Welcome to the State Of SEO: Agency Report, one of two supplementary reports SEJ releases alongside the State Of SEO. This year, the main report focused on unique and rapidly developing disruptions in the SEO industry, as well as the opportunities that come with them. Agencies and SEO service providers have unique challenges and needs. Increased competition, unpredictable traffic performance due to SERP developments, and the rise of generative AI don’t just impact their own discoverability, but their services and reputation as well. Many agencies are moving quickly to adapt, increasing the pace of hiring and planning to invest in AI software and generative AI. At the same time, they’re using conservative and time-tested strategies to weather the changes. We see a lot of focus on the fundamentals of SEO – building their teams’ skills and hiring experienced candidates. Most leaders recognize the allure of new career opportunities when businesses might be scrambling to roll with the changes.