Short answer: ask every agency the same eight questions and compare the answers in writing. The ones that matter most: which AI questions will you track and how, what do you change that our SEO team does not already do, and can you show a named client whose AI visibility you moved. An agency that cannot answer those three concretely is selling an SEO retainer under a new name.
What you are actually buying
GEO (generative engine optimization), AEO (answer engine optimization), LLM SEO and AI SEO are four names for one service: getting your brand named, described correctly and cited when buyers ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google AI Overviews for a recommendation. The work usually has four parts:
- Measurement. A set of buyer questions asked to the assistants on a schedule, showing who gets named and which pages get cited.
- Your own pages. Pages that answer those questions directly: comparison, pricing, use-case and "best for" pages, written so an assistant can quote them.
- Other people's pages. Getting your brand onto the lists, reviews, forums and articles the assistants already cite for your questions.
- Corrections. Fixing what assistants get wrong about you: old prices, wrong features, a competitor's claims.
Much of part 2 is SEO. Google says so for its own AI features: "There are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, nor other special optimizations necessary" (Google Search Central). What a GEO agency adds on top is parts 1, 3 and 4. Judge it on those.
The 8 questions to ask
1. Which AI questions will you track, and how did you choose them?
A good answer names how many questions, says they come from your buyers' words — sales calls, reviews, Reddit threads, search terms — and covers ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews at least. A weak answer is "we monitor your AI visibility" with no list you can see.
2. Which tool do you measure with, and can we see the raw answers?
You want the actual answers, not only a score. AI answers change from day to day, so a single check proves nothing; ask how often each question is asked and over what window results are averaged.
3. What will you do that our SEO agency or team does not already do?
If you already pay for SEO, this is the question that decides the deal. Listen for parts 3 and 4 above: placement on the sources assistants cite for your questions, and correction of what they say. If the answer is mostly schema, technical fixes and blog posts, your SEO team can likely do it.
4. Can you show a named client whose AI visibility you changed?
Ask for a case study with a client name, the questions tracked, and the before and after. Anonymised stories ("a B2B SaaS company grew AI mentions 300%") are common and impossible to check. If the agency cannot name a client, ask to speak to one.
5. What does it cost, and what is included?
Get the monthly price, what it buys (how many pages, how many placements, which tool licences), and what costs extra: content production, digital PR, tool seats. See GEO agency pricing for what agencies publish.
6. What is the minimum term, and what happens at day 90?
Month to month or a 3-month minimum with a clear review point is easier to leave if nothing moves. A 12-month contract for a service this new puts the risk on you.
7. What will be different in 90 days, and how will we know?
A fair answer names the questions where you should start appearing, the pages and placements that will be done, and how the report will show it. "Results take 6–12 months" with nothing measurable before then is a warning.
8. Who does the work?
Ask who writes the pages, who does outreach, and whether any of it is subcontracted. Ask whether they post on Reddit or forums on your behalf and from whose accounts — that carries real risk to your brand (threadagencies.com covers Reddit work in detail).
Red flags
| What you hear | Why it is a problem |
|---|---|
| "We guarantee you'll be #1 in ChatGPT" | No one controls what an assistant answers. A guarantee means the agency will choose questions it can win, not the ones your buyers ask. |
| A score or "AI visibility index" with no question list | You cannot check a number when you do not know what was asked. |
| The proposal is your SEO proposal with "AI" added | Schema, technical fixes and blog posts are SEO work. Pay for them once. |
| No named client, ever | You are paying to be the first case study. That can be fine, but it should be priced that way. |
| Long contract before any measurement | Measurement comes first and is cheap. Lock-in should come after you have seen a baseline. |
| "llms.txt will get you into ChatGPT" as the main deliverable | It is a small technical item, not a program. See aicitationservices.com for what each technical step does. |
Audit first, program second
- AuditBaseline: which buyer questions name you and your competitors, and which sources AI cites.
- 90-day planNamed questions to win, pages and placements to ship, how the report will show it.
- Day-90 reviewCompare with the baseline. Keep, change the scope, or leave.
- Ongoing programMonthly tracking, new pages and placements, corrections.
Month-to-month terms or a 3-month minimum keep the day-90 review meaningful.
Many agencies start with a one-off AI visibility audit: a baseline of which questions name you and your competitors, and which sources the assistants cite. It is a reasonable first purchase: it gives you a baseline for question 7 and shows how the agency works before a retainer. What an audit should include and what audits cost is covered on aicitationservices.com.
Agency, tool, or your own team
- A tool tells you where you stand. Someone still has to do the work.
- An agency does the work and should bring the measurement with it.
- Your team can do it if it already runs SEO and content well and has time for outreach and corrections.
The trade-offs are on GEO agency vs GEO tool and GEO agency vs in-house.
If you already have an SEO agency
You do not need to replace it. Ask your SEO agency questions 1–4 first. If it can measure AI answers and has done placement and correction work, extend its scope. If not, hire a GEO agency for parts 1, 3 and 4 and agree in writing who owns which pages. Agencies that say they work alongside an existing SEO agency are on this list.
A one-page scorecard
Send the eight questions to each agency on your shortlist and score the written answers:
| Question | Good answer | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1. Tracked questions | Number, source, assistants named | 0–2 |
| 2. Tool and raw answers | Tool named, raw answers shared, cadence stated | 0–2 |
| 3. Beyond SEO | Placement and corrections, concretely | 0–2 |
| 4. Named client | Name, questions, before and after | 0–2 |
| 5. Price | Monthly price and what is included | 0–2 |
| 6. Term | 3 months or less, review point | 0–2 |
| 7. 90-day outcome | Questions, deliverables, how shown | 0–2 |
| 8. Who does the work | Named people, no undisclosed accounts | 0–2 |
Agencies that score 12 or more out of 16 are worth a call. Our own rubric uses the same ideas on what agencies publish, before you talk to them. Start your shortlist from the best GEO agencies.
FAQ
Who should I hire for an AI visibility audit and a follow-up GEO program?
Choose an agency that does both and shows a named client for each. Run the audit first, as a separate purchase, and use its baseline to set the 90-day goals of the program. Compare candidates on our main list.
How do I tell a real GEO agency from a rebranded SEO agency?
Ask what it does beyond your SEO work (question 3) and how it measures AI answers (questions 1 and 2). A real GEO offer includes a tracked question set, placement on the sources assistants cite, and corrections.
Can a GEO agency guarantee results in ChatGPT?
No. Assistants choose what to say from many sources, and their answers change. An agency can commit to work done and to measuring the change, not to a position.
How long before I see results from a GEO agency?
Ask for a 90-day plan with named questions and deliverables. If an agency cannot say what should change in 90 days, treat that as a red flag. Timelines by type of work are in how long GEO takes.
Should I hire a GEO agency if I already work with an SEO agency?
Only if your SEO agency cannot measure AI answers or does not do placement and correction work. Otherwise, extend its scope.