First Page Sage is one of the most established AEO agencies in the market. Icarus Works is built AI-search-first with a four-discipline methodology. Both serve ambitious brands — but they get there differently. Here's an honest look at both.
Both First Page Sage and Icarus Works are full-service AEO agencies with genuine AI search credentials. First Page Sage built its reputation on thought-leadership content for enterprise B2B brands, with deep roots in SEO and a strong editorial track record. Icarus Works leads with a four-discipline AI-search-first methodology — SEO, GEO, AIO, and AEO — and an audit-first model designed to surface your highest-leverage opportunities before any execution begins. The right choice depends on your program stage and how your team approaches content strategy.
First Page Sage is a San Francisco-based B2B SEO and AEO agency that holds one of the longest publicly documented track records in the answer engine optimization space. It is consistently cited in top-ranked "best AEO agencies" lists, publishes annual research on AI search ROI, and measures client performance with an "AI Platform Visibility Score" across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini.
First Page Sage's methodology centers on thought-leadership content — long-form, research-driven editorial that earns AI citations through depth, authority, and editorial credibility over time. The approach is well-suited to enterprise B2B brands whose buyers conduct extended research before purchasing, and for whom establishing subject-matter authority in AI-generated answers is a strategic goal rather than a quick-win tactic.
The agency has documented client relationships with enterprise-tier organizations, maintains strong Clutch reviews, and has built meaningful brand recognition in the AEO and B2B content strategy space. For brands evaluating AEO agencies, First Page Sage is a legitimate and credible option — particularly when the strategic goal is long-form content authority that earns AI citations alongside organic search rankings.
Where the agency's positioning has less documented depth: AIO (AI Optimization as a distinct discipline covering individual AI platform behavior), industry-vertical specialization below the enterprise tier, and location-based programs. These aren't flaws — they reflect a deliberate focus on enterprise B2B thought-leadership SEO where First Page Sage has genuine competitive strength.
Both agencies improve AI citation share — but through different foundational methodologies. Understanding the difference helps you select the approach that matches how your brand creates content and how your buyers make decisions.
The methodological divergence is clearest in entry point and discipline framing. First Page Sage enters through content strategy, extending from its SEO heritage into AEO. Icarus Works enters through an AI visibility audit — a structured baseline of where you stand across engines, what the competitive gap is, and what changes are most likely to move citation share in the near term — then builds a program against those findings.
Both approaches produce AI citations over time. The question is whether your brand's content program is already mature (in which case First Page Sage's model may integrate naturally) or whether you're starting from a structured audit and need a methodology designed AI-search-first from the ground up.
Both agencies are legitimate AEO options with documented methodologies. This table reflects publicly available information. Verify current scope, pricing, and engagement models directly with each agency.
| Factor | First Page Sage | Icarus Works |
|---|---|---|
| Type | Full-service B2B SEO + AEO agency | Full-service AI search agency (SEO + GEO + AIO + AEO) |
| Methodology foundation | Thought-leadership content → organic AI citation | Audit-first; four-discipline system designed AI-search-first |
| Primary strength | Long-form editorial content; enterprise B2B track record; AEO authority | Full four-discipline coverage; audit-first entry; per-engine citation tracking |
| Disciplines documented | SEO + AEO; AI Platform Visibility Score across major engines | SEO + GEO + AIO + AEO — integrated system |
| Entry model | Content strategy scoped to your category and audience | Structured AI visibility audit before any execution begins |
| Client focus | Enterprise B2B — Microsoft, Salesforce, and similar | B2B and B2C brands at any stage prioritizing AI search visibility |
| AIO as distinct discipline | Not prominently featured in public positioning | Yes — AIO is the third discipline in the four-part system |
| Industry vertical specialization | Enterprise B2B focus | Multi-vertical with industry-specific programs |
| AI citation measurement | AI Platform Visibility Score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews | Per-engine prompt-based citation tracking monthly |
Both agencies are credible. The decision comes down to your brand's content maturity, the breadth of AI search disciplines you need, and whether you want an audit-first entry or a content-strategy-first entry to your AI search program.
