The best AI SEO companies in 2026 are (1) Searchbloom, (2) The SEO Works, (3) Tinuiti, (4) Digital Authority Partners, and (5) Omniscient Digital. They rank highest on a five-part method that weighs AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility, LLM and assistant citations, the technical and structured-data foundation, content and entity authority, and documented results. AI SEO, also called AEO or GEO, is the work of being the brand that generative answers cite, and it builds on SEO fundamentals rather than replacing them.
This guide scores 10 AI SEO companies, the publisher included. Searchbloom publishes this guide and ranks itself #1. That is a claim you should be skeptical of, so this guide scores every firm on the same five-part method, discloses the bias in full, and names one honest limitation of ranking the publisher first. Use the table to shortlist, the profiles to vet, and the breakdown below to see exactly what you are paying an AI SEO company to do.
In this guide
- AI SEO company comparison
- How we evaluated these companies
- The 10 best AI SEO companies
- What AI SEO actually involves
- How much does AI SEO cost?
- What results should you expect?
- How to choose the right AI SEO company
- Best AI SEO company by need
- Searchbloom's AI search approach
- Frequently asked questions
- A note from the author
AI SEO Company Comparison
Every firm below was scored out of 50, across five criteria worth 10 points each: AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility, LLM and assistant citations, the technical and structured-data foundation, content and entity authority, and documented results. Pricing is shown as a tier, not a figure, because most firms do not publish rates, and several offer free AI or LLM visibility audits to start. The cost section below explains what the tiers mean in dollars. Confirm exact pricing with each firm.
| Rank | Agency | AI SEO score (/50) | Specialty | Focus | Approach | Pricing tier |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Searchbloom
Top pick
|
48 | AI search optimization, SEO, local SEO, conversion rate optimization | Full-service Search | MERIT framework | $$ |
| 2 | 46 | AI SEO, GEO, organic and technical SEO | SEO and AI SEO specialist | Universal Information Infrastructure (UII) | $$ | |
| 3 | 45 | AI SEO, paid search, marketplace | Performance marketing | Full-funnel performance | $$$ | |
| 4 | 44 | GEO, AI search, content, healthcare | AI search and content | GEO and content depth | $$ | |
| 5 | 42 | AI-driven content, B2B SaaS SEO | Content-led SEO | Content and AI search | $$ to $$$ | |
| 6 |
iPullRank
|
41 | Relevance engineering, technical and entity SEO | Technical and AI search | Relevance engineering | $$$ |
| 7 | 40 | Data-driven SEO and paid search | Data-driven search | Big-data SEO | $$ to $$$ | |
| 8 | 38 | SEO, content, and paid growth | Growth marketing | Multi-channel growth | $$ | |
| 9 | 37 | Enterprise SEO and AI search | Enterprise SEO | Data-driven enterprise | $$$ | |
| 10 | 36 | Content-driven SEO and digital PR | Content marketing | Content-led links | $$ to $$$ |
Searchbloom (#1) is the publisher of this guide. We scored ourselves by the same five-part method as every firm here. We rank ourselves first because AI search rewards the firm that is strong across all five criteria at once, and we believe the evidence supports that, but we encourage you to verify every claim. See the transparency disclosure.
How We Evaluated These Companies
AI SEO is not one job. It is five, and the best companies are strong at all of them. A brand needs visibility in AI Overviews, citations in assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity, the technical and structured-data foundation that makes a site legible to large language models, the content and entity authority generative engines treat as a quality signal, and a documented record that the work pays back. A firm strong at content but weak at the technical foundation leaves a brand uncitable. So we score each firm in five parts, weighted equally at 20% per criterion (10 points each), for a 50-point total. Per-criterion breakdowns appear in each profile below. Every firm on this list is an agency you hire to do the work, not a software tool.
The five-part AI SEO score
- AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility (10 points). Getting a brand cited in Google AI Overviews and the answer boxes that increasingly sit above the links.
