A practical guide to AI SEO services

Search isn't what it used to be. People aren't just scrolling through blue links anymore. They're getting instant answers from AI tools like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. This isn't some far-off prediction; it's the reality of search today.

By mid-2026, over 50% of search result pages already included an AI-generated overview. The direction is obvious. Gartner even projects that by 2026, search engine volume will fall by 25% because people are turning to AI for answers. For businesses, this means old-school SEO is no longer sufficient. To be seen, you need to be cited as a source inside these AI responses.

This guide breaks down what AI SEO services are and how they help businesses stay relevant. We'll look at the two main options: hiring a specialized agency or using advanced tools, like the eesel AI blog writer, to scale your content creation for this new world.

What are AI SEO services?

Traditional SEO is about ranking and getting clicks. You write a post, build some links, and aim for that number one spot so people click through to your site. AI SEO, on the other hand, is about getting your brand cited, referenced, or recommended directly within AI-generated answers.

You'll hear a few different names for this field, but they all point to the same goal: getting seen on generative AI platforms.

• Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): This term came from a Princeton research paper in November 2023. It's all about adapting content to show up in results from AI like ChatGPT and Google Gemini.
• Answer Engine Optimization (AEO): This is about structuring your content to provide direct, clean answers that AI assistants and search features can easily pull from.
• Large Language Model Optimization (LLMO): This practice ensures your content is factual, clear, and organized so AI models can understand and use it correctly in their responses.

The main objective is shifting from driving traffic to building authority. When an AI cites your brand as the source, it builds a level of trust that a simple link can't, even if the user never visits your website.

Key components of a strategy for AI SEO services

A solid AI SEO plan rests on three pillars that signal your authority and relevance to large language models.

1. Strategic content for AI visibility

Generative AI loves content that is structured, factual, and answers questions clearly. This makes demonstrating E-E-A-T (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trust) more important than ever. Vague, keyword-stuffed articles just don't work anymore. AI models need well-organized information they can process with confidence.

Content formatted as detailed FAQs, how-to guides, and deep-dive explainers tends to perform very well because it matches what users are asking for. Structuring information this way makes it much more likely you'll be cited as a source. Tools built for this new reality, like the eesel AI blog writer, are designed to generate complete, AEO-optimized articles with structured data and media assets, all from a single keyword.

2. Technical optimization for AI SEO services

A strong technical setup is non-negotiable for AI SEO. If an AI model can't figure out what your content is about, it simply won't use it.

Schema Markup is a big piece of the puzzle. It's structured data you add to your site's code to give search engines and AI models context about your content. Schema can tell an AI if a page is a product, a review, or an FAQ, which helps your content get featured in rich snippets and AI answers.

Entity Recognition is another key factor. This means optimizing your content around known people, places, and concepts to build credibility with AI. A clean site architecture with logical internal linking also helps AI systems crawl and understand your information more effectively.

3. Authority and trust signals for AI SEO services

AI models, just like people, look for external validation to decide who to trust. They need to see that others consider your brand an authority.

High-quality backlinks from reputable sites are still a powerful trust signal. But unlinked brand mentions and citations are becoming more important. When your brand is mentioned on authoritative websites, in industry forums, or in communities like Reddit, AI models notice. These mentions act as social proof.

LLMs do not control content ranking in the same manner as Google, and there isn't a dependable button that you can press to get 'AI answers' to include you. What still influences the visibility the same old reliable factors: clear expertise, consistent mentions, strong entity signals, and content that really solves real questions.

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Comparing top providers of AI SEO services

For companies ready to bring in expert help, several agencies now specialize in AI SEO services. Here’s a look at three of the main players to give you an idea of their different approaches and pricing.

WebFX: The revenue-focused full-service provider

WebFX is a large, well-known digital marketing agency that's been around for over 29 years. They offer a broad suite of services and are focused on delivering measurable revenue growth. Their AI SEO work is tied into their "RevenueCloudFX" platform, which connects marketing activities directly to sales data. They have a solid track record, including a case study where they helped a client get a 586% increase in traffic from generative AI.

