AI SEO agencies, GEO agencies, and AEO consultants all promise to get you recommended by ChatGPT and Google AI. These eight questions help you compare them on what they will actually do and how you will know it worked.
How to cite this article: AI SEO for Business. 2026. How to Choose an AI SEO Agency: 8 Questions to Ask First. https://aiseoforbusinessavb.com/articles/how-to-choose-an-ai-seo-agency/
Why the Questions Matter
AI SEO is new enough that the labels vary and the methods vary even more. Two agencies can use identical language and do completely different work. The right questions bring the difference into the open quickly, and a strong agency will be glad you asked them.
Use the scorecard at the end to compare your shortlist side by side.
1. "Can you show me what AI engines say about us right now?"
The best starting point is evidence. A strong agency runs your buyer questions across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity and shows you the actual answers, either in a free mini audit or as the first deliverable. You should see where you are named, who is named instead, and which sources are cited.
2. "Which buyer questions will you track?"
Visibility is measured question by question. Ask to see the list, and make sure it reflects how your customers actually talk, including location, budget, and problem-based questions, not just your brand name.
3. "How will you measure progress?"
Look for mention rate, competitor share of mentions, cited sources, accuracy of how you are described, and referral traffic from AI engines. Ask how often they rerun the questions and what the report looks like. Ask to see a sample.
4. "What work happens on our website, and what happens elsewhere?"
AI engines form their view from your site and from the wider web. A complete plan covers both: answer-ready pages and structured data on your site, plus listings, reviews, publications, associations, and communities off it.
5. "How do you approach Reddit, forums, and reviews?"
Community sources show up in AI answers often. The right approach is genuine participation from real accounts and real customers. Fake posts and planted reviews get caught by communities and engines alike, and they can damage your reputation.
6. "Who owns the work?"
You should own your audit findings, the content written for you, your listings, and every account created on your behalf. Ask for this in writing.
7. "How does this connect to the SEO we already do?"
AI SEO builds on traditional SEO. A good agency will work alongside your existing SEO efforts or vendor, reuse what is working, and explain where the two overlap so you are not paying twice for the same thing.
8. "What does the first 90 days look like?"
You want a clear sequence: baseline audit, priority fixes, first measurement, then the slower work of earning mentions. Ask what you should expect to see change by day 30, 60, and 90.
Agency Comparison Scorecard
Fill in one column per agency on your shortlist.
AI SEO AGENCY SCORECARD Agency A Agency B Agency C
Showed us real AI answers up front? ____ ____ ____
Buyer question list fits our customers? ____ ____ ____
Measures mentions, share, and sources? ____ ____ ____
Sample report was clear? ____ ____ ____
Plan covers on-site AND off-site work? ____ ____ ____
Genuine approach to Reddit and reviews? ____ ____ ____
We own findings, content, and accounts? ____ ____ ____
Clear 30 / 60 / 90 day milestones? ____ ____ ____
TOTAL (score each: 0 no, 1 partly, 2 yes) ____ ____ ____
How We Answer These Questions
At AI SEO for Business, every engagement starts with the evidence: a free 30-minute mini audit where we run your buyer questions live across the major engines. The full AI visibility audit documents every answer and places you in the AI Visibility Matrix, and our AI SEO services are measured by rerunning those same questions on a schedule. You own everything we produce.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does an AI SEO agency do?
An AI SEO agency helps your business get mentioned and recommended in AI-written answers from engines like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity. The work typically covers auditing current AI answers, improving your pages and structured data, aligning your listings, and earning mentions on sources the engines cite.
Is a GEO agency different from an AI SEO agency?
Usually not. GEO (generative engine optimization), AEO (answer engine optimization), and AI SEO describe the same goal. Compare agencies on the questions above rather than on the label they use.
Should an AI SEO agency guarantee results?
No one can guarantee what AI engines will say, because other companies run them and change them constantly. Look for an agency that commits to clear work, transparent measurement, and regular reporting instead.