer separates how often your business is named, linked, and recommended. AI answers change from one run to the next, and SparkToro's researchers caution against relying on ranking position in AI as a measure [4]. A provider can also point to each engine's own reports, such as Google's Generative AI performance report [5] and Bing's AI Performance report [6].

What is a red flag when hiring an AI SEO agency?

These are the signs to walk away from.

• A guarantee. Google says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." It advises avoiding SEOs who claim to guarantee rankings, allege a special relationship with Google, or advertise a priority submit [1]. No source we found shows that any provider can control what an AI engine names.
• Secrecy. Google says to be wary of anyone who will not explain their methods or disclose changes to your site [1].
• Spam tactics. Google's spam policies cover cloaking, hidden text and links, keyword stuffing, link spam, and scaled content abuse. Google can respond by demoting or removing a site from results [3].
• Required AI-only fixes. Google says structured data is not required for its generative AI search, and that you do not need special AI text files, content chunking, or a writing style just for it [2]. That covers Google only. Ask any agency that calls such a step required to show where an engine documents it.
• Bought mentions. Google says seeking inauthentic mentions across the web is not as helpful as it might seem [2].
• Claims of Google approval. Google says it does not evaluate or endorse third-party SEO tools [1], and that no third-party tool has access to its internal ranking or AI systems [2].

How can I tell if an agency is any good?

Check what you can see for yourself. Open the pages it published and look for clear answers and cited sources. Check whether they are indexed and whether engines can reach them. Call the references it gives you [1].

If it offers an audit, Google advises giving only read access to Search Console at first, not write access. An audit should include realistic estimates of improvement [1].

Should I pick a local or national agency?

Neither is a quality signal. What matters is whether the agency has relevant experience. Google suggests asking about experience in your industry, country, or city [1]. Then check that its reporting and meeting times work for you.

Which AI SEO agencies are the best?

This page does not rank agencies, and any ranking is someone's opinion. When we asked ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini which AI SEO agencies are best for a small business in the UK, they named many different providers, as the check below shows. Use the criteria above on any name you are given.

Sources

1. Do you need an SEO expert?, Google Search Central. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.
2. Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search, Google Search Central. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.
3. Spam policies for Google web search, Google Search Central. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.
4. New Research: AIs are highly inconsistent when recommending brands or products; marketers should take care when tracking AI visibility, SparkToro. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.
5. Generative AI performance report (Search), Google Search Console Help. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.
6. Introducing AI Performance in Bing Webmaster Tools Public Preview, Bing Webmaster Blog. Accessed 2 Oct 2026.

First published 2 Oct 2026

Umashanker Gupta Chowdhury is the Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Ravenence, leading the company’s direction and its client partnerships.

More from Umashanker →