Your clients are asking about AI search. You can hire for it, learn it yourself, or hand the work to a white-label partner. If you go with a partner, the choice matters more than the price. Your name is on everything they deliver.
This is the checklist we’d use if we were on your side of the table. Run any provider through it, including us.
1. Do they cover classic SEO and AI search?
AI search doesn’t replace SEO. A site that search engines can’t crawl or understand is hard for an AI tool to cite, too. Look for a partner who does the basics well (technical health, content, links) and can also show you where a client appears in ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity. If they only talk about one side, you’ll end up hiring a second vendor. Our page on Generative Engine Optimization explains the AI side in more detail.
2. Is it truly white-label?
Ask three things. Do reports carry your logo and your format? Will they ever contact your client directly? Can you see a sample deliverable before you sign anything? “White-label” should mean your client only ever hears from you.
3. What do the terms look like?
Long contracts protect the provider, not you. Ask about minimum terms, notice periods and what happens to the work if you leave. Look for no long-term contracts, a free audit before you commit, and a clear scope in writing.
4. How honest are they about timelines?
Be wary of anyone who promises rankings by a date. Measurable SEO results usually take around 3 to 6 months. A partner who tells you that up front is easier to trust than one who promises results in weeks. You’ll also need that honesty to set expectations with your own clients.
5. How do they report?
Rankings alone don’t keep clients. Good reporting connects the work to traffic, leads and revenue, and it now includes AI visibility. See our GEO reporting template for what to include. Ask to see a sample report, and ask whether you can put your own branding on it.
6. Who actually does the work?
Ask who you’ll talk to and who does the work. Some providers sell you with senior people and hand the job to juniors. Ask for a named contact and a clear way to reach them. Also ask how they use AI tools and who reviews the output. Tools help with research and monitoring. A person should still check what goes out under your name. We wrote more on this in what AI agents mean for SEO agencies.
7. Can they start small?
The safest test is a small first project. Send one client site for an audit. Judge the report on clarity, accuracy and whether you’d be comfortable sending it under your name. If it’s good, expand from there.
Red flags
- Guaranteed rankings or guaranteed AI citations
- No sample work and no named person to talk to
- Case studies with no real numbers, or numbers they can’t explain
- Long lock-in contracts
- Vague answers about how the work is actually done
Want to run us through the checklist?
RankMeTech, based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, does white-label SEO and AI-search work for agencies across Atlantic Canada and beyond. You get a free audit on one client site, no long-term contracts, and your branding on everything. See how we work with agencies, or book a 30-minute call.
