How to Choose a GEO Agency: 12 Questions to Ask

Short answer: choose a GEO (generative engine optimization) agency that builds on solid SEO, measures AI visibility transparently across several assistants, does real content and digital PR work, and reports on leads and revenue. Avoid anyone who guarantees ChatGPT placements, sells fake reviews or forum posts, or treats an llms.txt file as a secret weapon.

GEO is new, so the market is full of confident claims. Google's own 2026 guidance warns site owners to evaluate third-party "AEO" and "GEO" advice carefully and says that, for Google, optimizing for AI features is still SEO. Use the 12 questions below to separate real expertise from hype. For context on what GEO involves, read our complete guide to generative engine optimization.

The 12 questions to ask a GEO agency

1. "How will you measure our AI visibility?"

Good answer: a documented prompt set (30–150 real customer questions) tested regularly across ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude, Copilot and Google AI Overviews/AI Mode, recording mentions, citations, accuracy and competitors. Plus Google Search Console's generative AI report, Bing Webmaster Tools' AI Performance report, and AI referral traffic.

Red flag: a proprietary "AI score" with no visible prompts or raw results.

2. "Can we see the actual prompts and answers?"

You should be able to see the questions, the date tested, the assistant used and the raw responses. Transparency matters because AI answers vary between sessions.

3. "What SEO work is included?"

Assistants that search the web retrieve pages from search indexes. If your site has crawl, indexing or speed problems, GEO will stall. A good agency checks and fixes the foundations first. Our technical SEO checklist shows what that involves.

4. "What content will you create or improve each month?"

Look for specifics: which pages will be rewritten answer-first, how many new articles, who writes them, and how subject experts are involved. Google's guidance emphasises "non-commodity" content with real experience and expertise.

5. "How will you earn mentions on other websites?"

Third-party mentions (reviews, publications, lists, podcasts, communities) are among the strongest GEO levers. Ask for their digital PR approach, examples of coverage they've earned, and how they find opportunities relevant to your industry.

6. "Do you ever create fake reviews, accounts or posts?"

The only acceptable answer is no. Fake reviews are illegal under the FTC's 2024 rule in the US and the UK's DMCC Act, break platform policies, and Google says inauthentic mentions don't help its AI features anyway. Astroturfing Reddit can also backfire publicly.

7. "What will you do about AI crawler access?"

They should audit robots.txt, CDN and firewall settings to make sure search-related AI crawlers (such as OAI-SearchBot, PerplexityBot and Googlebot) can access your public pages, and explain the trade-offs of training crawlers like GPTBot. See how to allow or block AI crawlers.

8. "How do you handle brand and entity consistency?"

Expect a review of how your business is described across your website, Google Business Profile, directories, review sites and social profiles, with a plan to fix inconsistencies and add Organization or LocalBusiness structured data.

9. "What do you think about llms.txt?"

Good answer: "It's optional. Google says its search features don't use it; we can add one in an hour, but it won't move results on its own." Red flag: selling llms.txt as a core monthly deliverable. More in what llms.txt is.

10. "What results can we realistically expect, and when?"

Credible agencies talk about ranges and leading indicators: improved citations for targeted topics within a few months, broader mention share over six months or more, and AI referral leads. Red flag: "We'll get you recommended by ChatGPT in 30 days, guaranteed."

11. "How will you report on leads and revenue?"

Mentions are a means, not the end. Reports should connect AI visibility to AI referral sessions, enquiries, demos or sales, and "how did you hear about us" data.

12. "What does it cost, and what are the contract terms?"

Ask for a written scope with deliverables per month, the team involved, the reporting schedule, the contract length and the notice period. Our GEO pricing guide gives typical ranges so you can compare.

A quick scoring sheet

Should GEO and SEO be with the same agency?

Usually it's simpler if they are, because the work overlaps heavily: the same pages, the same technical fixes, the same authority building. A separate GEO specialist can make sense if your SEO partner only does technical work or link building. If you're choosing an SEO agency at the same time, see how to choose an SEO agency.

What a GEO agency report should look like

A worked example

A regional law firm hires two agencies in turn. The first sends a monthly "AI score" of 62/100 with no prompts or evidence and recommends an llms.txt file. The second shows 80 tracked prompts across five assistants, finds that the firm's practice-area pages lack fee information and that directory listings show an old address, fixes both, earns two local press mentions and tracks AI referral enquiries. Six months later, the second agency can show which prompts the firm now appears for and which enquiries came from AI tools. (Illustrative.)

Contract terms to negotiate

• A three-month initial term with a review, then monthly or quarterly notice
• Clear monthly deliverables (content pieces, PR pitches, technical fixes, prompt tracking)
• Ownership of all content, data and prompt-tracking history
• No fake reviews, sockpuppet accounts or link schemes, in writing
• Reporting that includes raw prompt results

Should you start with an audit?

Usually yes. A one-off AI visibility audit shows where you stand, which competitors appear, and what's blocking you, so you can judge whether a retainer is worth it. See GEO pricing.

The bottom line

The right GEO agency will look a lot like a very good SEO and content agency that also tracks AI answers carefully and earns genuine mentions. Ask the 12 questions, insist on transparency, and reward process and evidence over promises.

Want to see what AI assistants say about your business before you talk to any agency? Our free growth audit includes an AI visibility check, with no obligation.