AI search is reshaping how ecommerce brands get discovered.

One week, your products show up in ChatGPT. The next week, they’re replaced by competitors.

For many brands, this uncertainty can feel overwhelming.

Organic visibility now depends less on rankings and keywords, and more on how LLMs gather information, which platforms they rely on, and what signals help them highlight your brand.

In this guide, I’ll explain this crucial shift in detail.

I’ll unpack:

• What actually shapes visibility inside AI answers
• The business impact of compressed buyer journeys and broken attribution
• How you can build lasting relevance in this new search ecosystem

The 3 Types of AI Visibility for Ecommerce Brands

If you’re familiar with SEO, getting AI visibility is similar. It starts with how search systems decide what to display.

But for years, ecommerce SEO was a linear equation: rank = visibility = traffic (and then conversions).

AI search is changing that.

LLMs summarize, compare, and recommend products, all in one place.

In short: Shoppers can discover your products, check alternatives, and make buying decisions within AI chats.

In this new setup, brands compete across three different discovery models.

Type 1: Brand Mentions

Mentions drive product discovery and build top-of-funnel LLM visibility for your brand.

This is where your brand gets featured in AI-generated answers, often without a link to your site.

Mentions often come from reputation signals like:

• Reddit posts
• Media coverage
• User reviews
• Social discussions

Put simply, you become part of the conversation.

For new or emerging brands, this is often the first touchpoint to reach shoppers through AI.

Type 2: Citations

Citations are linked references within AI-generated results, like a footnote in an essay.

With citations, LLMs attribute specific information, claims, or data points to your pages.

Your brand becomes a source of truth in AI responses and gains credibility.

How?

When an AI tool cites your brand, it signals to shoppers that you’re an authoritative voice.

Plus, citations can support your positioning. The AI tools can pull your framing and product narrative into their response. Not someone else’s.

Type 3: Product Recommendations

AI platforms actively recommend products for a shopper’s specific needs and concerns.

This is the most impactful layer for ecommerce brands.

Your products can show up with pricing, ratings, and other details.

This type of visibility effectively merges discovery and purchase in one place.

This happens when the LLM reviews the query, compares options, and picks your product as the best fit.

Showing up in the list of recommended products makes your brand a part of the decision interface.

Shoppers can compare specs, prices, and reviews — or even purchase — right in the AI chatbot or search tool itself.

Dig deeper: 5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search (2025)

How AI Models Choose Which Ecommerce Brands to Surface

AI visibility as a discipline is still evolving rapidly. But there are clear patterns to which ecommerce brands get seen and which get sidelined.

Two driving forces at play are: consensus and consistency.

Consensus

With traditional search, ecommerce brands could build domain authority through activities like link building and digital PR. Strong pages from an authority perspective tended to perform well in search results.

In AI search, LLMs don’t evaluate your website and product pages in isolation. Authority is built from a consensus across sources.

LLMs ask: “What do credible sources agree on about this product?”

To decide which brands and products deserve visibility, LLMs cross-reference multiple sources, like:

• Reddit threads
• YouTube videos
• Industry reports
• Customer reviews
• Trusted publishers
• Community discussions

So, a glowing review on your PDP might mean little if customers on Amazon consistently leave 1-star ratings.

And a publisher’s feature loses impact if Reddit users repeatedly recommend your competitors instead.

In other words: No single source determines your likelihood of being mentioned or cited. It’s the pattern of consensus across multiple platforms that does this.

For example:

Keychron frequently shows up when you use AI search tools to find mechanical keyboards.

This happens because the brand has earned trust through various sources:

• Review sites like PCMag and Tom’s Guide rank Keychron in their top recommendations
• Keychron’s Amazon pages are detailed with positive reviews and an average rating of 4.4 stars
• Multiple Reddit threads in subreddits like r/MechanicalKeyboards and r/macbook recommend the brand
• Several YouTube videos feature Keychron in their roundup of mechanical keyboards

Each trust signal on its own is valuable.

But when taken together, LLMs see a pattern of independent sources validating the same brand/product for a specific use case.

Consistency

LLMs don’t crawl and rank pages the way traditional search engines do.

Instead, when answering a product-related query, an AI model might pull:

• Your product name from your Shopify store
• Pricing from Google Merchant Center
• Key specs from Amazon
• Opinions from users on Reddit

If your product title is “stainless steel” on Amazon but “brushed metal” on Walmart, the LLM can’t decide which is correct. This inconsistency could make the AI tool less likely to include any information about your product. Or it could include the wrong information.

