Best SEO Agencies for AI Overviews [2026]

In brief: ranking of the 7 best SEO agencies for AI Overviews in France in 2026, with a comparison table and detailed analysis. datashake takes 1st place thanks to its pioneering GEO expertise and mastery of AI citation criteria, followed by Peak Ace, Semji, Eskimoz, Noiise, SmartKeyword, and Jloo.

Reading time: 10 minutes

Table of Contents

• Comparison Table of AI Overviews Specialized Agencies
• Detailed Ranking of the Best AI Overviews Agencies 2026
• What Is AI Overviews and Why It’s a Major SEO Challenge
• How Source Selection Works in AI Overviews
• Selection Criteria for an AI Overviews Specialized Agency
• Budgets and Return on Investment
• Optimization Levers for AI Overviews

Comparison Table of AI Overviews Specialized Agencies

Criteria	datashake	Peak Ace	Semji	Eskimoz	Noiise	SmartKeyword	Jloo
Location	Paris	Berlin / Paris	Lyon	Paris	Lyon / Paris	Paris	Paris
AI Overviews / GEO expertise	Pioneer — dedicated offering	Advanced	AI integrated	Developing	Limited	AI integrated	Limited
Structured data	Advanced expertise (Schema.org)	Advanced	Standard	Standard	Standard	Advanced	Standard
AI citation monitoring	Yes — proprietary tool	Partial	Yes — platform	Not disclosed	Not disclosed	Partial	Not disclosed
Clients served	500+	Enterprise EU	200+	1,000+	SMBs / Enterprise	Startups / SMBs	200+
Google certification	Premier Partner (top 3%)	Yes	Not disclosed	Premier Partner	Yes	Not disclosed	Yes
E-E-A-T strategy	Advanced + dedicated audit	Advanced	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard	Standard
Approach	Data-driven + native GEO	International technical	Content + AI	Scale + brand awareness	Content + link building	Semantic + data	Methodical

Detailed Ranking of the Best AI Overviews Agencies 2026

1. datashake — Paris

datashake takes the top spot in this ranking as a GEO pioneer (Generative Engine Optimization) in France. Founded by two former Google employees and based in Paris (2 rue de Choiseul, 75002), the agency was among the first to build a dedicated offering for optimizing Google AI Overviews and generative search engines.

The agency has supported more than 500 companies of all sizes, including Ledger, M. Moustache (Odaje), Maison Labiche, and Goossens Paris (Chanel Group). Its AI Overviews methodology rests on three pillars: E-E-A-T signal optimization to maximize AI model trust, advanced deployment of Schema.org structured data to facilitate information extraction by AIs, and proprietary AI citation monitoring that tracks client presence in real time across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity responses.

Certified Google Premier Partner — a badge reserved for the top 3% of French agencies — for the 4th consecutive year, datashake has documented concrete results: brands optimized for AI Overviews achieve an average of 35% more organic clicks and a 40% visibility increase in generative search engines. For a comprehensive overview of datashake’s approach to this topic, see our guide on what is GEO.

What sets datashake apart: its native GEO expertise combined with a data-driven approach that specifically measures and optimizes visibility in AI Overviews — a unique positioning in the French market.

2. Peak Ace — Berlin / Paris

Peak Ace ranks among Europe’s most technically advanced SEO agencies, with growing expertise in AI Overviews and generative search. Its dual Berlin-Paris presence provides privileged access to markets where Google deploys its AI features first, allowing it to accumulate experience ahead of the French market.

The agency excels on high-volume international projects and has dedicated teams for technical SEO, data engineering, and SERP analysis. Its deep knowledge of structured data and the technical signals leveraged by Google’s language models makes it a relevant partner for companies aiming for systematic presence in AI Overviews across multiple markets simultaneously.

Peak Ace has notably supported major European accounts in retail and finance in their strategy for adapting to generative search results.

3. Semji — Lyon

Semji positions itself at the intersection of SEO and AI technology, with a proprietary platform that analyzes content and recommends optimizations based on SERP data. In the AI Overviews context, this hybrid agency-platform approach enables identifying queries that trigger AI Overviews and optimizing content accordingly.

