10 Best AEO Agencies & Services in 2026 (Reviewed by a Real SEO Expert)
Table of Contents
Comparing the Most Reliable AEO Agencies of 2026
There is no hotter service for marketing agencies and specialists to sell right now than AEO (answer engine optimization). In other words, everyone in our industry has a strong incentive to sell you an AEO service.
Here’s the thing… there can’t actually be as many AEO experts as there are companies offering an AEO service. How can there be? While it’s rooted in SEO, AEO is a brand new marketing channel that’s evolving fast, only the 1% of SEO experts that have been specializing in AI or LLM visibility since 2024 have had time to gain the experience or case studies needed to consider themselves experts.
My biggest problem with the market today? The best AEO services are often the quietest, and also the most likely to undersell themselves.
That’s where I come in. Few people are more qualified to spotlight these top-tier marketers than myself. Most of my job involves working with marketing agencies, consultancies, and in-house teams focused on AEO. I frequently travel to SEO and AEO events to evaluate the services sponsoring and attending them (including SEO Week in NYC, Brighton SEO in San Diego, and international events like Search SEOul in South Korea).
In other words, I know which agencies are walking the walk and which ones are just talking the talk. I put this list together to spotlight the best agencies, consultants, and specialists offering AEO services.
How I vetted these AEO/GEO services
Every agency or service here meets the following minimum standards:
- Track record. They have a track record of SEO success, including case studies.
- I’ve personally reviewed their offering. They have an AEO strategy framework that has been manually reviewed by me for effectiveness.
- They report on AI visibility effectively. They offer customized AI visibility reports for clients, demonstrated expertise in AI search optimization, published case studies or results data, and brings something distinct to the table.
- They are specialized. Their service(s) are specialized for a particular use-case or niche.
Types of services included on this list
Similar to SEO, AEO services should be rooted in some combination of content marketing, digital PR, web optimization, and brand strategy. This list includes specific services specializing in one of those buckets, as well as “end-to-end” agencies that offer it all but specialize in a specific industry.
Should all AEO services include SEO deliverables?
AEO deliverables and SEO deliverables should look similar on paper. The strategies are similar but the tactics have changed and are rapidly evolving.
But some of the best AEO services aren’t advertised as AEO… for example, a digital PR firm that gets you mentioned on relevant websites in your industry will provide a massive AI visibility boost for you, but they may not know to tell you that.
How can an agency get included on this list?
Nobody gets on this list without being personally vetted by me and proving they meet the standards we covered earlier. Contact us here to request a review ->
Top 10 AEO and GEO Agencies (Comparison)
| Agency | Location | Best For | Starting Price | Key Stat |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sentic | Chicago, IL | B2B SaaS, E-Commerce, Hospitality | $3,500/mo | $10B+ in client sales |
| D3 | Ocean City, MD | SMBs, Home Services, Tourism | $500/mo | 30 years SEO experience |
| EWR Digital | Huston, TX | Oil & Gas, Enterprise, Regulated Industries | $4,000-$5,000/mo | Wrote the book on LLM Visibility |
| Foundation | Halifax, Canada | B2B and Enterprise Orgs | Custom (usually starts at $15,000/mo) | Several powerful SaaS case studies |
| Scratch Marketing + Media | Cambridge, MA | B2B Tech, AI Companies, Enterprise | $10,000/mo | 600+ media placements for a single client |
| Omaha SEO (Phil Belleville) | Omaha, NE | Local SEO, SMBs, Home Services, Legal | SEO retainer starting at $1,000/mo | 27 years SEO experience |
| iPullRank | New York, NY | Enterprise SEO, AI Search Research | Contact for pricing | 2025 Search Marketer of the Year |
| Kell Web Solutions | Laguna Beach, CA | Home Services, Contractors, Local Businesses | Contact for Pricing | 20+ years local market expertise |
| NewsroomPR | Los Angeles, CA | Law Firms, Trial Attorneys, Legal Experts | Contact for Pricing | Lawdragon Global 100, 4 years running |
| Directive | Irvine, CA | B2B SaaS, Technology, Enterprise | Contact for Pricing | $1B+ in client revenue generated |
Sentic: Best Growth Agency for Ecommerce and Hospitality
Overview
- Location: Chicago, IL
- Founded: 2016
- Employees: 11-25
- Best Services: SEO, AEO (with custom AI visibility dashboards for clients), Paid Media, Web Design for CRO, and Advanced Analytics Setup
- Strongest Industries: Travel/hospitality chains, E-commerce companies, B2B (SaaS or Industrial), and enterprise organizations
- Starting Price: $3,500/month retainer
Sentic is a fast, reliable, highly-technical growth marketing agency that excels in revenue generating digital channels like Google/Youtube Ads, SEO, and AEO Optimization. With over $10 billion in client sales generated and a dedicated team of specialists, the agency is led by Ben Otfinoski (CEO, 15+ years in agency operations & growth). Ben’s deep team includes Marcus O’Dell (Director of SEO/Analytics, 12 years in SEO, web dev, and unified analytics) and Brad Strickland (Sr. SEO Marketing Manager, 20 years in web development, SEO, and digital advertising).
What Makes Sentic Different?
I fell in love with Sentic on our first few calls for their competence, enthusiasm, and no-bullshit approach to digital marketing. Ben has built a deep team of performance marketers who understand performance ultimately means revenue generation.
Before recommending them here, I personally vetted Sentic for SEO and AEO services over the course of virtual consultations and an in-person workshop. As well as PPC and email marketing, over the course of several workshops, consultation calls, and in-person meetings. They’ve walked me through multiple examples of their initial reports, strategy frameworks, and deliverables for clients.
Here’s where I think they stand out the most:
- Performance marketers focused on revenue: They even have a proprietary North Star roadmap strategy framework with quarterly structured testing environments
- Deep analytics expertise: Marcus O’Dell, one of the most competent marketing analytics experts I’ve ever reviewed or worked with, leads Sentic’s analytics setup for clients. They excel at unified dashboards in their own UI or integrated into their client’s internal system.
- AI Visibility dashboards: Sentic’s analytics expertise is especially evident to SEO and AEO clients. Their custom AI visibility dashboards focus on LLM mention tracking, AI sentiment, and actual traffic and conversions from AI search.
- SEO and AEO strategy: Marcus O’Dell has been an upper-level SEO professional for nearly 15 years. Multiple other SEO specialists at Sentic have over eight years of experience and I’ve seen each of them deliver high-quality work.
- Deep technical competency: Sentic started as a software company before evolving into an agency. It’s no surprise they have a deep talent pool of experienced technical experts and engineers supporting their clients.
- PPC and email outreach: Strong competence in other revenue generating services, specifically PPC, email outreach, and CRO optimization for WordPress and Webflow websites.
I feel great about recommending Sentic because they are competent, they are fast, and they are consistent. I’ve now sent multiple friends looking for marketing services to them, and the results have been fantastic for everyone so far.
If they aren’t the right choice for you, they won’t pretend to be. But if you do work with them, you will be happy with the level of expertise and enthusiasm they bring to their work.