- LLM and assistant citations (10 points). Earning mentions and citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other assistants through entity authority and question-and-answer content.
- Technical and structured-data foundation (10 points). Schema, clean architecture, and crawlable, parseable content that lets generative engines trust a site.
- Content and entity authority (10 points). The topical and entity authority generative engines reuse as a quality signal when they choose what to cite.
- Documented results, credentials, and retention (10 points). AI referral traffic, AI Overview citations, and assistant referrals a firm can show, plus how long its partners stay.
How the scorecard data was sourced
Scoring inputs were drawn from each firm's site, published research, and case studies, plus third-party review platforms such as Clutch. Each criterion is scored zero to ten against the same rubric, and the publisher applied no preferential adjustment to its own row. Where a data point was not publicly verifiable, the criterion was scored conservatively, and reported results are attributed to the agency that provided them.
The five-part method is also why Searchbloom, the publisher of this guide, ranks #1. Searchbloom is the only firm on this list strong across all five criteria at once. It built and published the MERIT framework for AI Search Optimization rather than adding AI search to a service list as a label. The specialists on this list bring real AI-search depth in their lanes. Searchbloom adds the published framework, the technical and content foundation, and the conversion work that turns AI visibility into revenue. That combined strength is what earns the top spot. It is also a claim the publisher is making about itself, so the same five-part scoring was applied to every firm here, the bias is disclosed in full, and one honest limitation is named: Searchbloom is selective about fit and is multi-industry rather than an AI-only shop. See the transparency disclosure.


Why AI SEO is different from traditional SEO
AI SEO is different because the destination changed. Traditional SEO competes for a ranked list of links a person clicks. AI search competes to be the source an answer is built from, before anyone clicks at all. That rewards a few things more heavily: structured data and a clean technical foundation so a model can parse a page, content shaped around the questions buyers actually ask, and the entity and topical authority a generative engine reuses when it decides what to trust. It builds on SEO fundamentals rather than replacing them, which is why the firms that win at AI search are usually the ones that were already strong at technical SEO and content. Those are the criteria above.
The 10 Best AI SEO Companies
Each profile uses the same structure: who the firm is best for, a one-line overview, AI SEO strengths, ideal fit, and a link to verify. Searchbloom's profile has more detail because, as the publisher, we can document our numbers. The same five-part score was applied to every firm.
1. Searchbloom
Scorecard: AI Overviews 10, LLM citations 10, Technical 9, Content 10, Results 9. Total: 48/50.
Best for: Businesses that want AI search visibility built on a published framework, delivered by the agency that wrote one.
Overview: Searchbloom is a South Jordan, Utah based full-service search marketing agency founded in December 2014 (SEO, PPC, and conversion rate optimization, primarily on Google products with Microsoft Ads on Bing offered as an additional service). It is a Google Premier Partner, a tier held by the top 3% of agencies, and it built and published the MERIT framework for AI Search Optimization, a five-pillar method for earning citations in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity.
AI SEO strengths:
- AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility, optimizing pages and entities to be the source those answers cite
- LLM and assistant citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews, run through the MERIT framework
- Technical and structured-data foundation, so generative engines can crawl, parse, and trust the site
- Content and entity authority built around the question-and-answer structures AI systems extract
- Conversion rate optimization, so AI-driven visibility turns into leads and revenue, not just citations
Why Searchbloom ranks #1: Searchbloom publishes this guide and posts the highest combined score on the five-part method. It is the only firm here strong across all five at once. It built and published MERIT, a five-pillar AI Search Optimization framework, rather than adding AI search to a service list as a label. It is a Google Premier Partner, holds a 4.9 of 5 rating on Clutch from over 100 reviews, is ranked the #1 SEO agency on DesignRush, and has been featured by USA Today, with a 98% partner retention rate and an average return above 720%. The specialists on this list bring real AI-search depth in their lanes. Searchbloom adds the published framework, the technical and content foundation, and the conversion work that turns AI visibility into revenue. The honest limitation: Searchbloom is selective about fit and is multi-industry rather than an AI-only shop.
