The short answer
For a business that wants the work done and wants to be named in AI answers, RunOctopus is the better choice than SEO.ai. SEO.ai comes closer than most tools: it writes and can publish on its own. But it is software you set up and steer, its backlinks come from a link exchange, and it doesn't build from your catalog or services the way our team does.
Four reasons RunOctopus is the better choice:
- We do the work and publish on our own. Ollie (our AI) and our team research, write, publish and link the pages on your site, on Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce or Wix. Nothing waits on you: there is no approval queue, and you can read anything that went live and ask for changes. SEO.ai is an agent you set up. RunOctopus is Ollie plus people who know your business.
- We know your catalog and services. Pages are built from your real products and services and linked into the pages that sell them, so a reader who is ready to buy is one click from buying.
- Proven on real clients. A Los Angeles apartment broker went from 12 to 57 Google clicks a month to 283 in August 2026 (Sterman case study). On October 12, 2026, ChatGPT named a Florida recruiting site on 7 of 8 test questions (Florida careers case study). We publish the misses too.
- Fully automated, and built on real inputs. Ollie does the work automatically from start to finish, and our team keeps watch. Every page is built from real inputs, not generic AI text: your own catalog or services, your own search data, the real questions buyers ask AI assistants, and facts checked before anything publishes. An AI writer handed a keyword produces generic text about that keyword.
Two engines, two starting points
SEO.ai is an AI SEO agent for any industry. You connect a site and it researches keywords, plans, writes articles and, by default, publishes them ("New articles go live automatically," with review as an option). It works in 50+ languages and connects to WordPress, Webflow, Wix, Squarespace, Shopify and Magento. It now sells "Google and ChatGPT visibility" targeting, builds and runs Google Ads, and gets backlinks through an automatic link exchange with sites in its network. Single Site is $149 a month and Multi Site is $299 for up to three sites or languages, with 25% off yearly.
RunOctopus is done for you. Ollie (our AI) and our team research, write, publish and link pages on your own site, from online stores to local service companies, on Shopify, WordPress, WooCommerce or Wix. The pages go live on their own.
Both can publish without you. The difference is what decides the work. SEO.ai is an agent working from the settings you give it. RunOctopus is Ollie plus a team building from your real products and services, linking into the pages that sell, and adding interactive tools.
Side-by-side comparison
| Feature | SEO.ai | RunOctopus |
|---|---|---|
| What it is | AI SEO agent you set up, any industry | A done-for-you service: Ollie plus our team |
| Publishing | Auto-publishes by default, or drafts for review | Publishes on your site on its own |
| Topic choice | Keyword plan from your settings | Planned from your catalog or services |
| Internal links | Content is linked, and it also offers a free internal linking tool | Linked into your product, collection or service pages |
| Backlinks | Automatic link exchange with sites in its network | Not offered |
| AI answers | Sells "Google and ChatGPT visibility" targeting | Pages built to be the source AI answers draw on |
| Google Ads | Builds and optimizes Google Ads | Not offered |
| Interactive tools | Not offered | Calculators, quizzes and product finders built for you |
| Price | $149/mo single site, $299/mo up to 3 sites or languages, 25% off yearly | $497/mo, the work included |
Who does each step
Follow one page from idea to live and ask who does the work at each step.
What SEO.ai does well
- Hands-off publishing. Once set up, articles go live without you, which few tools at this price do.
- Price. $149 a month for one site is a low entry point for an agent that writes and publishes.
- Languages and multi-site. 50+ languages and a Multi Site plan suit international businesses.
- Google Ads in the same tool. It builds and tunes ad campaigns as well as content.
- Human support. Plans include free human support if the agent needs adjusting.
What RunOctopus does differently
- A team, not only an agent. Ollie and our team research, write, publish and link the pages, and make the judgment calls an agent left alone will miss.
- Built from your catalog and services. Pages start from what you sell and link into the product, collection or service page that closes the sale.
- No link exchange. SEO.ai's backlinks come from exchanging links with sites in its network. Google's spam policies name excessive link exchanges as a link scheme, so if you use any exchange, ask how it is run. RunOctopus doesn't trade links.
- Interactive tools. Calculators and product finders take code, and SEO.ai doesn't build them.
- Pages built to be quoted. Built for topical authority and AI answers. Our GEO vs SEO explainer covers the difference.
Should you use both?
Not on the same site. Both write and publish articles, so two engines would be choosing topics at once. If you run several sites in several languages, SEO.ai can cover the ones RunOctopus doesn't. For other done-for-you options, see our AI SEO agency guide and our Byword comparison.
When the other choice is right
Pick SEO.ai instead if your budget is under $300 a month, you need content in many languages or across several sites, or you want Google Ads run from the same tool, and you are comfortable setting the agent up and steering it yourself. For that buyer it is good value.
SEO.ai is a low-cost AI agent that writes, publishes, runs ads and trades backlinks. RunOctopus is Ollie plus a team that builds from what you sell, links into the pages that sell and publishes on its own. If you want the work done by people who know your business, choose RunOctopus.