What does a GEO agency actually do?
Written by a GEO agency, so read it with that in mind. We have kept to what can be checked, and linked the sources.
A GEO agency (generative engine optimization) works to get your business named and linked in AI answers such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. The work is usually: an audit, fixing what blocks AI crawlers, writing pages that answer buyers' questions, making your facts match across the web, and tracking the answers over time. No honest agency can guarantee a citation.
What is a generative engine optimization agency?
GEO stands for generative engine optimization: the work of getting a business found, trusted and quoted by AI tools that write answers, not just lists of links. A GEO agency is a firm you hire to do that work, or to guide you while you do it.
It overlaps a lot with SEO. Google says so itself: "The best practices for SEO remain relevant for AI features in Google Search." Google Search Central The difference is the goal. SEO aims for a high spot in a list. GEO aims for your name inside the answer, and for the answer to say the right things about you.
What's included in a GEO services package?
Packages differ, but most of the real work falls into six parts. This is how we split it; other agencies use other names for the same jobs.
| Part | What it means in plain words |
|---|---|
| Audit | Asking the AI tools your buyers use the questions they ask, and recording who gets named and why |
| Access fixes | Making sure AI robots such as OAI-SearchBot and Googlebot can read your site |
| Answer pages | Pages that answer one real buyer question each, in the first lines |
| Matching facts | Name, address, services and prices the same on your site, your profiles and directories |
| Proof | Reviews, case studies and mentions on sites you do not own |
| Tracking | Asking the same questions again every week and reporting what changed |
Ask any agency which of these six it does, which you do, and which nobody does.
Can a GEO agency guarantee citations in AI answers?
No. Be wary of any that says it can.
- OpenAI, on ChatGPT search: "Placement is not guaranteed." OpenAI Help Center
- Google, on hiring for search: "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." Google Search Central
What an agency can promise is work: what it will fix, by when, and how it will show you the answers before and after. Judge it on that.
How much does a GEO agency cost?
It depends on who does the work. As one example, here are our own published prices, read on our pricing page on 25 Sep 2026: AI Syndicate pricing
- Software you run yourself: $99, $299 or $999 a month.
- Software plus a dedicated account manager: $3,000 to $8,500 a month.
- Done-for-you work by the team: from $25,000.
For what other tools and agencies charge, see how much GEO costs in 2026. If you are not sure you need people at all, read GEO agency vs GEO software.
What should I ask a GEO agency before hiring one?
Google publishes a list of questions to ask an SEO before you hire one. Here is a selection from it, reworded slightly; they fit GEO just as well. Google Search Central
- Can you show examples of previous work?
- What results do you expect, and in what timeframe? How do you measure success?
- What is your experience in my industry and my area?
- Will you share every change you make to my site, with an explanation?
And four we would add for AI search:
- Which AI tools do you check, and how often? One screenshot of one answer proves nothing: answers change between asks.
- Is my site blocking any AI robots today? A good agency can answer this in the first call.
- Who owns the pages and the data if we stop working together?
- What will you not do? Fake reviews, for example, are banned by the FTC. FTC
Google adds one more point worth keeping: "Your SEO should ask questions about what makes your business unique." If an agency does not, that tells you something.
What are the red flags when hiring a GEO agency?
- A promise of a guaranteed citation, a guaranteed #1 spot, or a "special relationship" with OpenAI or Google.
- Reports that show only one AI answer, from one day.
- A plan built on files alone, such as llms.txt, with no pages or proof. Google says: "You don't need to create new machine readable files, AI text files, or markup to appear." Google Search Central
- No clear list of what changes on your site, or no way to see them.
Sources
- AI features and your website — Google Search Central. Read Sep 25, 2026.
- Do you need an SEO? — Google Search Central. Read Sep 25, 2026.
- Searching the web with ChatGPT (ChatGPT search) — OpenAI Help Center. Read Sep 25, 2026.
- AI Syndicate pricing — AI Syndicate. Read Sep 25, 2026.
- Federal Trade Commission Announces Final Rule Banning Fake Reviews and Testimonials — U.S. Federal Trade Commission. Read Sep 25, 2026.
Common questions
What is a generative engine optimization agency?
A firm that works to get your business named and linked in AI answers, such as ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews. The work usually covers an audit, fixing crawler access, writing answer pages, making your facts match across the web, gathering proof, and tracking answers over time.
Do GEO agencies guarantee citations in AI responses?
They should not. OpenAI says placement in ChatGPT search "is not guaranteed," and Google says "No one can guarantee a #1 ranking on Google." An agency can promise the work and show you the answers before and after.
Is a GEO agency different from an SEO agency?
The work overlaps a lot. Google says SEO best practices "remain relevant" for its AI features. GEO puts the focus on being named and described correctly inside AI answers, and on checking those answers over time.
Related pages.
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