This guide explains the criteria to use when evaluating an AEO agency, with practical questions a buyer can ask and clear signs of genuine capability.
What should a strong AEO agency be able to do?
They should demonstrate that they can influence how AI systems understand, select, and cite information about a brand. In practice, that means improving eligibility for inclusion in answers, not promising “position one.”
The best AEO Agency should be able to show work across three layers: content that directly answers questions, structured signals that machines can parse, and credibility signals that make a source safe to reference.
How do they define AEO, and does their definition match reality?
They should define AEO as optimising for answer selection, citation, and summarisation in AI experiences. If they describe AEO as “SEO with FAQs”, that is a red flag.
A credible definition includes: query intent modelling, entity clarity, schema strategy, source credibility, and measurement in AI surfaces such as Google AI Overviews, Bing/CoPilot experiences, and conversational assistants.
What evidence of results should they show, beyond case studies?
They should show proof that is hard to fake: examples of pages being cited, screenshots of AI answers, and time-stamped changes correlated with visibility gains. Case studies alone are easy to cherry-pick.
A serious agency can share anonymised reporting showing growth in “presence in answers”, brand mention frequency, and citations by topic cluster, with clear baselines and dates. “
How do they measure success in AI search?
They should track outcomes that match how AI search works: citations, mentions, answer share by topic, and conversion paths from AI-driven visits. If they only report rankings and generic traffic, they are not measuring AEO.
They should also explain limitations honestly. Some AI surfaces are volatile, personalised, or not fully trackable, so a good agency uses a mix of tools, sampling, and controlled tests.
Do they understand entities, knowledge graphs, and topical authority?
They should be able to explain how AI systems map brands and concepts as entities, and how ambiguity harms visibility. If they cannot talk clearly about entity disambiguation, they are likely repackaging standard SEO.
A strong agency will propose work like: consistent naming, author and organisation markup, topic-to-entity mapping, internal linking that reinforces relationships, and building a clear “aboutness” footprint across the site.
What is their approach to content for answers, not just keywords?
They should design content around questions, decision stages, and “answer formats” that AI can lift. This goes beyond writing more blogs.
Look for tactics such as: direct-first answers, concise definitions, step-by-step sections, comparison tables, limitations and edge cases, and updated facts. They should also optimise for readability so answers can be summarised without distortion.
How strong is their technical and structured data capability?
They should be comfortable auditing and implementing schema at scale, and they should know when schema helps and when it does not. If schema is treated as a magic switch, that is a warning sign.
They should discuss specifics: Article, FAQ (where still appropriate), HowTo (where valid), Organisation, Person, Product, Review, and Speakable (selectively). They should also cover crawlability, canonicals, indexation control, and page rendering.
Can they show an off-site credibility plan that supports AI citations?
They should understand that AI systems rely on trusted sources and consensus, not just a single site’s claims. An AEO plan that ignores digital PR, expert citations, and third-party validation is incomplete.
A good agency can outline how they will earn corroboration: data-led PR, expert commentary, partnerships, reputable directories where relevant, and consistent profiles that reinforce expertise and legitimacy.
Do they have a plan for brand safety, accuracy, and content governance?
They should treat accuracy as a ranking factor in practice, even if it is not formally labelled as one. AI answers amplify mistakes, so governance matters.
They should propose processes for fact-checking, updating, author attribution, editorial standards, and handling sensitive topics. They should also have a plan for monitoring brand misinformation and correcting it through authoritative content. Read more about understanding search engines.
How do they run experiments and adapt to fast-changing AI surfaces?
They should be able to describe a testing framework because AI search is moving quickly. If they sell a fixed playbook with guaranteed outcomes, they are overconfident or inexperienced.
A strong agency runs controlled tests: changing page structure, adding or removing sections, testing snippet-friendly formats, and measuring citation changes. They should share how often they review performance and iterate.
What questions should buyers ask before hiring an AEO agency?
They should be asked questions that force clarity, not marketing speak. The answers should be specific, bounded, and backed by examples.
Useful questions include:
- Which AI search surfaces do they optimise for, and which are they currently tracking?
- How do they define and report “success” for AEO?
- What is their approach to entities and brand disambiguation?
- What structured data changes would they prioritise first, and why?
- How do they earn third-party corroboration for important claims?
- What is their editorial and fact-checking process?
- What does the first 30, 60, and 90 days look like?
What are the biggest red flags when evaluating AEO agencies?
They should be avoided if they rely on vague claims, guarantees, or buzzwords without operational detail. AEO is measurable, but it is not controllable in the way paid ads are.
Common red flags include: promising “guaranteed inclusion” in AI answers, refusing to explain measurement, treating schema as the entire strategy, offering only blog production, and showing no evidence of citations or answer visibility improvements.
What should a good AEO proposal include?
They should present a plan that connects research, implementation, and reporting, with clear priorities. It should not be a generic SEO retainer with “AEO” added to the heading.
A strong proposal includes: topic and question mapping, entity audit, technical and schema roadmap, content briefs designed for answer formats, off-site credibility activities, and a reporting model focused on citations, mentions, and conversions.
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How can buyers make a confident final decision?
They should choose the agency that can explain trade-offs clearly, show proof of real AI answer visibility, and propose a measurable plan tailored to the brand’s category. The best agencies are precise about what they can influence and honest about what they cannot.
If an agency’s strategy reads like “more content and some schema”, they are unlikely to have real AI search expertise. If it reads like a system for earning selection, citation, and trust, they are much closer to true AEO.
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
What defines a strong AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation) agency in the era of AI search?
A strong AEO agency can influence how AI systems understand, select, and cite information about a brand. They improve eligibility for inclusion in AI-generated answers by working across three layers: content that directly answers questions, structured signals that machines can parse, and credibility signals that make a source safe to reference.
How should an AEO agency accurately define Answer Engine Optimisation?
A credible AEO definition involves optimising for answer selection, citation, and summarisation in AI experiences. It includes query intent modelling, entity clarity, schema strategy, source credibility, and measurement in AI surfaces like Google AI Overviews, Bing/CoPilot experiences, and conversational assistants. Describing AEO merely as ‘SEO with FAQs’ is a red flag.
What evidence should an AEO agency provide to demonstrate genuine results beyond simple case studies?
They should provide proof that’s difficult to fake such as examples of pages being cited in AI answers, screenshots of AI responses with timestamps correlating to visibility gains. Additionally, anonymised reporting showing growth in presence in answers, brand mention frequency, and citations by topic cluster with clear baselines and dates are essential indicators of capability.
How do reputable AEO agencies measure success in AI search optimisation?
Success is tracked through outcomes aligned with AI search mechanics: citations, mentions, answer share by topic, and conversion paths from AI-driven visits. Agencies relying solely on rankings or generic traffic metrics are not effectively measuring AEO. They also acknowledge limitations due to volatility or personalisation in AI surfaces and use a combination of tools, sampling, and controlled tests.
What approach should an AEO agency take towards content creation for AI-driven answers?
Content should be designed around questions, decision stages, and answer formats that AI can easily lift. This includes direct-first answers, concise definitions, step-by-step instructions, comparison tables, limitations and edge cases discussion, and regularly updated facts. Optimising for readability is crucial so that summaries remain accurate without distortion.
Why is off-site credibility important for AEO agencies and how should they support it?
AI systems rely on trusted sources and consensus rather than isolated claims. An effective off-site credibility plan includes digital PR strategies, expert citations, third-party validation through partnerships or reputable directories, and consistent profiles reinforcing expertise and legitimacy. Ignoring these aspects results in an incomplete AEO strategy.