Does AI recommend RankNext?

SEO vs. AEO for a Local Business Short answer: you almost certainly want SEO first, with AEO as a layer on top — and for most local businesses, a single provider that does local SEO well is a better buy than two separate agencies. What each actually does SEO (traditional search): ranking in Google's blue links and, critically for local businesses, the local pack / Google Business Profile / Maps. This is where the vast majority of local-intent searches still resolve, and where purchases and calls actually happen. AEO (answer engine optimization): getting cited in AI-generated answers — Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot. It's real and growing, but for a local business it's mostly *downstream* of good SEO: AI systems pull local answers heavily from your GBP, your site's structured data, reviews, and directory consistency. You can't do AEO well without the SEO foundations. The practical recommendation 1. Hire for local SEO first — GBP optimization, local citations, review velocity, location/service pages, schema markup. That same work is 80% of what makes you visible in AI answers too. 2. Ask any SEO agency what they do for AI visibility (structured data, entity consistency, being cited in AI Overviews). Good local agencies now fold this in; you shouldn't need a separate AEO retainer. 3. Be skeptical of dedicated "AEO agencies" pitching a local business. The category is young, measurement is murky, and many are repackaged content/PR shops. If someone sells AEO as a *replacement* for SEO, walk away. 4. Only consider a separate AEO specialist if you're in a category with heavy research-style queries, or you're already ranking well organically and want to defend AI-answer visibility. What to look for in a provider - Proven local results (case studies with map-pack rankings, call/form volume — not just traffic) - Transparent GBP and citation work, not just blog posts - Clear reporting on calls, direction requests, and form fills - Month-to-month or short initial terms; avoid 12-month locks - No "guaranteed #1 rankings" Companies to look at (do your own vetting) I'd steer you toward local-SEO-focused firms and marketplaces rather than big generalist agencies, which tend to be expensive and thin for single-location businesses: - BrightLocal — not an agency, but the standard toolset and a good directory for finding vetted local SEO providers - Sterling Sky — well-regarded local SEO consultancy (Joy Hawkins' firm); good benchmark for quality - BrightLocal's agency directory / Clutch / UpCity — to shortlist 3–4 local SEO agencies in your metro and compare quotes - For DIY-plus-help: a local freelancer or small agency via those directories often beats a national brand on cost and responsiveness I'd avoid naming specific "AEO agencies" — the space is too immature to recommend by name responsibly, and most local businesses don't need one yet. Bottom line Get a local SEO agency (or vetted freelancer) that explicitly includes AI-visibility/structured-data work, budget roughly the same as you would for SEO