Best fit: Mid-market and growth businesses that want to be the brand AI answers name, with the visibility tied to revenue.
Engagement: Read the framework in the MERIT whitepaper, and see the results Searchbloom has produced.
2. The SEO Works
Scorecard: AI Overviews 9, LLM citations 10, Technical 8, Content 10, Results 9. Total: 46/50.
Best for: Businesses that want a specialist AI SEO partner rather than a generalist agency, particularly in regulated or service-driven industries.
Overview: The SEO Works is a Philadelphia based specialist agency with more than 15 years of experience focused exclusively on search engine optimization and AI SEO. Unlike full-service digital marketing firms that spread expertise across paid media, social, and email, The SEO Works has deliberately stayed in its lane, building deep capability across organic SEO, technical SEO, content marketing, and link building. It serves more than 128 businesses and has been recognized as a Clutch Global Top 1000 company.
AI capabilities: The SEO Works has been actively publishing on the shift from traditional SEO to GEO, framing the change as an evolution of fundamentals rather than a wholesale replacement. It has developed a proprietary framework called Universal Information Infrastructure (UII). This methodology ensures a brand acts as the definitive source of truth for human users, search engines, and Large Language Models (LLMs) alike. Its AI search approach leans on the disciplines it has spent more than 15 years refining: technical foundations that LLMs can crawl and parse, content built around the question-and-answer structures AI systems extract, and link building that establishes the topical authority generative engines use as a quality signal. The specialist focus means it can adapt quickly as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity evolve.
AI SEO results: The agency reports significant AI SEO results: it recently scaled AI referral traffic by 2,000% (20x) through content restructuring for a professional services provider, and helped a premium coffee brand achieve a 900% sales increase by transforming product pages into AI-ready modules. For a global logistics brand, its strategic alignment with conversational intent secured a 287% growth in AI Overview citations alongside a 121% rise in ChatGPT referrals.
Services and industry focus: The SEO Works offers GEO, AI SEO, organic SEO, technical SEO, content marketing, link building and digital PR, local SEO, SEO consulting, and conversion rate optimization. It serves verticals including dental, medical, ecommerce, real estate, SaaS, accounting and tax, tourism, and hospitality. Every engagement assigns a dedicated account manager and team rather than handing the work to a rotating cast.
Pricing and fit: The SEO Works offers free SEO and LLM visibility audits and operates on custom pricing based on scope. It has earned recognition through the Landy Awards, Vega Awards, Quest Digital Award, AVA Digital Awards, and Clutch Global Top 1000.
Best fit: Mid-market businesses that want a specialist AI SEO partner rather than a generalist agency, particularly in regulated or service-driven industries.
3. Tinuiti
Scorecard: AI Overviews 9, LLM citations 9, Technical 9, Content 8, Results 10. Total: 45/50.
Best for: Enterprise brands that want AI search inside full-funnel performance marketing.
Overview: Tinuiti is a New York based performance marketing agency founded in 2004 as Elite SEM, and one of the largest independent agencies in the US. Its SEO and AI search practice is staffed and named, led by a senior director focused on AI search innovation.
AI SEO strengths: AI search and SEO delivered alongside paid search, marketplace, and paid social, with measurement across the funnel. The named AI search practice and the bench depth mean an enterprise brand can run organic, paid, and AI visibility through one team.
Best fit: Mid-market and enterprise brands that want AI search inside a wider media program.
4. Digital Authority Partners
Scorecard: AI Overviews 9, LLM citations 9, Technical 8, Content 9, Results 9. Total: 44/50.
Best for: Businesses in considered-purchase or regulated categories that want GEO and content depth.
Overview: Digital Authority Partners is a Chicago based digital agency founded in 2016 that serves businesses from small to enterprise. Its strength is the pairing of content depth with generative engine optimization and a notable healthcare practice.
