Digital Marketing Agency AI Visibility Ranking Trends - November 2026

Answer capsule

The November 2026 Digital Marketing Agency benchmark compares 7 companies across 676 AI answers that met its inclusion rules. SmartSites leads with 316 recommendations (46.75% of answers). At least one tracked company was recommended in 404 answers; some answers recommended several companies.

The rankings distinguish being mentioned from receiving an affirmative recommendation, then examine placement and the wording used about each company. Earlier monthly results show how counts and rates changed, with each month using its own answer total. These results describe the answers reviewed, not product quality or customer satisfaction. Differences between monthly samples limit comparisons and do not establish why a result changed.

For the strategic interpretation of this benchmark, read CiteWorks Studio's analysis of How AI Search Is Recommending Digital Marketing Agency

Industry leaderboard

Questions This Section Answers

• How do Digital Marketing Agency rank by recorded AI recommendations in November 2026?

The leaderboard orders companies by how many recorded answers affirmatively recommended them. That count is not the same as appearing in an answer, and it is not the same as being placed near the top of a list. A company can be mentioned often yet recommended less often, so the columns answer different questions.

Ties are decided by equal recommendation counts, not by framing or placement. Reading mentions, recommendations and placements separately keeps a frequent appearance from being mistaken for an endorsement, and keeps a high placement from being read as extra recommendations.

Key findings

Tracked-company answer coverage

Questions This Section Answers

• How often did the November 2026 Digital Marketing Agency answer sample recommend any tracked company?

404 distinct answers recommended at least one tracked company. Counting each company recommendation separately gives 573, because an answer can recommend several companies. Answers with no tracked recommendation may still have recommended companies outside this comparison.

Coverage describes how often the tracked companies appear across the reviewed answers. Every qualified answer mentioned at least one tracked company, while a smaller share recommended one. Because an answer can recommend several companies, company-level recommendation totals exceed the number of answers containing a recommendation.

Answers with no tracked recommendation are still recorded results; they may have named companies outside this comparison. Overlapping coverage is not market dominance, and the shares describe these answers rather than the wider market.

Reach and affirmative recommendation

SmartSites ranks 1 by recommendation count. Mentions: 507 (75.00%); recommendations: 316 (46.75%). Top 3 placements: 186 (27.51%); first-place placements: 113 (16.72%).

Wording about the company: 348 positive, 153 neutral, 6 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 62.3%. The net framing score was 0.67 (defined in Methodology).

191 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 58.86% were Top 3 and 35.76% were first-place.

Mention measures whether a company appeared in an answer; recommendation measures whether the answer affirmatively endorsed it. SmartSites leads on recommendation count, but a substantial portion of its mentions carried no recorded recommendation, so reach and endorsement diverge.

A tie would mean equal recommendation counts, not a shared first place by framing. The recommendation-to-mention ratio describes the recorded answers only, and it does not represent customers, sales or conversion.

Recommendation order and placement

Placement describes where a recommended company sat within an answer's ordering. Top-three and first-place results are nested inside recommendations, so they are subsets rather than additional wins, and they should not be added to recommendation counts.

A company can be recommended without appearing near the top, and a first-place result is a narrower subset still. These positions reflect how the selected answers were worded and ordered, not consumer preference or purchasing behavior.

Classified framing in context

Framing classifies the wording used about a company in the selected answers as positive, neutral or negative. It is a description of language, not a measure of reputation, customer sentiment or company quality, and neutral wording does not show why a recommendation was or was not recorded.

Positive wording can accompany a mention without an endorsement, so framing and recommendation should be read side by side rather than treated as one signal.

Company results in detail

SmartSites

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about SmartSites mentions, recommendations and placement?

SmartSites ranks 1 by recommendation count. Mentions: 507 (75.00%); recommendations: 316 (46.75%). Top 3 placements: 186 (27.51%); first-place placements: 113 (16.72%).

Wording about the company: 348 positive, 153 neutral, 6 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 62.3%. The net framing score was 0.67 (defined in Methodology).

191 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 58.86% were Top 3 and 35.76% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, SmartSites' mention count rose from 440 to 507, while its recommendation count fell from 414 to 316. The recommendation rate was 67.76% and 46.75% respectively.

SmartSites leads the recommendation count and appears in most reviewed answers, giving it the broadest reach in this sample. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio is moderate, meaning many appearances did not carry an affirmative endorsement, and its placements are a subset of its recommendations.

Its framing is mostly positive with some neutral wording. Between the two months, mentions rose while recommendations fell, and the recommendation rate declined; the recorded comparison does not establish why.

