Guide for agencies
How to sell AI visibility to local clients
66% of agencies say AI search is the top new service clients asked for this year (AgencyAnalytics, 2026), and 45% of consumers now use AI to pick a local business, up from 6% a year earlier (BrightLocal, 2026). Here is a simple way to turn that into a service you can sell.
1. Start with what AI says, not with what you sell
Most owners have never checked. In our study of 25 US markets, about 6 in 7 local businesses were never named by ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude or Perplexity. Showing owners their own result does more than any explanation.
With Seeably: scan any niche and city to see who AI recommends and who it leaves out, ranked as a prospect list.
2. Choose who to approach
- Your existing clients. It's the easiest conversation, and they may already be asking. If they're named, you have good news to report and something to protect.
- Well-reviewed businesses that AI overlooks. 47% of businesses with 1,000+ Google reviews were never named. They care about their reputation, and the gap surprises them.
- A niche you already know. You can speak to its customers. See the pages for your niche below.
3. Open with a finding
Keep the first message short and specific, and let the owner check it for themselves:
"Hi [name], I asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Perplexity for the best [service] in [city]. They named [business], [business] and [business], but not [your business], even with your [number] Google reviews. Happy to send you what I found. Want a copy?"
Fill it in only with what you actually found. Answers change, so check again shortly before you send it.
With Seeably: ready-to-send audits show each owner who AI recommends instead of them.
4. Define what the service includes
- An audit: where the business stands in each assistant, and who is named instead.
- Presence on the sites AI reads: directories, "best of" lists and local mentions. Only about 1 in 5 pages cited was the business's own site.
- Google profile and reviews: a complete profile and a steady flow of reviews.
- Website: pages that answer customers' questions, and details AI can read.
- Regular checks and reporting: all the assistants, tracked over time.
Many agencies will find it simplest to sell a one-off audit first, then a monthly service. The free checklist covers these areas in more detail.
With Seeably: on the Pro and Max plans, each audited business gets a fix kit with the work written out.
5. Answer the usual objections
- "We already do SEO." Good, that helps. But most of what AI cites is on other sites, so strong SEO alone doesn't guarantee being named.
- "Is this just hype?" Show them the answer for their own business, then let them decide.
- "My customers don't use AI." Some may not yet. BrightLocal's 2026 survey found 45% of consumers have used it to pick a local business, so it's better to find out early.
- "Can you guarantee we'll be named?" No. Promise the work and honest reporting. Anyone who guarantees it is promising something AI answers can't deliver.
6. Report progress honestly
Answers vary from day to day, so one good or bad check means little. Report the trend across all the assistants: where the client is named, where not yet, and which competitors appear instead. It's easier to keep a client who can see the work and understands what changed.
With Seeably: on the Pro and Max plans, track each client over time, with a progress page you can send them.
Frequently asked questions
Who should an agency pitch first?
Start with existing clients, then well-reviewed local businesses that AI leaves out. They already care about their reputation, and the gap is easy to show.
What should AI visibility cost?
It depends on your market and how much work you include, so we don't suggest a number. Many agencies will find it simplest to begin with a one-off audit and move to a monthly service, priced alongside their local SEO work.
Can you guarantee results?
No, and it's better not to try. AI answers change from day to day and differ between assistants. Promise the work and honest reporting, and show the trend over several checks.
Do I need a new team to deliver it?
Usually not. Much of the work builds on local SEO skills: listings, reviews, website content and outreach to the sites AI reads.
For your niche
Read next: What AEO and GEO mean for local agencies
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