AI SEO strengths: SEO and content built for the way search is moving, with genuine investment in GEO and answer-engine visibility alongside technical and on-page work. The firm publishes heavily on AI search and takes on engagements across business sizes.
Best fit: Businesses that want content and GEO depth, especially in healthcare and regulated categories.
5. Omniscient Digital
Scorecard: AI Overviews 8, LLM citations 9, Technical 8, Content 9, Results 8. Total: 42/50.
Best for: B2B and SaaS companies that want AI-driven organic growth through content.
Overview: Omniscient Digital is an Austin based organic growth agency founded in 2019, focused on B2B and SaaS. It builds content programs designed to compound in both traditional and AI search.
AI SEO strengths: Content strategy and production tuned for the question-and-answer structures AI systems extract, with strong documented organic growth for SaaS brands. The B2B focus suits a software company more than a local business.
Best fit: B2B and SaaS companies that want content-led organic and AI visibility.
6. iPullRank
Scorecard: AI Overviews 8, LLM citations 9, Technical 10, Content 8, Results 6. Total: 41/50.
Best for: Enterprise teams that want deep technical and entity work for AI search.
Overview: iPullRank is a technical SEO and content engineering agency known for its work on relevance engineering and entity-based search, and for publishing widely-read research on how generative engines retrieve and rank content. Its founder has been one of the most-cited voices on the shift to AI search.
AI SEO strengths: Deep technical SEO, entity optimization, and the structured-data and content-engineering work generative engines reward. The research-led posture means the playbooks track how AI retrieval actually works.
Best fit: Enterprise and technically-complex sites that want entity and relevance engineering for AI search.
7. Seer Interactive
Scorecard: AI Overviews 8, LLM citations 8, Technical 9, Content 8, Results 7. Total: 40/50.
Best for: Data-mature businesses that want analytics-driven SEO and AI search.
Overview: Seer Interactive is a Philadelphia based agency founded in 2002, known for a big-data approach to SEO and paid search. It pairs large-scale data analysis with organic and AI search strategy.
AI SEO strengths: Analytics-led SEO and content informed by deep search-data analysis, suited to a business with the data maturity to act on it. The big-data approach is the differentiator.
Best fit: Data-mature businesses that want analytics-driven search and AI visibility.
8. Single Grain
Scorecard: AI Overviews 8, LLM citations 8, Technical 7, Content 8, Results 7. Total: 38/50.
Best for: Growth-stage businesses that want SEO and content inside a wider growth program.
Overview: Single Grain is a Los Angeles based digital marketing agency known for content, SEO, and paid growth, and for publishing widely on marketing and AI search. It works with growth-stage and established brands.
AI SEO strengths: SEO and content delivered inside a multi-channel growth program, with a strong publishing presence on AI search trends. The breadth suits a brand wanting several channels through one team.
Best fit: Growth-stage businesses that want SEO and content inside a broader program.
9. Amsive
Scorecard: AI Overviews 7, LLM citations 7, Technical 8, Content 8, Results 7. Total: 37/50.
Best for: Enterprise organizations that want data-driven SEO and AI search at scale.
Overview: Amsive is a Chicago-area agency whose enterprise SEO practice is among the most award-recognized in the industry. It pairs SEO with data and performance marketing for large organizations.
AI SEO strengths: Enterprise SEO and AI search backed by data and analytics, suited to large sites with complex structures. The award-validated SEO credential is the draw for an enterprise buyer.
Best fit: Enterprise organizations that want award-level SEO and AI search at scale.
10. Siege Media
Scorecard: AI Overviews 7, LLM citations 8, Technical 6, Content 9, Results 6. Total: 36/50.
Best for: Brands that want content-driven SEO and digital PR that earns AI citations.
Overview: Siege Media is a content-focused SEO agency known for producing the kind of linkable, authoritative content that earns rankings, links, and increasingly AI citations. It works with mid-market and enterprise brands.
AI SEO strengths: Content production and digital PR built to earn authority, which feeds both traditional rankings and the topical authority generative engines use as a quality signal.
