Short answer
Choose an agency that can show how it measures AI visibility, not just rankings, and that treats AEO as part of one search program with SEO and Maps. Ask to see a tracked set of AI answers for a current client, how they report on citations and leads, and what they will fix in the first 90 days. Avoid anyone who guarantees placement in AI answers.
Questions worth asking:
- Which AI assistants do you track, and how often?
- Can you show a before and after of AI answers for a client in my industry?
- How do you check that AI crawlers can access our site?
- What do you change on a page to make it easier to cite?
- How do you connect AI visibility to leads and sales?
- Who owns my account day to day, and how senior are they?
- What will you deliver in the first 90 days?
Red flags: guaranteed rankings or AI placements, reports with no lead or sales data, and long contracts with no clear plan.