Ask ChatGPT or Google’s AI Mode to recommend a vendor in your category, and whether your brand shows up is now a line item in your marketing plan. That is why B2B teams are shopping for SEO and LLM visibility agencies: firms that can still rank you in Google and also get you cited when a buyer asks an AI engine for a shortlist. The pitch you will hear most often is that these are two separate jobs needing two separate hires. For a growing set of full-funnel agencies, they are not.
The demand is real and lopsided. As of April 2026, 51% of B2B software buyers say they now start product research with an AI chatbot more often than with Google, per new research from G2, and 94% now use large language models somewhere in the buying process, according to the 6sense 2025 B2B Buyer Experience Report. Yet only 14% of the B2B SaaS marketers who call AI-search visibility critical have a documented plan for it, per CommonMind’s 2026 State of AI Visibility survey. That gap between “this matters” and “we have a plan” is the space this category of agency fills.
This guide is not another list of answer-engine boutiques. It covers established SEO agencies that added a real, measured LLM-visibility practice, so you can buy rankings and AI citations as one engagement instead of stitching together two vendors. We rank ten of them on proof, name what each actually does for AI search, and say plainly where a pure specialist or a general SEO shop is the smarter spend. First, the short version.
Direct answer — What is an SEO and LLM visibility agency?
An SEO and LLM visibility agency delivers both traditional search rankings and AI-search visibility in one engagement: getting a brand to rank in Google and to be cited inside AI answer engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. It differs from a pure answer-engine (AEO) specialist, which optimizes only for AI citations, and from a GEO tool, which is software you run yourself. The strongest ones prove both rankings and citation share, not just one.
Key Takeaways
- A real tier of full-funnel SEO agencies now delivers Google rankings and AI-search citations as one program, not two separate retainers.
- For most B2B brands this is the practical buy, because classic search still drives the large majority of traffic while AI answers grow underneath it.
- Filter hard for a named, measured LLM-visibility method (citation share across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and AI Mode), not an “AI visibility” line bolted onto a services page.
- None of the ten agencies here publish standard pricing. Expect custom retainers scoped to your site and market.
- If being cited is your only goal and rankings are irrelevant, a pure answer-engine specialist may fit better than a full-funnel agency.
What an SEO and LLM visibility agency actually does
An SEO and LLM visibility agency runs two connected programs under one roof: classic search optimization that earns blue-link rankings, and AI-search optimization that earns citations inside generative answers like ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. You buy them together because they share a spine of entities, authority, and structured content.
On the search side, the work is familiar: technical health, content built around real buyer intent, internal linking, and the earned links that still decide competitive rankings. On the AI-search side, the deliverables are newer. The agency optimizes how your brand reads as an entity, earns mentions on the third-party sources models trust, and tracks whether you actually get named when a buyer asks an engine for options. Much of that overlaps with what you could chase using GEO tracking tools run in-house, except here the agency owns the doing, not just the dashboard.
Getting named is worth real traffic. Seer Interactive found that pages cited inside a Google AI Overview earn a 35% higher organic click-through rate and 91% higher paid CTR than pages that rank but go uncited. And AI answers now sit on top of most B2B research: BrightEdge data reported by Search Engine Journal shows AI results triggering on 82% of B2B technology queries, up from 36% a year earlier. When four in five buyer questions surface an AI answer, the brand named in it has a head start the ninth blue link cannot match.
Could you run these plays yourself? Yes. Teams with the in-house muscle can start from the DIY playbook for optimizing content for AI Overviews. The operational lift, and the fact that the SEO and the AI-search work draw on the same content and authority, is why most B2B teams hand both to one agency.
SEO and LLM visibility agencies vs. a pure answer-engine specialist
The choice between a full-funnel agency and a pure answer-engine specialist comes down to one question: do you still need to rank, or only to be cited? Most B2B brands need both, which is exactly the case for an integrated agency.