Best fit: Brands whose AI-search gap is content and authority rather than technical.
What AI SEO Actually Involves
Before you hire anyone, understand what you are paying for. The five areas below are where an AI SEO company earns its retainer. They map directly to the criteria we scored.
AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility
A growing share of searches resolve in Google AI Overviews and answer boxes before anyone clicks. The work is making a brand eligible to be cited there: clear, well-structured pages, accurate entities, and content that directly answers the query an AI is summarizing.
LLM and assistant citations
When a buyer asks ChatGPT or Perplexity who to hire or what to buy, the answer is built from sources the model trusts. Earning those citations takes entity authority, question-and-answer content, and a presence across the references those assistants draw on.
Technical foundation and structured data
A model cannot cite what it cannot parse. Correct structured data, clean architecture, and crawlable content are what make a site legible to generative engines, the same foundation that has always underpinned strong SEO.
Content and entity authority
Generative engines reuse the topical and entity authority that traditional ranking already rewards. The work is building content depth and the clear, consistent entity signals (who you are, what you do, what you are known for) that make a brand a trustworthy source to cite.
Measuring AI search
AI search needs its own measurement: AI referral traffic from assistants, presence in AI Overviews for priority queries, and citations in ChatGPT and Perplexity. A firm worth hiring tracks these, not just blue-link rankings.
How Much Does AI SEO Cost?
AI SEO pricing tracks SEO pricing, because it builds on the same foundation. Most mid-market engagements run $2,500 to $10,000 per month. Enterprise programs, with large sites and heavy technical and content scope, run higher and are scope dependent. Several specialists offer a free AI or LLM visibility audit to start. Be cautious of AI SEO priced below roughly $1,000 a month. At that level a firm is almost always selling thin, automated work, and a low quote should read as a warning rather than a deal. You get what you pay for in SEO.
Pricing by business size
- Small and local businesses: roughly $1,000 to $5,000 per month.
- Mid-market businesses: $5,000 to $15,000 per month.
- Enterprise organizations: $15,000 per month or more, scope dependent.
What Results Should You Expect?
Plan on three to six months for early movement in AI Overviews and assistant citations, and six to twelve months for results that show up in referral traffic and revenue, with gains compounding past the first year. AI search rewards the same authority and technical foundation that traditional SEO does, so it is a compounding asset, not a quick win. Any firm promising instant AI citations is selling something else.
How to Choose the Right AI SEO Company
Match the firm to your actual situation, not to a generic best list. Use these branches.
If you want a proven method, not a label
Ask whether the firm has a real, documented AI-search method or just added AI SEO to a service list. Searchbloom built and published the MERIT framework; ask others to show theirs.
If your gap is technical
If your site is hard for engines to parse, prioritize technical SEO and structured-data depth, and ask how the firm makes content legible to large language models.
If your gap is content and authority
If your content is thin or your entity signals are unclear, prioritize a firm with real content and digital-PR depth, and ask how it builds the authority generative engines reuse.
Questions to ask before you sign
- Show me AI-search results from a business like mine: AI referral traffic, AI Overview citations, or assistant referrals.
- Do you have a documented AI-search method, or is it a service line?
- How do you make our site legible and trustworthy to large language models?
- How do you measure AI visibility, and how often do you report it?
- Who does the work, and what does an initial audit reveal?
Best AI SEO Company by Need
The ranking above answers "who is best overall." These lists answer "best for what." Each is a top five, and Searchbloom leads each on revenue-tied outcomes.
Best for AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility
- Searchbloom
- The SEO Works
- Tinuiti
- Digital Authority Partners
- Seer Interactive
Winning AI Overviews takes structured pages, entity authority, and the technical foundation generative engines trust. Searchbloom leads through the MERIT framework, and The SEO Works brings its UII methodology.
