Kuala Lumpur SEO company rebuilds its retainer around the answers sitting above Google's results
Sep 17, 2026
Mackyclyde SEO says clients were ranking first and losing traffic anyway. Its response was to stop selling AI search optimisation as a separate line item.
Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia Sep 16, 2026 (Issuewire.com) - A Mackyclyde SEO client held the top Google result for its most valuable search term for most of last year. Enquiries from that term fell anyway, month after month, and nothing on the page explained it.
The explanation sat above the page. Google's AI-generated summary, which now appears over the organic results for a growing share of Malaysian searches, named three competitors and not the client. Few people were scrolling far enough to reach the result that had been won.
"Nothing was wrong with that page and we checked it twice," said Nnabuike Precious, founder and Lead SEO Strategist of Mackyclyde SEO. "We had done our job and the client was still losing. That is when this stopped being a side project for us."
The Kuala Lumpur SEO company has since folded AI search optimisation into every client retainer rather than selling it as an upgrade, a change it says came directly out of cases like that one.
The summaries are only half of it. A growing share of buyers now put their questions to ChatGPT, Perplexity or Gemini before opening a search page at all, which means a business can hold position one on a page its customers never reach.
The work of getting into those answers turns out to look different from ranking. AI systems assemble a recommendation by reading across many sources at once: a company's own site, its directory listings, review platforms, press coverage, forum threads. Where those sources describe a business consistently, the system will name it. Where they contradict each other, it tends to hedge, or pick a competitor whose story holds together.
Mackyclyde's approach is to audit those contradictions first. A brand describing itself as an agency on one platform and a freelance operation on another, listing two different addresses, or publishing three versions of its own client count, gives an AI system nothing solid to repeat. Fixing that is unglamorous and mostly involves editing profiles nobody has looked at in three years.
The second half of the job is harder to control. Because AI answers lean on third-party sources, a business cannot simply write its way in. It has to appear, consistently described, in the places the systems already trust for its category.
Ang Zheng Yen, co-founder and Lead SEO Strategist, argues Malaysian firms have an advantage here that most are not using.
"There is almost nothing credible in Bahasa Melayu for whole categories," she said. "If you ask an AI assistant a question in BM about, say, choosing a payroll provider, it is scraping the bottom of a very small barrel. Whoever publishes properly in that space now gets cited for years, and right now hardly anyone is bothering."
The company charges from RM2,000 a month without lock-in contracts. Its own research into Malaysian pricing, published on its site earlier this year, put typical SME retainers between RM1,500 and RM8,000 with the median near RM3,000, and flagged anything under RM800 as a sign of automated content and bulk link buying rather than managed work.
Every engagement opens with what the firm calls an AI SEO Readiness Audit: a snapshot of how a brand currently appears across Google, the AI summaries and the major assistants, alongside a 47-point technical review. Clients keep the findings whether they sign or not.
What Mackyclyde does not offer is a guarantee, which in an industry where page-one promises remain common is worth stating plainly.
"Nobody controls what Google returns, and nobody controls what an AI system decides to say about you," Precious said. "Anyone telling you otherwise is either lying or planning to rank you for something nobody searches for. What we can control is what those systems read before they answer. We measure that every month and we show clients where they sit against the competitors they actually worry about."
Mackyclyde SEO was named Best SEO Agency in Malaysia 2025 by TechBehemoths and works with more than 85 Malaysian brands, among them Allianz, Kaspersky and Socar.
About Mackyclyde SEO
Mackyclyde SEO is an SEO company based in Kuala Lumpur, founded in 2020 by Nnabuike Precious. The company specialises in revenue-tied SEO, technical SEO audits, AI search optimisation, generative engine optimisation and SEO migration for businesses across Malaysia and Singapore. It works with more than 85 Malaysian brands across 28 industries, including Allianz, Kaspersky and Socar. TechBehemoths named it Best SEO Agency in Malaysia 2025, and Clutch lists it among its recommended SEO companies in Malaysia.
Source :Mackyclyde SEO
This article was originally published by IssueWire. Read the original article here.
More News
Outkick Moves Past Its Clay Travis Era
Fox is revamping the sports site following the exit of its founder, Clay Travis. It’s hiring a writer who resigned from The Seattle Times over a column about transgender athletes.
Billions in Taxes Go Unpaid. Under Trump, the I.R.S. Won’t Say How Much.
The absence of the annual estimate on the tax gap could make it more difficult to assess whether more taxes are going unpaid since President Trump took office.
Bessent and Warsh Take On the Bond Bears
The Treasury secretary and the Federal Reserve chairman face similar tests: calming investors’ growing worries about inflation and deficits.
Global Oil Prices Could Hit Highest Levels in Months After Saudi Pipeline Attacks
Prolonged restrictions on exports could push oil prices even higher.
Henry Zeffman: Andy Burnham and his chancellor have a battle on their hands as the Budget approaches
The Budget is only six weeks away and the economy is undoubtedly the biggest challenge facing the prime minister.
Petrol and diesel price rises push UK inflation higher
Summer holidays and disruption to global oil supplies by the Middle East conflict stoked price growth.
Burnham rejects 'tax and spend socialist' comments
The prime minister insists he is prepared to take "difficult decisions" at next month's Budget.
What's happening to UK interest rates and what does it mean for mortgages?
