A marketing agency needs an AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) strategy because a growing share of buyers now get their answers directly from AI systems like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Perplexity—and if an agency's client isn't cited inside those answers, a competitor usually is, regardless of where that client ranks in traditional search results. This shift is no longer theoretical. AI search visits grew from 15.6 billion to 27.4 billion between Q1 2025 and Q1 2