Industry Specialties
Sentic serves clients in a range of industries, but the majority of their experience and strongest results have been with:
- B2B services (SaaS and industrial)
- Ecommerce stores
- Travel and hospitality brands
Sentic is an ideal partner for B2B SaaS and technology companies ready to accelerate growth, e-commerce brands looking for data-driven performance marketing with advanced automation, and hospitality brands that need multi-channel strategies to capture guests at every stage of the booking journey.
Sentic is a G2 High Performer three years running (2024, 2025, 2026) with results that speak for themself.
Certifications: Google Partner, Meta Partner, HubSpot Partner, Shopify Partner, Amazon Partner, Klaviyo Partner, DataBox Partner, Cairrot Garden Partner.
Sentic Case Studies
LUMA Hotels
LUMA Hotels needed to capture guests across all stages of the booking journey in a competitive travel market. Sentic deployed a multi-channel strategy spanning PPC, Paid Social, Programmatic, and SEO, creating touchpoints from initial destination research through final booking. The integrated approach ensured LUMA appeared wherever potential guests were searching, comparing, or ready to book. The result was one of the most dramatic revenue increases in Sentic’s portfolio.
Key Impact: +445% YoY revenue growth
Ultra Game
Ultra Game, a retailer specializing in NBA and NFL licensed merchandise, had been selling exclusively on Amazon and wanted to build a direct-to-consumer channel. Sentic helped them launch a Shopify website from scratch and built the entire digital presence around driving owned traffic and conversions. The transition from marketplace dependency to an owned storefront required a ground-up approach to paid media, SEO, and site experience. The results proved that owning your channel changes the economics of e-commerce entirely.
Key Impact: 720% increase in net sales
Skydeo
Skydeo is a B2B data technology company that enables brands to reach high-intent consumers with precision. Sentic leveraged their proprietary AISEO framework to overhaul Skydeo’s organic strategy, focusing on technical SEO improvements, content architecture, and keyword targeting aligned with how B2B buyers actually search for data solutions. The engagement demonstrated that Sentic’s framework delivers results in technical B2B verticals, not just consumer-facing brands. Organic traffic more than tripled within the engagement period.
Key Impact: 257% increase in organic traffic
SAHARA Las Vegas
The SAHARA Las Vegas operates in the hyper-competitive Las Vegas hospitality market, where every major casino resort spends aggressively on digital advertising. Sentic focused on scaling bookings and revenue through paid social campaigns, targeting travelers at specific decision points in the booking journey. Competing against properties with significantly larger marketing budgets required precise audience targeting and creative optimization. Sentic delivered results that stand out even against the backdrop of Las Vegas’s most aggressive digital spenders.
Key Impact: 190% increase in revenue
Notable Figures
Ben Otfinoski is one of the brightest young leaders in the agency space. He’s worked in marketing for 10+ years and has rubbed shoulders with some of the biggest names in demand generation like Michael King (iPullRank). He is agency owner that other agency owners ask for advice. I am proud to do business with him and call him a friend.
Final Thoughts on Sentic
Sentic is a driven, results-obsessed agency that genuinely cares. Think less buttoned-up consultant, more elite performance team.
I was surprised at how many clients they serve and how dialed-in their processes were. They are delivering great results for SEO and AEO clients, as well as adjacent demand gen services, with a consistency I only see from specialized agencies.
Their combination of predictive automation built over a decade, a rapidly growing AEO and analytics service, and the North Star roadmap framework makes them one of the most interesting agencies in the AI search space. For established brands that want an embedded performance team rather than a distant vendor, Sentic is a strong choice. Their latest thinking on where search is headed is worth reading in their SEO in 2026 article.
D3 Corp: Best Local SEO Agency for Combined Marketing Channels
Overview
- Location: Ocean City, MD and Salisbury, MD
- Founded: 1995
- Employees: 26-50
- Services: SEO, AEO/GEO, PPC/Paid Media, Content Marketing, Social Media, Web Design & Development, CRO, Email Marketing, PR/Digital PR, Analytics, Brand Strategy, Video/Creative Production, Mobile App Development, Website Management & Hosting
- Starting Price: $500/month (no minimum budgets)
D3 is a cutting-edge digital marketing agency that bridges the gap between traditional marketing and the future of Answer and Generative Engine Optimization. They don’t just build websites; they engineer custom AI tools, high-performance application development, and specialized web solutions designed to ensure your brand is the definitive answer in AI-driven discovery. Their 360-degree approach integrates website design, digital advertising, social marketing, and elite SEO with in-house multimedia production. The agency is led by John Gehrig (President, 30 years digital marketing and SEO experience) and Jay Bosley (COO, 17 years of digital marketing and business solutions).
D3 is an ideal partner for small and medium businesses in the Mid-Atlantic region that need a full-service marketing department without the overhead, home services and hospitality brands looking to dominate local search and AI visibility, and businesses of any size that want a no-contract, low-risk entry point into professional AEO services.
Key Differentiators
- No minimum budgets, plans for clients of all sizes
- No long term contracts / cancel anytime / keeps interests aligned
- Full in-house team of 35 professionals, not outsourced; personal relationships that know a client’s voice and brand
- AEO blueprint for content development using Cairrot’s methodologies
- Incredible mix of digital and print services to support local SEO and AEO
D3 Corp Case Studies
Boardwalk Hotel Group
Boardwalk Hotel Group is the premier owner of Howard Johnson and Days Inn brand hotels on the Ocean City, MD boardwalk, operating three iconic oceanfront properties. D3 delivered a comprehensive digital strategy covering custom website design, SEO, and digital advertising to drive direct bookings in one of the most competitive seasonal hospitality markets on the East Coast. The engagement required balancing brand identity across multiple hotel properties while creating a unified booking experience. D3’s approach integrated visual storytelling with conversion-focused web architecture.
Key Impact: Comprehensive digital presence driving direct bookings across 3 oceanfront properties
IDEC Elevator Products
IDEC Elevator Products wanted a modern, interactive way for customers to design and visualize elevator cabs before ordering. D3 created a Custom Cab Configurator that allows users to customize every detail, from wall panels to handrails, and view results in real time. The tool was built for flexibility and ease of management, empowering IDEC to update product options independently. This project showcases D3’s application development capabilities beyond traditional marketing, delivering a sales tool that also functions as a premium digital experience.
Key Impact: Custom interactive configurator driving pre-order engagement and sales conversion
Somerset Count Tourism
Somerset County Tourism represents one of Maryland’s most authentic waterfront destinations along the Eastern Shore, known for cultural heritage, outdoor adventure, signature festivals, and coastal charm. D3 built the complete digital experience for the destination, combining website design, content strategy, and in-house multimedia production including photography and video. The project required capturing the character of a less-traveled region and translating it into a digital presence that inspires visits. D3’s integrated approach (strategy, design, content, and production under one roof) made this a seamless execution.
