Top AI Optimization Agencies
The Short Answer: The top AI optimization agencies specialize in generative engine optimization (GEO), helping brands appear in AI-generated responses from platforms like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. These agencies combine traditional SEO tactics with new strategies designed specifically for large language models and AI search engines.
Search behavior has shifted dramatically over the past two years. Instead of scrolling through pages of blue links, users now ask AI tools direct questions and expect immediate, conversational answers. This has forced digital marketing agencies to adapt their strategies for a new search experience.
For businesses, the stakes are high. If your brand isn't showing up in AI-generated answers, you're missing out on organic traffic and potential customers. The agencies featured in this guide have developed early frameworks and tested approaches for improving brand visibility in AI-driven search systems.
What is AI Optimization?
AI optimization, also called generative engine optimization (GEO) or answer engine optimization (AEO), refers to the practice of structuring your digital presence so that AI systems can find, understand, and cite your content. Unlike traditional search engine optimization that focuses on ranking in Google's organic results, AI optimization aims to get your brand mentioned directly in AI-generated responses.
When someone asks ChatGPT for product recommendations or uses Google's AI Overview feature for research, the AI pulls information from sources it considers authoritative and trustworthy. An AI optimization agency helps position your content as one of those trusted sources.
How AI Search Differs from Traditional Search
Traditional search engines like Google rank websites based on factors like keywords, backlinks, and page authority. AI search works differently. Large language models synthesize information from multiple sources to create a single, coherent answer. Your content needs to be structured in a way that AI platforms can easily parse and include in their responses.
Why AI Optimization Matters for Your Business
Multiple SparkToro studies have shown that a significant portion of Google searches end without a click, as users increasingly get answers directly from search features and AI-generated summaries without visiting source websites. Users are getting their answers directly from AI-generated summaries without visiting the source websites. Google's AI Overviews feature, which rolled out globally in 2024, now appears for a large and growing share of informational search queries. This shift has real consequences for businesses that rely on organic traffic.
For SaaS companies, professional services firms, and e-commerce brands, showing up in AI search results can directly impact lead generation and sales. When a potential customer asks an AI tool for recommendations in your industry, you want your brand to be part of that conversation.
Understanding Google's AI Overviews
Google's AI Overviews (formerly called Search Generative Experience or SGE) represent one of the biggest shifts in search since mobile optimization. Powered by Google's Gemini AI model, these overviews appear at the top of search results and provide synthesized answers with cited sources.
As of 2025, AI Overviews appear for the majority of search queries worldwide. Industry research from firms such as Statista indicates that AI-generated summaries are increasingly influencing mobile search behavior in the U.S., particularly for informational queries. The agencies listed above have developed specific strategies for appearing in these results, typically involving optimized content structure, consistent publishing for topical authority, and technical foundations that help Google's AI understand and trust your content.
Top AI Optimization Agencies to Consider
The agencies below are widely recognized for their early adoption and experimentation with generative engine optimization strategies. Each brings a different approach and set of strengths to help brands improve their AI visibility.
20North
Based in Atlanta, 20North operates as a digital marketing agency and fractional CFO firm serving small to mid-sized businesses across the Southeast. Their dual focus on marketing and financial services positions them as a full-service growth partner rather than a specialized agency.
On the marketing side, 20North handles SEO, paid advertising, email campaigns, and web development. Their client roster spans a wide range of industries—outdoor recreation, healthcare, automotive, firearms, construction, and B2B services. This breadth reflects a generalist approach built around adaptable content strategies rather than deep vertical specialization.
The fractional CFO arm sets them apart from pure-play marketing agencies. By pairing financial oversight with marketing execution, 20North aims to help clients connect their marketing spend directly to business outcomes. It's a model designed for growing companies that need strategic guidance but aren't ready for a full-time executive hire.
iPullRank
iPullRank is a New York-based agency founded by Mike King, a well-known figure in the SEO industry. The agency specializes in what they call "relevance engineering," which involves analyzing how AI systems interpret and rank content, then adjusting site structure and content accordingly.
Their technical expertise makes them a strong fit for enterprise clients with large, complex websites. iPullRank handles everything from JavaScript rendering issues to large-scale content audits. They've worked with notable clients including LG and Citi.
Siege Media
Siege Media takes a content-first approach to AI optimization. Founded in 2012, the Austin-based agency has built a reputation for creating high-quality visual content and original data studies that attract links and citations. Their proprietary tool, BlueprintIQ, analyzes content against representative outputs from platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to identify gaps in topical coverage and question-level relevance.
