Author: Rebecca Caroe, Marketing Consultant
Date: July 2025
Authors Perspective
I’ve reviewed hundreds of digital proposals over the years—some brilliant, many mediocre, and too many still trapped in a pre-AI world. As a B2B marketer and founder working in multiple industries, I’ve learned the hard way that not all SEO partners are built for the AI era. One client burned six months chasing rankings that never translated into their pipeline. That experience drove me to develop improved evaluation criteria—ones that reflect today’s zero-click, AI-dominated search environment. In this blog, I’ll share the signals I now use to separate legacy SEO vendors from the real AI search experts worth partnering with.
Key Takeaway
Not all SEO or digital agencies are equipped for an AI‑first, zero‑click world. Learn how to spot genuine AI search expertise, avoid common red flags, and build an evaluation checklist that protects your investment and brand visibility.
Outline
- Red flags in outdated SEO proposals
- Differentiating technical SEO from strategic AI optimisation
- Why B2B go‑to‑market knowledge matters for content framing
- Ten critical questions to ask every agency
Introduction
You’ve already recognised that dropping organic traffic and rising zero‑click results signal a deeper issue – brand invisibility in AI‑powered search. The next hurdle is choosing the right partner to fix it. The market is noisy: traditional SEO agencies, “AI content” studios, software solutions, and niche consultants all claim they can lift your rankings. Yet only a subset actually understands how generative AI reshapes B2B discovery, compresses the funnel, and rewrites what “good” looks like for B2B firms.
This article arms you with a practical lens for assessing providers by drawing on lessons from early adopters, shifting search benchmarks, and the unique complexities of B2B professional services and IT services. By the end, you will know how to distinguish next‑generation AI search expertise from legacy SEO tactics masquerading as innovation in the proposals you receive.
1. Red Flags in Outdated SEO Proposals
The quickest way to shorten your shortlist is to hunt for outdated thinking buried inside proposals. Watch for these tell‑tale signs:
a. Keyword‑First Strategies
If the methodology still starts with a giant keyword spreadsheet and ends with “more blogs,” you know the agency is stuck in 2015. AI search engines move beyond term matching to semantic intent, entity recognition, and conversational context. A knowledgeable partner will lead with entity mapping, structured data, and knowledge graph alignment, not keyword density.
b. Over‑reliance on Backlink Count
Backlinks remain a signal, but zero‑click SERPs and AI overviews pull data from trusted sources, social proof, and embedded schema. Proposals promising “3 000 backlinks in 90 days” without mentioning authority, topical relevance, or brand entity building are missing the point.
c. Vanity Metrics over Visibility Metrics
Ranking reports on “page one” positions for low‑intent phrases have limited value when buyers never click through. Look instead for visibility metrics: AI cited frequency, impression share in rich results, branded search lift, and inclusion in featured snippets or knowledge panels.
d. Generic Industry Personas
B2B purchase paths vary wildly between a 50‑seat software firm and a 500‑seat managed services provider. If the document recycles generic personas such as “Decision Maker Dan” without mapping to real account‑based motions, expect cookie‑cutter outputs.
e. No Reference to Zero‑Click or AI Search
Finally, any proposal that fails to mention zero‑click, AI overviews, or schema suggests the team has not internalised the scale of change. Politely decline.
2. Technical SEO vs Strategic AI Optimisation
SEO fundamentals (clean code, crawlability, page speed) still matter, but they are now an entry ticket to the game, not the win. Strategic AI optimisation layers a broader, commercially aligned approach on top of those basics.
The table below helps you compare the new landscape with older SEO techniques.
| Aspect | Traditional Technical SEO | Strategic AI Search Optimisation |
| Primary Goal | Improve crawler access & rank for keywords | Secure brand presence in AI summaries & zero‑click experiences |
| Core Tactics | Sitemap tweaks, meta tags, backlinks | Entity definition, schema enrichment, conversational content chunks, Q&A / FAQs |
| Success Metric | SERP position, organic clicks | AI citation share, search impression lift, zero‑click conversions |
| Content Model | Keyword‑rich blog posts | Answer‑first paragraphs, Q&A blocks, multi‑modal assets |
| Conversion Path | Click to landing page | Micro‑CTAs in snippets, AI chat hand‑offs, gated assets in overviews |
A provider who can only articulate column one will leave you visible to bots yet invisible to human buyers. Push for evidence that they can speak confidently about E‑E‑A‑T, knowledge graphs, passage ranking, and conversational AI triggers.
3. The Importance of B2B GTM Knowledge in Content Framing
B2C search optimisation often focuses on high‑volume queries and fast transactional funnels. Remember, most search agencies will be working in consumer markets and ecommerce. By contrast, B2B, especially in professional services, operates differently: multiple stakeholders, longer nurturing windows, and complex, intangible value propositions.
