Last Updated: January 2026
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) agencies help businesses appear in AI-generated responses from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and voice assistants. As AI search handles an increasing percentage of informational queries, AEO has become essential for maintaining visibility.
This guide covers what AEO agencies do, the services they offer, and how to evaluate providers for your needs.
An AEO agency optimizes your content to be cited by AI systems when they generate answers. Unlike traditional SEO agencies focused on rankings in search results, AEO agencies focus on selection—ensuring your content is the source AI platforms choose to reference.
The shift matters because AI search changes user behavior. Instead of clicking through multiple links, users receive synthesized answers directly. Brands not appearing in these answers lose visibility to competitors who do.
Effective AEO agencies combine several disciplines:
Content Optimization
Making content extractable by AI systems:
Entity and Authority Building
Establishing trustworthiness that AI systems recognize:
Technical Implementation
Ensuring AI crawlers can access and understand content:
Monitoring and Measurement
Tracking visibility that traditional SEO tools miss:
Agencies structure their AEO services in several ways depending on client needs and engagement scope.
AEO Audits
Comprehensive analysis of current AI visibility covering:
Typical investment: $2,000-8,000 for a thorough audit with actionable recommendations.
Strategy Development
Creating roadmaps for AI visibility:
Content Optimization
Transforming existing content for AI extraction:
Technical Implementation
Making sites AI-accessible:
Authority Building
Establishing credibility AI systems recognize:
Monthly Retainer Programs
Continuous AEO optimization typically includes:
| Service Component | Monthly Scope |
|---|---|
| Content optimization | 5-15 pages |
| New content creation | 2-6 articles |
| Citation monitoring | Continuous |
| Technical maintenance | Ongoing |
| Strategy reviews | Monthly |
| Reporting | Detailed monthly reports |
Integrated SEO/AEO Programs
Many agencies combine traditional SEO with AEO services:
Selecting the right AEO partner requires assessing specific capabilities and track record.
Methodology Questions
"How do you approach optimization for different AI platforms?" Each platform—ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI—has different characteristics. Effective agencies explain platform-specific approaches rather than one-size-fits-all methods.
"What's your process for content restructuring?" Look for specific techniques: paragraph length targets, front-loading strategies, FAQ development approaches. Vague answers suggest superficial understanding.
"How do you balance AEO with traditional SEO?" AI platforms heavily reference content that ranks well in traditional search. Agencies dismissing SEO show incomplete understanding of how AI visibility works.
Results Questions
"Can you share case studies with specific metrics?" Request examples showing citation increases, AI referral traffic growth, or share of voice improvements—not just claims of success.
"What tools do you use for AI visibility monitoring?" Expect mention of specialized platforms (Otterly.AI, Search Party, Conductor) or proprietary monitoring systems. Generic SEO tools don't capture AI visibility.
"How long until clients typically see results?" Realistic answers acknowledge that technical improvements show results in weeks while authority building takes months. Be skeptical of promises of dramatic improvement in 30-60 days.
Process Questions
"What does onboarding look like?" Clear processes indicate operational maturity and the ability to deliver consistent results.
"How do you report on AI visibility?" Reporting should include citation frequency, platform-specific visibility, competitive comparisons, and accuracy monitoring—not just traditional SEO metrics repackaged.
"How do you stay current with AI platform changes?" AI search evolves rapidly. Agencies should demonstrate awareness of platform updates and strategy adaptation.
Guaranteed Placement Promises
No agency can guarantee specific placement in AI responses. AI outputs vary by query, context, and user. Agencies claiming they can guarantee top placement demonstrate either dishonesty or fundamental misunderstanding.
SEO Services Relabeled as AEO
Some agencies relabel existing SEO services as AEO without substantive methodology changes. Look for AEO-specific tactics—content restructuring for extraction, entity optimization, citation monitoring—rather than traditional SEO rebranded.
No Measurement Capabilities
If an agency can't explain how they track AI visibility, they can't demonstrate results. Citation monitoring requires specialized approaches beyond standard SEO analytics.
Dismissing Traditional SEO
AI platforms reference authoritative content that often performs well in traditional search. Agencies treating SEO as obsolete show incomplete understanding of how AI visibility actually works.
Understanding typical pricing helps set appropriate expectations.
| Service Type | Investment Range | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| AEO Audit | $2,000-8,000 | One-time comprehensive analysis |
| Content Sprint | $5,000-15,000 | Optimize 10-30 priority pages |
| Monthly Retainer (Basic) | $3,000-6,000 | Limited optimization, monitoring |
| Monthly Retainer (Comprehensive) | $8,000-20,000 | Full-service AEO program |
| Integrated SEO/AEO | $10,000-30,000 | Combined disciplines |
| Enterprise Programs | $25,000+ | Large-scale, dedicated resources |
Set realistic expectations for when AEO efforts show impact.
Technical Implementation: Weeks. Schema deployment, crawler access configuration, and technical improvements can impact visibility relatively quickly.
Content Optimization: 1-3 months. Restructuring content for extraction shows results as AI platforms refresh their indexes and knowledge bases.
Authority Building: 3-6+ months. Earned media, entity development, and cross-platform presence take time to accumulate.
Comprehensive Visibility Transformation: 6-12 months. Full transformation across all target platforms requires sustained effort over multiple quarters.
AEO addresses a real visibility gap. As AI search grows, brands not appearing in AI responses lose visibility to competitors. AEO agencies provide expertise to close this gap.
Look for integrated capabilities. Effective AEO requires content optimization, technical implementation, and authority building—not just one component.
Verify measurement capabilities. Without citation monitoring, neither you nor the agency can demonstrate results. Insist on AI-specific tracking.
Expect meaningful investment. Results require real resources. Agencies offering comprehensive AEO at low prices likely deliver superficial optimization.
Traditional SEO agencies focus on rankings in search results. AEO agencies focus on getting content cited in AI-generated responses. Many agencies now offer both services since the disciplines overlap—strong SEO performance often supports better AI visibility.
Evaluate your current agency's AEO capabilities using the questions outlined above. Many SEO agencies have added AEO services, but depth varies significantly. If your agency lacks specific AI measurement tools, demonstrated results, and clear AEO methodology, consider specialized expertise.
Expect $5,000-15,000/month for comprehensive AEO services including content optimization, technical implementation, and monitoring. Basic packages start lower but may not include meaningful optimization. Enterprise programs with dedicated resources typically cost $20,000+/month.
Technical improvements can show impact within weeks. Content optimization typically shows measurable citation changes in 1-3 months. Authority building requires 3-6+ months for meaningful progress. Be skeptical of agencies promising dramatic improvements in 30-60 days.
Want to learn more about AI search optimization? Explore our Answer Engine Optimization Guide or read our comparison of AEO vs SEO.
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