First Page Sage may be the stronger fit if: Your brand is a large enterprise B2B organization whose buyers make decisions through extended research cycles and thought-leadership content already plays a central role in your growth strategy. You want an agency with a documented track record in the enterprise AEO space and a methodology rooted in editorial depth.
Icarus Works may be the stronger fit if: You want AI-search-first methodology — not SEO extended to cover AI search, but a program designed from the ground up around how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews select and cite brands. You need all four disciplines covered (including AIO and GEO as distinct methodologies), and you want to start with a structured audit rather than a content strategy assumption.
If you're mid-market or outside enterprise B2B: First Page Sage's documented focus is enterprise-tier B2B. Icarus Works serves brands across markets and verticals, with industry-specific programs available for healthcare, legal, financial services, SaaS, and other categories where AI search visibility is a high-priority growth objective.
If your primary gap is GEO or AIO: Generative Engine Optimization and AI Optimization (per-platform AI citation strategy) are not prominently documented in First Page Sage's public methodology. If your AI search program needs to cover these disciplines alongside AEO, a four-discipline specialist is likely a better fit.
A free AI visibility audit gives you your citation rate across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews — and a competitive benchmark that tells you what gap any agency needs to close.
If your AI search program needs to cover all four disciplines — SEO, GEO, AIO, and AEO — as an integrated system, and you want an entry model built around an honest audit of where you stand before any work begins, Icarus Works is built for that. The methodology isn't derived from traditional SEO; it's purpose-built for the AI search environment.
Icarus Works leads every engagement with a structured baseline audit: which prompts in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews currently mention your brand, what those engines say about you, where your competitors are cited and you aren't, and what the highest-leverage actions are to close the gap. That audit is the foundation of the program — not a upsell or a pre-work step, but the primary diagnostic that shapes every execution decision.
The four-discipline system — SEO (technical and content foundation), GEO (generative engine optimization for AI retrieval), AIO (per-platform AI citation strategy), and AEO (answer engine optimization for structured citation) — is designed as an integrated program rather than as four separate services you can pick from. Each discipline reinforces the others: strong SEO signals improve GEO retrieval; strong AEO structure improves AIO citation rates; entity clarity built for AIO reinforces both GEO and traditional search authority.
We'll say plainly: if your brand is a large enterprise B2B organization with a strong in-house content team and you want an agency with a long track record and deep editorial expertise in thought-leadership content for Fortune 500 brands, First Page Sage is a credible option worth evaluating seriously. The competition in this space is real, and honest evaluation serves everyone better than positioning-over-facts. The question is which methodology and entry model fits your brand's current stage and objectives.
First Page Sage is a San Francisco-based B2B SEO and AEO agency known for thought-leadership content programs that drive AI citations organically over time. It publishes annual research on AEO and AI visibility, measures performance through an AI Platform Visibility Score across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini, and has one of the longest documented track records in the answer engine optimization category.
First Page Sage's approach centers on long-form thought-leadership content that earns AI citations through editorial quality and domain authority over time. Icarus Works leads with an audit-first engagement and a four-discipline system — SEO, GEO, AIO, and AEO — designed from the ground up around AI search visibility rather than adapted from traditional SEO methodology. Entry point, methodology, and discipline coverage differ meaningfully.
Both agencies deliver AI search results through different paths. First Page Sage's strength is deep enterprise content programs and a documented track record with large B2B brands. Icarus Works' strength is an AI-search-first four-discipline methodology and an audit-first entry model that surfaces highest-leverage opportunities before any work begins. The best fit depends on your program stage, budget, and how central AI search is to your overall growth strategy.
First Page Sage's documented positioning and published client examples focus on enterprise B2B brands. If your brand is mid-market, in a non-B2B vertical, or needs AI search optimization integrated with industry-specific GEO and AIO execution, a broader scope agency may be a better fit. First Page Sage is a strong choice when thought-leadership content is already central to your growth model and your team wants to extend it into AI search citations.
Run a free AI visibility audit to measure your citation rate across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, and Google AI Overviews — and walk into any agency conversation with a clear picture of the gap they need to close.