This is why data hygiene is crucial for building AI visibility.

You need to maintain a clean, synchronized identity for every product across every channel.

Your product attributes should follow the same pattern across your site, marketplaces, and feeds:

• Model numbers
• Dimensions
• Materials
• Weights
• Prices

LLMs use these data points to match your products to queries and validate claims across sources.

Your Amazon listing, your Shopify store, your Google Merchant feed — all sources need to tell the same story with the same data.

So, the same SKU name, image, and product description should appear everywhere your product appears.

Finally, outdated data signals decay, and models may deprioritize products with outdated info.

When you change a price or update a key spec, that change should be visible everywhere. Stock availability, pricing, and features should always be up to date.

Types of Content That Dominate Ecommerce AI Search

We’re seeing clear patterns in what gets cited, mentioned, or ignored in AI search for ecommerce.

Understanding these patterns can be the difference between hoping you show up and knowing how to position your brand so that you do show up.

Here’s what’s currently doing well in AI search for ecommerce:

Top Cited Sources

I wanted to see which brands are cited most frequently in LLM responses for ecommerce queries — so I tested it.

I picked nine popular ecommerce niches and searched category-specific queries across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and AI Mode. 

Based on the responses, I made a list of five popular brands showing up frequently for each vertical.

Then, I jumped to the “Competitor Research” tab in Semrush’s AI Visibility Toolkit to run a gap analysis for these five brands in each category. 

The “Sources” tab showed which domains LLMs cite most frequently, like this for the “outdoor travel & gear” niche:

This data reveals where LLMs pull product information, and which platforms matter most in your vertical.

Here’s what this data tells you:

• Reddit: Reddit is a top-cited source for nearly every industry. If people aren’t discussing your brand in relevant subreddits, invest in Reddit marketing.
• YouTube: It’s another universal citation source. Video content from creators and users feeds into AI answers. That means having a YouTube presence can be a huge visibility lever for most ecommerce verticals.
• Category-specific platforms: Generic sources like Amazon appear everywhere. But niche platforms (like Petco, Barbend, Sephora) carry weight in their verticals.
• Wikipedia: It’s a top source for categories like outdoor gear, healthy drinks, and gadgets. This is where product context and category education matter a lot alongside the likes of specs and pricing.

Going beyond these top-cited platforms, here are the kinds of content LLMs link to most frequently for ecommerce queries:

Publisher Listicles

These are product roundups, buying guides, and comparison posts from established media outlets.

For example, I asked ChatGPT for the best Bluetooth speaker recommendations.

It cites publishers like TechRadar, Rtings.com, and Stereo Guide for this response.

Getting featured in these listicles means you’re part of the source material LLMs use to compile information.

AI models use publisher listicles as sources because they:

• Compare multiple products in one place
• Refresh their recommendations periodically, providing recency signals
• Include specific, comparable details like price ranges, key specs, and pros/cons lists
• Fulfill high editorial standards and so may appear more trustworthy than user-generated content

Retailer Product Pages

Retailers like Amazon, Walmart, and Target are among the most frequently cited sources for product queries.

When I asked Perplexity about the NutriBullet Turbo, it cited the product pages from the likes of Walmart and Macy’s.

These PDPs provide structured data points like ratings, pricing, and key specs.

AI models often rely on these product pages because they:

• Include structured, machine-readable product data like specs, dimensions, materials, and pricing
• Aggregate hundreds or thousands of customer reviews as social proof
• Show real-time availability and pricing

Lab Tests and Expert Reviews

In-depth product testing content from experts is another important source for citations.

These websites test products systematically and publish detailed findings.

LLMs can then use this empirical data as the basis for their responses.

For example, I asked Claude to find the best mattress for side sleepers.

The tool references sites like NapLab, Consumer Reports, and Sleep Foundation for data-backed recommendations.

AI models consider lab test or expert review content for citations because they:

• Compare products against consistent criteria and benchmarks
• Show credibility with independent, systematic evaluation processes
• Include measurable data to explain their top-ranked recommendations
• Periodically update their recommendations to offer fresh, authoritative data

Reddit Threads and Community Discussions

Conversations on Reddit, Facebook groups, and YouTube comments frequently appear in AI responses.

This is especially true for subjective queries like “Is X worth it?” or “What do people actually think about Y?”

I tested this myself by asking Perplexity whether the Instant Pot Duo is worth buying.

It pulled insights from multiple Reddit threads, a Facebook group, and a YouTube video to respond based on real user input.

Brands that get mentioned positively across multiple Reddit threads build “cultural proof.”

