Playbook · Services
SEO & AI search playbook for agencies
Agencies are bought on proof and fit. A buyer searches for a service, often with an industry or city attached, then reads case studies to decide whether you've done their kind of work before.
Agencies also know SEO tactics well, including the ones Google names in its spam policies. A few of them are common agency habits: footer credits on every client site, city pages for places with no office, and paid guest posts.
Updated By the LaunchRanked team4 sources checked
Searches to plan around
Query patterns and the intent behind them. We don’t quote search volumes: check your own Search Console for the ones you already appear for.
“[service] agency”, “[service] agency [city]”
Find a providerCity matters for some buyers, not all. Only target cities where you work with clients.
“[service] agency for [industry]”
Find a specialistNiche pages work when you have real work in that niche to show.
“how much does [service] cost”
BudgetPricing guides with real ranges from your own projects are rare and useful.
“[agency] reviews”
Check youBuyers look at third-party review profiles and case studies.
Page families that work
Service pages
/services/webflow-development
Process, deliverables, timelines, typical price range.
Case studies
/work/[client]
The problem, what you did, the result, with the client's permission. The strongest pages you have.
Industry pages
/industries/fintech
Only for industries where you have case studies to link.
Cost guides
/pricing-guide/website-redesign
Ranges from your own projects, with what drives cost up or down.
Risky page types
City pages for places you don't work
Google's doorway policy lists “multiple domain names or pages targeted at specific regions or cities that funnel users to one page” as an example.
Footer credits on client sites
Google's link spam policy lists “widely distributed links in the footers or templates of various sites”. If you keep a credit, make it nofollow or drop it.
Paid guest posts for links
Links with optimised anchors in paid articles or guest posts are named in the same policy.
Technical pitfalls
Portfolio as images only
Case studies need text: the problem, the approach and the result. A gallery gives search engines nothing.
Virtual office for a Business Profile
Google's Business Profile guidelines say virtual offices aren't eligible.
Generic marketing blog
Posts on generic topics won't compete. Write about what you've learned from your own projects.
How AI assistants answer questions in this category
“Recommend a [service] agency for [industry]” is answered from agency directories, review profiles, listicles and agency sites that clearly state a specialism. An agency that says exactly who it serves, with case studies to back it, is easier to recommend than one that claims to do everything.
What tends to earn a citation
- A clear specialism stated on the homepage and service pages.
- Case studies with specifics: industry, problem, approach, result.
- Consistent profiles on review sites and partner directories.
Check whether the AI crawlers you want can reach your site with our AI crawler checker.
Where links come from
Platform partner directories
Most platforms (CMSs, e-commerce, CRMs) run partner or expert directories. These are relevant and bring leads.
Speaking and teaching
Talks, workshops and podcast interviews link back and show expertise.
Client case studies co-published
When clients publish a case study with you, both sides get a real, relevant link.
Directory lists that fit agencies
Each directory is checked on its own site: price, link type and review process. We never sell links.
A 90-day plan
Days 1–30
Clean up
- Remove or nofollow footer credits on client sites.
- Delete or merge city pages for places you don't work.
- Check Business Profile eligibility.
Days 31–60
Proof
- Write five detailed case studies with permission.
- Rewrite service pages with process and price ranges.
- Join relevant platform partner directories.
Days 61–90
Niche and loop
- Build industry pages where you have case studies.
- Publish a cost guide from your projects.
- Rewrite titles on service pages at positions 5–20.
What to watch in Search Console
The Performance report gives clicks, impressions, CTR and average position by query, page, country, device and date. Traffic from Google's AI features is counted there too, under the Web search type (Google).
- Non-brand service queries
- Shows whether service pages rank beyond your name.
- Case study impressions
- Case studies can rank for niche problem queries.
- Links report after cleanup
- Footer credits will drop off; that's expected.
Frequently asked questions
Are footer credits on client sites bad?
Google lists widely distributed footer links as link spam. A nofollow credit or none at all is safer.
Should we build pages for every city?
Only where you work with clients and can say something specific about that market.
Do agencies need a blog?
Case studies and cost guides usually do more. Blog about what you learned from real projects.
Can we publish case studies without numbers?
Yes. Describe the problem and approach clearly; add numbers only with the client's permission.
Sources
Checked on September 23, 2026. Search patterns and page advice are our own judgement from running this playbook; we don’t quote search volumes or third-party statistics.