LYFE Marketing

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about LYFE Marketing mentions, recommendations and placement?

LYFE Marketing ranks 2 by recommendation count. Mentions: 254 (37.57%); recommendations: 147 (21.75%). Top 3 placements: 72 (10.65%); first-place placements: 47 (6.95%).

Wording about the company: 162 positive, 89 neutral, 3 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 57.9%. The net framing score was 0.63 (defined in Methodology).

107 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 48.98% were Top 3 and 31.97% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, LYFE Marketing's mention count rose from 210 to 254, while its recommendation count rose from 135 to 147. The recommendation rate was 22.09% and 21.75% respectively.

LYFE Marketing holds the second recommendation count with a reach well below the leader's. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio sits in the middle of the field, and roughly half of its recorded recommendations were placed in the top three.

Framing is largely positive with a smaller neutral share. Both mentions and recommendations rose from the prior month while the recommendation rate was nearly flat, a mixed pattern that the evidence does not explain.

M16 Marketing

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about M16 Marketing mentions, recommendations and placement?

M16 Marketing ranks 3 by recommendation count. Mentions: 60 (8.88%); recommendations: 47 (6.95%). Top 3 placements: 19 (2.81%); first-place placements: 6 (0.89%).

Wording about the company: 49 positive, 11 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 78.3%. The net framing score was 0.82 (defined in Methodology).

13 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 40.43% were Top 3 and 12.77% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, M16 Marketing's mention count rose from 24 to 60, while its recommendation count rose from 23 to 47. The recommendation rate was 3.76% and 6.95% respectively.

M16 Marketing ranks third on recommendation count from a modest mention base. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio is comparatively high, so a large share of its appearances carried an endorsement, though its first-place placements are a small fraction of its recommendations.

Framing is predominantly positive with no negative wording recorded. Mentions and recommendations both rose from the prior month, and the recommendation rate increased; the sample does not show why.

Cardinal Digital Marketing

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Cardinal Digital Marketing mentions, recommendations and placement?

Cardinal Digital Marketing ranks 4 by recommendation count. Mentions: 40 (5.92%); recommendations: 32 (4.73%). Top 3 placements: 10 (1.48%); first-place placements: 5 (0.74%).

Wording about the company: 34 positive, 5 neutral, 1 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 80.0%. The net framing score was 0.83 (defined in Methodology).

8 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 31.25% were Top 3 and 15.63% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Cardinal Digital Marketing's mention count rose from 29 to 40, while its recommendation count rose from 27 to 32. The recommendation rate was 4.42% and 4.73% respectively.

Cardinal Digital Marketing ranks fourth on recommendation count with limited reach. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio is high, indicating that most of its appearances included an endorsement, while top-three and first-place placements form smaller subsets of those recommendations.

Framing is mostly positive with little neutral or negative wording. Mentions and recommendations both rose from the prior month, and the recommendation rate edged up slightly; the evidence does not attribute the change.

AIS Media

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about AIS Media mentions, recommendations and placement?

AIS Media ranks 5 by recommendation count. Mentions: 31 (4.59%); recommendations: 25 (3.70%). Top 3 placements: 9 (1.33%); first-place placements: 3 (0.44%).

Wording about the company: 25 positive, 6 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 80.6%. The net framing score was 0.81 (defined in Methodology).

6 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 36.00% were Top 3 and 12.00% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, AIS Media's mention count rose from 10 to 31, while its recommendation count rose from 10 to 25. The recommendation rate was 1.64% and 3.70% respectively.

AIS Media ranks fifth on recommendation count from a small mention base. Its recommendation-to-mention ratio is among the highest in the field, but that ratio rests on few appearances and should be read with that qualification in mind. Placements are a modest subset of its recommendations.

Framing is positive with some neutral wording and no negatives. Mentions and recommendations both rose from the prior month, and the recommendation rate increased; the sample does not explain the movement.

Joseph Studios

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Joseph Studios mentions, recommendations and placement?

Joseph Studios ranks 6 by recommendation count. Mentions: 6 (0.89%); recommendations: 6 (0.89%). Top 3 placements: 0 (0.00%); first-place placements: 0 (0.00%).

Wording about the company: 6 positive, 0 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was 100.0%. The net framing score was 1.00 (defined in Methodology).

0 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, 0.00% were Top 3 and 0.00% were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Joseph Studios' mention count stayed at 6, while its recommendation count stayed at 6. The recommendation rate was 0.98% and 0.89% respectively. The count was unchanged: the rate difference comes from dividing it by 611 answers in October 2026 and 676 in November.

