How to tell if an SEO agency is selling you AI snake oil

Why the pitch changed

A year or two ago the cold emails promised page one of Google. Now they promise ChatGPT. The names are new too: "AEO" (answer engine optimization), "GEO" (generative engine optimization), "AI visibility packages".

Some of this work is real. A lot of it is old SEO with a new label and a higher price. And some of it is things Google has said, in writing, that it doesn't use.

Google's guide to optimizing for generative AI search, updated in July 2026, says it plainly: "From Google Search's perspective, optimizing for generative AI search is optimizing for the search experience, and thus still SEO." The same guide lists the "hacks" it considers ineffective. Below are the pitches GTA contractors are hearing, and what that guide and Google's other documentation say about each.

A note before we start: we sell AI visibility tracking, so we have an interest here too. Check what we say against the sources linked below, the same way you'd check an agency.

Red flag 1: a promise that AI will name you

"We'll get you into ChatGPT's answers in 60 days." Nobody controls what these tools say. Google's page on hiring an SEO says: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google. Beware of SEOs that claim to guarantee rankings, allege a 'special relationship' with Google, or advertise a 'priority submit' to Google." Google also says there's no way to request or pay for a better local ranking.

In Canada there's a legal angle too. The Competition Bureau says performance claims must be based on an adequate and proper test before they're made. It's fair to ask an agency: "What test is that number based on?"

What a good agency says instead: "We can't promise a placement. Here's what we'll change, why, and how we'll measure whether it helped."

Red flag 2: llms.txt or "AI files" as the key deliverable

An llms.txt file is a text file some people suggest adding to a website to guide AI tools. Google's guide says: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, markup, or Markdown to appear in Google Search (including its generative AI capabilities), as Google Search itself doesn't use them." It adds that creating one for other services is fine, but "will neither harm nor help" your visibility in Google.

If an agency charges real money for an llms.txt file, or presents it as the main thing they'll do for you, that's a sign they're selling what's easy to make, not what works.

Red flag 3: "special AI schema"

Structured data (schema markup) is useful, and our structured data guide explains when. But Google's guide lists "overfocusing on structured data" as a misconception and says "there's no special schema.org markup you need to add" for generative AI search. Its AI features page says the same.

Basic HVACBusiness markup is a small, one-time job. It isn't a reason for a monthly retainer.

Red flag 4: rewriting your site into "chunks" for AI

Some agencies propose breaking every page into tiny question-and-answer blocks "so AI can read it". Google's guide says: "There's no requirement to break your content into tiny pieces for AI to better understand it." It also says you don't need to write in a special way for AI, because its systems understand synonyms and meaning.

Clear headings and direct answers help human readers, and that's a good enough reason to use them. Rewriting your whole site for an imagined robot is not.

Red flag 5: hundreds of city or question pages

"We'll build a page for every city in the GTA and every question people ask." Google's guide warns that creating separate content for every variation of a search, "primarily to manipulate rankings or generative AI responses", violates its scaled content abuse policy. Its spam policies also list "multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page" as doorway abuse.

A few genuinely useful city pages can be fine; our city pages guide explains the difference. Two hundred near-copies with the city name swapped are a risk to your whole site.

Red flag 6: bought mentions, links and reviews

"We'll place your business on 50 sites AI trusts." Google's guide says seeking inauthentic mentions "isn't as helpful as it might seem", because its ranking systems focus on quality and other systems block spam. Its advice on hiring an SEO says you should never have to link to an SEO, and to avoid "link popularity schemes".

Reviews are stricter still. Google prohibits incentives for reviews and reviews from people with a conflict of interest. The Competition Bureau has warned that businesses can be liable for misleading reviews posted by their employees. An agency that "manages" your reviews by writing them puts you at risk, not them.

Red flag 7: a secret method or internal data

"Our proprietary AI tool sees how Google ranks you." Google's generative AI guide says: "No third-party tool has access to our internal ranking or AI systems." Its hiring page warns against companies that are secretive or won't explain what they intend to do, and says you're responsible for the actions of any company you hire.

Tools that run real searches and record the answers can be useful; they show you what homeowners see. A tool that claims to see inside Google is overselling.

Red flag 8: asking for full control on day one

Google suggests that if an SEO offers an audit, you grant read access to Search Console only, not write access, at that stage. Keep ownership of your domain, hosting and Business Profile, and add an agency as a manager rather than handing over the owner role. Our guide on what to ask your web person lists the access you should keep.

What real work looks like

Good AI-era SEO for a GTA HVAC company is mostly the same unglamorous work as before:

• Making sure Google's and OpenAI's crawlers can read your site
• A clear page for each service you offer, in plain words, with your cities named
• A complete, accurate Google Business Profile
• The same name, phone and address on every listing
• A steady flow of genuine reviews, and replies to them
• Checking what AI tools actually say about you, regularly, with the same questions

None of that needs a secret. An agency doing it well should be able to show you each change on your site and explain why.

Questions to ask before you sign

Google's own list of questions for an SEO is a good start. For AI work, add these:

1. "What exactly will you change on my site and profile in the first 90 days?"
2. "Which official documentation from Google or OpenAI supports that?"
3. "How will you measure whether it worked, and what will you show me each month?"
4. "What happens to the work, accounts and content if I stop paying?"
5. "Can I speak to two GTA trades clients you've worked with for a year or more?"

Google's page says to ask whether an agency cites official documentation and whether its AI advice "is aligned with Google Search's official guidance". If the answers to these questions are vague, that's your answer.