The Semji platform integrates monitoring of positions in generative results and provides targeted optimization recommendations. The agency is particularly relevant for companies producing a large volume of content that need to industrialize their AI Overviews optimization at scale.

4. Eskimoz — Paris

Eskimoz is one of the largest SEO agencies in France with more than 1,000 clients served. Its size and resources allow it to mobilize dedicated teams for AI Overviews optimization projects. The agency is progressively developing its expertise in generative search and integrating new AI visibility metrics into its reporting.

Its strength lies in its ability to industrialize optimization processes through proprietary crawl and analysis tools. Eskimoz is certified Google Premier Partner, reflecting privileged access to betas and Google information about the evolution of its AI algorithms.

The agency is particularly suited for mid-size and large companies seeking a partner capable of rapidly deploying an AI Overviews strategy at scale.

5. Noiise — Lyon / Paris

Noiise is a historic SEO agency in France, born from the merger of Open Linking and 1ère Position in 2019. With more than 80 team members spread between Lyon and Paris, the agency has significant resources and extensive experience in the French market.

In the AI Overviews context, Noiise leverages its proven content strategy and link building expertise to strengthen the authority signals that influence source selection by AI models. The agency is progressively developing its GEO capabilities and offers support that combines traditional optimization with adaptation to new result formats.

Its size allows it to assign experienced project managers and domain-specialized consultants, with regular monitoring of result evolution in AI Overviews.

6. SmartKeyword — Paris

SmartKeyword combines a deep semantic approach with proprietary data tools. In the AI Overviews context, this semantic expertise takes on strategic importance: Google’s language models rely heavily on semantic content understanding to select cited sources.

The agency stands out through its ability to model thematic clusters and search intents that trigger AI Overviews, then optimize content to maximize selection chances as a source. SmartKeyword also offers semantic position tracking that integrates generative results.

7. Jloo — Paris

Jloo serves approximately 200 clients with a methodical and transparent approach. The agency has developed detailed knowledge of source selection mechanisms in generative results, particularly through its comparative work across platforms and content formats.

Its methodical approach results in a structured AI Overviews compatibility audit: analysis of existing markup, evaluation of E-E-A-T signals, identification of AI citation opportunities, and prioritized recommendations. Jloo is particularly relevant for companies seeking a progressive and documented approach to AI Overviews optimization.

What Is AI Overviews and Why It’s a Major SEO Challenge

How AI Overviews Works

AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience or SGE) is Google’s feature that generates AI-powered synthetic responses directly within search results. Progressively rolled out since 2024, it is now active on the majority of informational queries in France in 2026.

In practice, when a user performs a search, Google may display an AI panel at the top of the page that synthesizes information from multiple web sources, with links to those sources. This response appears before traditional organic results, fundamentally changing click distribution.

The Impact on Organic Traffic

The numbers speak for themselves:

• 60% of Google searches now trigger an AI Overviews in France
• Sites cited in AI Overviews receive 35% more organic clicks compared to their traditional position
• Traffic referred by generative AIs surged by 527% year-over-year
• Content not optimized for AI risks a 20 to 40% visibility loss on informational queries

For a detailed analysis of the differences between generative search engines, see our Perplexity, ChatGPT and Google SGE comparison.

Why Traditional SEO Is No Longer Enough

Traditional SEO optimizes for ranking factors (positions, backlinks, keywords). AI Overviews optimization requires a complementary approach targeting AI citation criteria: quality of informational structure, source credibility, factual accuracy, semantic markup, and compliance with E-E-A-T criteria. This emerging discipline is called GEO (Generative Engine Optimization).