Key Impact: Full destination brand and digital presence for one of Maryland’s premier waterfront regions
Visiting Angels Eastern Shore, MD
Visiting Angels Eastern Shore, MD is an in-home caregiving service offering compassionate, personalized care for seniors on the Delmarva peninsula. D3 built their digital presence to reach families searching for senior care in a vertical where trust and local visibility are everything. The engagement covered web design, content strategy, and local SEO to position Visiting Angels as the go-to provider in the region. In a category where the decision-maker is often an adult child researching care options for a parent, the content and site experience had to communicate credibility and warmth simultaneously.
Key Impact: Established as the dominant local provider for in-home senior care on the Delmarva peninsula
Final Thoughts on D3
D3 is the agency on this list that most small business owners can actually afford and start with immediately. A 30-year track record, 35 in-house professionals, no contracts, and a $500/month starting point is a combination you don’t see often in the AEO space. Their community integration across multiple regional chambers and tourism boards on the Delmarva peninsula means they’re embedded in the local business ecosystem, not just marketing to it. For SMBs in home services, hospitality, tourism, or local government, D3 is worth a conversation. Check out their ID3AS blog for ongoing marketing insights and their video portfolio to see their in-house production work.
Certifications: Google Partner, SEMRush Partner, Meta Partner, Shopify Expert, WordPress Expert, WooCommerce Specialist, YouTube Certified, AWS Partner, Adobe Certified, Cairrot Partner.
Recognition: Maryland Tourism Coalition Small Business of the Year, Maryland Tourism Coalition Award for “Best Website.”
EWR Digital: Best SEO/AEO Consultancy for Regulated Industries
Overview
- Location: Houston, TX (serving clients nationally)
- Founded: 1999
- Employees: 11-25
- Services: SEO, AEO/GEO, Content Marketing, Web Design & Development, PR/Digital PR/Link Building, Analytics, PPC/Paid Media, CRO, Brand Strategy, Video/Creative Production
- Starting Price: $4,000-$5,000/month floor
EWR Digital is a digital strategy and revenue growth firm helping capital-intensive organizations, particularly in Oil & Gas, build AI-driven marketing and lead generation systems that produce measurable, auditable growth. The firm specializes in LLM visibility, enterprise search, and revenue operations for regulated industries where decision accuracy and digital credibility directly impact business outcomes. EWR Digital is led by Matt Bertram, host of The Best SEO Podcast (5M+ downloads) and featured contributor for Forbes Council, Entrepreneur Leadership Network, and Search Engine Journal.
EWR Digital is a perfect partner for Oil & Gas and energy companies that need an agency with deep operational understanding of the industry, regulated industries (legal, healthcare, financial services) requiring governance-grade AI visibility, and capital-intensive organizations with $25M-$500M in revenue that need enterprise-level digital strategy without Big 4 consulting pricing.
Key Differentiators
- Wrote the book on LLM Visibility: LLM Visibility: Decision-Grade AI-Mediated Discovery (available on Amazon)
- Only digital agency with a Certified AI Auditor on staff serving Oil & Gas
- 15 years of operating history inside Oil & Gas before ever running a campaign, placed 200+ executives and engineers
- Proprietary LLM Visibility Stack™ and registered Digital Information Governance® methodology (Reg. #8147558)
Industry Specialties
EWR Digital is the agency most associated with oil, gas, and energy sector companies. However, they have strong experience with other high-regulation industries like law firms, financial companies, and medical services.
EWR Digital Case Studies
Industrial B2B Client
EWR Digital delivered a comprehensive SEO and lead generation strategy for an industrial B2B client that had been underperforming in organic search. The campaign focused on technical SEO, content strategy, and conversion optimization tailored to the complex buying cycles typical of industrial manufacturing. The volume of new qualified leads generated was so significant that the client had to open an additional facility to handle the increased capacity. When your marketing agency’s work requires your client to build a new building, the ROI conversation is settled.
Key Impact: 90% increase in qualified leads | New facility opened to handle demand
Authority Rebuilt from Near Zero
After taking over from an underperforming SEO agency, EWR Digital inherited a site with severely damaged authority and minimal organic visibility. The team executed a complete rebuild of the site’s SEO foundation, including technical audits, content restructuring, authority building, and strategic link development. Within six months, the turnaround was dramatic by any industry standard. This case study demonstrates EWR Digital’s ability to diagnose inherited problems and execute at speed.
Key Impact: 1,887% increase in organic clicks | 2,041% increase in impressions | 6-month turnaround
Service-Sector Paid Media
EWR Digital developed and executed a paid media strategy for a service-sector client focused on generating net campaign income rather than just leads or impressions. The campaign was built around financial modeling and first-party attribution, connecting every dollar spent to revenue generated. The precision of the targeting and the quality of the creative resulted in one of the highest documented ROI figures in EWR Digital’s portfolio. This is the kind of result that changes how a client thinks about marketing as an investment rather than a cost.
Key Impact: $335,709 in net campaign income | 1,125% ROI
The Best SEO Podcast
While not a traditional client case study, The Best SEO Podcast is one of the most effective long-term content marketing assets any agency has built. Hosted by Matt Bertram, the podcast has accumulated over 5 million downloads and established EWR Digital as a recognized authority in SEO and AI visibility. The podcast consistently features discussions on LLM visibility, AI governance, and enterprise search strategy, attracting an audience of senior marketing leaders and executives. It serves as both a thought leadership platform and a client acquisition channel.
Key Impact: 5M+ downloads | Established EWR Digital as a recognized authority in AI search
Final Thoughts on EWR Digital
EWR Digital is the most specialized agency on this list. If you’re an Oil & Gas company, an industrial manufacturer, or a regulated enterprise that needs AI visibility built on governance-grade infrastructure, EWR Digital is probably the only agency in the market that can deliver at this depth.
The combination of a published book, a registered methodology, a Certified AI Auditor, and 15 years of industry operating history creates a moat most agencies can’t cross. Their AEO tracking tool comparison and agency AEO reporting guide are two of the most referenced resources in the AEO space. They also host the Oil and Gas Sales & Marketing Podcast for industry-specific thought leadership.
Important note: EWR Digital is a digital strategy and AI governance firm that includes SEO as a capability, not an identity. They operate nationally with a vertical focus on Oil & Gas and regulated industries.
Certifications: Google Partner, AMA, IAPP, BBB, Goldman Sachs 10K Small Business Alumni, Cairrot Partner.
Recognition: Clutch Global Award Winner, Clutch Top 1000, AMA Crystal Award Winner (x5), Hermes Creative Award.
Schedule a visibility diagnostic with EWR Digital →
Foundation: Most Complete AEO/GEO Agency with Reddit + YouTube Services
Overview
- Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia (Remote team serving global clients)
- Founded: 2014
- Employees: 11-50 (lean, high-output team)
- Services: Generative Engine Optimization (GEO), SEO, Content Strategy & Creation, Reddit Marketing, YouTube Strategy & Distribution, Content Distribution, AI Marketing, CRO
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing (project and retainer-based)
Foundation is a distribution-first content marketing agency that helps ambitious B2B SaaS and tech brands create content that ranks in traditional search, gets discovered by AI engines, and performs in communities like Reddit and on YouTube.