And those organic discussions about your brand feed directly into AI training data and real-time search results.

AI models pull from these communities because they:

• Present an aggregated sentiment from community discussions
• Contain contrasting opinions and insights to objectively review products
• Show different use cases and pain points that a product can tackle
• Highlight a product’s pros and cons based on firsthand experience

Comparison Posts

Content that compares two or more products can also help LLMs find the right brands to mention in their response.

When I ask AI Mode for alternatives to the supplement brand Athletic Greens, it mentions five options.

The sources include several comparison articles (alongside some roundups).

Being included in this type of content (even if you’re not the winner) can help build your visibility.

This could be Brand A vs. Brand B blog posts, YouTube videos, review sites, and social media discussions.

AI models refer to these resources because they:

• Answer buyers’ questions by comparing two or more products
• Focus on decision-making criteria and help people make informed decisions

Learn more: LLM Seeding: A New Strategy to Get Mentioned and Cited by LLMs

What This Shift Means for Your Ecommerce Brand

Let’s now consider the business impact of this AI search setup for your ecommerce brand.

The Compressed Buyer Journey

The traditional ecommerce funnel was built on multiple touchpoints.

A shopper might:

• Google a product category
• Read reviews on multiple different sites
• Check Reddit and YouTube
• Visit brand websites to compare prices
• Return days later to buy

Each step was an opportunity for your brand to show up, make an impression, and win their trust.

For a lot of purchase decisions, AI search collapses this entire journey into a single interaction.

The same shoppers can now go to AI tools and ask, “What’s the best air fryer for a small kitchen?”

They get a single response with buying criteria, product recommendations, pricing, ratings, and more.

Now, clearly this isn’t going to happen for every purchase decision. These tools are still new for one thing, and it takes a lot to majorly shift buyer behavior. (And of course, SEO is not dead.)

But discovery, evaluation, and consideration CAN all happen in one response now. The AI agent performs the research labor.

That means you have fewer chances to influence buyers.

In the past, if a shopper didn’t discover you in organic search, they might find you through a review site, a Reddit thread, or a retargeting ad.

In other words: You could lose the first touchpoint and still win the sale three touchpoints later.

With AI search, you might only get one shot: the initial response.

For many ecommerce queries, AI tools give you a curated list of options. If you’re not in that initial answer, you don’t exist in the decision process.

As AI platforms make it easy for shoppers to buy directly within the chat, you often won’t get a second chance.

Take action: Build an AI search strategy using our Seen & Trusted Brand Framework to increase the probability of your brand getting featured in AI responses.

The Visibility Paradox

Your brand might frequently show up in AI search. But your analytics show flat traffic and zero conversions traced back to AI tools.

Here’s why:

Not all AI visibility is created equal.

Your brand can appear in 10 different AI responses and drive 10 completely different business outcomes.

It all depends on how you’re presented.

Here’s what the visibility spectrum actually looks like for ecommerce brands:

That means getting mentioned is table stakes, not the end goal.

Building brand awareness without differentiation just makes you a part of the crowd.

To drive real sales, you need to earn citations and product recommendations.

The brands winning in AI search are:

• Cited as trustworthy sources
• Recommended for specific use cases

Attribution Gets Murky

When shoppers find products through AI but buy elsewhere, analytics tools can’t track the whole journey.

This creates two problems:

• You can’t prove the ROI of AI search: Even if AI mentions are driving consideration, you’ll get zero or limited data on that. You won’t see the prompt the user asked or the response from the tool.
• You can’t optimize what you can’t measure: When you don’t know how people are discovering you in AI answers, you can’t A/B test your way to better visibility. The feedback loop is broken.

Tools like Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit are closing this gap by showing how your brand and competitors appear in AI search.

I used the tool to check the AI visibility and search performance for Vuori, an athleisure brand.

The brand has a score of 76 against the industry average of 82, and is frequently mentioned AND cited in AI responses.

The toolkit also identifies specific prompts where your brand is mentioned or missing.

This makes it easy to spot exactly which type of queries are driving visibility and which represent missed opportunities.

For example, here’s a list of prompts where LLMs don’t feature Vuori, but do mention its competitors.

Go to the “Cited Sources” tab to find out the websites that LLMs most commonly refer to for your industry-related queries.

For Vuori, it’s sites like Reddit, Men’s Health, Forbes, and more.

The “Source Opportunities” tab will give you a list of key sites that mention your competitors, but not you. These are sites you should aim to get your brand included on.

