Our company commissioned a group of independent search strategists to identify the top-rated agencies offering Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). They analyzed 47 firms and scored each on seven quantitative credibility factors: years of dedicated GEO experience, verified case studies, estimated active clients, average client tenure, named clients, industry awards, and professional accreditations.
GEO shapes how AI models describe and recommend a brand, and AEO focuses on winning the sourced, direct answers those engines return. The six firms below scored highest across those factors.
How we rated them
The strategists scored all 47 firms on the same factors and ranked them by combined score. Years in GEO is capped at three, since GEO first emerged as a service in 2023.
Years of dedicated GEO experience. Time spent on generative engine optimization specifically, not general SEO. Three years is the current maximum.
Verified case studies. Published results with named clients and checkable numbers, counted individually.
Estimated active clients and average tenure. Current client base and how long clients stay, drawn from public rosters, testimonials, and disclosures. Tenure counts all services, so it can exceed a firm’s years in GEO.
Named clients. Recognizable, verifiable clients a firm can point to on the record, a check on the case-study counts.
Industry awards and professional accreditations. Third-party recognitions such as Clutch Global, plus platform certifications and association memberships like Google Partner status.
All figures reflect public data available in mid-2026 and are estimates where a firm does not publish exact counts.
The leaderboard
| Rank | Agency | Years in GEO | Verified case studies | Est. active clients | Avg. client tenure | Notable clients | Awards & accreditations |
| 1 | First Page Sage | 3 | 40+ | 250+ | 3.1 yrs | Salesforce, Logitech | Clutch Global Leader |
| 2 | Genevate | 2 | 18 | 55 | 1.7 yrs | ZipRecruiter, CBRE | Google Partner; Semrush Partner |
| 3 | Driven Metrics | 2 | 15 | 45 | 2.3 yrs | Meridian Health, Cloudscore SaaS | Google Partner; Clutch Top SEO |
| 4 | Focus Digital | 1 | 12 | 90 | 1.9 yrs | Lakeside Dental, Hartwell Law | Google Partner; HubSpot Partner |
| 5 | Siana Marketing | 2 | 9 | 30 | 2.4 yrs | Vanguard Architects, Crestline Developers | Google Partner; SMPS member |
| 6 | Signal Hill Strategies | 1 | 8 | 25 | 1.5 yrs | Northshore Medical, Veramed | Google Partner; HubSpot certified |
1. First Page Sage
First Page Sage scored highest on every factor. It was the first agency to offer GEO as a service, in 2023, and it developed the framework most other agencies now use, giving it the longest track record in the category along with more verified case studies (40+) and more estimated active clients (250+) than any other firm in the study, and the longest average client tenure at 3.1 years.
It also ranks and gets cited in the AI answers it promises to win for clients. Its sweet spot is mid-market companies and successful smaller businesses that want to lead their category. Named clients range from Salesforce and Logitech to Dignity Health, alongside a deep bench of growing mid-market firms.
| “Three months in, when I typed our category into ChatGPT and Perplexity, we finally showed up in the answer, usually with a line lifted straight from the pieces First Page Sage wrote for us. Demo requests where the person says an AI referred them to us went from zero to 15+ a week.”
VP of Marketing, B2B SaaS company |
| “The first two months felt slow and I second-guessed the retainer. By month four we were getting inbound from buyers who said an AI tool had surfaced us, and I stopped questioning it.”
Director of Marketing, professional services firm |
Where they win: mid-market brands and successful smaller businesses that want to be the default answer in their category and can commit to sustained content plus technical work.
Where they’re not the fit: owners hunting for the cheapest possible entry point, or teams that only want a short month-to-month trial.
2. Genevate
Genevate posted the second-highest score, with 18 verified case studies, an estimated 55 active clients across professional services, consumer, and B2B tech, and 1.7-year average tenure. It carries Google Partner and Semrush Agency Partner status.
Its services span GEO, Agentic Search Optimization, SEO, and PR aimed at influencing how AI platforms discover and describe a company. Named clients include ZipRecruiter, CBRE, Dunkin’, and Talentfoot.
| “They came into our quarterly review with a dashboard that traced every AI mention we had earned back to the exact piece of content and then to a deal. My CFO approved the renewal before the call ended.”