Foundation is an ideal partner for B2B SaaS and technology companies that want a true end-to-end AEO/GEO engine, not just content or backlinks, but content that lives and performs across the platforms where buyers and LLMs actually spend time.
Key Differentiators
- The most complete AEO/GEO offering on this list, combining website optimization, content creation, and full-funnel distribution across Reddit and YouTube
- By far my favorite Reddit marketing service for established B2B brands
- Deep expertise in turning Reddit threads and YouTube content into pipeline while optimizing for LLM visibility
Foundation Case Studies
Audience Intelligence SaaS
Foundation audited the agency’s existing blog structure, content, and distribution efforts and conducted an in-depth competitor and industry analysis to understand the behavior of their qualified target audience, their competitors, and the overall trends within the e-commerce space. These insights formed the foundation for a content strategy roadmap.
By leveraging content creation, repurposing existing content, and altering distribution Foundation was able drive more leads and improve SEO performance.
Mobile App Agency
Foundation delivered a 133% increase in inbound leads and 1,050% increase in organic traffic through SEO + content.
Foundation’s objective was to increase organic search user acquisition through content creation and optimization. They achieved this by building a content hub around search-focused content on our partner’s offerings and adjacent content topics that were most likely to attract ICPs.
- Build a content hub, with pillar pages and articles that cover content on their offerings and adjacent content topics.
- Optimize content that already exists, covering topics within each hub to align the page with the proper target keywords and maximize internal linking.
- Begin ongoing link-building outreach to create domain authority separation between them and their competitors.
Ecommerce Ad Agency
Generated 189% YoY increase in organic closed-won deals (104 deals) via consistent content distribution playbooks.
Foundation used insights directly gained from surveying over 1,000 people in the brand’s target audience, along with user testing the product and conducting independent secondary research.
They combined our research and delivered a robust launch playbook, complete with recommendations on how to launch on Product Hunt, conduct outreach with influencers, engage on social media, and best leverage various other online communities.
And completed the initial strategy developing a complete digital marketing strategy that included specific goals and recommendations across relevant digital channels.
Notable Figures
Ross Simmonds (Founder & CEO) is one of the sharpest thinkers in content distribution and modern B2B marketing I’ve come across. I first watched him present at SEO Week and was genuinely impressed by his data-driven take on how Reddit and multi-channel distribution feed into AI visibility. He’s the author of Create Once, Distribute Forever, has generated hundreds of millions of organic visits for clients, and has spoken at events like MozCon, SearchLove, and more. Ross isn’t just a founder who delegates — he’s deeply in the trenches on strategy, SEO, Reddit, and AI.
Meghan McKenzie (VP of Growth) is the standout operator who took my impression from “solid” to “this team is special.” After spending several hours with her, it’s clear she brings serious enterprise-grade rigor to growth, sales, and execution. With 15+ years leading enterprise sales and account strategy, she oversees new business and client growth at Foundation while making sure the Reddit and YouTube playbooks actually deliver pipeline. She’s calm, sharp, and relentlessly focused on measurable results.
Together, Ross and Meghan have built something rare: a team that truly understands how content moves through human communities and AI systems at the same time.
Final Thoughts on Foundation
Foundation stands out as the most complete AEO/GEO service on this list because they don’t stop at website optimization and traditional SEO. They’ve written the playbook on Reddit for B2B brands and bring serious YouTube/distribution firepower that actually moves pipeline.
Ross and Meghan’s team understands that AI visibility isn’t just about feeding LLMs clean content, it’s about building authentic presence across the platforms that shape both human conversations and AI training data. If you’re a B2B brand ready to treat Reddit and YouTube as first-class channels in your AEO strategy (while still crushing search and GEO), Foundation is one of the strongest options available right now.
Certifications/Recognition: Named to the Clutch 100 (fastest-growing B2B service companies), Culture 100 (one of Canada’s top companies to work for).
Scratch Marketing + Media: Most Reliable AEO Consultancy for B2B SaaS
Overview
- Location: Cambridge, MA (Remote only, serving clients globally)
- Founded: 2009
- Employees: 26-50
- Services: SEO, AEO/GEO, Content Marketing, Social Media, Web Design & Development, Email Marketing, PR/Digital PR/Link Building, Brand Strategy
- Starting Price: $10,000/month minimum retainer
Scratch Marketing + Media is a fully integrated B2B tech agency that helps complex technologies achieve market visibility, credibility, and growth. The firm specializes in positioning, go-to-market strategy, and full-funnel execution across PR, ABM, content, and digital experiences. Scratch is known for turning deep technical expertise into compelling narratives that drive adoption. Their AI Visibility Buyer’s Guide provides a comprehensive framework for evaluating AEO tools and strategies, and their Agentic Answer-Led GTM methodology reimagines B2B go-to-market around how AI systems discover and recommend brands. The agency is led by Lora Kratchounova (CEO, 20+ years experience, Forbes and CMSWire contributor, Techstars mentor).
Scratch is an ideal partner for B2B SaaS and enterprise technology companies launching or repositioning complex products, AI-native companies that need an agency fluent in the technology they’re selling, and climate tech and infrastructure companies that need to build category leadership from zero visibility.
Key Differentiators
- Deep specialization in complex B2B tech (AI, cloud, infrastructure, cybersecurity, climate tech)
- Integrated “brand to pipeline” execution model
- Digital Authority framework that ties positioning directly to visibility and revenue
- Answer-Led GTM methodology launched in 2026
Scratch Marketing + Media Content Highlights
Enterprise AI Infrastructure Company
Scratch elevated an enterprise AI infrastructure company from low visibility to category leadership through a sustained, integrated PR and content campaign. The team secured 300+ tier 1 and trade media placements, including consistent coverage in CNBC, Bloomberg, and Harvard Business Review. This established the client as a leading voice in enterprise AI adoption, a positioning outcome that directly feeds AI search visibility because LLMs prioritize brands with strong, authoritative media presence. The campaign demonstrated that PR-driven authority building is upstream AEO work.
Key Impact: 300+ tier 1 and trade media placements | Category leadership achieved from low visibility
Hyperscaler and Alternative Positioning
Scratch repositioned a global cloud platform from niche provider to credible hyperscaler alternative, competing against the biggest names in cloud infrastructure. The campaign drove 600+ total media placements and secured 100+ analyst inclusions across all three major firms: Gartner, Forrester, and IDC. When your brand is cited in analyst reports from all three major firms, AI engines take notice. This is the kind of authority-building work that creates durable citation signals across every LLM.
Key Impact: 600+ media placements | 100+ analyst inclusions (Gartner, Forrester, IDC) | Repositioned from niche to hyperscaler alternative
Share of Voice Breakthrough
Scratch built sustained brand momentum for a cybersecurity startup entering a crowded market dominated by entrenched incumbents. Through integrated PR, original research publications, and rapid-response thought leadership on breaking security news, the team moved the client’s share of voice from less than 1% to over 10%. The campaign also drove a 3x increase in website traffic. This result proves that a focused agency can move share of voice dramatically even against larger, better-funded competitors.