Besides tracking your own AI visibility, the AI SEO Toolkit also lets you monitor your competitors’ performance on AI platforms.

The “Competitor Research” report compares you to your biggest competitors in terms of overall AI visibility.

It also highlights topics and prompts where other brands are featured, but you aren’t.

Learn more about how these tools can help you boost your visibility with our full Semrush AI SEO Toolkit guide.

Example of a Brand That’s Winning in AI Search: Caraway

If you want to see what winning in AI search actually looks like, look at the cookware brand, Caraway.

When you ask AI about the “best bakeware set” or the “best ceramic pans,” Caraway almost always makes the shortlist.

Data from Semrush’s AI SEO Toolkit shows that Caraway also outweighs its biggest competitors in AI visibility.

Let’s break down how Caraway built this advantage.

Showing Up Where LLMs Look

Caraway is frequently featured on publishers like Taste of Home, Good Housekeeping, and Food and Wine.

These are the actual sources LLMs cite when constructing answers about cookware-related queries.

For example, here’s a paragraph from the Food and Wine article ChatGPT cited as a source, which mentions the attributes ChatGPT used in its recommendation:

Caraway also earns mentions through organic discussions on Reddit, Quora, and kitchen forums.

Retailer Evidence That AI Can Cite

Caraway’s clean Amazon Brand Store and on-site product pages also make it easily citable.

These product listings and pages give LLMs concrete signals like:

• Multiple in-stock SKUs with visible sales velocity (“500+ bought in the past month”)
• Product rating and volume
• Rich media files

These retailer PDPs become credible sources for verifying pricing, availability, or product specs.

Strong Affiliate Presence

Caraway also runs an affiliate program, and the brand makes it frictionless for publishers to feature its products through:

• Affiliate networks: Links are available through major networks like Skimlinks and Sovrn/Commerce
• Amazon compatibility: Editors can also use Amazon Associates links for Caraway’s stocked SKUs
• Affiliate-safe pages: Product detail pages feature clean URLs, consistent pricing, and stock availability
• Reviewer support: The brand provides an affiliate kit, including link types, banner ads, text links, and email copy

This all makes it easy for Caraway to work with influencers and other publishers to promote its products. And these publishers can then appear as citations when AI tools make their recommendations.

For example, all the highlighted sources in the ChatGPT conversation below contain Caraway affiliate links:

Part of the Category Narrative

Many style media and mainstream outlets reference Caraway in their content.

Here’s a recent example from an Architectural Digest interview featuring the cookware set as an essential kitchen item.

This creates more authority for the brand in the cookware and kitchen category.

Make AI Work for Your Ecommerce Brand

You now know how the game works and who’s winning. It’s your turn to play it.

But there’s a lot to do.

Making your site readable by LLMs, opmtimizing your structured data, and setting up automated product feeds are just stratching the surface.

Our comprehensive Ecommerce AIO Guide gives you alll of the actionable tactics to consistently show up in AI results.

The post How Ecommerce Brands Actually Get Discovered In AI Search appeared first on Backlinko.

Read more at Read More

You found a digital marketing agency that feels like the one.

The pitch was perfect. They “get” your goals. Their case studies are impressive.

But a few weeks later, reality starts to set in: slow responses, recycled strategies, and reports that don’t show any tangible results.

This scenario is painfully common, but it’s not inevitable.

Choosing an agency that performs as well as they sell is possible — if you know what to look for.

In this guide, I’ll cover:

• Red flags that signal an agency might overpromise and underdeliver
• Green flags that separate the great partners from the mediocre ones
• Must-ask questions to help you spot these flags before you sign the contract

You’ll also get real-world advice from experienced marketing leaders who’ve seen both dream partnerships and nightmare contracts.

By the end, you’ll know exactly how to choose a digital marketing agency in 2026. One that drives results instead of draining your budget.

First up: Vital questions to ask before jumping into a partnership.

Before You Hire a Digital Marketing Agency, Ask These Questions

Finding the right agency starts with understanding what you need and why.

Do You Have Product-Market Fit and a Clear Target Audience?

Even the best agency can’t sell a product that doesn’t solve a real problem for a defined audience.

If product-market fit isn’t there, your results will stall.

Ask yourself:

• What pain points do we solve?
• Who’s willing to pay for this?
• Who else is competing for this audience?

Use a market analysis tool like Semrush’s Market Overview to confirm there’s real, sustainable demand.

For example, a quick search for Purina pet food shows strong growth and evenly distributed traffic — a clear sign of opportunity.

That’s the kind of demand signal you want before investing in outside help.

