The 2026 Agency Index Updated October 14, 2026
AI Guys leads SmartSites by 1.3 points. Both agencies are scored on the same four checks, with the evidence behind every number.
Disclosure Marketing Agency News has a business relationship with AI Guys, which appears in this ranking. How we handle it.
Each check is scored from 0 to 10. The note under each score names the evidence behind it.
AI Guys7/10
Named clients with live sites and dated numbers, led by 600% organic click growth and first-place rankings for Miami Swim Week and three times the quote requests for Zema Logistics. Both client sites credit AI Guys, but the case-study list is short and the figures are company-reported.
SmartSites7/10
Many named-client case studies with large gains, such as 4,300% more leads for Honey Do Men, but the pages give no dates or periods. A 4.9 Clutch rating from 369 reviews adds outside weight.
AI Guys10/10
The two founders do the work with no account-manager layer, and standard builds ship in about two weeks.
SmartSites5/10
More than 370 staff work under service-line directors, and the company says every client gets named specialists. The pages we checked give no onboarding timeline.
AI Guys10/10
Tracks and reports client visibility across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini, publishes a named-client score (89 out of 100 for Miami Swim Week), and builds custom sites with structured data by default.
SmartSites8/10
A defined AI search service with a six-part method and named-client ChatGPT traffic gains. It measures AI referral visits, not how often clients appear in answers.
AI Guys7/10
Named founders, a registered Virginia LLC, a Richmond base, and a published phone number. The independent review record is small, with five Google reviews.
SmartSites9/10
Founders who still lead the company, a stated legal entity (Melen, LLC) and Paramus street address, 369 Clutch reviews, and repeated Inc. 5000 listings.
| AI Guys | SmartSites | |
|---|---|---|
| Index rank | No. 1 of 19 | No. 9 of 19 |
| Overall score | 8.4 out of 10 | 7.1 out of 10 |
| Type | AI search | Full-service |
| Location | Richmond, Virginia, USA | Paramus, New Jersey, USA |
| Founded | 2025 | 2011 |
| Team | 2 founders who do the client work (company-reported) | 370+ worldwide, 94 in the US (company-reported) |
| Client focus | Small business, Local business, Mid-market | Small business, Local business, Mid-market, Ecommerce |
| Services | Web design, SEO, AI search, Google Business Profile, Automation, Apps | SEO, PPC, Web design, Email, Social media, Paid social, Content, AI search |
| Best for | Owner-led businesses that want the founders building the site and running SEO and AI search visibility themselves. | Local, franchise, and ecommerce businesses that want published package prices, named specialists, and a live reporting dashboard from a large agency. |
| Last verified | Oct 14, 2026 | Oct 14, 2026 |
AI Guys has the stronger record on our four checks, with an overall score of 8.4 out of 10. It leads on senior attention and AI search.
SmartSites leads on accountability. Pick it if that check matters most for the work you need done. The two agencies tie on proof.
Both scores use the same four checks and weights: proof of results (35%), senior attention and speed (25%), AI search readiness (20%), and accountability and identity (20%). A higher score means a stronger public record. It does not rate price or contract terms, so get those in writing from both agencies.
Richmond, Virginia studio run by its two founders, Logan Lewis and Brady Meighan. It builds custom websites and runs SEO, Google Business Profile work, AI search visibility, and automation for small and mid-sized businesses.
Best for Owner-led businesses that want the founders building the site and running SEO and AI search visibility themselves.
Read the full AI Guys profileSmartSites is a digital marketing agency in Paramus, New Jersey, founded in 2011 by brothers Alex and Michael Melen. It runs SEO, PPC, web design, email, and social media for local, national, franchise, and ecommerce businesses.
Best for Local, franchise, and ecommerce businesses that want published package prices, named specialists, and a live reporting dashboard from a large agency.
Read the full SmartSites profileAI Guys scores higher in our 2026 index, 8.4 to 7.1 out of 10, and wins two of the four criteria. A higher score means a stronger public record, not a better fit for every business. Compare the best-for notes, then ask both agencies for case studies from businesses like yours. Marketing Agency News has a business relationship with AI Guys, which appears in this ranking.
The widest gap is senior attention and speed. AI Guys scores 10 out of 10 there and SmartSites scores 5. That check carries 25% of the overall score.
Both agencies get the same four checks, each scored from 0 to 10: proof of results (35%), senior attention and speed (25%), AI search readiness (20%), and accountability and identity (20%). The overall score is the weighted total. Each agency profile links the public sources behind its scores.
Ask both agencies who will do the work each week, and ask for case studies with numbers and dates. Then ask for the minimum term and who owns the site, the ad accounts, and the data if you leave. Get each answer in writing.
