How to choose an AI SEO or AEO agency — or a tool: 12 questions to ask

What do AI SEO services usually include?

Most offers combine some of the following: a technical audit (crawling, speed, indexing), content written or rewritten to answer customer questions, structured data, digital PR and link earning, local listings, and monitoring of how AI assistants mention the brand. Some sell software you run yourself; others do the work for you; some do both. Knowing which parts you need is the first step.

Do it yourself, use a tool or hire an agency?

Which 12 questions should you ask?

1. How do you measure visibility in AI answers — which assistants, how many questions, how many runs per question?
2. Do your figures come with ranges, and how do you tell a real change from normal variation between runs?
3. Can I see a sample report from start to finish?
4. What exactly will you change, and who approves each change before it goes live?
5. Who writes the content — a person with knowledge of my field, AI, or both — and who checks facts?
6. How do you handle technical SEO: crawling, speed, structured data, indexing?
7. How do you build reputation off my site, and which methods will you never use?
8. Which results will you report on monthly, and which are outside your control?
9. What does it cost, how is it billed, and what happens if I stop?
10. Do I keep ownership of all content, accounts and data?
11. Can you show genuine work for businesses like mine, and may I speak to one of them?
12. Where is your company registered, and who is accountable for the work?

What are the red flags?

• “Guaranteed #1 ranking” or “guaranteed ChatGPT mentions”. No one controls Google or AI assistants.
• A visibility score with no method, no sample size and no range.
• Secret techniques, hidden text, private link networks or fake reviews.
• Long lock-in contracts before any measured result.
• Reports full of activity (posts written, links built) and no outcomes (visits, enquiries, sales).

How should you read “top AI SEO company” lists?

Many “top” or “best” lists are published by one of the companies on the list, and some rank themselves first. That does not make them wrong, but it means you should treat them as a starting list, not a verdict. Check each candidate against the twelve questions above, ask for references and compare sample reports side by side.

Where does SEOCells fit?

SEOCells, from OmCells R&D Labs LLP in India, works both ways and you choose. Plug and Play is self-serve: AI agents check your site and draft fixes, and you approve each item; runs are paid in credits (1 credit = US$0.01) and the first SEO Score and AEO Score are free. Hire a Consultant works like an agency: a SEOCells specialist does the work with AI agents, a senior reviewer checks it and you accept every delivery. Every score carries a range, and nothing is published without approval.

Questions answered

Sources

1. Google Search Central — Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content
2. Google Search Central — SEO Starter Guide
3. Google Search Central — AI features and your website

Search engines and AI assistants change often; check the linked documentation for the latest details. Nothing in this guide is a promise of rankings, citations or results.

Related guides

• SEO vs AEO vs GEO: what each term means and how they fit together
• How to get your business cited in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews
• AI search for small and local businesses: be found on Google, Maps and in AI assistants