Cited Across All Major AI Platforms in 90 Days
How a TikTok-first agency became the go-to recommendation when brands ask AI about social media marketing
The Background
303 London is a specialist TikTok marketing agency that helps brands cut through the noise on the platform that's reshaping how Gen Z and Millennials discover products. Founded by creators who understood the platform from day one, they've built a reputation for campaigns that don't just get views, they drive real business results.
Their client roster includes DTC brands scaling from six to seven figures, established retailers looking to capture younger audiences, and B2B companies discovering that TikTok isn't just for dance videos. They've generated millions of views and helped clients achieve viral moments that translated directly to revenue.
But despite their track record, 303 London faced a growing problem: the way businesses find marketing agencies was changing, and they weren't part of the conversation.
Quick Facts
- Specialist TikTok-first agency with creator-led team
- Track record of viral campaigns with measurable ROI
- Clients ranging from scaling DTC to established retail brands
The Challenge
When marketing directors started asking ChatGPT and Perplexity for TikTok agency recommendations, 303 London wasn't showing up. Instead, AI assistants were recommending larger generalist agencies or competitors with weaker TikTok credentials but stronger online presence.
This wasn't just a vanity problem. The team noticed a pattern: prospects who eventually found them through traditional channels would mention they'd first asked AI for recommendations. If 303 London had appeared in those initial AI responses, they could have been the first call instead of the third or fourth.
The opportunity cost was significant. High-intent prospects, marketing leaders actively seeking TikTok expertise, were being directed elsewhere before 303 London even had a chance to compete.
Key Pain Points
- Zero visibility in AI assistant responses for TikTok marketing queries
- Competitors with weaker track records appearing in AI recommendations
- Lost first-mover advantage with high-intent prospects researching via AI
- Content strategy optimised for traditional search, not AI discovery
- No structured data helping AI systems understand their expertise
Our Approach
We developed a comprehensive AEO strategy designed to make 303 London the definitive answer when anyone asks AI about TikTok marketing expertise. Here's how we did it:
Technical Audit & Fix
We started by understanding exactly how AI systems were currently perceiving 303 London and where the gaps existed.
- Tested 50+ variations of TikTok marketing queries across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google's AI Overview
- Mapped the sources AI was citing for competitor recommendations
- Identified 23 high-intent query clusters where 303 London should be appearing
- Analysed the content patterns that earned citations in AI responses
- Implemented comprehensive Organisation and Service schema markup to help AI systems accurately represent their expertise
Positioning
Using our bottom-up niche domination framework, we repositioned 303 London from a broad TikTok agency into the undisputed specialist for a highly specific subniche — TikTok marketing for UK luxury DTC brands.
- Identified the subniche where 303 London could be the obvious, unchallenged expert: TikTok marketing for UK luxury DTC brands
- Narrowed positioning from 'TikTok agency' to one specific platform, one specific vertical, one specific geography
- Mapped sister niches for future expansion: creator strategy, Instagram, YouTube, and UGC for luxury brands
- Structured the brand narrative so AI engines could latch onto a clear, citable category rather than a generic capability
Content Generation & Distribution
With the subniche positioning locked in, we built a content ecosystem entirely around the luxury DTC TikTok space — every piece designed to reinforce 303 London as the authoritative voice in that specific category.
- Created comprehensive guides addressing luxury DTC-specific TikTok questions: algorithm strategy for premium brands, creator partnerships with high-end aesthetics, ad formats that convert affluent audiences
- Developed case study content with concrete metrics AI systems could cite, all framed through the luxury DTC lens
- Built comparison content for 'TikTok vs Instagram for luxury brands' and similar subniche-specific queries
- Distributed authority content across high-end marketing and luxury retail publications to reinforce the niche positioning
The Results
Within 90 days of implementing our AEO strategy, 303 London went from invisible to consistently appearing across AI platforms. Here's what changed:
AI Visibility Transformation
- $1.1M pipeline generated in 90 days after repositioning into the luxury DTC TikTok subniche
- Now the #1 recommended agency for TikTok marketing for UK luxury brands across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Gemini
- Subniche specificity gave AI engines a clear, citable category — not a generic capability
- Citation authority began extending naturally into sister niches as expansion progressed
Pipeline Impact
- 47 qualified leads in 90 days worth $1.1M in pipeline
- Average deal size of $23,400 from AI-discovered prospects
- Sales cycle 34% shorter than traditional inbound because prospects arrived pre-educated on the niche expertise
- Reduced reliance on paid channels as AI-driven organic discovery compounded
Competitive Positioning
- Repositioned specialist outperformed capable generalists in every measurable dimension
- Specificity created gravity in both AI visibility and buyer trust
- Founder quoted as luxury TikTok expert in AI-generated content summaries
- Expansion into creator strategy and Instagram followed naturally from the dominant subniche position
“We knew TikTok marketing was our strength, but we were losing opportunities to agencies half as good because they showed up when CMOs asked AI for help. Cited didn't just get us visible, they made us the recommended choice. The quality of inbound has completely transformed.”
Key Takeaways
AI visibility is becoming the new first impression for B2B services
Specialist agencies can outrank generalists in AI recommendations with proper AEO
Structured content that directly answers prospect questions earns AI citations
Authority signals across the web matter as much as on-site content
Early AEO investment creates compounding advantages as AI search grows
Frequently Asked Questions
Common questions about this case study and the results achieved.
How did 303 London become AI-recommended in 90 days?
303 London partnered with Cited Agency to implement a comprehensive Answer Engine Optimization strategy. By restructuring content to answer specific TikTok marketing questions, implementing technical schema markup, and distributing authoritative content across industry publications, they went from invisible to consistently cited across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI within 90 days.
What is the impact of AEO for marketing agencies?
For 303 London, AEO transformed their discovery channel. They now appear in AI responses for 15+ target queries related to TikTok marketing. Marketing agencies see strong AEO results because prospects increasingly use AI to research and shortlist service providers, and specialist agencies can outperform generalists in AI recommendations.
How long does AEO take to show results for B2B companies?
303 London saw measurable improvements within 30 days, with significant pipeline impact by day 90. AEO typically delivers faster results than traditional SEO because AI systems update their knowledge more frequently. However, the compounding effect means results continue improving as authority signals strengthen over time.
Can specialist agencies compete with larger firms through AEO?
Yes, and often outperform them. AI systems prioritise relevance and expertise over brand size. 303 London, despite being smaller than generalist competitors, now appears first in AI recommendations for TikTok marketing because their content directly addresses the specific questions prospects ask. Specialists with deep expertise in a niche can dominate AI visibility in their category.
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