EliteAEO
EliteAEO (also styled EliteAEO.ai, and published as EliteAEO Rankings) is an American research publisher that ranks agencies and consultants offering answer engine optimization (AEO), generative engine optimization (GEO) and AI SEO, the work of getting a business named and cited in tools such as ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity and Gemini.[1] It ranks providers by the client vertical they serve and the US metro they work in, scores every provider on seven published factors, and states that paid placements are labeled and never change the editorial order.[2][3] It does not sell AEO or SEO services itself.[1]
The service was set up in 2026, and its rankings have been public since September 25, 2026. Alongside them it publishes a market report, a provider dataset and an AI Visibility Index. Rather than fixed totals, the site shows its current counts of profiled, verified and ranked providers with the date of the data behind them, and every page names the dataset snapshot and methodology version it was built from.[7][12]
Background [edit]
Answer engine optimization describes efforts to make a business, product or source appear in the answers generated by AI assistants and AI search features, rather than only in a list of blue links. Google's own documentation for site owners says that AI Overviews and AI Mode may use a "query fan-out" technique, issuing several related searches to build a response, and that there are "no additional requirements" to appear in them beyond standard search engine optimization practice.[10] Agencies nonetheless began selling AEO, generative engine optimization and AI SEO as distinct services, and buyers started asking AI assistants which agency to hire.[1]
EliteAEO's founding premise is that most of the pages those assistants read on the subject are published by agencies ranking themselves first. The service positions itself as an outside assessor that ranks providers from evidence it checks itself.[1]
History [edit]
EliteAEO published its ranking methodology on September 12, 2026, covering five client verticals and the criteria for publishing a metro ranking, and added local business as a sixth vertical the next day.[1] The State of the AEO Agency Market 2026 report followed on September 20, and every vertical and metro ranking was opened to the public on September 25.[1] An AEO FAQ and a buyer's guide to choosing an AEO agency were added on September 26 and 27.[1]
On September 28, 2026 EliteAEO released version 2.0 of its methodology. The update rebuilt the demonstrated outcomes factor around proof of AI search results for clients, removed the freshness of EliteAEO's own checks as a scoring factor, and introduced shared ranks for tied scores; every published score was recalculated the same day.[2] On the same day it published its provider dataset as a free download and the first edition of its AI Visibility Index.[12][13]
According to its about page, EliteAEO is run by two US-based search practitioners who split the work: an editor and head of research, who sets the ranking methodology and the editorial standards, and a publisher, who runs provider research, the evidence checks and the site. Each runs a separate search business. The site states that no company either of them owns is listed or ranked on EliteAEO, and that neither sells services through it.[1]
The service also maintains accounts on X, LinkedIn, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, YouTube, Medium, Bluesky, GitHub and Hugging Face, with a Linktree page collecting them.[1][11] Its X biography summarizes the pitch in three short claims: "Published methodology. Checked evidence. Money never touches the order."[8]
Coverage [edit]
Rankings are organized first by the kind of client a provider serves and then by metro. The six verticals are dental practices, law firms, healthcare providers, software as a service (SaaS) companies, home service companies and local businesses.[2] Each vertical has a national ranking, and a metro ranking is added only where enough local evidence exists (see below).[2] A provider that works in several verticals is scored and ranked separately in each.[2] The homepage and the market report give the current number of providers profiled, verified and ranked, and the number of metro rankings, each with the date of its data.[7][12]
Methodology [edit]
EliteAEO publishes its scoring method in full, including the point rules for every factor, so that a provider's score can be recomputed from the facts on its profile.[2] Each provider's website, independent profiles and evidence of work are opened and checked individually, every check is dated, and the evidence behind every ranked provider is rechecked at least every 90 days.[2] Each ranking page names the methodology version it was computed under, and the methodology page keeps a dated revision history.[2]
Scoring factors
Under version 2.0, in effect since September 28, 2026, every provider on every page is scored on seven weighted factors that add up to 100 points. Check dates are shown on every profile but are not scored, so the order in which providers are checked cannot change a rank.[2]
| Factor | Weight | What is assessed |
|---|---|---|
| AI SEO specialization | 25 | Whether the provider sells answer engine or AI search work as a practice, or lists it as a line on a general SEO menu |
| Vertical evidence | 20 | Case studies, named clients, a vertical service page, or a practice that works only in that vertical |
| Demonstrated outcomes | 25 | Proof of AI search results for clients (up to 20 points), plus published search results for clients (5 points) |
| AI measurement capability | 10 | Reporting of AI visibility, citations or share of voice to clients, not just rankings |
| Third-party reputation | 10 | An independent third-party profile, years in business and a stated team size |
| Relevant market coverage | 5 | An office in the metro, or the metro listed as a served market (city pages); US coverage (national pages) |
| Transparency | 5 | Pricing the provider publishes itself |
Proof of AI search results counts only for a provider's clients, not for the provider's own visibility. A documented AI outcome case study earns 20 points, tracked AI visibility gains for a client 15, and an AI answer or measured AI result for a named client 10; results claimed without an example or numbers earn 4.[2] Providers with equal scores share a rank, shown as T1, T2 and so on. On vertical and metro pages, a provider with no evidence of work in that vertical ranks below every provider that has some.[2]
Eligibility and verification