The interest rate set by the Bank of England affects mortgage, loan and savings rates for millions.
Fed Meeting Is a Big Moment for the Bond Market
If the Fed opts against raising interest rates on Wednesday, investors will probably increase their forecasts for inflation, injecting new turmoil into the government bond market.
What's driving UK 'shoplifting crisis'?
The number of shoplifting offences recorded in England and Wales in 2025-26 is still above pre-pandemic levels.
Hong Kong's first five-year plan: Key economic and trade priorities
The Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has unveiled its first five-year plan for economic and social development (2026-2030) on Wednesday.
Graphics: What stood out in China's economy in August?
Graphics: What stood out in China's economy in August?
Witness the Pinglu Canal open to navigation!
The Pinglu Canal opens a faster gateway to the sea for China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region and southwest China's cargo.
Chinese films seek a bigger stage in North America
Chinese films are gaining momentum in overseas markets, with North America emerging as an important testing ground for their global appeal.
Hong Kong's first five-year plan signals a new path for future growth
The release of Hong Kong's first five-year plan marks an important milestone in the city's development. By building on its existing strengths and creating new opportunities through planning and innovation, the city can strengthen its competitiveness in a changing global environment.
Nanning and Guilin take center stage at the 23rd China-ASEAN Expo
The 23rd China-ASEAN Expo is set to open in Nanning, south China's Guangxi Zhuang Autonomous Region.
OpenAI boss says world 'right to be afraid' but should trust AI firms
Sam Altman and other tech CEOs say there are incentives to limit advancements in AI, as fears grow over the threats it poses to humanity.
Chinese mainland welcomes Taiwan to Pinglu Canal opportunities
Chinese mainland welcomes Taiwan to Pinglu Canal opportunities
What is happening to UK prices?
UK inflation rose in August, pushed up by higher petrol and diesel prices.
Steve Bannon and Bernie Sanders Condemn Tech ‘Oligarchs’ and Demand A.I. Reforms
At an event in Washington, partisanship took a back seat as elected officials, religious leaders, parents and artists called for reining in artificial intelligence.
A ‘Shark’ of a Business Editor Steps Down
Ellen Pollock, who has spent nearly a decade in charge of the Business desk of The Times, is ready for a new challenge.
Security Guards Offer Protection, But Get Paid Little in Return
A recent high-profile shooting outside a mosque and rising threats to houses of worship have focused attention on security guards. Now, unions are pressing for better pay and training.
How to Use AI to Plan a Trip: Better Prompts for Travel Recommendations
Generic questions get generic answers, experts say, so to avoid mediocre recommendations, you’ll need to write smarter prompts. Follow these tips.
Reflecting on 175 Years of The New York Times
For dozens of editors and reporters, the anniversary of the first issue of The Times in 1851 has been a moment to look back.
We managed to get jobs after uni - here's how we're keeping them
Four recent job starters share their tips on what helped them have a smooth transition and survive their first few days.
Hong Kong's Northern Metropolis tests new path for urban growth
China's Hong Kong Special Administrative Region has never lacked ambition when it comes to urban development.
China's approach to AI governance offers path for global cooperation
AI governance should be a shared global responsibility and that developing countries should have opportunities to participate in and benefit from AI development.
Age Limits for Social Media Outlined by European Union
A proposed law would bar children under 13 from using social media across the 27-nation bloc.
Global South politicians call for AI utilization in global governance
Global South politicians call for AI utilization in global governance
China-ASEAN cooperation gains momentum through shared opportunities
China-ASEAN ties are deepening, with trade serving as a key driver of broader cooperation in investment, infrastructure, people-to-people exchanges and regional supply chains. The two sides have been each other's largest trading partners for several consecutive years, with bilateral trade surpassing $1 trillion for the first time in 2025.
Complaints to watchdog about water firms soar
Many complaints were about affordability, after customers saw steep hikes to bills.
Shoplifters carrying shopping lists, says M&S manager
The Marks and Spencer area manager for Shropshire says shoplifting is a "really large issue".
Traffic, tourism and economy among election concerns
Residents and business owners in Onchan discuss key concerns ahead of the House of Keys election.
OpenAI Considers New Financing at a $1.5 Trillion Valuation
The funding round would double the value of the start-up behind ChatGPT and establish it as the world’s most valuable private company.
How rising bond yields impact American consumers
The BBC’s Samira Hussain explains why some could see increased interest rates for mortgages and business loans.
Asia-Pacific regional integration in focus at Haikou roundtable
Asia-Pacific regional integration in focus at Haikou roundtable
Third Heathrow runway should only go ahead if airlines pay for cleaner flying, say advisers
The government's climate advisers say Heathrow's third runway cannot be approved under current climate policies.
UK in talks about joining global defence bank led by Canada
Supporters of the scheme say the bank would enable governments to get cheaper loans to spend on defence projects.
Do you feel guilty when calling in sick at work? This might be why...
As many as half of people report working when sick. The reasons for this are complex, experts say.
A backlash over data centres is another threat to the AI juggernaut
The global AI race is being hit by very localised political and environmental concerns
YOUR NEWS, OUR NETWORK.
Do you have Great News you want to tell the world?
Be it updates about your business or your community, you can make sure that it’s heard by submitting your story to our network reaching hundreds of news sites across 6 verticals.