The future of search is already here, and it looks very different from what we’re used to. Instead of typing keywords into Google and clicking through a bunch of links, people are now going straight to tools like ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity. These AI tools don’t just show a list of results; they summarize, compare, and give direct answers in a conversational way.
This isn’t just a small change. It’s a major shift in how users are finding content online.
If your business relies on visibility online, you can’t afford to ignore this. To stay ahead, you’ll need to work with an SEO agency that truly understands how AI is changing search. But here’s the catch: not every agency is ready for this shift.
Choosing the right partner is crucial, as it could mean the difference between your brand staying visible in AI search or getting left behind.
Here’s how to evaluate an AI SEO agency and make sure they can help you not just keep up, but grow in this new search environment.
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Understand the Difference Between Traditional SEO and AI SEO
Before you can choose the right agency, you need to understand what makes AI SEO agencies different. Traditional SEO is focused on ranking in a list of results, mostly using tactics like backlinks, keywords, and mobile responsiveness.
But AI-powered search engines operate on different principles. Large Language Models (LLMs) don’t scroll search results; they pull data from retrievable, structured content that’s easy for machines to understand. It’s not about being ranked number one or in position zero on Google anymore. It’s about being the answer when ChatGPT or Gemini synthesizes a response to a user query.
That means your agency needs to go beyond rankings. They need to help you structure content for retrievability, machine-readability, and semantic clarity.
When you’re evaluating agencies, ask whether they optimize for platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot, not just Google. If their approach still revolves entirely around keyword stuffing and backlink counts, they’re not preparing you for the future.
Look for Structured Data and Technical SEO Expertise
AI tools rely heavily on structured data to understand your site. Schema markup helps language models interpret your products, services, reviews, and FAQs, without relying on visual layout or contextual clues.
You need an agency that treats schema like a core part of SEO, not an afterthought.
Ask them about the kinds of schema they implement:
- Do they add FAQPage, Product, HowTo, Review, and Author schema to your pages?
- Do they audit your site’s structured data regularly?
- Do they understand entity-based SEO and how to make your content retrievable for AI summarization?
Remember, structured data alone isn’t enough. Technical SEO still plays a huge role in AI visibility. Slow page speed, messy code, broken tags, or unresponsive designs can reduce how well AI engines process your content.
A capable AI SEO agency will provide technical audits, implement semantic HTML, and address crawlability issues, as even AI tools require clean input.
Prioritize Agencies That Emphasize Entity SEO and Knowledge Graphs
AI search engines rely on “entities” to establish relevance and credibility. Unlike traditional keywords, entities are concepts like your brand name, your CEO, your product category, or your location that AI models link together in a knowledge graph.
An AI SEO agency worth your time will help you strengthen and connect these entities. They should encourage you to maintain consistent business profiles on Google, Crunchbase, LinkedIn, and other relevant directories. They should link authors to bylines and encourage citation from credible sources in your content.
If an agency never mentions entity optimization, they’re missing the backbone of how AI understands relationships between brands, topics, and credibility. That’s a red flag.
You want your agency to make sure that when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for “best Shopify brands for sustainable baby clothes,” your entity is recognized and retrieved instead of ignored because it lacks a machine-readable presence.
Evaluate Their Content Strategy Through an AI Lens
One of the biggest traps you can fall into is hiring an agency that still writes for human readers only. Yes, tone and storytelling matter. But if your content doesn’t reflect how AI engines extract information, it won’t show up in AI search responses.
Ask prospective agencies:
- Do they use question-based headings that match natural queries?
- Do they structure blogs to make answers easy to summarize?
- Do they use FAQ sections, comparison tables, and definition blocks?
- Do they train their writers to write with retrieval in mind, not just style?
Great AI SEO agencies treat every piece of content like a source that could be quoted in a Gemini overview, a ChatGPT response, or a voice assistant reply. They know it’s not just about being readable; it’s about being usable by machines.
You’ll want a partner who helps you transition your blogs, product pages, and service content into AI-ready formats. If they aren’t reformatting content to match conversational query structures, they’re optimizing for a world that’s already behind.
Ask About Multi-Platform Optimization, Not Just Google
ChatGPT plugins. Perplexity citations. Gemini snapshots. Claude integrations. These are all emerging platforms where your content needs to surface. And each one has its own retrieval behavior, formatting preferences, and platform schema.
A forward-thinking agency will understand that and guide you in optimizing content for these AI platforms, not just “SEO on Google.” They’ll help you:
- Track if you’re being cited by ChatGPT or Perplexity
- Adjust the schema to meet each platform’s preferences
- Monitor AI retrieval using prompt testing and AI search simulations
- Align internal linking to help LLMs follow context more easily
This level of platform-specific optimization is essential for future-proofing. If your agency still talks only about Google’s search console and doesn’t understand Gemini’s AI Overviews or Perplexity’s citation model, you’ll fall behind while your competitors get chosen by AI.
Verify That They Walk the Talk
The best agencies practicing AI SEO don’t just talk about it; they implement it for themselves. Explore their website. Is their own content optimized for generative retrieval? Do they use structured data? Do they publish educational blogs about LLM optimization?
More importantly, see if they’re visible on AI tools. Search for terms like:
- “Best AI SEO agency for eCommerce”
- “SEO agency that helps with Gemini optimization”
- “Agencies that structure content for ChatGPT retrieval”
If their brand doesn’t show up or cite itself as a source on AI engines, they may not be applying the methods they recommend to clients.
A credible AI SEO agency should have content that shows up in generative answers, not just traditional rankings. You want a partner who already thrives in the AI ecosystem, not one trying to learn on your dime.
Know That AI SEO Is an Ongoing Process
AI search evolves quickly. Gemini releases new memory features. Perplexity changes its citation model. OpenAI updates plugins and retrieval settings. If your SEO agency treats optimization as a one-time sprint, you’re going to get left behind.
The agency you hire should offer ongoing monitoring, adaptive strategy, and prompt-based evaluation of your brand’s visibility in AI tools. They should help you test whether your brand shows up when people ask AI tools for product comparisons, recommendations, or definitions, and then revise content accordingly.
If they don’t bring up continuous iteration, you’re signing up for static SEO in a dynamic AI world.
The Right AI SEO Partner Prepares You for the New Default
The shift to generative AI search isn’t coming; it’s already here. People ask ChatGPT before they search Google. They trust Perplexity over ads. They get personalized Gemini summaries instead of scrolling through pages of blue links.
That means your brand doesn’t just need to rank. It needs to be retrievable, cited, and trusted.
Hiring the right AI SEO agency is how you get there. One that helps you build structured, semantic, AI-readable content across your site. One that understands platform-specific optimization. One that keeps you visible while everything about search changes beneath your feet.
Choose wisely. Because in the age of AI, the agency you hire won’t just manage rankings; they’ll determine whether your business stays part of the conversation at all.
Infographic
If your business relies on online visibility, partnering with an SEO agency that fully understands the impact of AI on search is crucial. This infographic breaks down how to evaluate an AI‑driven SEO agency and ensure they’re equipped to help you thrive in a rapidly evolving search landscape.
