AI SEO agency: visible on Google and in AI responses.

How AI SEO differs from classic search engine optimisation.

Traditional SEO aims for a position in a list: places 1 to 10 on Google. AI SEO aims to appear in an answer that a language model compiles from multiple sources. This brings about changes in three areas. Firstly, the individual paragraph counts for more than the page as a whole: Large Language Models break content down into passages and select those that answer a question most precisely. Secondly, the brand plays a greater role than the keyword: those who appear regularly in directories, specialist articles and reviews are more likely to be recommended. Thirdly, the way results are measured has changed: there is no such thing as a ‘position 3’. Either you are mentioned or you are not, and this also depends on how the question is phrased. For you, this means focusing on the relevance of entire topics rather than individual keywords, and ensuring that every key statement is backed up by evidence.

The good news: the foundation remains the same. Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT Search and Perplexity access a search index before they respond. If you can’t be found there, you won’t be cited either. That’s why every AI SEO strategy we undertake starts with the fundamentals that we, as an SEO agency based in Heidelberg, have been implementing since 2016: crawlable technology, content with substance, and authority through genuine mentions. We’ve summarised how the two disciplines differ in detail under GEO vs. SEO.

Which AI systems we optimise for.

Each system finds its sources differently, and that determines the measures. Google AI Overviews and AI Mode rely on the Google index and favour pages that already rank well; here, classic SEO pays off directly. ChatGPT uses Bing search for current questions and draws on its training knowledge for recommendations, in which brands with many consistent mentions are more firmly anchored. We describe how to appear there under ChatGPT SEO. Perplexity cites very transparently and rewards pages with clear statements and source references. Google Gemini and Microsoft Copilot combine both worlds. We explain optimisation for the language models themselves, i.e. LLMO, on a separate page.

How to recognise a good AI SEO agency.

The market for AI SEO agencies in 2026 is confusing, because many providers have simply renamed their existing services. A few key questions will help you choose, even if you end up opting for a different agency:

• Is anything measured? A specialised AI SEO agency shows you before starting which questions you appear for in AI answers and which you do not. Anyone who only talks about ‘visibility in AI’ without measuring it is selling a feeling.
• Is SEO the foundation? Anyone offering GEO without technical SEO and without content work is skipping the step without which nothing works.
• Are there any figures? Prices, timeframes and realistic expectations should be stated on the website, not just during the sales pitch.
• Is AI-generated text being sold? An agency that promises you a hundred automatically generated pages is producing exactly the kind of content that Google and AI systems filter out.
• Strategic rather than tactical: the subject is too complex for the trick of the week, however innovative it may sound. A good agency builds a strategy that lasts and relies on high-quality content backed by evidence.
• Transparent reporting: you should be able to see at any time which measures have been implemented and what they have delivered in AI mentions, rankings and enquiries.

Who stands to benefit from AI SEO, and who does not yet.

The companies that benefit most are those whose customers conduct research before making a decision: B2B providers with products requiring explanation, consultancy firms, software manufacturers, medical practices and service providers with high-value contracts. In these sectors, questions such as ‘Which provider is right for us?’ are now being put to ChatGPT, and the answer lists three to five names. For B2B companies, this is the most direct lever we currently know of. Those who are already highly visible organically have an easier time of it, as the AI systems draw on the same sources. AI SEO is less urgent for purely local businesses with walk-in customers; in such cases, the Google Business Profile remains more important. We’ll tell you which group you belong to during our initial consultation.

What we do not promise.

No agency can guarantee that ChatGPT will name your company. Language models answer differently depending on the wording, and providers change their systems without notice. What we can commit to: a clean baseline measurement, measures that demonstrably increase the likelihood of being named, and reporting that shows progress and stagnation alike. We usually see first effects after three to four months, and reliable results after six to nine. If you need results faster, combine AI SEO with Google Ads.

Read more in the AI SEO cluster.