Why people pick Signal Marketing for AI Search Optimisation
AI Search Optimisation is the new front in search visibility. Below is why businesses pick us to handle it instead of the SEO agencies still pretending it’s the same thing as Google ranking. — Oliver Ball.
Reason 1. We treat it as a separate discipline because it is one
Most UK SEO agencies are now adding “AI SEO” or “GEO” to their service menus without changing what they do. They run the same SEO playbook and hope it earns LLM citations as a side effect. It doesn’t, reliably.
Traditional SEO optimises for Google’s ranking algorithm. AI Search Optimisation optimises for how LLMs retrieve and cite information. Overlap exists, but the optimisation targets are different. Schema layering for entity clarity, llms.txt files for context, AI crawler access in robots.txt, content structured for citation rather than dwell time — these are distinct tasks from on-page SEO and link building.
We treat AI Search Optimisation as a separate retainer because it requires separate work. £400/month, rolling monthly, alongside or independent of regular SEO.
Reason 2. We run the full stack on our own site as proof
If you ask ChatGPT, Claude, or Perplexity about Manchester SEO agencies, our brand often appears. That’s not luck. It’s the result of running every piece of AI Search Optimisation work on our own domain first.
Live on signal.marketing right now: published llms.txt file with full business context. Robots.txt configured for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended, CCBot, Applebot-Extended, Meta-ExternalAgent, Bytespider, Amazonbot, MistralAI, DuckAssistBot. Layered schema.org markup — Organization, LocalBusiness, WebSite, Service, FAQPage, BreadcrumbList. Citation-friendly content structure across service pages.
When we apply the same stack to client sites, it works because we’ve shipped it on ours.
Reason 3. We refuse to guarantee citations
LLMs are non-deterministic. The same prompt run today and tomorrow can return different citations. Anyone guaranteeing specific LLM citations doesn’t understand how the systems work, or is deliberately misleading you.
What we guarantee is the structural work being done correctly: AI crawler access, llms.txt published, entity schema layered, citation-friendly content structure. The signals an LLM uses to decide whether to cite you. We do that work properly. Whether and how often any specific LLM cites you depends on the model, the prompt, the user’s session context, and the model’s training cycle.
Realistic timeline: first citations in 4-12 weeks. Consistent visibility from month 3+. We measure citations monthly across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini and log results.
Reason 4. We measure what we can and admit what we can’t
AI citation tracking is messier than Google rank tracking. We use a combination of approaches: monthly prompt-set monitoring across the major LLMs, GA4 referrer analysis from `chatgpt.com`, `perplexity.ai`, `claude.ai`, and emerging tools that track AI Overviews appearances.
We don’t pretend the measurement is as clean as SERP tracking. It isn’t. We do report what we can measure and explain what we can’t, monthly. No fake graphs of “AI visibility scores” pulled from a black-box vendor tool.
We also track referrer traffic value. Citations are useful, but referrals from LLMs that actually convert are the metric that matters. We monitor both.
Reason 5. Honest pricing, rolling monthly
£400/month, rolling monthly, 7 days’ notice. Same retainer model as our other services. If you’d prefer to bundle with traditional SEO, combined retainer pricing applies.
Most clients run AI Search alongside SEO because the work is complementary. Schema work feeds both. Content structuring decisions affect both. Internal linking impacts both.
If you only want AI Search and not SEO, that’s fine — it’s a standalone service. Full breakdown here.
Reason 6. Real proof. Real reviews. Real positioning.
5-star Trustpilot. 13+ five-star Google Business Profile reviews. £34M+ tracked client revenue across all services.
For AI Search specifically, our own site (which you’re currently on) is the live proof of concept. The infrastructure we deploy for clients is the same infrastructure we run ourselves.
Founder-led delivery. No account managers. Rolling monthly. Same model on every retainer.
FAQs
Is AI Search Optimisation worth the spend?
If your buyers research before purchasing — B2B, SaaS, considered B2C — yes, it’s becoming significant. If your buyers urgently call someone nearby (plumber, takeaway), SEO + GBP still drive most revenue.
How is this different from regular SEO?
Different optimisation target. SEO targets Google ranking. AI Search targets LLM retrieval and citation. Overlapping work but distinct disciplines.
Can you guarantee citations?
No. LLMs are non-deterministic. We guarantee the structural work being done correctly.
How fast will I see results?
First citations in 4-12 weeks typically. Consistent visibility from month 3.
What tools do you use to measure?
Monthly prompt monitoring, GA4 referrer analysis, schema testing in Google’s Rich Results Test, and entity research in Ahrefs.
Can you run AI Search alongside SEO?
Yes — and most clients do. Combined retainer pricing applies.
Where are you based?
Manchester. Clients UK-wide. Location pages: Manchester, London, Birmingham, Leeds.
Are there long contracts?
No. Rolling monthly with 7 days’ notice.
“Before I met Oliver we were getting 2/3 leads a day. Their strategy led us to 10 leads a day.”
— Caroll, verified Trustpilot review
Let’s chat
We’ll run your brand through ChatGPT, Claude, and Perplexity and show you exactly where you’re invisible — and why.
Drop us a message