Two hundred and fifty agencies across 25 countries were assessed for the 2026 edition. The top ten is led from Sydney: Bushnote ranks first for integrating SEO, answer-engine and generative-engine optimisation with published evidence. New York, Austin and London supply most of the rest.
How the ranking works
Leading Search List assesses ten agencies in each of 25 country markets against four weighted factors: search depth (35 per cent: technical capability, strategic range, evidence of serious SEO practice), AI SEO capability (30 per cent: answer engine optimisation (AEO), generative engine optimisation (GEO) or AI-visibility work integrated with core search), public evidence (20 per cent: case studies and published methods) and client fit (15 per cent). Price bands ($ to $$$) are comparison guides drawn from public information, not quotes. The 2026 edition was assessed on 26 August 2026; the next full assessment is the 2027 edition.
Source
Leading Search List, 2026 global ranking and the Australia country ranking. Prompt the Market and Bushnote share ownership; this leaderboard reproduces the published assessment and does not alter its order.