How Source Selection Works in AI Overviews

Google’s Source Selection Criteria

Google uses its language models (Gemini) to synthesize AI Overviews responses. The selection of cited sources relies on several criteria identified through research and practice:

• Domain authority: sites recognized as experts in their field are favored
• E-E-A-T quality: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness of the content and author
• Content structure: hierarchical headings, lists, tables, clear definitions — formats easily extractable by AI
• Structured data: Schema.org markup enables AI to understand and extract information reliably
• Content freshness: up-to-date information is favored, especially on evolving topics
• Factual accuracy: quantified data, verifiable citations, and referenced sources enhance credibility

The Role of Structured Data

Structured data plays a central role in AI Overviews optimization. Schema.org markup allows Google to:

• Identify the content type (article, FAQ, product, review, how-to)
• Extract precise information (prices, dates, authors, ratings)
• Understand entity relationships (author → organization → expertise)
• Validate content credibility through author and organization markup

Selection Criteria for an AI Overviews Specialized Agency

Essential Competencies

Choosing an agency for AI Overviews optimization should be based on criteria specific to this emerging discipline:

• Documented GEO expertise: case studies with AI Overviews visibility measurements
• Structured data mastery: advanced Schema.org deployment (Article, FAQPage, HowTo, Organization, Person)
• Structured E-E-A-T strategy: audit and optimization of trust signals leveraged by AI models
• AI citation monitoring: tools tracking presence in AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity
• Language model knowledge: understanding of how Gemini works and source selection criteria
• Adapted content strategy: production of structured, factual content easily extractable by AIs

Warning Signs

Certain indicators should raise red flags when choosing an AI Overviews optimization agency:

• No AI Overviews case studies with measurable results
• Confusion between traditional SEO and GEO — treating AI Overviews as a simple “bonus” of traditional SEO
• No specific monitoring of citations in generative results
• Lack of expertise in advanced structured data
• Promising “guaranteed results in AI Overviews” — Google entirely controls generation and no agency can guarantee inclusion

Budgets and Return on Investment

Price Ranges for AI Overviews Optimization

Budgets vary based on content volume to optimize, industry, and competition level in AI Overviews:

Project Profile	Estimated Monthly Budget	Time to Results
AI Overviews audit + recommendations	€3,000 – €6,000 (one-time)	2 to 4 weeks
Existing content optimization (< 50 pages)	€2,000 – €4,000/month	2 to 4 months
Complete GEO strategy (50-200 pages)	€4,000 – €7,000/month	3 to 6 months
Large-scale GEO program (200+ pages)	€7,000 – €12,000/month	4 to 8 months
Ongoing monitoring + optimization	€1,500 – €3,000/month	Ongoing

ROI Indicators to Track

The return on investment of an AI Overviews strategy is measured through specific indicators:

• AI Overviews presence rate: percentage of target queries where the site is cited in AI Overviews
• Citation share: proportion of AI Overviews citations captured compared to competitors
• AI Overviews traffic: sessions from clicks on links within AI Overviews
• CTR evolution: impact of AI Overviews presence on overall click-through rate
• Cross-platform citations: presence in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other generative search engines

Optimization Levers for AI Overviews

Content Optimization

• Structure content with clear H2/H3 headings that directly answer questions
• Integrate bullet lists and tables easily extractable by AI
• Provide concise answers at the beginning of sections before elaborating
• Include quantified data and verifiable sources
• Write precise definitions for key concepts

Technical Optimization

• Deploy relevant Schema.org markup (Article, FAQPage, HowTo, BreadcrumbList)
• Optimize meta descriptions to reflect citable content
• Ensure optimal page loading speed (Core Web Vitals)
• Implement coherent internal linking that strengthens topical authority

Authority Optimization

• Strengthen E-E-A-T signals: detailed author pages, expertise mentions, citations from recognized sources
• Develop thematic link building to consolidate sector authority
• Keep content up to date with visible update dates
• Publish original studies and proprietary data that position the brand as a reference source

For deeper insights into techniques to appear on ChatGPT and other generative search engines, it is recommended to structure your approach around a strategy of content optimization for generative AI that simultaneously addresses Google AI Overviews and third-party AI search engines. Link building remains a key lever for AI authority: discover the best link building agencies. For SMBs, our ranking of the best SEO agencies for SMBs includes GEO criteria adapted to smaller budgets.