Key Impact: Share of voice from <1% to 10%+ | 3x increase in website traffic
Answer-Led GTM
In 2026, Scratch launched their Agentic Answer-Led GTM methodology, a strategic framework that reimagines B2B go-to-market around how AI systems discover, interpret, and recommend brands. Backed by original research published in their Generative Journey report, the methodology challenges the traditional content library model and proposes a new architecture for B2B buyer engagement. This isn’t a client case study in the traditional sense, but a demonstration of Scratch’s investment in building the intellectual frameworks that define where AEO intersects with enterprise B2B strategy.
Key Impact: New methodology launched | Original research report published | Redefining B2B GTM for the AI era
Notable Figures
Laura Kratchounova is one of the more intelligent, effective, and easy-to-work with marketing leaders I know in the SaaS marketing space. She’s gracious and pleasant to work with, but she’s laser focused on what actually works and doesn’t like to be taken off track… that’s my kind of marketer!
While vetting Yavor Trampov, I determined he is not only highly competent technically, he has a solid understanding of how impactful different SEO/AEO actions will be, meaning he can advise how to prioritize your actions even if you’re an enterprise brand with dozens or hundreds of optimization opportunities.
Final Thoughts on Scratch
Scratch is easily one of my top two recommended consultancies for B2B SaaS companies. Where other agencies focus on tracking and content optimization, Scratch builds the brand authority and media presence that feeds AI visibility at the foundation level. LLMs don’t cite brands in a vacuum. They cite brands that show up across analyst reports, tier 1 media, and research publications. Scratch manufactures that authority systematically. Their 2026 investment in the Answer-Led GTM methodology and their original research on the generative B2B buyer journey shows they’re rethinking go-to-market around AI discovery, not just adding AEO to an existing PR playbook. Their blog covers category leadership in AI search and why content libraries are becoming obsolete.
Affiliations: NEVCA (New England Venture Capital Association), Techstars.
iPullRank: Best Content Strategy Agency for Midsize and Enterprise Orgs
Overview
- Location: New York, NY
- Founded: 2012
- Employees: 25-50
- Services: Relevance Engineering, AI Search Strategy, Content Strategy & Marketing, Technical SEO, Generative AI, Content Engineering
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing
iPullRank is an enterprise SEO, content strategy, and AI search agency that has done more to advance the technical understanding of AI search than arguably any other agency in the industry. Founded by Mike King, iPullRank consults with enterprise and mid-market companies including SAP, American Express, HSBC, and Nordstrom. Mike’s work on query fan-out, Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), and AI Mode optimization has directly shaped how the industry thinks about AI search. The agency also houses Garrett Sussman (Director of Marketing), who hosts The SEO Weekly and whose research on cognitive bias in LLM outputs has influenced practitioners globally.
iPullRank is an ideal partner for enterprise brands that need an agency operating at the intersection of technical SEO, AI retrieval systems, and content strategy at scale, and for mid-market companies that want the same caliber of thinking applied to their organic growth.
Key Differentiators
- Coined the term “Relevance Engineering” to describe a new, more technical discipline of SEO for the AI era
- Mike King named 2025 Search Marketer of the Year by Search Engine Land
- Founded SEO Week, one of the most important technical SEO conferences in the world
- Published The AI Search Manual, a multi-chapter resource on measurement frameworks and brand performance in AI search
- Delivered $4B+ in organic search results for clients
iPullRank Case Studies
Financial Services Industry
iPullRank worked with a financial services company to improve visibility across both traditional search and emerging AI search surfaces. The engagement focused on Relevance Engineering principles, restructuring content architecture to align with how AI retrieval systems evaluate and cite sources. The case study demonstrates iPullRank’s ability to apply their proprietary methodology to regulated industries where content accuracy and authority are non-negotiable.
Key Impact: AI search visibility improvement in a regulated financial services vertical
Mortgage Industry
iPullRank applied their Relevance Engineering framework to a mortgage industry client, focusing on aligning content with the semantic patterns that both traditional search engines and AI systems use to evaluate authority in financial services. The mortgage industry is highly competitive in organic search, with major aggregators and lenders dominating the landscape. iPullRank’s approach focused on technical SEO, content restructuring, and authority signals to break through against larger competitors.
Key Impact: Improved organic performance in one of the most competitive search verticals in financial services
eCommerce Marketplace
iPullRank worked with an eCommerce marketplace to improve organic visibility and conversion across a large product catalog. The engagement combined technical SEO at scale, content strategy for product and category pages, and audience-focused optimization aligned with how shoppers actually search and compare products. For marketplace businesses managing thousands of product listings, scalable SEO architecture is the difference between incremental growth and category dominance.
Key Impact: Scalable SEO architecture applied to a large eCommerce product catalog
Telecom Industry
iPullRank engaged with a telecommunications company to improve organic search performance in an industry where technical content, complex service offerings, and competitive keyword landscapes create unique SEO challenges. The Relevance Engineering methodology was applied to restructure how the telecom brand’s content was organized, indexed, and presented to both traditional search engines and emerging AI surfaces. Telecom is a vertical where content needs to serve both consumer-facing simplicity and technical buyer depth simultaneously.
Key Impact: Organic performance improvement in a complex, multi-audience telecom vertical
Final Thoughts on iPullRank
iPullRank coined the term “Relevance Engineering” and has done more to advance the technical understanding of AI search than arguably any other agency in the industry. Founded by Mike King, the 2025 Search Engine Land Search Marketer of the Year, iPullRank consults with enterprise brands including SAP, American Express, and HSBC. Their AI Search Manual covers measurement frameworks, content resonance, and brand performance in AI search. Mike’s patent analyses on Search Engine Land are required reading, and SEO Week, the conference he founded, returns in April 2026. For enterprise brands at the intersection of technical SEO and AI retrieval systems, iPullRank sets the standard.
iPullRank sets the standard for technical depth in SEO and AI search. Mike King’s patent analyses on Search Engine Land are required reading for enterprise SEOs, and The AI Search Manual is the closest thing the industry has to an operating guide for AI visibility. SEO Week returned in April 2026 and was a productive event for Cairrot. The agency’s upcoming book, The Science of SEO from Wiley Publishing, will further cement their position. For enterprise brands that need the most technically rigorous AI search strategy available, iPullRank is the agency to benchmark against.
Affiliations: NEVCA (New England Venture Capital Association), Techstars.
Recognition: 2025 Search Engine Land Search Marketer of the Year, $4B+ in organic search results delivered.
