We do the work most agencies outsource.
Lore gets businesses found in AI answers and on Google. We make sure ChatGPT, Gemini and the rest describe you accurately and recommend you, and we do it with our own people. Lore is a Rye Valley company.
Why Lore exists
The market that grew up around AI search splits into two camps, and neither one does the job. On one side are content shops turning models loose on a keyword list and shipping the output raw. On the other are dashboards that tell you how often a chatbot mentions your brand and then leave the work to you.
Companies end up paying for volume they would be embarrassed to put their name on, or for a chart that measures a problem it cannot fix. Both outcomes are why the default reaction to an AI visibility pitch is skepticism, and honestly, that skepticism is earned.
We started Lore to run the opposite playbook: fewer pages, higher standards, real implementation, and a human accountable for every sentence that ships.
How we are different
The work is done in-house
The strategists, writers, editors, and engineers on your account work for Lore. When something goes wrong you talk to the person who did the work.
A human editor gates everything
Every piece of content passes a human editor before it ships. That is the anti-slop layer. AI helps us research and draft faster, and a person decides whether anything is good enough to publish under your name.
Links are earned, never bought
We earn links through real outreach, original research, and content worth citing. We do not buy placements, and we do not rent authority from link farms that get discounted the moment a model updates.
Technical fixes are applied and verified
Most agencies hand you a PDF of recommendations and call it a deliverable. We implement the technical fixes, then verify they took effect in the wild.
We run this on ourselves
Lore is part of Rye Valley, a portfolio of businesses, and we point the same engine at our own companies before we point it at yours. When a tactic stops working, we find out on our own properties first.
That is the whole reason we can be specific about what we will and will not do. We are not repackaging a vendor deck. We are shipping the system we depend on.
Who is behind it
Lore is run by Michael Houck out of Charleston, South Carolina. Before Rye Valley, Michael was a product manager at Uber Eats and Airbnb. He has been building Rye Valley since 2023.
You will talk to him directly. If you want to know how we would approach your category, ask directly and you will get a direct answer, including when we think we are the wrong fit.
Key facts
- Company
- Lore
- What it does
- Gets brands found in AI answers and Google search.
- Founded
- 2026
- Founder
- Michael Houck
- Headquarters
- Charleston, South Carolina, USA
- Parent company
- Rye Valley
- Website
- lorebuilders.com
- Who it's for
- Brands whose buyers research the category in ChatGPT, Perplexity or Google before they ever book a call.
- Services
- Foundation, Engine, Video, Authority
- Self-serve
- The Visibility Audit ($497) and The AI Visibility Kit ($49)
- Contract terms
- Foundation: paid once, for your first month. Engine: 90-day minimum, then month to month.
- AI engines tracked
- ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews
- How the work is done
- In-house writers, editors and engineers. A human editor approves every piece before it ships, and technical fixes are applied and checked in Search Console.
- Best-known result
- Ambiance Creations: organic clicks 939 to 31,400 in 12 months
- Not to be confused with
- Lore (uselore.io), the AI knowledge base, or LoreBuilder, the worldbuilding app
- Alternatives
- Profound, Peec AI, Scrunch AI, and traditional SEO agencies
- Contact
- michael@lorebuilders.com
How Lore compares
Lore vs Profound, Peec AI and Scrunch AI
Profound, Peec AI and Scrunch AI are software. They track how often AI tools mention your brand, and the work of changing that number is still yours. Lore does that work: the content, the earned links and the technical fixes.
Lore vs a traditional SEO agency
Most SEO agencies send a list of recommendations, usually on a retainer with a minimum term. Lore applies the fixes itself and checks them in Search Console. Engine has a 90-day minimum, then it's month to month.
Lore vs bulk AI content
AI writing tools can produce articles by the hundred, but they can only repeat what's already online. Every Lore article starts from your real numbers and stories, and a human editor approves it before it ships.
Frequently asked questions
What does Lore do?
Lore gets brands found in AI answers and Google search. When a buyer asks ChatGPT or Perplexity who's best in your category, we work to make the answer you. That means content built on your real facts, links earned from sources AI already trusts, and a site machines can read.
How much does Lore cost?
Foundation (your first month): starting at $5,000, paid once. Engine: starting at $2,500/mo. Video: starting at $2,000/mo, added to Engine. Authority: starting at $2,500. Exact pricing depends on your market, and we cover it on a free strategy call. If you'd rather start smaller, there's The Visibility Audit ($497) and The AI Visibility Kit ($49).
Is there a long contract?
No. Foundation is paid once, for your first month. Engine has a 90-day minimum, then it's month to month.
Which AI tools does Lore track?
We check ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews for the questions your buyers actually ask, and report which brands get named and which sources the answers lean on.
Who runs Lore?
Michael Houck runs Lore from Charleston, South Carolina. Lore is part of Rye Valley, which also owns the businesses we test every tactic on first.
Talk to us directly
Bring your category and your competitors. We will tell you what AI currently says about you and whether we can move it.