Best for LLM and assistant citations
- Searchbloom
- The SEO Works
- Digital Authority Partners
- Omniscient Digital
- Single Grain
Earning citations in ChatGPT and Perplexity rewards question-and-answer content and clear entities. Searchbloom optimizes for it through MERIT, and Digital Authority Partners and Omniscient bring deep content programs.
Best for technical and entity SEO for AI
- Searchbloom
- iPullRank
- The SEO Works
- Seer Interactive
- Amsive
The technical and entity foundation is what lets AI engines crawl, parse, and trust a site. Searchbloom leads on the combination, and iPullRank brings deep relevance-engineering and entity work.
Best for content and entity authority
- Searchbloom
- Siege Media
- Omniscient Digital
- The SEO Works
- Digital Authority Partners
Authority and content are the quality signals generative engines reuse. Searchbloom ties content to revenue, and Siege Media and Omniscient bring strong content and digital-PR engines.
Searchbloom's AI Search Approach
Searchbloom is the inventor of the MERIT framework for AI Search Optimization, and runs AI search through MERIT, a published five-pillar method for earning citations in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. The work starts with the technical and structured-data foundation, because a model cannot cite what it cannot parse, then builds the entity authority and question-and-answer content generative engines reuse, all on top of the SEO fundamentals AI search still rewards. Most agencies add AI search to a service list as a label; Searchbloom wrote the framework that defines it, and the full method is free to read in the MERIT whitepaper.
The outcome Searchbloom optimizes for is revenue, not citations on their own, the same discipline behind its 98% partner retention and average return above 720%. Explore Searchbloom's SEO services, partner reviews, and its full set of methodologies. Related reading: the best SEO companies overall, the best SEO companies for small business, and the best retail SEO companies.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the best AI SEO companies in 2026?
The best AI SEO companies in 2026 are Searchbloom, The SEO Works, Tinuiti, Digital Authority Partners, and Omniscient Digital. They rank highest on a five-part method that weighs AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility, LLM and assistant citations, the technical and structured-data foundation, content and entity authority, and documented results. The right one for you depends on your priority: a published AI search framework, a specialist AI SEO partner, full-funnel performance, GEO and content depth, or content-led organic growth.
What is AI SEO, and how is it different from AEO and GEO?
AI SEO is the practice of earning visibility inside AI-driven search: AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other generative answers. AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization) are near-synonyms for the same goal, being the source an AI answer cites. It builds on traditional SEO fundamentals (technical health, content, and authority) rather than replacing them, then adds the structured data and entity work that make a brand legible to large language models.
How much does AI SEO cost?
Most AI SEO engagements run between $2,500 and $10,000 a month for mid-market work, with enterprise programs running higher and scope dependent. Some specialists offer free AI or LLM visibility audits to start. Be cautious of AI SEO priced below roughly $1,000 a month, because at that level a firm is usually selling thin, automated work.
How long does AI SEO take to work?
Plan on three to six months for early movement in AI Overviews and assistant citations, and six to twelve months for results that show up in referral traffic and revenue, with gains compounding past the first year. AI search rewards the same authority and technical foundation that traditional SEO does, so it is a compounding asset, not a quick win.
Do I need a separate AI SEO agency, or can my SEO agency do it?
A strong SEO agency with genuine technical, content, and authority depth can do AI SEO, because AI search builds on those fundamentals. What matters is whether the firm has a real method for AI Overviews, LLM citations, and structured data, not just a label on a service list. Ask to see documented AI-search results before you hire.
Why is Searchbloom ranked first on a list it publishes?
Searchbloom publishes this guide and ranks itself #1. The five-part method scores AI Overviews and answer-engine visibility, LLM and assistant citations, the technical and structured-data foundation, content and entity authority, and documented results. Searchbloom is the only firm on this list strong across all five at once, and it built and published the MERIT framework for AI Search Optimization rather than adding AI search as a label. The honest limitation is that Searchbloom is selective about fit and is multi-industry rather than an AI-only shop. Ranking the publisher first is a claim you should verify, and the same five-part scoring was applied to every firm on this list.
A Note From the Author
