Quick answer: To choose an AEO (answer engine optimization) agency in Toronto, first confirm you need a separate one, because AEO builds on SEO and one team can often handle both. Then give each agency the same list of customer prompts and compare four things: how it tests those prompts in named AI tools like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, Perplexity and Copilot, whether it records a starting baseline, what it will change in the first 90 days, and how it connects results to calls and leads. Local businesses should also check its experience with Google Business Profiles, reviews and Toronto neighbourhoods. Avoid agencies that guarantee AI mentions, won’t explain their method or require long lock-in contracts. According to Rexo Media, a Toronto SEO and AEO agency, the best choice is the one that fits your business and can show its evidence, not the top name on a “best agency” list.
AEO agencies are popping up everywhere, and a lot of them sound exactly the same. Everyone promises to get you into ChatGPT, nobody explains how, and the invoices can get big quickly. If you’re a Toronto business owner trying to work out who’s the real deal, that’s a tough spot to be in.
This guide gives you a simple way to compare your options. You’ll learn what to look for, what to ask and what should make you nervous. And yes, we’re an agency too, so we’ve kept this practical enough to use on anyone, including us. If you’re new to the topic, our guide to AEO vs SEO covers the basics.
Step 1: Decide Whether You Need a Separate Agency
You might not. Because the work overlaps so much, adding a second vendor can mean paying twice and getting two conflicting plans. Here’s a quick way to think about it:
- Your SEO is weak: fix that first. If your site barely ranks, there’s very little for AI tools to pull from.
- You have a good SEO agency: ask what it’s doing about AI search. It may already cover what you need.
- You rank well but keep getting left out of AI answers: this is where focused AEO help can make sense.
- You have no one in place: look for one team that can handle SEO, local SEO and AI visibility together.
Step 2: Write Your Prompt List Before the First Call
This is the most useful thing you can do, and it only takes 20 minutes. Write down 10 questions your customers might ask an AI tool, in their own words. For example:
- “Who’s the best family dentist near Yonge and Eglinton?”
- “Which accountants in Toronto work with small restaurants?”
- “How much does a basement renovation cost in Etobicoke?”
Bring the same list to every agency and ask how they would approach it. Now you’re comparing their thinking on your business, not their slide decks. You’ll also see who asks good follow-up questions and who just jumps to a package.
Step 3: Compare Agencies Using Green and Red Flags
Use this table during your calls and when you’re reading proposals.
| What to check | Green flag | Red flag |
|---|---|---|
| Promises | Clear about what it can influence and what it can’t | Guaranteed mentions in ChatGPT or Google AI Overviews |
| Method | Explains the work in plain language, step by step | A “proprietary AI system” it can’t explain |
| Tactics | Useful content, technical health, local signals and earned mentions | One-off tricks or secret hacks sold as the main plan |
| Baseline | Records where you stand before any work begins | No starting point, so progress can’t be checked |
| Reporting | Prompts, tools tested, sources cited, plus calls and leads | A traffic report with “AI” added to the title |
| Off-site work | Earns real mentions on relevant local and industry sites | Bulk mentions, fake reviews or planted forum posts |
| Ownership | You keep your accounts, content and data | The agency owns your profiles or keeps the raw data |
| Contract | Clear scope and a fair way to leave | A long lock-in before you’ve seen any evidence |
Step 4: Ask These 8 Questions
You don’t need to be technical to ask these. Listen for specifics, and notice whether the answers connect back to your business.
- Which AI tools will you track, and how often? You want named tools and a set schedule.
- Can I see a redacted report from a current client? A real sample tells you more than any sales deck.
- How do you test prompts? AI answers can change from one week to the next, so ask how the agency handles that. A single screenshot isn’t evidence.
- What will you actually change in the first 90 days? Listen for a specific work list, not “we’ll optimize your presence.”
- How is this different from your regular SEO? An honest agency will admit the overlap and explain what’s added on top.
- How do you handle my Google Business Profile and reviews? These are key local signals, so they shouldn’t be an afterthought.
- How will you connect this to leads? Good answers usually include Google Analytics, branded searches, Google’s Generative AI report in Search Console and a “how did you hear about us?” question.
- Who will do the work? Find out who runs your account, and whether any writing or outreach is passed to someone else.
Want a baseline before you talk to anyone?
Our free audit checks your Google rankings, Google Maps visibility and AI search mentions, and you can use the results with any agency.
What Matters Specifically in Toronto
Being based in Toronto doesn’t automatically make an agency better, but local knowledge can make a real difference. Look for an agency that understands:
- Neighbourhood search: a customer in Leslieville and a customer in Etobicoke may ask very different questions. Ask how the agency handles the areas you serve, and how it works with your Google Maps rankings.
- Local sources: ask which Toronto and GTA publications, associations and directories matter in your industry.
- Your rules: dentists, lawyers, physiotherapists and other regulated professionals have advertising rules to follow. Any content an agency writes for you still has to fit them.
- Your competition: ask who shows up for your prompts now, and what it would take to earn a place beside them.
How to Read “Best AEO Agency” Lists
You’ll probably run into plenty of these lists. Use them to build a shortlist, not to make your decision. Some are written by agencies that put themselves at the top, and others may include paid placements. Check who published the list, whether the scoring is explained, and whether the agencies listed serve businesses like yours. Then run them through the same questions as everyone else.
What to Expect After You Sign
A good start usually looks pretty unglamorous. In the first month, expect a baseline, a list of priority prompts and a review of your site, Google Business Profile, listings and reviews. After that, the agency should fix what’s holding you back, then move on to content and earning mentions.
Some changes can show up within weeks, while bigger gains usually build over a few months. AI answers also move around, so look at the trend over time and not just one result. Our guide on how ChatGPT picks local businesses explains what’s behind those recommendations, and our marketing reporting guide covers the numbers worth watching.
Where Rexo Media Fits
If you’d like to put us through this process, we’re happy to answer every question here. We won’t promise mentions, because nobody controls what AI tools say, and we work month to month. You can learn how we work as an AEO agency in Toronto, or use the same checklist to compare us with anyone else on your shortlist. For the wider hiring process, see our guide to running an SEO agency search.
Choosing an AEO Agency FAQs
Answers for Toronto business owners
How do I choose an AEO agency in Toronto?
Start with the customer questions you want to show up for, then ask each agency how it would test them, what it would change, and how it would report the results. Choose the one that shows its method, ties the work to leads and makes no guarantees.
Do I need a separate AEO agency if I already have an SEO agency?
Usually not. AEO builds on SEO, and the work overlaps heavily. Ask your current agency how it handles AI search before you add a second vendor.
Can an AEO agency guarantee my business will appear in ChatGPT?
No. Nobody outside these companies controls what their AI tools say, so treat any guarantee as a red flag. A good agency can show what it will change and how it will measure progress.
How long should I give an AEO agency to show results?
Some changes can show up within weeks, while bigger gains usually build over a few months as your content, reviews and mentions grow. Ask for a baseline at the start so you can compare fairly.
Is a Toronto-based AEO agency better than a remote one?
If you rely on local customers, local knowledge helps with neighbourhood targeting, Toronto sources and Ontario advertising rules. Being based here isn’t enough on its own, though, so judge any agency on its method and evidence.
