Contents 9
What GEO covers and why SEO still matters
GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, describes work on a brand’s and its pages’ visibility in AI-system responses. A brand mention, a linked citation and a useful answer to a buyer’s question are different observations. Not every response uses live web search.
SEO is not limited to blue links. Google says ordinary SEO practices remain relevant to AI Overviews and AI Mode; no special AI markup or separate file is required. Technical access and useful content create eligibility, not guaranteed inclusion or citation.
Seven criteria for choosing a GEO agency
| Criterion | Ask for | Check |
|---|---|---|
| Evidence | Examples with date, query, language, mode and source links | Is this an actual observation, a demonstration or a forecast? |
| Metrics | Definitions of mentions, citations, sample and measurement error | Can observations be repeated and related to leads? |
| Technical SEO | Pages, indexing, canonicals, content and bot access | Does the supplier distinguish search access from training permission? |
| Brand facts | Company, author, service and product information | Are facts consistent on the site and relevant profiles? |
| Content | Specific page changes, references and publication checks | Does the copy help buyers rather than repeat keywords? |
| Markets and systems | Agreed countries, languages, systems and priority queries | Is your market checked, not just one English-language example? |
| Contract | Scope, fee, term, access, reporting and material ownership | What is included, billed separately and retained by your team? |
Questions before paying
- Show an anonymized report and its source observations. What changed, and what merely happened at the same time?
- Which pages, countries and languages do you check? How do you record queries, mode, dates, repeated observations and failures?
- What does your team implement and what needs our developer? Who approves copy and publication?
- How do you distinguish a mention from a citation, and API observations from consumer-interface responses?
- Will we retain queries, reports, content and markup when the engagement ends? Which access can be revoked?
- What are the minimum term, payment schedule and separate costs? Which deliverables can we check at the first review?
Red flags without judging from one slide
- A guaranteed #1 placement, a specific citation or one results timetable for every industry.
- Queries, language or mode change, but the report calls it a rise in mention share.
- A demo or synthetic report is presented as a client case study.
- A mandatory llms.txt or training opt-in is claimed as a Google AI Overviews requirement.
- Artificial mentions, links without policy/risk checks or scaled low-value pages.
- Hidden costs, agency-owned access without asset handover, or reports without source data.
Compare budget and contract terms
Compare the same scope: research, technical changes, content, publication, external placements and measurement. Cost depends on the task and supplier; this guide does not establish a universal market minimum.
UPLIFY’s current English-language offer is $1,000/month, with monthly billing and an agreed duration; link building is billed separately. These are our service terms, not a market-average price or citation guarantee. Confirm scope, timing and access before paying.
Current UPLIFY GEO service terms →
Verify results, not a single screenshot
Mention share can be useful with a fixed query set and a defined denominator. Count mentions and linked citations separately, and report successful observations and failures. A small sample or one response does not establish a durable effect or its cause.
- Fix the queries, language, country, system, search mode and observation conditions.
- Record date, response, brand mention, specific URLs and available mode/model information.
- Repeat checks in comparable conditions; report new queries and technical failures separately.
- Track organic search, AI referrals, lead quality and sales alongside observations where data is available.
- Separate delivered work, changed observations and confirmed business outcomes in the report.
Google includes AI Overviews and AI Mode in overall Web search data in Search Console. A change in overall traffic does not prove a change in AI citations. AI referrals also miss no-click answers and visits without a passed referrer. The separate Generative AI performance report in Search Console shows AI Overviews and AI Mode impressions, not ChatGPT/Perplexity or sales. It may be absent when impressions are insufficient. Also check Search generative AI control: include, exclude or inherit; this choice is separate from training permission.
Agency-selection questions
What does AI visibility mean?
It describes observations of how a brand and its pages appear in AI-system responses: mentions, links and recommendation context. These observations are not sales and need separate measurement.
How does an AI SEO agency approach GEO versus SEO?
GEO focuses on presence in AI-system responses; SEO focuses on search visibility. An AI SEO agency still needs accessible pages, indexing and useful content. GEO does not replace SEO.
Can an agency guarantee a ChatGPT mention?
No. It can commit to deliverables and reporting, not a particular response, ranking or rise in mention share.
When should I expect initial results?
There is no universal timetable. Agree review checkpoints, indexing time and repeated observations. A pilot duration is not a citation guarantee.
What does working with UPLIFY cost?
$1,000 per month, with monthly billing and an agreed duration. Link building is separate. Check the budget section and service page for the current scope before paying.
Is llms.txt required for AI search?
Google does not require a separate AI file for AI Overviews or AI Mode. llms.txt is not a guaranteed indexing or citation mechanism; treat it as an additional experiment, not a replacement for SEO.
Why is one screenshot insufficient?
One response captures one query at one moment. Comparison needs repeated observations, consistent conditions and recorded failures. The results section sets out that protocol.
Make a decision before starting
Agree verifiable scope, source data and review checkpoints. Use them to decide whether to continue or change the work, rather than treating page-production volume as the outcome.
Primary sources and method limits
OAI-SearchBot controls automatic ChatGPT search access; GPTBot controls training use, independently. ChatGPT-User performs user-triggered actions, not search inclusion control. Google-Extended covers Gemini training and some grounding uses, not Google Search ranking. Do not open every permission for a promised GEO result.
- Google: AI features and SEO ↗
- OpenAI: crawlers ↗
- Google: Google-Extended ↗
- Google: spam policies ↗
- Search Console: AI impressions ↗
- Search Console: inclusion control ↗
UPLIFY AI-visibility measurement method → · SEO/GEO audit scope →
Discuss your GEO requirements
Send your site URL, priority market and task. We work with stores, services, B2B and SaaS; agree checks and scope without a citation promise.