Here is the perspective that keeps the decision honest. AI referral traffic is growing fast, roughly tripling across 2025 by one cross-account analysis, and it converts better than almost any other source at around 18%, yet it still makes up less than 2% of total referral traffic for most sites. So a brand that fires its SEO agency to chase AI citations usually trades a river for a stream. The integrated agency keeps the river flowing while it builds the stream, which is why the question of who even owns AI visibility inside B2B teams stays unresolved at so many companies: the work falls between the SEO team and no one.
There is a real case for the specialist, though. If AI citations are the entire objective, your rankings are already handled, or you want a team that does nothing but answer engines, a roster of answer-engine-first specialists is the sharper tool, and we keep a separate ranked list of those. This guide is for the more common situation: you need to defend rankings and win citations at the same time, from one accountable team. Here is the fast way to place the four options against each other.
| Option | What it is | Best when | Trade-off |
|---|---|---|---|
| SEO + LLM visibility agency | One team delivering rankings and AI citations together | You need both and want a single accountable partner | Custom retainers; AI-search depth varies by agency |
| Answer-engine (AEO) specialist | A shop focused only on AI citations | Citations are the whole goal and rankings are handled | Little to no classic SEO in scope |
| GEO / AI-visibility tool | Software you run to track and improve AI mentions | You have an in-house team and need visibility data | You still have to do the work yourself |
| General SEO agency | Traditional rankings with no dedicated AI-search practice | AI search is not yet where your buyers are | Leaves AI citations on the table as they grow |
How we chose these SEO and LLM visibility agencies
We evaluated agencies on five criteria, and we have nothing to sell against them: IVRIS runs no SEO or AI-visibility service, so this list is editorial rather than a self-ranking. Nearly every competing “best AI SEO agency” roundup is published by an agency that puts itself at number one, which is precisely the bias worth avoiding.
- A genuine SEO track record. Demonstrated ranking results, not just an AI-era pivot.
- A named LLM-visibility method. Citation-share or share-of-voice tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, and AI Mode, not a vague label.
- Integrated delivery. Both jobs from one team, one strategy, one report.
- Real B2B fit. Experience with considered, multi-stakeholder purchases.
- Transparent scope. A clear account of what you get and how it is measured.
The first criterion does the heaviest filtering. An agency that cannot show ranking results has no foundation for AI citations, because the content and authority a language model quotes is largely the same content you already earned in classic search. Agencies that measure share of voice honestly will show you a baseline and a trend line, not a screenshot of a single lucky prompt.
The bar deliberately excludes two neighbors. A general B2B SEO agency with no AI-search practice is a fine hire if AI search is not yet where your buyers are, and a pure specialist with no ranking capability suits the citations-only case. The ten agencies below sit in the middle, and each earns its place by doing both.
IMPORTANT
An “AI visibility” line on a services page is not a capability. Before you sign, ask for one named brand the agency actually got cited in an AI answer, and the method they used to measure it. If neither exists, you are buying a label.
The 10 best SEO and LLM visibility agencies for B2B brands
Each agency below pairs an established SEO practice with a named AI-search offering. Profiles cover the SEO core, the LLM-visibility service, who they fit, and pricing where published. The at-a-glance table comes first.
| Agency | SEO core | AI / LLM visibility service | Best for | Pricing |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Siege Media | Content SEO + digital PR (since 2012) | Full-service GEO; LLM citation tracking | Enterprise content, SaaS | Custom |
| Directive Consulting | B2B performance SEO (since 2013) | Named GEO + AIO services | B2B tech and SaaS | Custom |
| WebFX | Full-service SEO (since 1996) | AI Search Optimization (OmniSEO) | SMB to enterprise | Custom |
| Single Grain | SEO and content (since 2009) | Dedicated GEO service | Series A to enterprise | Custom |
| Terakeet | Enterprise SEO / owned-asset optimization | Generative AI Optimization | Enterprise, regulated verticals | Custom |
| First Page Sage | Enterprise SEO + thought leadership | SEO + GEO positioning | Enterprise B2B | Custom |
| Victorious | Award-winning SEO (since 2013) | AEO / AI-visibility service | Mid-market to enterprise | Custom |
| Amsive | Data-led performance SEO | SEO + AEO practice | Enterprise, healthcare, finance | Custom |
| Skale | SaaS SEO (since ~2019) | GEO + AI Brand Mentions | B2B SaaS | Custom |
| Graphite | Programmatic content SEO for SaaS | AEO + AI visibility tracking | Mid-to-large SaaS | Custom |
1. Siege Media
SEO core: Content-led SEO and digital PR since 2012, with a link-earning engine tied to a reported $148M+ in yearly client traffic value for brands like Zapier and Zendesk. LLM visibility: Now positions as a full-service GEO agency and points to results such as 98% LLM visibility and 46,500 LLM citations for Instacart. Best for: Enterprise content and SaaS brands that want digital PR feeding both rankings and AI citations. Pricing: Custom, no public rates.
