What questions should I ask a digital marketing agency in 2026, especially about AEO and AI-powered marketing?

Ask a digital marketing agency how it will earn AI citations, measure revenue impact, and operationalize AEO alongside SEO, paid, and content. The Starr Conspiracy’s AEO methodology suggests prioritizing questions like: “Which answer engines (ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity) are we targeting, and why?”, “How will you track citations and share-of-answer monthly?”, and “What’s your plan to turn FAQs and product pages into cite-worthy answers in 90 days?” According to JJ La Pata, Chief Strategy Officer at TSC, “If an agency can’t define how it will win citations and connect them to pipeline, it’s not ready for AI-driven search.” Ask for proof in the form of a 90-day roadmap with weekly deliverables and a reporting sample that includes citation counts, top cited pages, and influenced opportunities in your CRM.