# Generative engine optimization agencies: how to evaluate them > Generative engine optimization agencies sell audits, content, and tracking as a retainer. How to evaluate them, what work they do, and when Terradium's platform covers tracking, drafts, and publishing. Source: https://terradium.io/generative-engine-optimization-agencies Last updated 16 October 2026 ยท Prices checked 10 October 2026 ![GEO agencies vs platform โ€” evaluate generative engine optimization agencies, Terradium](https://terradium.io/media/guides/generative-engine-optimization-agencies.png) **The short answer** Generative engine optimization (GEO) agencies help brands get named and cited inside AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini. The usual scope is an audit of today's answers, answer-first pages, schema and entity work, and the same questions tracked on a schedule. Before you hire one, decide which of those jobs you need people for โ€” and which a GEO platform can already cover as software. ## What "GEO agency" usually means on the SERP Search results for generative engine optimization agencies are mostly listicles and agency service pages. They rank "best GEO agencies," compare retainers, and pitch audits plus content. That matches how buyers shop: they want a vendor who will do the work. GEO and AEO describe the same discipline. GEO is the broader name for generative search; AEO usually refers to answer surfaces such as AI Overviews and assistants. For the definition of AEO, see [AEO definition](https://terradium.io/aeo-definition). For the service framing that this page builds on, see [AEO service: agency vs platform](https://terradium.io/aeo-service). ## What GEO agencies typically do A serious GEO engagement, whether sold by an agency or run in-house, usually covers four jobs: 1. **Audit.** Ask the engines the questions buyers ask, and record whether the brand is mentioned and whether the site is cited. 2. **Answer-first content.** Pages an assistant can quote: a direct opening answer, sources, and a format that matches the question (list, comparison, how-to). 3. **Schema and entity work.** Organization markup, consistent profile links, a named author, and HTML that AI crawlers can fetch. 4. **Ongoing citation tracking.** The same questions, on a schedule, so a new page can be judged by whether it starts getting cited. Those four jobs are what proposals call a GEO or AEO service. How you measure mentions and citations is covered in the [AEO tracker guide](https://terradium.io/aeo-tracker). ## How to evaluate a GEO agency Agency fees are quoted per client. There is no standard public price list, so this page does not invent competitor retainers. Ask for a written scope before you compare quotes: - **How many questions** will they track, and which engines? - **How often** are answers sampled (weekly vs daily)? - **How many pages** will they publish, and who owns the drafts? - **Who implements schema** on your site โ€” them, or your team? - **What is out of scope** (PR, partnerships, CMS implementation)? Also check crawl access first. If AI crawlers are blocked or the page only renders in JavaScript, no agency can get you cited. Terradium's free [AI crawler checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-crawler-checker) tests that. For a one-question check of whether ChatGPT and AI Overviews already mention you, use the free [AI visibility checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-visibility-checker). A wider set of measurement tools is on [best AI visibility tools](https://terradium.io/best-ai-visibility-tools). ## When a platform is enough Not every team needs a full agency retainer. A GEO platform covers the parts of the work that are software: - **Tracking** the same questions on a schedule across answer engines. - **A work list** of prompts where you never appear, appear but are not cited, or a competitor is cited instead. - **Drafts** of answer-ready articles aimed at those gaps. - **Publishing** to a built-in CMS or a signed webhook. That replaces a tracker subscription and a drafting queue. It leaves strategy, original research, interviews, and implementation inside a CMS the platform does not host with you or with an agency. **Keep an agency** when you want people for judgment, original research, off-site PR, or schema work inside your existing stack. **Start with a platform** when you mainly need measurement, drafts, and a publish path you can review yourself. ## How Terradium fits Terradium is a GEO/AEO platform created by [Kugie](https://kugie.app) and operated by PT Semesta Solusi Digital. It is software, not an agency retainer. One published plan: **$29 a month** with **15 tracked questions** sampled **weekly** on **3 engines** of your choice (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, or Gemini) and **30 article generations** per billing period, with **7 days free**. Terradium tracks appearance rate, citation share, and share of voice; generates cite-ready articles; and publishes through a built-in headless CMS. It does not claim to replace a human account team. For the full agency-vs-platform split, see [AEO service](https://terradium.io/aeo-service). ## Questions **What are generative engine optimization agencies?** Vendors that sell GEO/AEO work as a project or retainer: auditing AI answers, writing answer-first pages, fixing schema and crawl access, and tracking citations on a schedule. **Is a GEO agency the same as an SEO agency?** Often the same firm, different deliverable. SEO targets a position in a list of links. GEO/AEO targets being named and cited inside a generated answer. The site work overlaps because engines can only quote pages they can fetch. **How much does a GEO agency cost?** Agency fees are quoted per engagement. There is no standard public price, so this page does not list one. Product subscriptions are published; Terradium Starter is $29/month. **When do I need an agency vs a platform?** Use a platform when you need tracking, drafts, and publishing as software. Keep an agency when you need strategy, original research, CMS implementation, or a named person reporting each month. Many teams run both. **How can I check AI mentions before hiring anyone?** Run the free AI visibility checker for one question on ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews, or start Terradium's 7-day free trial on the pricing page. ## See whether AI answers mention you [Start the 7-day free trial](https://terradium.io/pricing). Or run the free [AI visibility checker](https://terradium.io/tools/ai-visibility-checker) for one question on ChatGPT and Google AI Overviews.