2. Directive Consulting
SEO core: B2B performance-marketing and SEO agency since 2013, crediting itself with $1B+ in generated revenue across 420+ brands including Adobe, Cisco, Gong, and ZoomInfo. LLM visibility: Names both GEO (for LLM citations across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini) and AIO for Google AI Overviews under a “DiscoverabilityOS” method. Best for: B2B tech and SaaS teams that measure everything against pipeline. Pricing: Custom.
3. WebFX
SEO core: Full-service digital-marketing and SEO agency since 1996, with one of the deeper case-study libraries in the industry. LLM visibility: Runs a named AI Search Optimization and GEO service through its OmniSEO platform, targeting citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Copilot. Best for: SMB through enterprise teams that want one large agency covering many channels. Pricing: Custom; WebFX historically publishes rates, so ask for the current figure.
4. Single Grain
SEO core: SEO and content agency since 2009, led by Eric Siu, with named work for Salesforce, Amazon, and Lyft. LLM visibility: Runs a dedicated generative engine optimization service focused on getting clients cited across ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity. Best for: Series A through enterprise brands that want content and paid working alongside AI search. Pricing: Custom.
5. Terakeet
SEO core: Enterprise SEO pioneer that coined “owned asset optimization,” with Fortune 1000 work and deep authority-building experience. LLM visibility: Offers Generative AI Optimization and cites cases like 94% controllability over ChatGPT and Gemini outputs for a client. Best for: Large enterprises and regulated verticals where reputation and AI representation both matter. Pricing: Custom. Note that its messaging now leads with reputation and AI over classic SEO.
6. First Page Sage
SEO core: Enterprise SEO and thought-leadership agency with named work for Salesforce, Logitech, and Verizon, and an early published GEO framework. LLM visibility: Positions as an “SEO + GEO agency,” though its generative-search depth is lighter than the top of this list. Best for: Enterprise B2B teams that value long-form thought leadership as the ranking and citation engine. Pricing: Custom; note that its public “pricing” page surveys other agencies rather than listing its own rates.
7. Victorious
SEO core: Award-winning SEO agency since 2013, with multiple Search Agency of the Year wins. LLM visibility: Markets an SEO-for-search-and-AI position and an AEO service that prepares pages to perform in AI Overviews and LLM engines like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity. Best for: Mid-market to enterprise brands that want a proven SEO shop adding AI search deliberately. Pricing: Custom.
8. Amsive
SEO core: Data-led performance-marketing agency with strong enterprise SEO and named results such as a 163% enrollment lift for a health plan. LLM visibility: Runs an “SEO + AEO” service and has publicly expanded its search practice into answer engine optimization for the AI-search era. Best for: Enterprise and mid-market brands in healthcare, finance, and insurance. Pricing: Custom.
9. Skale
SEO core: SaaS-focused organic-growth agency since about 2019, with results like a 176% revenue lift for one client and named work for G2 and Wealthsimple. LLM visibility: Positions as an AI-search-first agency with named “Generative Engine Optimization” and “AI Brand Mentions” services. Best for: B2B SaaS teams where a CMO or growth lead owns organic pipeline. Pricing: Custom.
10. Graphite
SEO core: Programmatic content-SEO agency for SaaS, with named clients such as Notion, Rippling, and Upwork. LLM visibility: Offers AEO with AI search prioritization, AI visibility tracking, and citation insights, and reports 8% of one client’s signups coming from AI chatbots. Best for: Mid-to-large SaaS brands comfortable with an aggressively AI-first partner. Pricing: Custom.
