Generative engine optimisation
GEO agency: become a source AI assistants cite
A GEO agency works to get your business mentioned and cited in answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google's AI Overviews. We are a GEO agency in the UK, and we measure the work on a fixed set of buyer questions.
At a glance
- What it is for
- Being named and cited when buyers ask an AI assistant about your category
- You receive
- A source map, a record of placements and a monthly prompt report
- Assistants covered
- Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude
- First programme
- 90 days, then month to month
What a GEO agency does
GEO stands for generative engine optimisation. In US spelling it is generative engine optimization, and you will see the work sold as generative engine optimization services. A generative engine optimisation agency does six things, in this order.
| Part | What it means |
|---|---|
| Baseline | We record what each assistant says today when asked your buyers' questions, and who it cites. |
| Source map | We list the websites the assistants draw on for your category: the publications, directories, review sites and forums. |
| Corrections | Where an assistant describes you wrongly, we find the source of the error and fix it there. |
| Citable pages | We give your key pages clear statements, first-hand evidence, dates and sources, so there is something worth citing. |
| Earned mentions | We earn mentions and links on the sources in the map. You receive a record of what was placed and where. |
| Measurement | We re-run the same questions every month and report what moved. |
GEO is built on SEO, which is why our GEO and SEO services run as one programme. If your pages cannot be crawled and indexed, nothing above works, so the technical foundations come first.1
Why every assistant has to be checked separately
The assistants do not read the same sources. On we asked ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude six questions a UK buyer might ask about these services, and noted every website each one cited.
Between them they cited 162 websites. Not one was cited by three or more of the four.
So a mention in one assistant tells you little about the others. This is why we check five, and why a source map is built per assistant.
What we record for each prompt
Every prompt in your set produces a record like this one, for each assistant, each month.
Exhibit 2
| Assistant | Mentioned | Cited as a source | Description accurate | Cited instead |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Google's AI Overviews | Yes | Yes | Yes | None |
| ChatGPT | Yes | No | No: wrong pricing | A review site |
| Gemini | No | No | Not applicable | Two competitors |
| Perplexity | Yes | Yes | Yes | None |
| Claude | Yes | No | Yes | A trade publication |
Illustrative example. Your report shows your own prompts and the recorded answer behind every cell.
What to expect, and when
First programme: 90 days
-
Baseline and source map
Weeks 1 to 3
The prompt set is agreed and run. You see where you stand and which sources matter.
-
Corrections and citable pages
Weeks 3 to 8
We fix what assistants get wrong at its source and strengthen your key pages.
-
Earned mentions
Weeks 6 to 12
The first placements on the sources in the map.
-
Re-run and report
Every month
The same prompts, the same assistants, and what changed.
Then month to month
These weeks are typical, not fixed. We will not promise a date for a citation, because no one outside these companies controls what an assistant says.
How much a GEO agency costs in the UK
There is no settled market price yet. On we asked four AI assistants what GEO costs per month in the UK. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude gave ranges that ran from £500 a month at the low end to £12,000 or more for the largest programmes. Perplexity declined to give a figure and said there is no single verified market rate.
The agencies say little more. On the same day we read 16 UK service pages for GEO, AEO, AI SEO and technical SEO. One published a price: a GEO retainer starting at £2,500 a month.
We price each engagement after a discovery call, because the scope depends on your site, your market and how many sources need work. You get the scope and the fee in writing before any work starts.
What we will not promise
Guaranteed citations. No one outside these companies controls what an AI assistant says. We promise the work, the method and the reporting.
A special file or tag. Google says you do not need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup for its AI features. We will not sell you one as a result.1
Invented mentions. We do not buy links, post fake reviews or seed forums. Google says seeking inauthentic mentions is not as helpful as it might seem.1
How we measure it
We agree a fixed set of 50 questions your buyers ask and run each one in Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. Every prompt is run more than once, because AI answers change from one run to the next. For each we record four things: whether you are mentioned, whether you are cited as a source, whether the description of you is accurate, and who is cited instead. Each month you see the results beside your Search Console clicks and your enquiries, and you can open the recorded answer behind any number.
Terms, in plain words
- First programme
- 90 days. Long enough to audit, fix the foundations and measure the first change.
- After that
- Month to month. You can stop with 30 days' notice.
- Who owns the work
- You do. Everything we produce is yours, including your prompt set and its results.
- Fee
- Agreed in writing, with the scope, before any work starts.
- Who you deal with
- Our founders, who lead the work and have more than seven years in SEO.
Questions
What is a GEO agency?
A GEO agency works to get a business mentioned and cited in answers from AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Claude and Google's AI Overviews. It works on your own pages and on the other websites those assistants draw on.
Which UK agency can help my business get recommended in ChatGPT?
AI Search Ranking is a UK consultancy that does exactly this. We find the questions your buyers ask ChatGPT and other assistants, and record who they recommend and which sources they cite. We then improve your own pages and earn mentions on those sources. We measure the result every month on a fixed set of buyer questions, beside your own enquiries. No one can guarantee a recommendation, so we promise the method and honest reporting instead.
What does GEO stand for?
Generative engine optimisation. A generative engine is a system that writes an answer from several sources, as ChatGPT and Google's AI Overviews do. In US spelling it is generative engine optimization.
Is GEO replacing SEO?
No. Google says its AI features are rooted in its core ranking and quality systems, so SEO still applies. GEO adds work on the sources assistants cite and on how accurately they describe you.1
How much does a GEO agency cost in the UK?
There is no settled price. When we asked on , three AI assistants gave monthly ranges from £500 to £12,000 or more, and one declined to give a figure. We price after a discovery call and put the scope and fee in writing before work starts.
How long does GEO take to work?
It depends on your starting point, and we will not promise a date. Corrections to your own pages show once they are recrawled. Earning mentions on other sources takes longer. The first programme is 90 days so there is time to measure a change.
Which AI platforms do you cover?
Google's AI Overviews, ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Claude. Each is checked separately, because they draw on different sources.
Do you guarantee that AI assistants will cite us?
No. We do not guarantee citations, mentions or positions, and you should be wary of anyone who does. We guarantee the work, the method and honest reporting.
How should we choose a GEO agency?
Ask how results are measured, which assistants are covered, whether you can see the raw answers, and what the notice period is. Our guide to choosing a GEO agency sets out every check in full.
Related guides
Sources
- Google Search Central. Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search. Last updated . Opened .
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