About Rankmax
The team behind $20M+ in client revenue generated with AI SEO.
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 started Rankmax in 2023 after 18 years in SEO and a successful exit from my previous agency in 2021. 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 $20 million in attributed client revenue through AI-first SEO. One B2B property management client earned 138 AI citations across Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini in 17 months. 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 small senior team. I personally direct every client strategy, backed by content and operations leads who have been doing this for the best part of a decade. 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. 18+ years SEO; 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 was founded in 2023 by James Banks and began as an AI SaaS writing tool. By mid-2024, after seeing that clients needed strategy and execution more than another tool, James pivoted Rankmax into a full-service SEO agency. In mid-2025, we sharpened that model around AI SEO, helping businesses build visibility across Google, ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.
James Banks is the founder and CEO of Rankmax and personally directs every client strategy. His background spans 18+ years in SEO and digital marketing, a previous agency exit in 2021, 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 $20M in attributed client revenue through AI-first SEO, with verified case studies showing 6,864% to 13,926% ROI. Second, we're founder-led: you work directly with James and a small senior 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 four engagements. A B2B property management client generated $5.9M in revenue with 6,864% average ROI over 17 months and earned 138 AI citations. A B2C compensation claims business achieved $7.7M in revenue at 13,926% ROI within 11 months. A SaaS legal-tech client generated $1.31M in revenue at 1,909% ROI in 12 months. An eCommerce meal delivery brand grew revenue by $968K with 75% year-over-year growth and 2,327% ROI.
Rankmax is an Australian agency headquartered in South Yarra, Victoria, with clients across Australia and globally. Our work spans B2B SaaS, eCommerce, professional services, legal, property and consumer brands. We operate as a fully remote team, which is why our case-study results span verticals and time zones.
Want These Findings Applied to Your Site?
Most of these results come from the same core methodology applied across different verticals. Book a discovery call and we will show you which findings apply to your local business.