The agency serves clients across SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, and healthcare. One case study shows how they helped Zendesk achieve a $731,924 increase in traffic value through content optimization. Their approach combines digital PR with ongoing content creation to build authority signals.
Avenue Z
Avenue Z, headquartered in Miami, focuses on helpinSiege Media takes a content-first approach to AI optimization. Founded in 2012, the Austin-based agency has built a reputation for creating high-quality visual content and original data studies that attract links and citations. Their proprietary tool, BlueprintIQ, analyzes content against representative outputs from platforms like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity to identify gaps in topical coverage and question-level relevance.
The agency serves clients across SaaS, fintech, e-commerce, and healthcare. One case study shows how they helped Zendesk achieve a $731,924 increase in traffic value through content optimization. Their approach combines digital PR with ongoing content creation to build authority signals.
g FinTech, B2B SaaS, and e-commerce brands build visibility in AI-powered search. The agency combines performance PR, long-form content creation, and schema markup optimization to improve discoverability across platforms like Google's AI Overviews and ChatGPT.
Their client list includes Acorns, Better, and Dave, where they've focused on building AI-ready PR and SEO content strategies. Avenue Z emphasizes the connection between media mentions and AI visibility, recognizing that AI models often pull from high-authority news sources.
Intero Digital
Intero Digital approaches GEO from a technical standpoint, providing website optimizations that make content more accessible to AI engines. They integrate traditional SEO with large language model optimization, helping enterprise clients restructure their content architecture for better AI visibility.
The agency has operated for nearly three decades, demonstrating their ability to adapt as digital marketing has evolved. Their technical team focuses on structured data implementation and entity recognition to help brands get cited in AI-generated responses.
First Page Sage
Based in San Francisco, First Page Sage has been in the SEO and content marketing space since 2009. They've positioned themselves as pioneers in generative engine optimization, publishing some of the earliest research on how AI systems choose which sources to cite. Their approach centers on thought leadership content that establishes clients as subject matter experts in their industries.
First Page Sage works primarily with B2B companies in sectors like SaaS, medtech, and financial services. Their content strategy focuses on producing high-volume, research-driven articles that build topical authority over time.
What to Look for in an AI Optimization Agency
GEO is still a relatively new field, and many agencies are adding "AI optimization" to their services without deep expertise. Here are factors to consider when evaluating partners:
Because AI search systems evolve rapidly and do not fully disclose how sources are selected or cited, generative engine optimization remains an emerging and experimental discipline.
Core Strategies Used by Top AI Optimization Agencies
While each agency has its own methodology, most successful GEO strategies include these common elements:
Schema Markup Implementation
Structured data helps AI systems understand what your content is about. Agencies implement FAQ schemas, How-To schemas, Article schemas, and Organization schemas to make your content machine-readable. This technical foundation is often the first step in any GEO campaign.
Entity Optimization
AI platforms rely on entity recognition to understand brands and their relationships to topics. Top agencies work to establish your brand as a distinct, verifiable entity through consistent business information, Wikipedia presence, and mentions across authoritative sources.
Content Strategy for AI
Content created for AI visibility differs from traditional blog posts. It's structured to answer specific questions directly, uses clear headings and natural language, and provides factual information that AI systems prefer to cite.
E-E-A-T Signals
Google's E-E-A-T framework (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) has become even more relevant for AI optimization. Content from sources that demonstrate real expertise and experience is more likely to be cited in AI-generated answers. Agencies help build these signals through thought leadership content, expert bylines, and digital PR.
The Bottom Line
AI-powered search has created new challenges and opportunities for businesses. While traditional SEO remains important, brands that want to stay visible need to adapt their strategies for AI platforms like ChatGPT, Google's AI Overviews, and Perplexity.
The top AI optimization agencies combine technical SEO expertise with content strategies designed for how AI systems discover and cite information. Whether you're a SaaS company, e-commerce brand, or professional services firm, finding the right agency can help your business show up where customers are searching.
At 20North, we've been studying how AI systems evaluate and surface content since the early days of generative search. While many agencies are still figuring out what generative engine optimization means for their clients, we've already built it into our core methodology: testing what works, tracking citation patterns, and refining strategies based on real performance data. Our approach goes beyond traditional search rankings. We engineer content that performs across Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and the growing list of platforms reshaping how people find information. We've invested heavily in understanding how large language models select sources, what signals drive AI visibility, and how to position our clients as the definitive voices in their industries.
Contact us to learn how we can put your business at the front of AI-powered search and drive measurable results.