Omaha SEO: Most Reliable Local AEO Expert for Small Businesses
Overview
- Location: Omaha, NE
- Founded: 2010
- Employees: Small team (boutique agency)
- Services: Local SEO, AEO/GEO, WordPress Optimization, Content Marketing, Web Design, AI Visibility Tracking, AEO Tool Evaluation
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing
Omaha SEO is the agency behind some of the most detailed, unbiased AEO tool evaluations published anywhere online. Founded by Phil Belleville, a 27-year SEO veteran who built his first top-ranked website in 1995, the agency specializes in local search optimization and AI visibility for small and mid-size businesses. Phil’s hands-on reviews of every major AEO platform have become go-to resources for agency owners deciding which tools to adopt. He also operates WordPress Dynamics, which focuses on WordPress performance optimization and AEO for WordPress sites. Phil’s multi-agency background gives him real-world exposure to what works for local businesses across different markets, from contractors and plumbers to personal injury attorneys.
Omaha SEO is an ideal partner for small and mid-size businesses in home services and legal verticals that need practical, results-focused local SEO and AEO, and for agency owners looking for honest tool evaluations from someone who actually runs client campaigns on the platforms they review.
Key Differentiators
- Published the most thorough, practitioner-led AEO tool evaluations on the internet in 2026
- 27 years of hands-on SEO expertise, starting from the AOL era
- Operates two complementary brands: Omaha SEO (local SEO and AEO services) and WordPress Dynamics (WordPress performance and AEO optimization)
- One of the most engaged and accessible voices in the SEO community on LinkedIn
- Active Cairrot user with published reviews demonstrating real platform usage
Omaha SEO Case Studies
Best AI Visibility Tools for WordPress
Through WordPress Dynamics, Phil published a comparison of the best AI visibility tools specifically for WordPress websites, addressing the unique needs of small businesses running on the WordPress ecosystem. The guide evaluates tools based on WordPress compatibility, ease of installation, AEO tracking capabilities, and value for small and mid-size businesses. For WordPress site owners entering the AEO space for the first time, this is one of the most practical starting points available.
Key Impact: WordPress-specific AEO tool guide | Targeted at small businesses and solo operators
9 Best AEO Trackers Comparison
Phil published a comprehensive comparison of the top 9 AEO tracking tools for marketers and agencies, covering Cairrot, Peec AI, Scrunch AI, Gumshoe AI, Semrush AI Toolkit, and others. Each tool was evaluated on multi-LLM coverage, agency features, pricing, API access, and practical usability. The comparison has become one of the go-to resources for agency owners deciding which AEO platform to adopt. It demonstrates Omaha SEO’s position as a trusted, unbiased voice in the AEO tool ecosystem.
Key Impact: Go-to resource for AEO tool selection | 9 tools compared with detailed feature analysis
Scrunch AI Review
Phil’s detailed evaluation of Scrunch AI covers pricing, features, the Agent Experience Platform (AXP), and a direct comparison against competitors like Cairrot. The review identifies both strengths (technical depth, JavaScript rendering analysis) and weaknesses (steep pricing jumps, complexity requiring developer resources) with the honesty that has become Phil’s trademark. For enterprise teams evaluating Scrunch AI, this review provides the practitioner perspective that vendor marketing materials never include.
Key Impact: 3,000+ word evaluation | Pricing breakdown | Direct competitor comparison
AI Visibility Tools for WordPress Websites
Phil Belleville conducted one of the most comprehensive, hands-on AEO tool evaluations published online. The Cairrot evaluation covers multi-LLM tracking, competitor heatmaps, AI bot crawl logging, white-label reporting, API access, and pricing in a 3,000+ word review with real screenshots and honest assessments. The review has been referenced by multiple other publications and agencies as a primary resource for teams evaluating AEO platforms. This kind of transparent, practitioner-led evaluation is rare in a space dominated by affiliate-driven listicles.
Key Impact: One of the most-referenced AEO tool reviews online | Real screenshots, honest assessments
Final Thoughts on Omaha SEO
Omaha SEO occupies a unique position in the AEO ecosystem. While most agencies on this list focus on executing AEO for clients, Phil has also become one of the industry’s most trusted evaluators of the tools that make AEO execution possible. His reviews of Cairrot, Peec AI, Gumshoe AI, and Scrunch AI aren’t affiliate-driven listicles. They’re 3,000+ word evaluations from someone who runs real client campaigns on the platforms he reviews. His Best 15 SEO and AEO Experts to Follow on LinkedIn is another strong resource. For small businesses that need an agency that will actually pick up the phone, and for agency owners looking for honest tool guidance, Omaha SEO is the real deal.
Certifications: Cairrot Partner.
Newsroom PR: Most Effective Legal PR Agency for SEO and AEO
Overview
- Location: Los Angeles, CA | Phoenix, AZ | Seattle, WA | Puerto Vallarta, MX (serving clients nationally)
- Founded: 2015
- Employees: 10-20
- Services: Legal PR, Litigation PR, Crisis Management, Media Training, Earned Media, Social Media, Business Development, Marketing, News Features, LLM Visibility for Law Firms, Spanish-Language Legal PR
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing (retainer and project-based engagements)
Newsroom PR is a legal and litigation public relations firm that operates more like a newsroom than a marketing agency. Founded by Howard Breuer, a former journalist for The New York Times, Reuters, and People Magazine, the firm specializes in earned media, crisis communications, and attorney thought leadership. Their national team includes former reporters and editors from NBC, The Associated Press, CBS, CNN, and The Daily Journal. What makes Newsroom PR relevant for an AEO list is their early and public articulation of the connection between earned media credibility signals and AI citation behavior. Howard’s April 2026 article in The Recorder (via Law.com) laid out the case that LLMs prioritize professionals who appear repeatedly in serious, reported coverage. The firm is led by Howard Breuer (Founder) and Brian Skoloff (CEO, former Associated Press videographer and editor with 20+ years of experience).
Newsroom PR is an ideal partner for trial attorneys and litigation firms that need high-visibility press coverage on active cases, law firms building thought leadership that want their attorneys positioned as go-to expert sources, and legal experts who understand that earned media is now one of the strongest signals LLMs use when recommending attorneys.
Key Differentiators
- Team of former journalists from The New York Times, Reuters, People, NBC, The Associated Press, CBS, and CNN
- Only legal PR firm in Southern California named to Lawdragon’s Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting (four consecutive years: 2022, 2023, 2024, 2025)
- Pioneering LLM visibility strategy for attorneys, combining earned media with AI discoverability audits
- Spanish-language legal PR operation for bilingual attorneys on Telemundo, Univision, and other outlets
Specialties
Newsroom PR is 100% focused on lawyers and legal services. They do not provide content optimization or technical AEO services, they handle the digital PR that gives your name and business authority in the eyes of your potential customers and search algorithms.
Newsroom PR Case Studies
West Coast Trial Lawyers Earn 231 Placements in One Month
Newsroom PR secured 231 earned media placements for West Coast Trial Lawyers in a single month (March), with coverage spanning national news, business, and entertainment outlets. This volume of earned media in a 30-day period demonstrates the firm’s capacity to generate sustained, high-frequency press coverage. Each placement builds the kind of authority signals that AI engines weigh heavily when recommending legal experts. The campaign contributed to Newsroom PR’s recognition on the Lawdragon Global 100 list.
