GEO rankings checked: who puts themselves at number 1?
If you search for the best GEO agency, you mainly find lists made by GEO agencies. On 30 September 2026 we opened every Dutch and Flemish list that names agencies, and for each list checked who made it and whether that party appears in it.
This is not a judgement on the quality of the agencies named. It is only about whether you can read the list as independent advice. Our own ranking of GEO agencies only follows after the follow-up client calls.
The outcome in four numbers
- 23 lists that name GEO agencies
- 18 of those name the maker itself or its parent company
- 15 put the maker at the top
- 8 disclose that interest with the list
Our own count, reference date 30 September 2026. Every page was opened; the full list is below.
All 23 lists at a glance
First the lists in which the maker names itself without disclosing that with the list. The colour of the label only repeats what the text says.
| List (maker) | Maker included | Maker’s position | Method | Outcome |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| TEAM LEWIS, Netherlands | yes | 1 of 3 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| TEAM LEWIS, Belgium | yes | 1 of 3 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| AY Rank | yes | 1 of 7 | vague criteria | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| AppLabx | yes | 1 of 10 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| Seeders | yes | 1 of 10 | vague criteria | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| Lengreo, LLM SEO Netherlands | yes | 1 of 14 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| Lengreo, Amsterdam | yes | 1 of 11 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| SEOBOB | yes | only name | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| GEO Agency | yes, plus parent company AT Digital | AT Digital at 1 | none; connection only in the footer | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| Itonomy | yes | 4 of 10 | none | Own list, interest not disclosed with the list |
| Seeders via Adformatie | yes | 1 of 5 | none; labelled as an advertorial | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Customer Impact | yes | 1 of 6 | vague criteria | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Estrelle | yes | 1 of 20 | weighted index with measurements | Own list, interest disclosed |
| AVB Digital | yes | 1 of 10 | fixed attributes in a table | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Webhero | yes | 1 of 9, according to the maker not a ranking | vague criteria | Own list, interest disclosed |
| ClickForest | yes | 1 of 14, according to the maker not a ranking | one verifiable criterion | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Wildbos | yes | 6 of 6 | four verifiable criteria | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Gold Lemon | yes, marked as the measuring party | 17 of 212 | measurements, weighting and margins of error | Own list, interest disclosed |
| Noemd (DenkBot) | no | n/a | measurements: 3 questions in 4 AI models | Maker not in the list, but has a commercial interest |
| Rankshift | no; sister agency Depends is recommended | n/a | vague criteria | Maker not in the list, but has a commercial interest |
| Feedbax | no | n/a | profiles and reviews from an agency platform | Maker not in the list, but has a commercial interest |
| Semactic | no | n/a | own certified partners | Maker not in the list, but has a commercial interest |
| AmICited | no | n/a | none | Maker not in the list, but has a commercial interest |
Reference date 30 September 2026. Not counted: guides that name no agencies (De GEO Experts, GEO Specialist Sliedrecht, GEO-Optimaliseren.nl, Citeerbaar) and a page by InSpace that only recommends itself. We could not open Clutch, DesignRush and Sortlist.
What stands out
Not a single list is truly independent. The five lists in which the maker does not appear come from tool vendors, an agency platform or a partner programme. They also have an interest in the outcome.
Disclosure does not change the order. Of the eight makers who disclose their interest, six are still at the top. Only Gold Lemon (17th in a measured index) and Wildbos (last place) rank themselves lower.
Measuring is rare. Three lists use measurements: Gold Lemon, Estrelle and Noemd. The rest is opinion, sometimes with criteria, almost never with a weighting you can recalculate.
Trade media hardly help. The only list on a major trade publication is a paid advertorial. On Frankwatching, Emerce, Marketingfacts and Dutch Cowboys we found no ranking of GEO agencies.
Seven questions to test any ranking
Look at the domain, the author and the footer.
Also search for names from the footer and the author bio.
Good: above the list. Weak: only in a footer or author bio.
Good: you can recalculate the order. Weak: “carefully selected”.
Good: number of questions, repetitions and dates. Weak: a single snapshot or nothing.
Watch out for advertorials, partner programmes and sorting by “verified”.
Good: cases with dates, reviews with counts, clients you can call.
