AI search platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and Google’s AI Overviews are reshaping how people find information.
Digital marketing agencies have felt the impact firsthand and must adapt quickly. They need to keep their services consistent, their processes result-driven, and their results easy to prove.
This article examines how 10 agencies have updated their strategies, services, and client relationships to win in the AI search era.
What is changing is search AI in digital marketing agencies
Semrush predicted that AI search will go through organic traffic in 2028.
It’s easy to see why. A growing number of people are now starting their searches with AI instead of Google or Bing.
With questions of knowledge, the journey often ends there. An AI assistant – ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Claude – delivers a complete answer within the interface, not a green link to click. The AI overview does the same, which explains the sharp drop in click-through rates.
AI is also compressing the customer journey. Instead of going through multiple touch points, customers are researching products directly with AI. That’s why AI traffic converts 440% better than organic traffic.
Go through he said instead. Even as AI advances, people still use Google – more than ever. For example, to verify AI recommendations.
What does this change mean for agencies?
A few important ones stand out right away:
- Expand offerings to meet the demand for AI search development while keeping organic search strong.
- Educate clients on how search is changing and why search AI is important.
- Introduces new metrics that reflect AI-driven national performance.
- Switch to value-based marketing and prove ROI as the attribute becomes more complex.
How agencies are adapting to the new reality
We spoke to 10 industry leaders to learn how they’ve updated their processes and strategies to meet these new challenges.
Listicle placement instead of traditional link structure
Editorial.Link, a digital PR and link building agency, has shifted its focus to listing.
Why?
“Recent research shows that listicles are among the most cited sources of AI search results,” said Dmytro Sokhach, founder of Editorial.Link. As a result, clients are increasingly looking for listicle placement to increase the chances of their products being mentioned.
To support this change, Editorial.Link was created for Listicle.com, an AI-powered tool that helps companies find the right “best” listings for product placement.
From keyword optimization to brand business creation
Ignite SEO, a London-based agency, has moved beyond keyword optimization to focus on search targeting and building visual brand associations.
“We connect the dots between content, technology, and reputation,” said Adam Collins, founder of Ignite SEO. “The goal is to make sure that if the AI engines are going to be trusted voices in the space, they need to know exactly who our customers are and why they matter.”
Behind the scenes, Ignite SEO has strengthened its technical SEO processes, with a strong emphasis on structured data and a clean site structure.
“It’s less about black hat versus white hat now and less about building trust and transparency, making it easier for both humans and machines to understand,” added Adam.
Ignite SEO is not alone. Many agencies now prioritize business, authority, and target development over keyword-first tactics.
Ben Foster, CEO of SEO works, said that the job of an SEO agency is to make its clients easy for machines and people to understand.
“The fundamentals of SEO (quality content, technical excellence, and citations) are still important, but success now depends on helping AI systems interpret those signals correctly,” Foster said.
Rocky Pedden, CEO of RevenueZen, agreed.
“Agencies are redesigning content to use LLM, which means clearer structure, stronger expert signals, and schema that help models interpret credibility,” says Pedden.
It explores which content structures are preferred by the LLM
High Voltage SEO examines content structures and on-page formats to influence how Google and AI tools retrieve information.
“Content has to do more than just rank,” says Julia Munder, general manager and senior SEO strategist at High Voltage. “It has to be programmed so that AI can summarize it accurately and confidently.”
Evaluation remains at the core of the agency’s approach. The team identifies which major language model formats render most reliably, then applies those patterns to all client sites.
Reverse-engineering AI-grade signals
SEO Inc. developed proprietary AI frameworks to analyze SERPs, extract ranking signals, and apply competitive intelligence at scale.
“We’ve developed systems that analyze search results and reverse engineer ranking factors with an accuracy of 96% base for paid search,” said Garry Grant, CEO at SEO Inc. “Our organic SEO AI models are more complex due to the heterogeneous nature of ranking signals, but the guiding principles are changing.”
Grant believes the real difference will be how agencies use AI to determine search algorithms, anticipate SERP fluctuations, and uncover ranking opportunities — not just generate content.
Agencies that do not have an AI infrastructure for competitive analysis are at risk of losing their edge.
“The question isn’t whether to use AI — it’s how quickly you can do it before your market position is eroded,” added Grant.
It switches to search optimization everywhere
SEO Sherpa has gone from pure organic search to search every area for optimization.
“The role of agencies now is not just to serve Google, but the entire ecosystem of AI-driven discovery,” said Jenny Abouobaia, managing director of SEO Sherpa.
Essentially, this means making sure their customers are visible, trustworthy, and discoverable across traditional search engines, search engines, and platforms like Pinterest, TikTok, and Instagram — wherever their audience spends time.
Pedden sees a similar trend.
“Agencies are moving beyond standard pages and focusing on being the best answer, no matter where that answer is generated,” Pedden said.
In his view, to remain relevant, one will have to “treat AI search as a distribution channel, not a threat.”
Improving the review of local citations
For local businesses, AI search is increasing the importance of review platforms, especially Google.
“By achieving high levels of Google reviews in Google Maps or a location package, businesses enjoy a high chance of being recommended by LLMs,” said Robert Newman, founder and CEO of InboundREM.
SEO agencies can improve client results by running targeted review campaigns. The key is to promote updates that mention local names, such as neighborhoods.
InboundREM’s data revealed that reviews containing local names outperform competitors in LLM recommendations.
It adds AI visibility as a core KPI
SeoProfy is one of the institutes that have built to track the visibility of AI in their workflow.
Along with traditional SEO metrics, the group monitors mentions of LLM.
“This includes analyzing competitors, identifying which products are being targeted by different chatbots, and which questions,” said Victor Karpenko, CEO of SeoProfy.
SeoProfy uses this information to shape strategies that increase client visibility across multiple AI platforms.
Integrating GEO into existing SEO packages
First Rank initially treated AI search as a separate service. After testing, the team found that customers – especially local businesses – benefited the most from the integrated offering.
“We sprinkle GEO-related activities into SEO campaigns,” says Terry Williams, head of SEO at First Rank.
To demonstrate impact, the agency created custom Locker Studio reports that highlight referral traffic from LLMs. They use that information to demonstrate value and sell extended services.
How your agency needs to adapt to search AI
Patterns across these 10 agencies point to clear shifts:
- From standards to visibility. Success now means appearing on AI-generated answers, not chasing the #1 Google position.
- From keywords to companies. Development centers on building well-known, trusted businesses, not individual search terms.
- From traffic to authority. Link building has evolved into brand building, with backlinks serving as authority signals.
- From measurement to influence. Traditional analytics miss the impact of AI search. Leading agencies track LLM citations, build custom rating systems, and prove value through multi-touch attribution.
- From SEO to search everywhere for optimization. Agencies can’t just focus on Google when acquisitions are happening across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI overview.
The most agile agencies share one characteristic: they test aggressively, measure what they can do, and educate clients about the changing environment — while others still debate whether AI search is worth it.
The opinions expressed in this article are those of the sponsors. Search Engine Land does not confirm or deny any of the conclusions given above.