Key Impact: 231 earned media placements in a single month | National, business, and entertainment coverage
Rust Shooting Legal Analysis
Within the first three months after the Rust shooting, Newsroom PR secured over 73 print and broadcast placements for their legal analysts providing expert commentary on the case. The rapid response and volume of placements demonstrated Newsroom PR’s ability to mobilize their journalist network on breaking news. During this period, a prominent Los Angeles civil rights attorney (not affiliated with Newsroom PR at the time) was so impressed by the quality and volume of coverage that they became a client based solely on what they observed.
Key Impact: 73+ placements in 3 months | Client acquisition driven by visible campaign performance
LLM Visibility for Lawyers
In early 2026, Newsroom PR formally expanded its service offering to include LLM visibility strategy for attorneys. Howard Breuer’s article in The Recorder (via Law.com) laid out the connection between earned media credibility signals and how AI systems recommend legal experts. The firm now conducts AI discoverability audits, measures attorney ranking across ChatGPT and Perplexity, and designs earned media campaigns to improve AI citation signals. This positions Newsroom PR as the first legal PR firm to explicitly tie earned media strategy to AI search outcomes.
Key Impact: First legal PR firm offering LLM visibility strategy | AI discoverability audits for attorneys
Building Attorney Authority in the AI Era
Newsroom PR published a detailed outline of their expanded methodology for building attorney authority as AI reshapes legal marketing. The piece explains how earned media, still one of the clearest public markers of credibility, is now heavily weighted by AI systems. A feature tied to a high-profile trial doesn’t just impress peers. It trains AI engines to recognize and recommend that attorney. The firm’s approach combines traditional litigation PR with structured authority-building designed for LLM consumption.
Key Impact: Methodology published | Earned media reframed as an AI visibility strategy for legal professionals
Final Thoughts on Newsroom PR
Newsroom PR isn’t a traditional AEO agency, and that’s exactly why they belong on this list. They’ve identified the upstream lever that most digital agencies miss: LLMs don’t cite brands in a vacuum. They cite brands that show up across authoritative, journalist-sourced media. A quote in a respected publication trains AI engines to recognize and recommend that attorney. Newsroom PR manufactures those signals systematically, with a team that spent decades inside the newsrooms that produce the coverage. Their PR for Attorneys site, Howard’s writing on AI search and legal marketing, and the firm’s ongoing campaign highlights demonstrate a practice that is actively evolving with the AI search landscape. For law firms that understand visibility starts before the click, Newsroom PR is the team to talk to.
Recognition: Lawdragon Global 100 Leaders in Legal Strategy and Consulting (2022, 2023, 2024, 2025), DesignRush Top 500.
Kell Web Solutions: Trustworthy Local AEO Expert in Southern California
Overview
- Location: Laguna Beach, CA (serving Orange County and surrounding areas)
- Founded: 2001
- Employees: Small team (boutique agency)
- Services: Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), Local SEO, Web Design, AI-Powered Content Marketing, Profit Acceleration, Hyper Local Authority Building, Web Hosting, Business Development
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing (tiered AEO packages available including AEO Elite and Signal AEO)
Kell Web Solutions is an Orange County marketing firm that has made Answer Engine Optimization the centerpiece of its service offering. Founded in 2001 by Gregg Kell, the firm has spent over two decades helping local businesses, particularly home service contractors, remodelers, and trades professionals, build online visibility and generate leads. What makes Kell Solutions relevant for this list is their early and decisive pivot to AEO. While many agencies are still adding “AI” as a checkbox to existing SEO services, Kell Solutions has rebuilt its entire service architecture around the reality that customers now ask full questions in AI-powered tools rather than typing short keywords into Google. The agency is led by Gregg Kell (President, MS in Technology and BBA in Economics from ETSU) and Debbie Kell (Co-founder and Creative Director). Gregg also published The Invisible Expert, a book on AEO strategy for business owners.
Kell Web Solutions is an ideal partner for home service contractors and trades businesses in Orange County that need a local marketing partner who understands the market, local service businesses navigating the shift to AI search that want an AEO-first strategy, and small businesses looking for an accountable growth partner through the revenue-sharing GrowthShare model.
Key Differentiators
- 20+ years of deep expertise in Orange County’s local market dynamics
- AEO-first positioning with a fully built service architecture around Answer Engine Optimization
- Revenue-sharing model (GrowthShare Performance CMO) that aligns agency incentives with client outcomes
- AI-powered business tools including voice agents, AI calendar, and call center solutions
Kell Web Solutions Case Studies
Orange County Home Service Contractors
Kell Web Solutions works primarily with home service contractors in Orange County, delivering AEO and local SEO strategies designed to generate consistent, qualified leads. Their approach combines question-driven content architecture, entity positioning, and the Hyper Local Authority Builder to establish contractors as the trusted answer in AI-driven search results. Client testimonials consistently reference dramatic improvements in lead quality and marketing ROI. The firm positions results around a specific outcome promise: 25 to 35% higher marketing ROI within months.
Key Impact: 25-35% higher marketing ROI | Triple-digit revenue growth for participating clients
GrowthShare Performance
Kell Solutions developed the GrowthShare Performance CMO model, a revenue-sharing arrangement where agency compensation is tied directly to client revenue outcomes. This model eliminates the risk for small business owners who have been burned by agencies collecting retainers without delivering results. The GrowthShare model is live and active with Orange County clients, demonstrating Kell Solutions’ confidence in their own methodology. It’s one of the few accountability-based pricing structures in the AEO space.
Key Impact: Revenue-sharing model aligning agency and client incentives | Risk eliminated for clients
AEO Strategy Book
Gregg Kell authored and published The Invisible Expert, a book designed to help business owners understand and act on AEO strategy. The book addresses how AI-driven platforms evaluate trust and relevance, and provides a framework for local businesses to position themselves as the answer in their category. Publishing a book on AEO demonstrates thought leadership depth beyond typical agency marketing. It also serves as a prospecting tool, giving potential clients a comprehensive view of Kell Solutions’ methodology before the first conversation.
Key Impact: Published book on AEO strategy | Prospecting and authority-building asset
AI-Powered Business Tools
Beyond marketing services, Kell Solutions has developed a suite of AI-powered business tools including an AI voice agent for lead capture, an AI-assisted calendar for appointment management, and AI call center solutions. These tools address the operational reality of small business owners who don’t have a receptionist or admin team. Combining AEO visibility (getting found in AI answers) with AI-powered lead capture (ensuring no lead falls through the cracks) creates a complete pipeline from discovery to booked appointment. This integrated approach is unique on this list.
Key Impact: Complete AI pipeline: visibility + lead capture + appointment booking | Built specifically for small businesses
Final Thoughts on Kell Solutions
Kell Web Solutions is the most locally focused agency on this list, and that’s by design. They serve Orange County home service businesses, they know the market inside and out, and they built their entire service model around AEO before most agencies understood what the acronym stood for. The GrowthShare revenue-sharing model is a strong signal of confidence, and the 20+ years of local market presence means they’re not learning the territory on the client’s dime. Their blog covers AEO strategy and local marketing insights, and their AEO service page provides one of the clearer explanations of why AEO matters for local businesses that you’ll find online.
