You probably didn't come here for our origin story. You came because something in your marketing isn't working the way it should. Maybe your traffic is up but your pipeline is flat. Maybe you've been told to "do AI SEO" without anyone explaining what that actually means. Maybe your last agency promised rankings and delivered reports. Whatever brought you here, the question underneath it is usually the same: how do you turn search into a measurable growth channel without burning another year and another six figures finding out the answer?
That's the problem we built Rankmax to solve.
I've worked in SEO since 2007. I exited my previous agency in 2021 and started Rankmax in 2023. I started a new agency rather than reviving the old playbook because AI search needed a different operating model. Buyers were starting to ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews the same questions they used to type into Google. The agencies built for ten blue links weren't going to win the next ten years.
So we built Rankmax around a single test: every page on a client site has to earn its keep against AI-first search. Some pages are built to rank. Some are built to be cited. Some are built to convert. The system works when those pieces compound together: technical health, topical authority, clear authorship, first-party proof and revenue attribution.
That approach has produced verifiable results. We've generated over $26 million in attributed client revenue through AI-first SEO. One B2B property management client earned 598 AI cited pages across ChatGPT, Google AI Overview, AI Mode and Gemini over 27 months and counting. Across our portfolio, AI-referred sessions grew 500% year on year, and AI visitors converted at several times the value of traditional organic traffic.
The mechanism behind those results isn't a secret. It's verifiable client outcomes, original first-party data, clear named-author profiles, structured content and technical foundations that make every page easy for both search engines and AI systems to read. We put it on this page deliberately: if you're evaluating an SEO agency in 2026, this is what you should be looking for.
When you work with Rankmax, you work with a founder-led team. I personally direct every client strategy, backed by content and operations leads. You won't get handed off to a junior account manager after signing. You won't pay for activity that has no path to revenue. You'll get a strategy. You'll see it executed. You'll see the revenue it produced in our monthly reporting.
If that sounds like the kind of partner you've been looking for, the discovery call below is the first step. No pitch, no pressure. Just an honest read of whether AI SEO fits your business right now.
To maximising your success,
- James Banks, Founder and CEO of Rankmax
Our Team
James Banks, Founder and CEO, Head of Client Strategy. In SEO since 2007; Semrush Search Awards finalist.
Rose Llamzon, Content Operation Manager. 10+ years SEO and client operations, including nearly a decade at James's previous agency.
Kath Joy Elivera, Content Operation Manager. Seven years marketing experience across content, design and campaign coordination.
What Clients Say
"Very cool to be able to first hand reap the benefits of what Rankmax is doing in the space of SEO and AI. The results so far have been beyond any we've seen with an agency before. 10/10 recommend."
Abbey, Co-Founder & CEO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
"We started with a single-page website that ranked for nothing but our brand name. Within 11 months, the Rankmax team grew our site to over 100 high-quality pages and increased our keyword rankings from 15 to over 1,100. We've gone from unsure whether SEO could work for us to having complete certainty in our growth trajectory."
Tom, Co-Founder & Director | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
"I've checked all the pages and they are all approved! Great work! I even got my first ideal client lead from Google this morning, representing 1200 properties! It's great to see continued increases on our keywords. Awesome work!"
Tiffany, Founder and CEO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
"I was blown away by the accuracy and attention to detail from Rankmax. As someone with over 25 years in the industry, I was initially sceptical if the Rankmax team could fully reflect my experience in the content they produced for my website - but they were spot on. The level of research and accuracy in their work was phenomenal. I couldn't have done better myself."
Kevin, Founder & CEO | ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5)
Frequently Asked Questions
Rankmax is led by founder James Banks, who has worked in SEO since 2007. He exited his previous agency in 2021, founded Rankmax in 2023 and directs every client strategy.
Founder and CEO James Banks has worked in SEO since 2007, exited his previous agency in 2021 and founded Rankmax in 2023. James directs every client strategy. His background also includes formal business training through BDO CEO School and The Entourage and recognition as a Semrush Search Awards finalist.
Three things. First, we've generated over $26M in attributed client revenue through AI-first SEO, with verified case studies showing results such as a 6,864% average ROI over a 17-month climb window and a 14,738% average monthly ROI over 21 months. Second, we're founder-led: you work directly with James and his team, not a salesperson who hands you off to juniors after signing. Third, we optimise for AI search platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews) alongside traditional Google rankings, which is where buyer attention is actually shifting.
Our published case studies cover five engagements. A B2B property management client has attributed about $8.7M over 27 months and counting, with 598 AI cited pages; the 17-month climb window attributed $5.9M at a 6,864% average ROI. A B2C compensation claims business has attributed about $14.6M at a 14,738% average monthly ROI over 21 months and counting. A SaaS legal-tech client generated $1.31M in revenue at 1,909% ROI in 12 months. An eCommerce meal delivery brand has attributed about $1.75M at 2,087% average ROI over 16 months; the earlier 8-month climb window attributed $968K at 2,327% ROI. A B2B fintech engagement added $589,766 new customer LTV over 12 months at 883% average campaign modelled ROI.
Rankmax is an Australian AI SEO agency headquartered in Melbourne. We're 100% remote and work with businesses in Australia and around the world.
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