Why agencies do this, and why it achieves little
AI tools like to cite lists. In a study by Ahrefs, 43.8% of ChatGPT’s sources were a “best X” list (Ahrefs, December 2025). So a list of your own looks like a clever GEO trick.
But the maker gains little from it. When AI cites a maker’s own list, the chance that the maker is recommended rises from about 4% to 7% (Scrunch, September 2026). In Google AI Overviews the maker was left out 69% of the time, even though its own list served as a source (Lily Ray, June 2026).
The full story, with the international figures and what the law says, is in how to recognise a fair ranking of GEO agencies.
Claims on agencies’ own sites that nobody can verify
Besides lists, we see claims without a source. In our research into 78 providers, 28 made such a claim, and 5 promised a place in AI answers. A few verbatim examples:
| Provider | Type of claim | Verbatim quote |
|---|---|---|
| Timmermans Media | number 1 | “#1 GEO bureau Nederland” (#1 GEO agency in the Netherlands) |
| SmartRanking | number 1 | “hét #1 gespecialiseerde en innovatieve (AI) SEO & GEO bureau” (the #1 specialised and innovative (AI) SEO & GEO agency) |
| Ralf van Veen | founder | “Grondlegger GEO Nederland” (founder of GEO in the Netherlands) |
| Up Agency | founder | “Grondlegger GEO Nederland” (founder of GEO in the Netherlands) |
| Tree Online | place in AI promised | “Wordt de nummer 1 aanbeveling in ChatGPT.” (Become the number 1 recommendation in ChatGPT.) |
| HV Media | place in AI promised | “Genoemd in elk AI-antwoord.” (Mentioned in every AI answer.) |
| OpsCode | place in AI promised | “dat jouw bedrijf bij stap 4 altijd wordt genoemd” (that your business is always mentioned at step 4) |
| DGTLbase | figure without a source | “GEO bureau achter 77M omzetgroei” (GEO agency behind 77M revenue growth) |
Quotes from the providers’ own sites, reference date September 2026. Two providers claim the same title “Grondlegger GEO Nederland” (founder of GEO in the Netherlands). Nobody can promise a fixed place in AI: according to SparkToro (January 2026), AI gives the same list fewer than 1 in 100 times. In the LSAI method every claim without a source costs 5 points.
Something wrong? We will correct it
Did you make a list that appears here, or is a claim backed up after all? Send us the source. We will update it within five working days and record the change in the public corrections log.
Frequently asked questions
How many lists of the best GEO agencies are independent?
None of the 23 we found. In 18 the maker itself is listed; the other 5 come from tool vendors, an agency platform or a partner programme. See also: Best (local) GEO specialist.
Is a list that includes its maker always bad?
No. If the maker discloses its interest and publishes the method, weighting and measurements, you can check the list. Gold Lemon does that and puts itself in 17th place. See also: Manipulating AI: why it is possible and why you should not want to.
Why do you name agencies?
Because otherwise you cannot check anything. We only mention what is on the public page, with a link and reference date, and we make no judgement on the quality of the work. See also: Measuring AI visibility.
What does the red label mean?
That the maker puts itself or its parent company in the list and does not disclose that interest with the list. A disclosure only in the footer or the author bio does not count. See also: Best GEO agency.
What does the orange label mean?
That the maker is in its own list and honestly says so. You then know what you are reading, but the order remains the choice of an interested party.
What does the grey label mean?
That the maker is not in the list but does have a commercial interest, for example as a seller of a GEO tool or as an agency platform.
Does its own list help an agency get mentioned in ChatGPT?
A little. According to Scrunch, the chance rises from about 4% to 7% when AI cites the agency’s own list. Often AI then recommends a competitor from the same list instead.
Can an agency simply call itself the best GEO agency?
Under Dutch law, comparative advertising must be objective and verifiable (art. 6:194a BW, Dutch Civil Code), and a hidden commercial purpose can be misleading. We found no ruling specifically about self-made lists. We are not lawyers.
Is Beste GEO Bureau itself in a ranking?
No. The founder Gijs Bodenstaff and his own brands are not ranked, and our connections with the assessors are listed on the independence page.
How often do you update this overview?
With every edition of the ranking, and in between when a maker sends a correction. The reference date is shown with the table.