What SEO and LLM visibility agencies cost
Pricing for SEO and LLM visibility agencies is almost always custom, and that is the honest answer, not a dodge. None of the ten agencies here post a standard rate card, because the work scales with your site size, your market’s competitiveness, and how much AI-search build-out you actually need on top of the SEO baseline.
For rough context, published rates in the specialist tier of our sister list start around $2,000 to $5,000 a month (as of Q3 2026), and full-service SEO-plus-AI retainers usually sit above that, because you are paying for two connected programs rather than one. Watch for “pricing” pages that turn out to be surveys of other agencies rather than the firm’s own numbers, a habit at least one well-known SEO agency has. When an agency quotes you, make the scope explicit: how many hours go to AI-search work, what gets measured, and how often you see the citation-share report.
How to choose an SEO and LLM visibility agency
Choosing well is mostly about matching the agency’s real strength to your actual goal, then pressure-testing their measurement. Use a simple decision rule before you shortlist.
- Choose a full-funnel SEO and LLM visibility agency when you still need to rank and want AI citations built on the same foundation, from one accountable team. This is the common B2B case.
- Choose a pure answer-engine specialist when citations are the entire goal, rankings are already covered, and you want a team that does nothing else.
- Run a GEO tool in-house when you have the people to do the work and mainly need visibility data to guide it.
- Stay with a general SEO agency when your buyers are not yet researching your category through AI, and classic rankings still carry the pipeline.
Once you have the category right, the vetting is the same for every finalist: ask for a baseline, a method, and a named result. An agency that cannot show you where your citation share starts cannot prove it moved anything.
PRO TIP
The single most useful question in a pitch: “Show me a brand you got cited in an AI answer, and the before-and-after share-of-voice data behind it.” Real practices answer in minutes. Bolt-on practices change the subject.
Mistakes B2B teams make hiring for AI visibility
The most expensive mistake is buying the label. “We do AI visibility” on a slide is not the same as a measured practice, and the gap between the two is where budgets quietly disappear. Insist on a method and a named result before the pitch goes any further.
The second mistake is firing your SEO agency to fund the AI hire. Classic search still moves the overwhelming majority of B2B traffic, and AI referrals, for all their growth, remain a small slice of the total. Cutting rankings to chase citations usually shrinks the pipeline you were trying to grow.
The third is measuring the wrong thing. Presence in an AI answer feels good, but the metric that matters is citation share on the buyer prompts that actually drive your deals, tied back to pipeline. A brand mentioned once for a low-intent query is not the same as the brand an engine names when a buyer asks who to shortlist.
The fourth is treating AI visibility as a one-time project. Models change their sourcing constantly, so a citation you win in the spring can vanish by the fall without maintenance. The agencies worth hiring treat this as an ongoing program with a monitoring cadence, not a launch-and-leave campaign.
Frequently Asked Questions
A traditional SEO agency optimizes to rank your pages in Google’s blue links. An LLM visibility agency optimizes to get your brand cited and recommended inside AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. A full-funnel SEO and LLM visibility agency does both at once, on the same content and authority foundation.
Many do, but the depth varies widely. Some established SEO agencies have built genuine generative engine optimization practices with citation-share tracking, while others have added an “AI visibility” line with little behind it. The difference shows up when you ask for a measurement method and a named brand they got cited.
Almost all quote custom retainers rather than public rates, because pricing scales with site size, competitiveness, and how much AI-search work sits on top of the SEO baseline. For context, specialist AI-search rates commonly start in the low thousands per month, and full-service SEO-plus-AI retainers usually run higher.
Hire the full-funnel agency when you still need rankings and want AI citations built on the same foundation, which is most B2B brands. Choose a pure answer-engine specialist when citations are the entire goal and your rankings are already handled by another team or channel.
Yes, if you have the in-house capacity. The tactics that earn AI citations, clean entity signals, structured content, and mentions on trusted third-party sources, are documented and repeatable. Many teams run tracking with a GEO tool and only bring in an agency when the workload or the competitive stakes outgrow the in-house team.