Do You Have a Clear Goal for Your Marketing Strategy?

A marketing agency can help you refine your goals.

But you’ll get better results when you already know what success looks like.

Vague goals like “increase website traffic” sound good, but they’re too broad to measure. Instead, set SMART goals — specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound.

Here’s what a SMART goal looks like in action:

“Generate 120 qualified demo requests per month within four months by improving landing page copy and optimizing Google Ads.”

Clear goals like this help you find the right agency. And give them a focus to rally around and drive results.

Do You Have the Bandwidth to Manage an Agency?

Working with an agency isn’t a set-it-and-forget-it kind of task.

Regular, consistent communication with your agency is part of this process.

Sure, the level of autonomy will depend on the agency and the work.

But generally, the best agencies keep the door to conversation open.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Provide materials and align on strategy and deliverables up front
• Join weekly or biweekly check-ins (typically about an hour)
• Review work and share feedback monthly

Pro tip: Assign one internal “agency owner.” Their job will be to keep decisions moving, share context fast, and unblock workflows.

Do You Know What Marketing Services You Need?

“Full-service marketing” sounds great. Until you realize you’re paying for tactics that get you nowhere.

There are many types of digital marketing agencies:

• SEO and content: Drive organic growth through optimized content
• PPC: Manage and optimize paid campaigns
• Social media: Build brand awareness and affinity
• Branding and design: Shape your visual identity and messaging
• Video: Create video content that converts
• Consultant: Help define priorities before execution

But before you pick one, identify what’s already working (and what’s not).

The more specific you are about your needs, the easier it is to find a partner whose strengths align with your goals.

Start by looking at your top-performing channels, campaigns, and content in analytics tools.

If content and partnerships drive results for you, that’s a hint about where to invest.

Next, check what’s working for your competitors.

For example, Semrush’s Organic Social tool reveals how your competitors generate traffic from social media.

And tells you exactly which platforms send the most traffic to their websites.

If others in your space are thriving on social while you’re not, that’s a clue to where you could expand.

Pro Tip: Before looking for an agency, ask yourself: Do I need strategy, execution, or both?

Is Your Internal Team Aligned on What You Need?

Clear goals mean nothing if your team isn’t aligned.

Without internal buy-in, even the best agency partnership can derail fast.

Marketing leader Eric Doty learned this the hard way.

After hiring an agency for a logo redesign (and spending weeks on revisions), leadership revealed they wanted to keep the full company name.

“In the end, we wasted around $15,000 on these iterations when all the company really wanted was to change the font.”

Avoid this by:

• Defining who owns the agency relationship
• Deciding who signs off on deliverables
• Getting stakeholder input before work gets started

Once you’re aligned internally, you’re ready to align externally with your agency.

6 Red Flags That a Marketing Agency Will Waste Your Time (and Budget)

The sales call sounds great.

But how do you know whether the relationship will work long-term?

Don’t go in blind. Here are six warning signs and how to spot them.

1. They’re Not Willing to Invest Time in You

This isn’t something an agency will just come out and say directly. But there may be indications that they’ve currently got too much on their plate.

(And you’re about to be thrown onto the back burner.)

For one, look for a high amount of employee turnover. Employees leave when stress is high.

Check LinkedIn to learn about their employees and watch for downward growth trends.

You’ll also want to pay close attention to the discovery call.

If it’s all about them and nothing about you, that’s a sign they’re not taking the time to understand your business.

An agency that “yeses” you to death without adding ideas or offering pushback is another red flag.

They’re likely more focused on producing work as fast as possible than on providing a sustainable strategy.

Pro tip: Ask for a sample strategic recommendation on the call. Something lightweight like: “How would you improve our blog content?” The right agency will share high-level insights — not just a sales script.

And it’s never a good sign if they get defensive when you ask questions.

This can be an indicator that they’re not willing to invest time in the relationship.

Fractional CMO Amanda Milligan has had this experience.

Here’s her agency horror story:

I once hired an agency to help run paid social ads, and they did the absolute bare minimum. I had to point this out to get any attention, and by then, our three-month trial engagement was practically over, and we saw no results. While I don’t know for a fact it’s because we were on the lower end of their engagement value, it seems likely.

Looking at recent testimonials or mentions of the agency can help.

But sometimes, asking pointed questions is the best way to get an answer.

For example:

• What’s your typical engagement type?
• How long are your typical engagements?
• How many clients does your team normally work with at once?

By asking these questions, you’ll get a better sense of the agency’s bandwidth.