• Key Services: AI SEO, traditional SEO, PPC, and content marketing.
• Pricing: WebFX creates custom strategies instead of offering fixed packages. General SEO retainers for mid-sized businesses often fall between $2,500 and $5,000 per month, but a final quote for a full AI SEO plan will depend on your specific needs.
• Best for: Businesses of any size that want a data-driven, all-in-one agency focused on tying marketing spend to revenue.

Xponent21: The AI SEO specialist and thought leader

Xponent21 has established itself as a leading voice in the AI SEO field. They've created their own frameworks, like the "AI SEO Content Accelerator" guide, and help brands get seen on platforms like Google AI, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. Their process is built around identifying and answering a brand's "Most Valuable Questions" (MVQs) to build topical authority.

• Key Services: Generative Engine Optimization, AI content strategy, technical SEO, and video marketing.
• Pricing: Xponent21 uses a project-plus-retainer model. A foundational project to get your AI SEO in good shape typically starts at $20,000, with ongoing retainers starting at $5,000 per month.
• Best for: Mid-size to enterprise brands in competitive fields (like SaaS or healthcare) that need a specialized partner for aggressive growth in AI search.

Thrive Internet Marketing Agency: The performance-driven agency

Thrive is a full-service agency that points to its own success, a +4,302% increase in its AI referral traffic, as proof of its skills. They've been in the industry since 2005 and use a set of proprietary tools called "ThriveAI" to help clients get recommended in AI search. They pride themselves on a transparent, results-focused approach.

• Key Services: Fully managed GEO services, AEO, content writing, link building, and technical SEO.
• Pricing: Thrive offers flexible and affordable pricing without long-term contracts. They customize plans to fit client budgets and goals, operating on a month-to-month basis for greater flexibility.
• Best for: Businesses that want a performance-focused agency with flexible terms and a strong emphasis on data-driven results.

The in-house alternative to AI SEO services

While agencies provide deep expertise, an in-house tool offers a scalable alternative for teams that want direct control over their content strategy. This approach can be a cost-effective way to manage content production at scale.

The eesel AI blog writer was designed for exactly this. It's not just a text generator. It builds publish-ready articles that are optimized for AI search from the start.

We built it based on what works. Using this tool, our team at eesel AI grew our site from 700 to 750,000 daily impressions in just three months by publishing over 1,000 optimized blogs. This was the result of a tool engineered for GEO and AEO.

What makes it different:

• From keyword to complete post: It doesn't just give you a wall of text. It generates a full article with headings, AI-generated images, charts, and even Reddit quotes and YouTube videos to add authority.
• Context-aware and human-toned: It actively researches topics to produce content that reads like a human wrote it, not generic AI filler. It also learns your brand context to weave in product mentions where they feel natural.
• Affordable and accessible: At just $99 for 50 blog posts, it's a cost-effective way to scale high-quality content production and compete in the new search environment.

The tool is free to try, allowing teams to generate a post and evaluate the quality firsthand.

For a deeper dive into how AI SEO differs from traditional Google SEO and why it's a crucial opportunity for businesses, check out the video below. It offers a clear playbook for getting started.

This video explains how AI SEO is different from traditional Google SEO and why it's a better opportunity.

Final thoughts on AI SEO services

AI search is the new standard in digital marketing. Success isn't just about ranking first anymore; it's about becoming a trusted source that gets cited directly in AI answers. When your brand is featured in these responses, you build authority and capture attention right when a user is looking for a solution.

Businesses have two main ways to adapt: partner with specialized AI SEO services to handle the complexity, or empower their in-house teams with advanced AI tools to scale content creation.

Whichever path you take, the goal is the same: create high-quality, structured, and authoritative content that answers user questions clearly and completely. The brands that move first will gain a major competitive edge in the age of AI search.

Preparing your brand for AI search

The fastest way to see how well AI-optimized content performs is to create some yourself. The eesel AI blog writer lets you turn a single keyword into a complete, SEO-ready article in minutes. It's free to try. Generate your first blog post today and see the quality firsthand.