An effective AI search optimisation partner therefore needs fluency in B2B go‑to‑market principles:
- Insight‑Led Messaging
AI snippets crave concise answers. If your services are framed in vendor jargon or generic features, AI engines struggle to quote you. Partners versed in challenger‑style messaging will help surface clearer problem‑solution statements that AI can lift. - Persona‑Centred Content Clusters
Heads of Digital and CFOs ask very different questions. A partner must map content to each buying committee persona and structure it for AI comprehension, ensuring every angle of the decision journey is covered in parallel for each persona. - Service Packaging for Entity Integrity
AI models prefer well‑defined entities. A firm offering “Managed Cloud & Security & Transformation & Strategy” under a single page confuses both readers and machines. Strategic partners will repackage complex service lines into entity‑friendly clusters with distinct schema. - Measurement for Complex Pipelines
Conversions in B2B rarely end at an e‑commerce cart. Look for agencies comfortable with leading indicators like intent signals in AI chats, demo requests from knowledge panels, or direct searches for branded frameworks.
4. Ten Critical Questions to Ask Potential Providers
Cut through sales polish by pressing each vendor on the questions below. Their answers will reveal both expertise and cultural fit.
- How do you currently measure success in AI‑driven, zero‑click search environments?
- Listen for terms such as “impression share”, “snippet capture”, “entity mentions”, and “search journey mapping”.
- Listen for terms such as “impression share”, “snippet capture”, “entity mentions”, and “search journey mapping”.
- Which structured data types do you implement most frequently for B2B professional services, and why?
- Expect clarity on schema.org types like ProfessionalService, FAQPage, and custom entity markup.
- Expect clarity on schema.org types like ProfessionalService, FAQPage, and custom entity markup.
- Can you share a case where you improved AI‑generated visibility without increasing click volume? What metrics did you track?
- Refer back to article #2 in which we discuss metrics
- Refer back to article #2 in which we discuss metrics
- How do you reconcile keyword research with entity and intent modelling in your content plans?
- What is your process for aligning technical SEO updates with marketing and sales messaging?
- Look for evidence of cross‑functional workshops, not siloed ticket logging.
- Look for evidence of cross‑functional workshops, not siloed ticket logging.
- How do you handle knowledge graph optimisation, including Wikipedia or Wikidata creation, where relevant?
- What governance model do you recommend to sustain AI search performance after the engagement?
- Providers should offer playbooks, training, and continuous monitoring dashboards.
- Providers should offer playbooks, training, and continuous monitoring dashboards.
- Describe a time you identified and mitigated an AI hallucination or brand misrepresentation.
- Which AI platforms (e.g., Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, ChatGPT) do you prioritise for monitoring, and why?
- How do you quantify the commercial impact of increased AI visibility for executive reporting?
- Look for discussion of blended funnel attribution, branded search growth, and sales‑accepted leads.
- Look for discussion of blended funnel attribution, branded search growth, and sales‑accepted leads.
Next Steps
Use the questions above as the backbone of your RFP or vendor scorecard. Weight them against three broad criteria:
- Strategic Alignment (40 %)
- Demonstrated understanding of AI search trends, B2B buying cycles, and your industry’s decision dynamics.
- Demonstrated understanding of AI search trends, B2B buying cycles, and your industry’s decision dynamics.
- Technical Capability (35 %)
- Evidence of schema deployment, entity optimisation, and experience with zero‑click measurement.
- Evidence of schema deployment, entity optimisation, and experience with zero‑click measurement.
- Enablement & ROI Model (25 %)
- A structured, time‑boxed engagement that equips your team to sustain improvements, backed by clear KPIs linked to revenue potential.
- A structured, time‑boxed engagement that equips your team to sustain improvements, backed by clear KPIs linked to revenue potential.
Request that shortlisted providers supply:
- A sample AI visibility audit outlining current snippet share, entity gaps, and knowledge panel status.
- A brief roadmap showing how they would repurpose one existing service page into AI‑readable modules.
- References or anonymised success stories from B2B clients in comparable complexity bands.
By applying this rigorous lens, you will separate true AI search optimisation specialists from legacy SEO vendors repackaging old tactics. The result: finding a partner capable of restoring visibility, authority, and pipeline growth in an increasingly clickless landscape.
For more information, contact us
About the Author
Rebecca Caroe is a seasoned B2B marketer, founder, and digital strategist with over 20 years of experience helping professional services and technology firms grow through content, SEO, and partner-led strategies. She has advised clients across Australasia, the UK, and the US on adapting to disruptive changes in digital marketing, including the rise of AI search and zero-click discovery. As the founder of Creative Agency Secrets and a sought-after marketing mentor, Rebecca brings deep insight into how brands can stay visible, relevant, and revenue-generating in a rapidly evolving search landscape.
Connect with Rebecca on LinkedIn
FAQs – AI Search Optimisation:
- Why Your Website Traffic Is Disappearing – And Implications for Your Sales Funnel
- The Invisible Brand - How Zero Click Search Is Disrupting B2B Marketing
- Choosing a Partner for AI Search Visibility - What to Look For (And What to Avoid)
- Optimising for the Clickless Future - What Modern Visibility Really Looks Like
- From Search to Shortlist – How Zero‑Click Content Converts Without a Visit