Further reading: 7 Best SEO Tools Trusted by 7-Figure Agencies

2. Their Offerings Haven’t Evolved (or Have Evolved Too Much)

It’s no secret that marketing has evolved over the past few years.

And AI has only accelerated those changes.

So, if an agency hasn’t evolved its strategy to match the industry, it’s a sign they’re coasting on an outdated approach.

Want to find this out before the discovery call?

First, check the age of their case studies. Older case studies indicate a strategy that hasn’t changed.

Next, look at the wording on their services page.

If it sounds generic or dated, that’s a red flag.

In the example below, wording like “Taking over Google” is no longer fully relevant.

Plus, there’s no mention of local search or AI results.

(Which is odd, since they target local businesses.)

Pro tip: Trend chasing is another huge red flag. If you see a digital marketing agency that’s majorly pivoted without the data or case studies to back up those decisions, then you may want to steer clear.

Make sure they’re thinking ahead — not clinging to old playbooks — by asking:

• How have your offerings changed in the past year?
• How has your process changed since AI came on the scene?
• How much does your team use AI when creating deliverables?
• What’s your perspective on marketing in the AI era?

Further reading: Vibe Marketing: Hype, Reality, and Real Case Studies

3. They Won’t Allow for a 30-Day-Out Clause

Agencies don’t want to get burned.

But you don’t want to get stuck in a relationship that’s not working.

Shorter contracts may not have an out clause. But if you’re getting ready to sign a contract for a year or more, and there’s no way out of that relationship, that could be a red flag.

For longer contracts, a 30-day out clause is typical. That means you both can leave the contract if things aren’t working out.

If you ask for this clause and the agency is pushing back hard, that’s a warning sign.

Amanda agrees:

No failsafe means the agency knows retention is a problem. And they may be more focused on cash flow than results.

Again, communicating clearly is important here.

When in doubt, ask the digital marketing agency these questions:

• How have you handled failed campaigns in the past? Did you course-correct mid-campaign, or offer free revisions?
• What barriers to success do you see with our engagement?
• What’s your policy for a 30-day out in the contract?

4. Communication Isn’t Clear or Easy

The way your agency communicates during the discovery phase is a key indicator of how they’ll communicate once that contract is signed.

Here are some key warning signs you could see early in the process:

• You have to chase them for updates or next steps: If getting in contact with the agency is hard before you sign the contract, don’t expect it to improve later on.
• You can’t get clear answers to your questions: Asking about timeline, resources, and processes is normal. If they can’t give you straight answers to basic questions, beware.
• You have no idea who you’ll be working with: It’s typical to talk to a salesperson or account manager in the early stages. But if you get pushback when asking to speak to the people you’ll be working with, that’s a red flag.

Chelsea Castle, head of brand and content at Close, experienced this firsthand.

Here’s her agency horror story:

One of my biggest career mistakes was not speaking up sooner and louder about yellow flags with an agency. From the initial meeting, something felt off in our communication. There were bumps and issues throughout the entire nine-month engagement. We didn’t love the output, and they weren’t doing things we suspected they should be doing.

Collaboration and communication were messy. We ended up firing this agency and losing the five figures spent on them, which left us with no completed work. Talk about a challenging conversation with your CEO!

To know more about communication before signing the contract, ask questions like:

• Who’s my main point of contact with your agency?
• Who’s going to be working on the project with me?
• Who will be included in the check-in meetings?
• At what points in the process do you track metrics to assess if we’re on the right track?

Further reading: How to Advertise Your Business with a $500 Budget

5. They Promise More Than They Can Reasonably Deliver

Overselling can lead to disaster down the road. But, how do you know if an agency is selling something they can’t deliver?

First, look at the language they use to describe their services or results.

If they make exaggerated claims or promises, it’s worth pausing.

For example, this agency’s website has red flags written all over it:

(I wish this were a made-up website, but it’s not.)

Claims like this sound great, but it’s important to take a step back and look at the facts.

• Can they actually back up their claims with real examples?
• Can they reasonably guarantee results without knowing anything about the potential client?

Danni Roseman, a brand manager at a SaaS company, hired an agency that promised the world but didn’t live up to expectations.

I assumed a team would handle our project. We later found out that only one person had the expertise we needed. It wasn’t enough. Deadlines slipped, quality dropped, and “edits” turned into full rewrites on our end. Hand-holding your agency isn’t part of the deal.

An agency that’s focused on revenue may sell more than the team is capable of doing, and you’re left with the aftermath.

