Which SEO Agencies AI Recommends: SmartSites, WebFX and Searchbloom Lead

Ahrefs recorded 77 US-market AI answers in an SEO agency question set, with SmartSites named in 28 of the 75 answers to questions asking for a recommendation, WebFX in 27 and Searchbloom in 26. Clutch was the most-linked site across the full set, appearing in 55 answers. The collection contains 57 ChatGPT answers and 20 Google AI Overviews; 17 came from questions about major US cities.

Source: Ahrefs Brand Radar, United States, pulled October 9, 2026, analyzed by DirJournal. Counts show how often a name or site appeared in recorded ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews answers. They don't rank quality, and search figures are Google estimates, not AI prompt counts.

The Firms AI Names Most

SmartSites led WebFX by one answer, with Searchbloom another answer behind. One answer often names several firms.

Victorious appeared in 21 answers, followed by Ignite Visibility in 15. Below Outpace SEO's 12, no firm in this table reached double digits.

DirJournal's SEO agency hub provides a starting point for a shortlist. The SEO and search marketing category provides another route to individual business profiles.

The Sites Linked in the Agency Answers

Clutch appeared in 55 of the 77 responses, compared with 18 for GoodFirms and 14 for DesignRush. Each count records answers containing a link to that domain.

Agency-owned comparison pages also appear among the linked material. The captured responses link to best-agency lists published by OuterBox, Searchbloom and WebFX. Readers should identify the publisher before treating a comparison as independent evidence.

City Examples From Nine US Markets

Location changes the shortlist. The table shows selected firms from the recorded answers, with names linked to their own sites where first introduced.

Straight North appeared in three of four Chicago answers. DirJournal's Chicago SEO agency page can help readers compare the service descriptions behind a shortlist.

Broader SEO Citations Differ by Engine

The separate engine comparison covers all tracked SEO questions, including informational queries. Semrush led the listed domains for Perplexity, Copilot and Gemini; Reddit led the listed AI Mode domains, followed by YouTube.

The Questions Behind the Shortlist

The broad question “What are the best SEO agencies in the USA?” carried 5,000 estimated monthly searches. “What is the best AI SEO agency?” carried 1,000, while the technical SEO version carried 500.

How to Check an Agency AI Recommends

A buyer can use the recurring names to assemble a shortlist, then ask each agency for evidence tied to the work required. A technical SEO engagement needs a proposed diagnostic process; a local search engagement needs a plan for the locations the business actually serves.

Case studies should identify the work performed and the period measured. Buyers should ask for starting values alongside percentage gains and evidence connecting traffic growth to qualified inquiries.

Before signing, the buyer should get the deliverables and reporting responsibilities in writing. The agreement should also explain account access and what happens to work already completed when the engagement ends.