Joseph Studios ranks sixth on recommendation count with very few appearances. Every recorded mention also carried a recommendation, so its recommendation-to-mention ratio is at the top of the scale, but the small base makes that ratio fragile and it should be read cautiously.

No top-three or first-place placements were recorded. Framing is entirely positive. Mentions and recommendations were unchanged between months, while the rate shifted only because the answer total differed.

Grater Digital

Questions This Section Answers

• What do the November 2026 AI answer results show about Grater Digital mentions, recommendations and placement?

Grater Digital ranks 7 by recommendation count. Mentions: 0 (0.00%); recommendations: 0 (0.00%). Top 3 placements: 0 (0.00%); first-place placements: 0 (0.00%).

Wording about the company: 0 positive, 0 neutral, 0 negative mentions. The proportion of mentions that also included a recommendation was Unavailable. The net framing score was Unavailable (defined in Methodology).

0 mentions had no recorded recommendation. Of recorded recommendations, Unavailable were Top 3 and Unavailable were first-place.

From October 2026 to November 2026, Grater Digital's mention count stayed at 0, while its recommendation count stayed at 0. The recommendation rate was 0.00% and 0.00% respectively.

Grater Digital ranks seventh with no recorded mentions or recommendations in the reviewed answers. Its placement counts are therefore zero as well, and ratios that require a nonzero base are undefined rather than missing.

A zero is a measured result for this sample, not evidence about the company's standing beyond it. With no mentions, framing is unavailable, and the counts were unchanged from the prior month.

Earlier ranking snapshot context

Questions This Section Answers

• How do the available Digital Marketing Agency snapshots from July 2026 to November 2026 differ in recommendation coverage and measurement scope?

Only months with verified results are shown. Monthly sample coverage is listed in Methodology.

Each month is a separate sample of AI answers, and the answer totals differ between months. Counts and rates should be read together: a rate divides a count by that month's answer total, so the same count can yield a different rate when the total changes. Neither pattern establishes why a movement occurred.

Rank positions across months come from separate samples and do not establish rank stability or equivalent sampling. The comparisons show how recorded results changed, not why.

What the November Rankings Show

The November results answer several distinct questions. Reach shows how often a company appeared; recommendation shows how often an answer affirmatively endorsed it; placement shows where an endorsement sat within an answer's ordering; framing describes the wording used. These measures overlap but are not interchangeable, and a strong result on one does not imply a strong result on another.

Because recommendations nest placements and answers can name several companies, totals should not be summed across measures. The profiles describe the recorded answers, not customers, sales or company quality, and the evidence does not explain why any company was recommended more or less often.

Methodology

Questions This Section Answers

• How were the November 2026 Digital Marketing Agency AI visibility measures counted, and what do they not establish?

This benchmark has partial coverage: 2 of 3 planned question categories contributed usable observations; 1 contributed none. This describes question-category coverage, not demonstrated platform outages. Findings apply to the available answer set.

The month in the title is the reporting period. The exact dates when the original AI answers were collected have not been verified.

Each company is counted at most once in each answer that meets the benchmark rules. A recommendation requires both an affirmative endorsement and positive wording. Mention, recommendation, Top 3 and first-place rates use the full benchmark answer total. Top 3 and first-place results are included within recommendations, not added to them.

The recommendation-to-mention ratio divides recommendations by mentions. It describes AI answer wording, not customer conversion. Net framing is positive minus negative mentions, divided by all mentions, on a scale from -1 to +1. It does not measure customer satisfaction or company quality.

Market: US; 7 tracked companies. AI services represented: ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini, Google AI Mode, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity.

Research screening totals (answer observations can include repeated questions):

The source does not provide a reader-facing definition of “reserved”; that screening label is reported without inferring a reason for exclusion. Only the included benchmark answers form the rate denominator.

One answer can mention or recommend several companies. Adding company totals would therefore count some answers more than once. The results describe the AI answers reviewed, not independently verified facts about the companies or their products.

Monthly sample coverage:

The answer samples differ between months. These comparisons show how the recorded results changed; they do not establish why they changed.

Coverage is partial: only some planned question categories contributed usable observations, and findings apply to the available answer set. The reporting month is a label, and the exact collection dates of the original answers were not verified.

Each company is counted at most once per qualifying answer, and a recommendation requires both an affirmative endorsement and positive wording. Rates use the full benchmark answer total, and placements are included within recommendations rather than added to them. The recommendation-to-mention ratio and net framing describe answer wording, not customer satisfaction or company quality. Monthly samples differ, so comparisons show recorded change without establishing cause.