Another side to this is whether the team has experience using or integrating with your tech stack.

Eric once worked with an email marketing agency that promised big things.

But ended up having no experience integrating with Microsoft Teams (a must-have for his company).

They decided to lead a procurement process for us to find a tool that integrated with Teams. This turned into a massively bloated project, when, really, they should’ve just told me from the get-go that they had no experience with this tool.

So, how do you make sure that what the sales team is offering can actually be delivered down the road?

First, ask pointed questions like:

• Who on your team has experience working with the tools in our tech stack?
• How much experience does your team have with these tools?
• How many years of experience does the team have in this type of project?
• What’s the project (within the type of service you’re looking for) that you enjoyed working on the most?
• Can you give me some names of people I can talk to about your work?

Lastly, get references.

The sales team is going to say everything right. You need something solid to back up those claims.

Further reading: 12 Best SEO Tools

6. Their Process Is a Big Black Box

Most agency websites say some version of “We do X for Y.” But can they explain how?

This is something you can check for on their website.

For example, what do their case studies look like? Are they just screenshots, or do they explain the process behind the work?

Here’s an example:

What looks impressive at first glance melts away when you realize these are just screenshots.

No discussion of the work, no explanation.

Here are some other warning signs to look out for:

• Their process isn’t up for discussion: If an agency tells you anything along the lines of, “Trust us, we’ll handle it,” beware
• They’re using the same templated strategies for every client: On the discovery call, are they bringing ideas to the table? Do they take your unique situation into account?
• Their reporting is focused on big-number vanity metrics: Case studies with numbers are great. But do those numbers tell you a story of real impact?
• They can’t explain why something worked: This could mean the team has little understanding of the mechanics behind the results

If you’re not sure about their process, ask questions like:

• How do you approach new engagements?
• How much time do you spend determining strategy?
• How is the strategy adjusted as time goes on?
• How often will we meet for check-ins?
• Can you tell me about a project you worked on (in this vertical/type) that didn’t go well? How did your team handle that situation?

When you’re evaluating an agency, Chelsea’s advice rings true:

Ultimately, I think the biggest flag cannot be said; it can only be felt. Intuition and how you connect with someone are crucial in selecting and building long-lasting external relationships.

6 Green Flags You’ve Found a High-Performing Marketing Agency

Despite the horror stories we’ve discussed, great agencies do exist.

Here are the most common green flags — and tips for choosing a digital marketing agency that will actually deliver on its promises.

1. They Start with Questions, Not Tactics

The right agency feels like a partner.

They’re curious about your business and invested in your success.

On the discovery call, look for all of these green flags:

• They start by asking deep questions about your business model, ICP, positioning, and goals
• They’re comfortable pushing back respectfully if a strategy doesn’t align with best practices
• They focus on how their work ties to your business outcomes, not vanity metrics

For example, KlientBoost, a PPC agency, doesn’t just offer standard strategy packages.

They ask questions about what the client needs, their goals, and their situation.

This information lets them tailor quotes to each client’s needs.

2. You Get Good Feedback From Third Parties

Good feedback, testimonials, and reviews are always a green flag.

First, check vetted, third-party review sites like Clutch.

Look for reviews that mention:

• Quality of the digital marketing agency’s work
• Communication style
• Costs
• Timing

Some reviews even include specific numbers and results.

Another way to get feedback is to ask your network.

Ask around in your favorite Slack communities and check on Reddit or LinkedIn.

You’ll learn who’s worked with this agency and what their impressions are.

Chelsea swears by using your network to find good agencies.

The best hires for me have almost always come through network referrals. When a trusted friend or colleague makes a recommendation, they’re risking their reputation to vouch for them. So you can be confident they’re worth your time.

What should you do if you don’t have any network recommendations?

Check out industry award winners, says Chelsea:

When I needed to hire a web design agency, I looked at Webflow’s Webby winners. While many great agencies don’t get awards like this, it was a sure bet to start my search by looking at those recognized in this credible, trustworthy way. I ended up finding a fantastic partner who was great to work with.

Within awards like Webby, you’ll find some incredible projects (and the agencies that made them happen).

Pro tip: Browse Semrush’s Agency Partner directory to find top agencies in your area and read real client reviews.

3. The Full Team Will Be Involved in Communication

Knowing who’s involved in your project can help you have more confidence in the work being done.

Plus, if it’s easy to talk to the team before the project gets started, it’s a good sign that communication will be top-notch after the contract is signed as well.

Ask early on who will be on calls with your team.

If you find out it’s more than just one account manager, that means multiple people are invested in your engagement.

