Does Your Marketing Agency Understand AI Search?
Introduction
You trust your marketing agency. They send monthly reports. Traffic is up. Rankings look stable. Social engagement is growing. Everything seems fine.
But there's a question you probably haven't asked them: "What are we doing to make sure our business shows up when someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for a recommendation?"
If you've never asked it, they've probably never answered it. And if they've never answered it, they're almost certainly not working on it.
This isn't about blaming your agency. Most marketing agencies are staffed by smart people doing competent work within the frameworks they've used for years. The problem is that AI search optimization requires a different framework, and the vast majority of agencies haven't built one yet. This article gives you a specific, practical diagnostic to figure out where your agency stands, without having to become an AI expert yourself.
The 10-point agency diagnostic
Score your agency on each of these. Give 1 point for a "yes" and 0 for a "no." We'll evaluate the score at the end.
- 1. Have they ever mentioned AI search, AI recommendations, or AI visibility in a report or meeting?
If the phrase "AI search" has never come up in a meeting, a report, or a strategy conversation, your agency isn't thinking about it. This is the most basic indicator.
- 2. Do they know what your business looks like on ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity right now?
Ask them directly: "What does ChatGPT say about us?" If they haven't checked, they're not monitoring the fastest-growing discovery channel your customers use.
- 3. Can they explain the difference between Google rankings and AI recommendations without pausing?
This isn't a trick question. Anyone working in AI search can immediately articulate the difference: Google ranks pages, AI recommends entities. Google evaluates backlinks and keywords, AI evaluates cross-web entity signals and citation breadth. If your agency needs to think about this or gives a vague answer, they haven't studied the space.
- 4. Are they building citations on sources beyond your website and Google Business Profile?
Check your last three monthly reports. Is there any mention of placing your business on industry directories, local publications, trade associations, or authoritative third-party platforms? If citation building isn't in the scope of work, the most important driver of AI visibility isn't being addressed.
- 5. Have they implemented structured data beyond basic SEO schema?
Basic SEO schema (breadcrumbs, article markup, simple Organization schema) is table stakes. AI-relevant structured data includes comprehensive Local Business schema with service details, FAQ schema, Review schema, and entity-defining markup that goes beyond minimum Google requirements. Ask what schema they've implemented and why.
- 6. Are they tracking your reviews across multiple platforms, or just Google?
If your agency's review strategy begins and ends with "get more Google reviews," they're optimizing for one platform. AI tools evaluate review data across Google, Yelp, BBB, Facebook, industry-specific sites, and more. A single-platform review strategy leaves AI with incomplete data about your business.
- 7. Do they create content structured around questions people ask AI?
Pull up the last five blog posts they published for you. Are any of them structured as direct answers to specific questions? ("How do I choose a [service] in [city]?", "What should I look for in a [provider]?") Or are they all keyword-targeted articles designed to rank on Google? The latter has limited AI value.
- 8. Have they audited your entity data consistency across the web?
Not just your Google Business Profile. Have they checked whether your business name, address, phone number, services, and description match across every directory, review site, social profile, and third-party listing? Entity consistency is critical for AI, and most traditional agencies don't manage it beyond Google's ecosystem.
- 9. Do their reports include any AI-specific metrics?
Look at your most recent report. Does it mention AI visibility, AI response accuracy, or AI platform coverage? Or does it only cover Google rankings, website traffic, and social engagement? The metrics that matter for AI search are different from traditional marketing metrics, and if they're not being tracked, they're not being managed.
- 10. Have they recommended adjusting your strategy to account for AI search trends?
Has your agency proactively suggested any changes based on the shift toward AI-powered discovery? New content formats, citation building, entity management, structured data expansion? If every strategy conversation focuses exclusively on Google, social media, and paid ads, AI isn't on their radar.
Scoring your agency
8 to 10 points: Your agency is ahead of the curve. They understand AI search and are actively working on it. Keep pushing them for measurable AI results.
5 to 7 points: They're aware of AI search but haven't fully integrated it into their work. This is where a direct conversation about expanding scope or supplementing with an AI-specific partner makes sense.
2 to 4 points: They have significant gaps. Some basics are covered, but AI search is not being addressed in any systematic way. You need to either push for major changes or bring in additional support.
0 to 1 points: Your agency is operating on a pre-AI playbook. This doesn't mean they're bad at what they do, but it means a growing and increasingly important channel is being completely ignored. Immediate action is needed.
Most agencies we've encountered score between 1 and 3. That's not because they're incompetent. It's because the industry hasn't caught up yet. AI search optimization is a new discipline, and the marketing agency world is still in the early stages of adapting.
Why good agencies fall behind on AI search
It's worth understanding why this happens, because it's not always about negligence.
They're built around Google's ecosystem. Most marketing agencies were founded on SEO, Google Ads, and social media. Their tools, their training, their reporting frameworks, and their client expectations are all designed around those channels. AI search doesn't fit neatly into any of their existing systems.
Their tools don't measure AI visibility. The software stack most agencies use (SEMrush, Ahrefs, Google Analytics, Google Search Console) doesn't track AI recommendations. Without measurement tools, it's nearly impossible to report on a channel, which means it's nearly impossible to sell work on that channel.
The economics don't favor early adoption. Agencies get paid for work they can measure and report on. Since AI search metrics are harder to track and standardize, there's a financial disincentive to push into the space until client demand forces it.
They're afraid of looking uninformed. Some agencies know AI search matters but haven't developed expertise yet. Rather than admitting a gap, they either avoid the topic or claim their existing work covers it. Neither response serves you.
Understanding these dynamics isn't about letting your agency off the hook. It's about having a more productive conversation with them. They may be willing to adapt if you bring the topic to the table. Or they may not, in which case you need to evaluate whether supplementing or switching is the right move.
The conversation to have with your agency this week
Don't fire your agency over this article. have a conversation instead. here's a script that works:
"I've been reading about AI search and how platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity are influencing how customers find businesses. I checked what AI says about us and I'm concerned about what I found [share your results]. Can we talk about what we're doing specifically for AI visibility, and whether our current scope covers it?"
Three outcomes are possible:
Best case: They've been thinking about it and have a plan they haven't presented yet. Unlikely but possible. Push for specifics and timelines.
Middle case: They acknowledge the gap and are willing to expand scope. This is the most common productive outcome. Work with them to add AI-specific deliverables: citation building, entity management, AI content, structured data.
Worst case: They dismiss it, claim their current work covers it, or can't articulate a plan. If this happens, you need to bring in supplemental AI search expertise, whether from a specialist vendor or by building internal capacity.
Get the data before the conversation. Run your free AI visibility audit at yazeo.com and bring the results to your agency meeting. Concrete data ("ChatGPT doesn't know we exist" or "Gemini has our services wrong") makes the conversation specific instead of theoretical.
Key findings
- Most marketing agencies score 1 to 3 out of 10 on AI search readiness, primarily because their tools, training, and business models are built around Google's ecosystem.
- The absence of AI metrics in reports is the clearest indicator that AI search isn't being addressed.
- Agencies aren't necessarily failing you intentionally. The industry is adapting slowly because AI search tools don't fit neatly into existing measurement frameworks.
- A direct, data-driven conversation is more productive than switching agencies. Many are willing to adapt when the client brings the topic to the table.
- The diagnostic checklist provides a concrete, scored evaluation rather than a subjective opinion about your agency's capabilities.