Search Engine Optimization
SEO, Built for How Search Works Now
We run SEO to a high standard: the technical foundation, the content, and the authority. It is built into our AI Visibility Foundation as one engagement, so you rank in Google today and get cited in AI search as your buyers move there, without paying for the two separately.
The Reality
SEO Still Matters. The Ground Under It Is Moving.
SEO still drives the majority of intent-driven discovery. When someone knows they have a problem and goes looking for a solution, Google is still where most of that happens, and ranking there still wins business. Writing off SEO because AI search is rising is a mistake.
But search is splitting into two motions. Alongside the classic results page, buyers now get answers straight from ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity, where there is no list of ten blue links, just a handful of cited sources. The work that earns a ranking and the work that earns a citation overlap, but they are not the same discipline.
So we do both, as one system. We run SEO to a high standard and build it so it also earns AI citations: clean structure, strong entities, content that answers the questions real buyers ask. The SEO work lives inside the AI Visibility Foundation, not as a second retainer beside it. It is necessary, it is included, and on its own it is no longer sufficient, which is why we never stop at rankings.
The Work
How We Run SEO
Technical SEO
Crawlability, site speed, indexation, and structured data: the technical health that lets search engines and AI systems read your site cleanly. The unglamorous layer everything else depends on.
Content and On-Page
Keyword and topic strategy, on-page optimization, and content built to rank in Google and to be quotable by AI engines. We write for the buyer first and the algorithm second.
Authority and Links
Earned links, entity authority, and the brand signals that tell both Google and AI systems your business is a credible source worth trusting and citing.
The Shift
Ranked in Google, Cited in AI, From One Build
The fastest way to understand the change: SEO gets you ranked, AI visibility gets you cited. Here is the difference, and why we build for both in a single engagement.
Traditional SEO
Optimizes for position on the results page. The payoff is a ranking that earns the click. It rewards keywords, backlinks, and technical health, and it is measured in rankings and organic traffic. Still the largest source of intent-driven traffic for most businesses.
AI Visibility (AEO)
Optimizes for being the source an AI answer cites. There is no list to climb, just a few names the model trusts enough to recommend. It rewards structured data, entities, and authority, and it is measured in citations and share of answer.
We build your SEO inside the AI Visibility Foundation, so one engagement strengthens both. See the Foundation →
Side by Side
SEO and AI Visibility, Compared
| Traditional SEO | AI Visibility (AEO) | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank high in Google’s results | Get cited inside AI answers |
| Where you appear | The search results page | Inside ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity |
| How buyers find you | They click your link | The model names you in its answer |
| Core signals | Keywords, backlinks, technical health | Structured data, entities, authority |
| How it is measured | Rankings and organic traffic | Citations and share of answer |
| Where it stands | Mature and still the largest channel | Emerging and moving fast |
What You Get
What an SEO Engagement Includes
- ✓ Technical SEO audit and implementation
- ✓ Keyword and topic strategy
- ✓ On-page optimization across priority pages
- ✓ Content strategy and production support
- ✓ Link building and authority development
- ✓ Structured data and entity optimization
- ✓ Delivered as part of the AI Visibility Foundation
- ✓ Monthly reporting on rankings, traffic, and pipeline
SEO is delivered inside the AI Visibility Foundation, one monthly engagement scoped to your goals and competitive landscape, not a separate SEO retainer stacked on top. Pricing starts at the Foundation tier and is quoted after a short call.
Track Record
Two Decades of SEO, Now Built for AI Search
Rivetline is the AI-focused sister agency of Major Tom, a full-service digital agency with more than 26 years of running SEO and search marketing for clients across North America. We are not learning SEO on your budget. We have done it for two decades, and we have spent the last few years building the AI visibility practice that comes next.
That same team field tested an AI SDR with Major Tom on 1,000 dormant leads everyone had written off, turning them into 24 booked meetings and over $750K in proposals. The discipline that built rankings for 26 years is now building visibility for whatever search becomes next. Read the HubSpot case study →
Fit
Who This Is For
A strong fit if
- ✓ You want durable organic growth, not a quick spike
- ✓ You want SEO that also future-proofs you for AI search
- ✓ You can invest over 6 to 12 months for compounding results
- ✓ You sell something with real consideration, where being trusted matters
Probably not yet if
- − You want guaranteed first-page rankings next week
- − You are shopping for the cheapest possible monthly retainer
- − You are not ready to invest in content or technical fixes
- − You need leads today and nothing else, ads or lead response fit better first
Frequently Asked Questions
Is SEO dead?
No. SEO still drives the majority of intent-driven traffic for most businesses. What is changing is that it is no longer the only game, buyers are starting to get answers from AI engines too. The smart move is to keep investing in SEO and add AI visibility, not to abandon one for the other.
What is the difference between SEO and AI visibility?
SEO optimizes for ranking in Google’s results so people click your link. AI visibility, sometimes called AEO or GEO, optimizes for being the source AI answer engines cite when they respond. Different signals, different measurement, and a lot of shared groundwork underneath.
Do I need both SEO and AI visibility?
Yes, and you get both from one engagement. We do not run SEO and AI visibility as two separate retainers. The structured content and authority that earn AI citations also strengthen classic SEO, so we build them together inside the AI Visibility Foundation. One scope, one price, both outcomes.
How long does SEO take to work?
SEO is a compounding investment, not a switch. Most engagements show meaningful movement in a few months and real momentum over 6 to 12. Anyone promising overnight rankings is either guessing or gaming something that will not last.
Do you guarantee rankings?
No, and you should be wary of anyone who does. Google does not sell guaranteed positions, and rankings depend on factors no agency fully controls. We commit to the work that moves rankings and to honest reporting on what it produces.
How much does SEO cost?
SEO is delivered inside the AI Visibility Foundation, one monthly engagement scoped to your goals, your market, and how competitive your space is, not a separate SEO bill. Pricing starts at the Foundation tier, and we give you a fixed quote after a short call.
How is this different from a traditional SEO agency?
Most SEO shops still treat rankings as the whole game and bill SEO on its own. We treat AI visibility as the foundation and build SEO into it as one system, so you are not just ranking today, you are positioned for where search is going, without paying two retainers for overlapping work. We are the AI-focused sister agency of Major Tom, with more than 26 years of search experience behind us.
Build SEO That Is Ready for What Is Next
Rank in Google today and get cited in AI search as your buyers move there. Start with a short call, or see how AI currently views your brand.