Short answer
Generative engine optimization services help AI engines mention and cite your business in their answers. A GEO consultant checks whether AI can read your site, writes content that answers the buyer’s questions, earns mentions in third-party sources and measures, with a fixed set of questions, whether you appear.
What does a GEO and AEO consultant do?
Generative engine optimization has three layers, and all three rest on classic SEO: AI engines search an index before they write their answer. Google says in its documentation on AI features that AI Overviews and AI Mode have no extra requirements: the page must be indexed and eligible to appear as a snippet.
| Criterion | What it aims for | What I do |
|---|---|---|
| SEO · be found | Google, Bing, OpenAI and Perplexity crawlers read and index your pages | robots.txt, CDN, rendering, sitemap, architecture and speed |
| AEO · be chosen | Your page is the answer the engine extracts | Answer first, question-shaped headings, tables and easy-to-quote facts |
| GEO · be cited | The model names or links you as a source | Consistent, dated facts, authorship, mentions in media, comparison sites and directories |
For the detail of each layer, read what is GEO and how it differs from SEO and AEO.
GEO agency or GEO consultant?
A GEO agency and a GEO consultant can do the same work. The difference is who does it and how it is measured. This is worth comparing before you hire:
| Criterion | GEO agency | GEO consultant (how I work) |
|---|---|---|
| Who does the work | A team; your contact is not always the person doing it | The person who sells it to you does it and explains it |
| Capacity | More hands to produce content at volume | Less volume, more judgement on what to publish and where |
| Measurement | Varies: sometimes a tool that gives a score | A fixed panel of buyer questions, several engines, several runs, dated |
| Promises | Be wary of anyone who guarantees citations or rankings | I do not promise citations: nobody controls what a model answers |
If you need hundreds of pages a month, an agency has more capacity. If you need to decide well what to change and measure it rigorously, a consultant is a better fit. I compare both in more detail in SEO consultant vs agency.
What does a GEO project look like?
Baseline
With your team I define the questions your buyer asks and run them in ChatGPT, Google AI Mode, Perplexity and Gemini. For each one I note whether you appear, whether you are linked and who is cited instead.
Access and entity
I check that AI crawlers can get in (robots.txt, CDN, JavaScript) and that the facts about your business are consistent on your site and beyond it.
Citable content
I write or rewrite the pages that answer those questions: the answer in the first lines, facts with a source and a date, and a named author.
Third-party evidence
I find where your brand is missing: media, comparison sites, directories and forums the engines already cite in your sector.
Ongoing measurement
I re-run the same question panel on fixed dates and you see it in a private control centre. That shows the trend, not a one-off screenshot.
What does it cost?
GEO is worked as a programme of several months and the price depends on the number of markets, languages and pages. We discuss it on a call, with the scope in front of us. Before that, run the free AI visibility checker.
Which businesses need a GEO consultant?
- Good fit
B2B and SaaS companies
Their customers compare before booking a demo. See SaaS SEO consultant.
- Good fit
Considered purchases
Consulting, industry, health and training: the buyer asks AI before calling.
- Good fit
SMEs already on Google
They rank on Google but do not know whether they exist for ChatGPT or AI Mode.
When does it not make sense?
If your site is a shop window with no text, if you sell through affiliation or if you want a guarantee of appearing: nobody can give that guarantee.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between a GEO agency and an SEO agency?
An SEO agency works to get your pages into the list of results and earn clicks. A GEO agency adds the goal of AI engines mentioning and citing you in their answers. GEO rests on SEO: without indexed pages, AI has nothing to cite.
How much do generative engine optimization services cost?
It depends on the number of markets, languages and pages, and on how much content and third-party evidence is missing. I work it as a programme of several months and give the price on a call, with the scope in front of us, never before.
Can a GEO consultant guarantee that ChatGPT will cite me?
No. Nobody controls what a model answers, and answers change between runs. What can be done is to improve access, content and evidence, and measure with a fixed question panel whether the share of answers you appear in goes up.
What is an AEO agency?
An agency focused on AEO (answer engine optimisation): making your content the direct answer that search engines and assistants extract. In practice AEO and GEO are worked together: AEO shapes the answer, GEO builds authority and presence beyond your site.
Where do I start?
Run the free AI visibility checker: in 30 seconds you will know whether AI crawlers can read your site and what to fix first. If you then want to know whether ChatGPT recommends you, we can talk.
This article was created with the help of AI and reviewed by José Galán. I take great care over every post and every translation, but the odd mistake can still slip through. If you find one, write to me: you will be helping me improve.
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