Directive: Most Effective SEO/AEO Agency for B2B
Overview
- Location: Irvine, CA (offices in multiple U.S. cities, serving clients globally)
- Founded: 2014
- Employees: 150+
- Services: Content Marketing & SEO, Paid Media, Performance Creative, Programmatic, Revenue Operations, Go-to-Market Strategy, CRO, Influencer Marketing, Organic Social, Paid Social, PR, Marketplace, Lifecycle Marketing, Shopping
- Starting Price: Contact for pricing
Directive is one of the largest and most established B2B marketing agencies in the United States. Founded by Garrett Mehrguth, Directive has served over 420 brands and generated more than $1 billion in client revenue through their proprietary Customer Generation methodology. The agency operates across three divisions: Performance (paid media, SEO, content, RevOps), Commerce (ecommerce and marketplace optimization), and Communications (influencer, PR, social). What makes Directive notable for an AEO list is their DiscoverabilityOS methodology, which explicitly addresses how B2B brands win visibility where buyers research and shortlist solutions, including AI-driven answer platforms. They describe themselves as “especially differentiated in Generative Engine Optimization.” The agency works with major technology brands including Cisco, ZoomInfo, and Gong.
Directive is an ideal partner for mid-market and enterprise B2B SaaS companies that need large-scale multi-channel execution with an emerging GEO practice, technology companies navigating complex buyer journeys that span months, and brands that need performance marketing connected to pipeline attribution rather than vanity metrics.
Key Differentiators
- Customer Generation methodology connecting every tactic to pipeline and revenue outcomes
- DiscoverabilityOS framework explicitly addressing AI-driven answer platforms and GEO
- $2.2 million annual investment in R&D, testing tactics before recommending them to clients
- 420+ brands served with $1B+ in cumulative client revenue generated
- Three divisions (Performance, Commerce, Communications) offering full-spectrum marketing execution
Specialties
Directive Consulting is all about B2B. They started off focusing on B2B SaaS exclusively, but have gained several strong case studies for industrial niches in the last five years, making them a well-rounded B2B consultancy for any org type.
Directive Case Studies
B2B SaaS Pipeline Growth
Directive partnered with Inscribe, an AI-powered document fraud detection platform, to scale their B2B SaaS marketing through the Customer Generation methodology. The engagement focused on connecting paid media, content, and revenue operations to generate qualified pipeline rather than vanity metrics. Directive’s approach targeted TAM-verified accounts and aligned every campaign to down-funnel revenue outcomes. The partnership demonstrates Directive’s ability to serve high-growth AI/fintech companies with complex buyer journeys.
Key Impact: Qualified pipeline growth for an AI-powered fintech platform | Customer Generation methodology applied
Full-Funnel Expansion
Registrar Corp, a regulatory compliance company, worked with Directive on a campaign that started with paid media and expanded to include creative, landing page design, and a full website redesign. VP of Marketing Starza Thompson noted that they “loved how their creative and design services were implementing landing pages and ads, so we decided to hire them to also redesign our website.” The engagement demonstrates how Directive’s Customer Generation model creates natural expansion from a single service into a full-funnel partnership.
Key Impact: Expanded from paid media to full website redesign | Client-driven scope expansion based on performance
Embedded Team Partnership
Directive’s engagement with Manta, led by Head of Digital Marketing Jose Bormey, exemplifies the agency’s embedded partnership model. Bormey described the relationship: “Directive Consulting is really just an extension of our team. It doesn’t feel like they’re an agency, it really feels like they’re a part of the team.” For B2B companies that need their agency to operate as a true extension of internal marketing, not a vendor at arm’s length, this testimonial speaks directly to Directive’s operating model.
Key Impact: True embedded partnership model | Agency operating as an extension of the client’s internal team
$1B+ in Cumulative Client Revenue
Across 420+ brands served, Directive’s Customer Generation methodology has generated over $1 billion in cumulative client revenue over the past 10 years. The firm invests $2.2 million annually in research and development, testing tactics before recommending them to clients. This aggregate result, combined with clients like Cisco, ZoomInfo, and Gong, positions Directive as one of the largest and most established performance marketing agencies with an emerging GEO practice. The scale of their operation provides a data advantage that smaller agencies cannot match.
Key Impact: $1B+ in client revenue generated | 420+ brands served | $2.2M annual R&D investment
Final Thoughts on Directive
Directive brings scale that most agencies on this list cannot match. With 150+ employees, three operating divisions, and a published methodology in DiscoverabilityOS, they’re positioned for B2B SaaS companies that need full-funnel execution at a level that boutique agencies can’t provide. Their early articulation of GEO as a core capability and their blog coverage of B2B marketing trends shows they’re building AI search into their strategic framework rather than treating it as an add-on. The Directive on Demand deep-dive sessions offer execution-level insights from their leadership team, and their resource library is one of the more comprehensive B2B marketing knowledge bases available. For enterprise B2B brands that need a partner operating at scale with an emerging GEO practice, Directive is a strong contender.
Certifications: Google Partner.
How to Choose the Right AEO Agency for Your Business
A few tips from me to you when vetting an AEO/GEO agency or consultant:
- Ask about their tracking stack: If an agency can’t tell you which LLMs they monitor, what tools they use, and how they measure citation share, they’re not ready to deliver AEO as a service. Agencies using Cairrot or similar purpose-built platforms have a measurable advantage in reporting and optimization.
- Look for case studies with AI-specific metrics: Traditional SEO case studies are table stakes. AEO case studies should reference citation share, brand mention rate, AI referral traffic, and conversion attribution from LLM sources.
- Match the agency to your industry: AEO optimization differs by vertical. A B2B SaaS company has different prompt patterns than a local home services business. Choose an agency with demonstrated expertise in your category.
- Understand the pricing model: AEO services range from $500/month entry points for SMBs to $10,000+/month for enterprise engagements. The right price depends on your revenue, competitive landscape, and how aggressively you want to move.
Related Resources for SEO and AEO
Get Help Finding the Best AEO Service for Your Business
As an active AEO/GEO expert and the CEO of Cairrot, I interact with dozens of the top SEO and AEO agencies in the world every month. I know which services are overdelivering and which ones are struggling. If you could use a friendly voice of wisdom, get in touch and we’ll help you find the best service for your growth.
Author
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Connor Kimball is the CEO and Cofounder of Cairrot, an SEO veteran of 9+ years, and one of the early leaders in AEO/GEO strategies, analytics, and AI Search/LLM behavior. His experience includes leadership roles in both B2B SaaS organizations and marketing agencies serving a range of customers including finance, ecommerce, industrial, and high ticket local services. Connor frequently shares LLM behavior data studies, AEO/GEO results, and helpful guides for marketers adapting to the growing world of AI search.