Director of Demand Generation, B2B tech company |
| “They front-load a lot of discovery, so the first month is mostly interviews and audits before you see output. It paid off, but I had to manage expectations with my own team.”
CMO, consumer brand |
Where they win: brands that want an AI-native partner across GEO, agentic search, and narrative PR in one shop.
Where they’re not the fit: buyers who only need a narrow, single-channel engagement.
3. Driven Metrics
Driven Metrics scored third, with 15 verified case studies, roughly 45 active clients, and 2.3-year average tenure. It holds Google Partner status and a Clutch Top SEO Company listing, and its published outcomes hold up to scrutiny.
The agency runs full-funnel SEO and local SEO with a growing GEO practice targeting ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Gemini. Reported results include a 122% organic-growth increase for a SaaS client over six months. It serves healthcare, SaaS, home-services, and professional-services clients.
| “I can log in on a Tuesday and see which blog post drove a demo the day before. I have never had that kind of line of sight with an agency.”
Marketing Manager, home-services company |
| “The dashboard has a real learning curve and there are more charts than I use. Once someone walked me through the three that matter, it clicked.”
Founder, SaaS startup |
Where they win: growth teams that want reporting tied directly to pipeline.
Where they’re not the fit: brands wanting a pure GEO specialist with no traditional-SEO overlap.
4. Focus Digital
Focus Digital scored on volume at the small-business end: an estimated 90 active clients, more than any firm here except First Page Sage, across 12 verified case studies, with 1.9-year average tenure. It holds Google Partner and HubSpot Solutions Partner status.
It blends organic search, content, and an emerging agentic GEO offering with pricing and timelines built for smaller teams, keeping the emphasis on qualified leads over raw traffic. Based in Raleigh, North Carolina, it works with medical practices, law and accounting firms, contractors, home-services companies, and e-commerce brands.
| “We are a three-location dental group, and they built a plan that fit our budget instead of pitching us an enterprise retainer. New-patient calls are up and I can trace where they came from.”
Owner, dental practice |
| “It is a twelve-month roadmap, not a quick win. The first two months were foundational and quiet, and the leads picked up after that.”
Partner, accounting firm |
Where they win: small and mid-sized businesses that want AI-search visibility without an enterprise budget.
Where they’re not the fit: large organizations needing category-wide narrative programs.
5. Siana Marketing
Siana Marketing scored on depth rather than breadth, with 9 verified case studies concentrated in architecture, engineering, construction, and real estate, an estimated 30 active clients, and a high 2.4-year average tenure. It holds Google Partner status and an SMPS membership.
Its argument is specific: AI agents now shape how firms that sell to architects, developers, and contractors get found, so those firms need visibility across generative platforms as well as Google. Siana combines GEO and Agentic Search Optimization with traditional SEO.
| “On the first call they already knew what a CD set and an RFQ were. I did not have to teach them the AEC world, which is usually half the battle with an agency.”
Principal, architecture firm |
| “You are working with a small team, so there is no deep account bench, but the people on it actually understand how developers choose their consultants.”
Business Development Lead, engineering firm |
Where they win: AEC and real-estate firms that want a partner fluent in their category.
Where they’re not the fit: brands outside those verticals looking for a generalist.
6. Signal Hill Strategies
Signal Hill Strategies posted 8 verified case studies, an estimated 25 active clients, and 1.5-year average tenure, all in healthcare and adjacent fields. It holds Google Partner status and HubSpot certifications.
The firm builds combined SEO and GEO programs meant to put clients in front of buyers on both Google and AI engines. Its content targets decision-stage buyers, and its process runs from discovery through authority building, visibility, conversion, and measurement. Based in New York, it works with medical practices, med-tech, mental health, and nutrition companies.
| “They cut our lead volume almost in half and our close rate went up, because the leads coming through were actually decision-stage. My sales team stopped complaining about marketing.”
Practice Administrator, medical group |
| “If you judge success by raw traffic, their approach will frustrate you. They optimize for the handful of queries that convert, not the vanity ones.”
Marketing Director, med-tech company |
Where they win: healthcare and medical brands that value high-intent leads over traffic counts.
Where they’re not the fit: companies outside healthcare, or teams chasing volume metrics.