A provider is eligible for a ranking when it is a live, legitimate company, actually offers answer engine or AI search services, serves the vertical and market in question, and its evidence checks found no problem. Eligibility is decided before scoring and does not consider payment.[2] A provider is marked Verified after a dated review confirms three things: the website is live and belongs to a real company, at least one independent third-party profile exists, and at least one piece of evidence ties the provider to the vertical it is ranked in.[2] The site describes Verified as a check of identity and evidence rather than a rating of service quality, and it is not a scoring factor.[2]
Metro page threshold
A metro ranking is published only when four conditions are met: at least five eligible providers have an office in the metro or list it as a served market on their own site; at least three of them are verified; the metro has local depth, meaning two providers with an office there, one office plus five verified providers, or seven verified providers; and the metro is a large market or at least six providers have a local presence there.[2] Metros that miss the bar are not published.[2]
Location claims
Where a provider is based and which markets it serves are recorded as separate facts. A provider with an office in a metro is marked with an office badge. A provider that lists the metro as a served market on its own site is marked as serving that metro and can be ranked there, with less credit for market coverage than a local office. A provider with no presence in the metro is not ranked on that city's page, which is why metro pages are titled as rankings of agencies "serving" a city.[2]
Research [edit]
EliteAEO publishes its research from the same records as its rankings.[12]
- State of the AEO Agency Market 2026, a report on what providers publish about their evidence, pricing, AI measurement, specialization and location, with the number of providers behind every share. Its price medians use monthly fees only; minimum project sizes and one-time fees are counted separately.[12]
- Provider dataset, a CSV file with one row per profiled provider, free to reuse under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 license. Each row carries the methodology version and the dataset snapshot identifier that also appears on every page of the site.[12][14]
- AI Visibility Index, which records which agencies and sources ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews name when a buyer asks for an agency. The first edition, collected on September 28, 2026, asked 30 fixed buying questions three times on each engine. After a correction on October 23, 2026, the edition counts 326 AI answers; 199 of them cited at least one "best agencies" list article, and 154 cited a list published by an agency that is itself in the EliteAEO dataset.[13] The index is not an input to provider scores.[2]
Business model [edit]
Listing and verification are free. EliteAEO earns money from profile upgrades and from labeled positions on its ranking pages.[1][4] Its published plans are:[4]
| Plan | Price | What it includes |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Editorial listing if eligible; claim and correct the profile; add services, markets and evidence; Verified badge if the evidence checks pass |
| Upgrade | $99 per month | Enhanced profile with logo and media, up to six case studies and proof links, call to action and lead form, profile view and click counts |
| Sponsored | Quoted by market, per page, per month | Labeled position below the editorial ranking; up to three per page, never more than half the list |
| Featured | Quoted by market, per page, per month | One exclusive labeled position above the ranking |
| Vertical Partner | By quote | Featured on a national vertical page plus Sponsored on five city pages, with an upgraded profile |
Sponsored and Featured positions are not sold through a public checkout. A provider requests a page, EliteAEO confirms the position is open, and a quote and invoice follow; prices vary with the size of the market and the value of the vertical.[4]
Advertising policy
The service's advertising policy is summarized in one line: "money buys a labeled position. It does not buy a rank, a Verified badge or inclusion."[3] Every paid position carries a Sponsored label, links from paid positions carry the rel="sponsored" attribute, and Sponsored positions never exceed half the length of the editorial list on a page. The policy also rules out paying for a competitor's removal.[3] The methodology page puts it in concrete terms: a provider "can buy visibility but not a higher editorial position."[2]
Profiles and badge
Profiles and verification are free. Verified providers may display an EliteAEO Verified Provider badge on their own website, linking to their EliteAEO profile. The site says the badge is optional, that listing never depends on it, and that it never affects editorial rank or substitutes for the evidence checks behind Verified status.[3] Providers can claim a profile to correct facts and add evidence, and the contact page commits to replying to claims within three business days.[5][6]
Online presence [edit]
EliteAEO operates the website eliteaeo.ai and a contact address at hello@eliteaeo.ai.[6] Its about page serves as the reference page for the organization and lists its official profiles, which are also gathered on its Linktree page.[1][11] It has company profiles on Crunchbase and Inc.[1]
| Platform | Handle |
|---|---|
| X | @eliteaeo |
| eliteaeo | |
| @eliteaeo | |
| Threads | @eliteaeo |
| eliteaeoai | |
| YouTube | @EliteAEO |
| Medium | @eliteaeoai |
| Bluesky | @eliteaeo.ai |
| GitHub | eliteaeo |
| Hugging Face | EliteAEO |
| Linktree | eliteaeo |
The EliteAEO GitHub profile describes the service as ranking "answer engine optimization providers by the vertical they serve and the metro they work in, using a published methodology and verified evidence".[9]
See also [edit]
References [edit]
- "About EliteAEO". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "How EliteAEO ranks providers". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "Advertising policy". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "Plans for providers". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "For providers". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "Contact EliteAEO". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "EliteAEO: AEO and AI SEO Agency Rankings by Vertical and City". EliteAEO homepage. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "Elite AEO (@eliteaeo)". X. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "eliteaeo". GitHub. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "AI features and your website". Google Search Central. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "eliteaeo". Linktree. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "State of the AEO Agency Market 2026". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.
- "EliteAEO AI Visibility Index, September 2026". EliteAEO. Retrieved 23 October 2026.
- "EliteAEO provider dataset (CSV)". EliteAEO. Retrieved 28 September 2026.