For example, check out this about page from content agency Beam:

You see the founders of this team.

But you also see the content producers and their social profiles. This level of transparency is a green flag.

4. They’re Transparent About Scope, Pricing, Timing, and How Work Gets Done

Your agency should be very clear about vital details upfront.

This includes:

• The scope of the projects they do
• Timing they can commit to
• Any processes they use

For example, KlientBoost creates marketing plans for clients.

But even before you give them any information or sign up for a call, they show you a sneak peek of what a marketing plan looks like for their clients.

Another aspect of transparency is pricing.

Knowing what you’ll pay (and exactly what that cost includes) is essential to the project’s success.

That’s why some agencies, like A2Media, show their pricing right on their homepage:

Of course, not every agency lists its pricing publicly.

And there are plenty of different pricing structures, each with its pros and cons.

When talking about rates, ask the agency why they take the approach they do.

Get estimates for what each type of project entails.

If you’re comfortable with those ranges and estimates, include those in the contract.

When you can get clear answers to these questions, it’s a good sign they’ll live up to their promises.

Further reading: 5 LLM Visibility Tools to Track Your Brand in AI Search

5. Their Own Marketing Is Top Notch

When you find an agency you like, check out their marketing.

Most of the time, it’s a good indicator of the quality of their work.

In the past year, I’ve had two fantastic experiences with marketing agencies.

And both of them had one key aspect that was a huge green flag for me: their brand marketing was on point.

Take A2Media, for example.

The founder, Ademola, regularly produces video content on LinkedIn that generates strong engagement with his niche audience.

Another example is Beam.

They offer great content services to clients.

But they also produce fantastic content on their own website that’s both interesting and fun to read.

This pattern repeats itself over and over again.

KlientBoost’s LinkedIn video ads aren’t only hilarious but also deeply relatable.

Juice, a brand and web agency, has an incredibly stylish and fun website.

If they do great work for themselves, it’s a positive sign they’ll do great work for you.

6. Your Personalities Match

Yes, personality is subjective. And judging a marketing agency on “vibes” might sound a bit woo-woo.

But remember, this is a relationship. Hopefully, a long-term one.

So, the right agency should also match your style and get your vision.

Here are some green flags when it comes to personality match:

• Their team seems genuinely excited about your product and mission
• They treat your team members with respect, regardless of title
• Their company culture aligns with yours
• You enjoy working with them
• They make collaboration energizing, not draining

Chelsea saw a personality match early on with a video agency, which gave her the confidence to move forward.

From the very first call, it just felt right. The agency owner and I instantly clicked and saw eye to eye on many things. He asked thoughtful, intentional questions that signaled respect, expertise, and a desire to find the best way to work together that prioritized me and my team. We’ve been working with this partner for more than a year, and have every intention of holding onto them for as long as we can.

Bonus: They Have Proven Expertise in Your Vertical

We’ve covered the most vital factors to evaluate when choosing a marketing agency partner.

But niche experience is worth considering, too.

While it’s not a necessity, it can be a really great bonus when combined with what we’ve discussed above.

For example, this agency focuses on dental practices:

While this agency focuses on marketing for law firms:

From just those two websites, it’s clear that their approach, strategy, and personality are very different.

And they’re each uniquely qualified to help clients in their chosen industry.

Other agencies may not have experience in your specific vertical. But they can demonstrate proven experience in the services you need.

For example, let’s say you want an agency that can help you show up in AI responses.

Then, you come across a case study like this:

Obviously, this agency has adapted its services to include AI search.

And has proven expertise in exactly what you need.

Ready to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency? Trust the Patterns (and Your Gut)

Choosing the right marketing agency comes down to spotting patterns.

• Red flags: Overpromising, poor communication, and teams that won’t invest time in your success
• Green flags: Thoughtful questions, killer third-party reviews, and teams that practice what they preach

But don’t forget the value of your gut reaction.

If something feels off during discovery, it won’t magically disappear once the contract is signed.

The best agency relationships start with a genuine connection.

As Chelsea says, “In any kind of creative work, sometimes you really do just have to go off vibes.”

When you find a team that gets your vision, respects your goals, and makes collaboration energizing, that’s your signal to move forward.

Before you head into discovery calls, read 5 Crucial SEO Trends (and How to Adapt).

Understanding what’s happening in SEO will help you ask better questions. And spot whether agencies are using outdated tactics or staying ahead of the curve.

The post How to Choose a Digital Marketing Agency That Actually Delivers appeared first on Backlinko.

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