Classic B2B SEO
Ten results per search
Rankings for product and category terms, content for each stage of the journey, and leads from organic traffic. Progress is measured in positions and visits.
B2B SEO
B2B SEO agency
21x is a B2B SEO agency for companies with long buying journeys and several decision-makers. Their buyers search Google, read comparison platforms and ask AI assistants such as ChatGPT for a shortlist of suppliers. 21x works on being found in search and being named in those answers.
A B2B SEO agency makes sure buyers find you in search and that AI assistants name you when a buyer asks for a shortlist. 21x measures both, then works on what scored weak.
Shortlist questions measured · Six AI systems · Every stage of the buying journey · Reported per stage and per system
Source: First Page Sage, July 2026Updated:
The B2B buying journey
A long buying journey with two places to be found
A B2B purchase often takes months and involves several people. Each of them searches, compares and asks questions at a different moment.
B2B SEO with AI answers
A few names per answer
The same work, plus the moment a buyer asks an AI assistant for a shortlist. A supplier missing from that answer may never reach the comparison stage. 21x measures that moment separately.
The shortlist question is where the two channels differ most. In search, the buyer sees ten options and compares them. In an AI answer, the buyer sees a few names that the system has already selected.
How it works
How 21x works on B2B search and AI shortlists
Map the buying committee
Who searches, who decides and who signs. 21x writes 30 non-branded questions across the stages of the journey. For English-speaking markets they are in English, as English-speaking buyers would ask them; for the Dutch market they are in Dutch.
Measure shortlist questions
Questions such as 'which suppliers should we consider' go to six AI systems, each asked 3 times. Each answer shows whether you are named, in what position and next to whom.
Strengthen your presence on third-party sources
In a Dutch measurement of fifty buying questions, 94% of AI answers included a comparison platform. 21x identifies which platforms and directories the answers in your market rely on.
Make your expertise citable
Pages that state facts, quote sources and include figures with a source. In a controlled study, adding statistics with a source raised visibility by 31%.
Report per stage and per system
The monthly re-measurement shows movement per stage of the journey and per system. Your sales team sees which shortlist questions include you and which do not.
A shortlist question in practice
Who gets named when a buyer asks for a shortlist
Example with fictitious data. One shortlist question, 3 measurement moments per system, and whether a fictitious ERP implementation partner was named.
None of this shows up in your analytics when the buyer reads the answer without clicking. The audit makes the shortlist itself visible.
UpciteExample
Question
Which ERP implementation partners in the UK work with mid-sized manufacturers?
- ChatGPTNamed 2 of 5 · after three competitors
- ClaudeNamed 4 of 5 · usually second
- GeminiNot named · comparison platform cited
- PerplexityNamed 3 of 5 · own site cited
- Microsoft CopilotNamed 1 of 5
- Google AI OverviewsNo companies named
On the shortlist in
10 of 30
attempts. Where the company was missing, the answer cited a comparison platform, which points to the first task.
What it costs
What B2B SEO and AI visibility cost
You agree the cost of each phase before the work starts, and you can stop after any phase.
21x
Know where you stand
Basecamp
Insight into 9 areas, 3 to 5 priorities and advice on your next step.
€295one-off
excl. VAT
Wat zit erin?
- Scorecard on 9 GEO areas
- Technical check: schema, robots.txt, sitemap and llms.txt
- 30 questions, each asked 3 times, on 6 AI platforms
- PDF with concrete improvements
- 30 minutes together through the report
- Analysis without implementation
5 to 7 working days
Discuss Basecamp21x
Fix the foundation
Climb
Basecamp plus implementation of the most important improvements to your website.
€695one-off
excl. VAT
Wat zit erin?
- Full Basecamp included (€295)
- Baseline and follow-up measurement after 4 weeks
- Sharpen business profile, content and structure
- Basic structured data and answer blocks
- Check crawler access and sitemap
- Improve internal links on main pages
10 to 14 working days
Discuss Climb21x
Take a bigger step
Summit
A complete improvement round for your most important pages, with an agreed scope.
€1,995one-off
excl. VAT
Wat zit erin?
- Analysis and implementation included
- Improve business profile and key pages
- Answers to 10 important customer questions
- Technology, AI access and speed
- Before and after measurement: 30 to 50 questions, each asked 3 times
- Weekly update and a 30 minute call
- Delivery advice and plan for what comes next
3 to 6 weeks
Discuss Summit21x
Keep climbing
Altitude
Digital PR, monthly measurements and upkeep of the information about your business.
€695/ month
excl. VAT
Wat zit erin?
- Baseline and monthly measurement on 6 AI platforms
- Research into the sources AI uses
- Profiles, pitches, press releases and listings
- Quarterly comparison with competitors
- Maintain schema, llms.txt, business facts and crawler access
- Monthly report with work and next steps
- Upcite account included (not charged separately)
Minimum 3 months
Then cancel monthly
If AI answers play no role in your market yet, classic B2B SEO on its own is also possible.
Evidence
Three figures behind a B2B visibility plan
94%
of AI answers to fifty Dutch buying questions included at least one comparison platform, not the company's own site
Bron: Writgo AI Citation Index, July 2026
51.3%
estimated market share of ChatGPT among AI chatbots in July 2026
Bron: First Page Sage, July 2026
+31%
visibility when statistics with a source were added to a page, in a controlled study
Bron: Aggarwal et al., GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, KDD 2024
For B2B this means three things. Third-party platforms matter, ChatGPT matters most but not alone, and sourced figures make a page more visible in answers.
Questions
Questions about B2B SEO agencies
What does a B2B SEO agency do differently?
It plans for a journey with several people and several months, not a single search. That means questions for each stage, from orientation to shortlist. At 21x it also means measuring whether AI assistants put you on the shortlist.
Do B2B buyers really ask ChatGPT for suppliers?
That differs per market, and 21x does not answer it with a general percentage. The audit measures whether your shortlist questions produce named suppliers, and whether you are among them. That tells you more about your market than a general survey.
How do you measure leads from AI answers?
Visits from AI assistants show up in analytics, but many answers are read without a click. 21x therefore measures presence in the answers directly, next to your own analytics. Together they give a fuller picture than either alone.
What does B2B SEO with 21x cost?
That depends on the size of your site, the competition in your market and the technical state of the site. You agree the cost of each phase before it starts. The packages on this page list what is included.
Can you guarantee a place on the shortlist?
No. Shortlists in AI answers shift between attempts, and no agency decides who is on them. 21x measures how often you are named and works on the factors the measurement points to.
Who will I work with?
Directly with Stan Vreuls, the founder. His background is eleven years of SEO, and since January 2026 AI visibility has been a core part of his work.
Next step
Find out whether you make the shortlist
Stan Vreuls, Founder of 21x
In a call you hear whether an audit of your shortlist questions makes sense. If it does not, Stan will say so.
stan@21x.nl