How to choose a GEO Agency

Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) focuses on making brands visible and trusted so they are referenced in AI-generated answers. GEO is the process of optimising a brand’s digital presence so that AI-powered search engines select its content when generating answers.

As AI-powered search engines and generative engines become increasingly influential, understanding how to select the right GEO partner is crucial for maintaining and growing your online visibility.

This guide explains how to choose a GEO agency is designed for businesses and brands seeking GEO services who want to stay ahead in the AI search era.

Understanding generative search

Generative search is a new type of search that uses generative AI and Large Language Models to provide contextual, synthesised responses to prompts.

Generative search engines, like ChatGPT and Google’s AI Overviews, use Natural Language Processing (NLP) and machine learning to understand, contextualise and respond to queries in a more conversational manner.

Rather than a list of websites, they provide direct, conversational answers… and right now the race is on for visibility in these spaces. If you haven’t started optimising for generative search, now is the time.

Why GEO Matters in the AI search era

We’re seeing significant shifts in the way people are searching. While Google remains the dominant player, early adoption patterns are showing how people are turning to AI as a search tool. McKinsey refers to this as ‘The new front door to the internet.”

Why Should You Work with a GEO Agency?

Just as you’d hire an accountant, solicitor, or heating engineer for their expertise, partnering with a specialist in GEO gives you access to knowledge, tools, and experience that you may not have.

GEO agencies offer expertise in technical SEO, content strategy and digital PR, making them invaluable partners for businesses navigating the AI search era. If you haven’t yet read it, you can find or complete ‘what is GEO and why should you care’ guide right here.

But for now, lets concentrate on how you go about finding and appointing a GEO partner.

Define Your Goals Before Engaging a GEO Agency

Before you start searching for an agency, you need define your specific goals. This will help you find a partner that specialises in your needs and ensure your investment delivers results.

When it comes to defining Your GEO Goals, consider the following:

Your primary objectives (e.g., increase AI search visibility, improve brand mentions in generative engines, boost digital PR).
Your target audience and key markets.
The types of content and channels you want to prioritise (e.g., website, social media, thought leadership, video). But if you don’t know, that’s not a problem, a partner can help you define these.
Your budget

With all these things clear, it’ll be much easier to evaluate agencies and communicate your expectations.

Key services: what to look for in an agency partner

GEO is not a single service, but rather a combination of several disciplines working together. Your chosen GEO partner should be able to perform a range of services to establish a strong foundation and drive results.

Auditing and monitoring

Any and every agency should be able to audit and monitor brand mentions across media and social media. But for GEO, they need to be able to track your presence in AI overviews and where you currently surface in AI responses.

With an audit of your entire content ecosystem, they can better understand your brand positioning, identify opportunities and provide actionable recommendations and clear, insightful solutions based on audit findings.

Traditional SEO Skills

A strong GEO agency should be able to demonstrate broad SEO expertise

They must have the ability to write for SEO, especially around EEAT (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness) factors. This means they must also have sector-specific knowledge to create content that resonates with your audience.

From a technical aspect, they must be able to deliver on concepts such as; schema markup, UX/UI, internal linking, TXT files, load times and mobile compatibility.

Content strategy

When it comes to surfacing in Ai queries, your own content is a critical factor.

So, not only do you need an agency partner who can produce content fit for your sector and audiences. You need a partner capable of fulfilling a range of

Look for an agency that understands the full spectrum of content marketing requirements, including:

Video and content production
Social media content and community management
Digital design
Thought leadership

Earned media and digital PR

When evaluating a GEO agency, pay close attention to their media and digital PR credentials.

Data shows that earned media is the biggest driver of appearance in AI search results, so it cannot be overlooked.

In GEO and SEO, improving brand equity is key. Media mentions, especially those that are high-quality and relevant, are a powerful way to enhance brand visibility and trust. So look out for:

Strong connections with trade and sector media
Local media ties (especially for regionally focused businesses)
Focus on quality, not just quantity, of media coverage
Transparent about the realities of media placement (beware of agencies promising guaranteed coverage)

Partners over service providers

Ultimately, you want a partner. Not just a service provider.

To get the most out of any partnership, you’ll want someone who can get under the skin of your business. To challenge and ask questions, rather than just say yes to things.

Also, everything we’ve mentioned here takes time. These aren’t quick fix projects, they’re long-term, always-on strategies.

Now, all of the above may sound like a lot… and traditionally businesses might have gone to multiple agency partners to achieve all of the above.and more partners, means more cost.

But things are different now and thankfully, the world of PR isn’t just about getting coverage in the papers… it’s so much more.

With an experienced partner, capable of offering you a completely integrated service – like we can a AMBITIOUS – can give you a a full suite of services under one roof, saving you time and money compared to managing multiple partners.

Final Thoughts

AI-generated responses and AI search are quickly becoming the new normal. While mass adoption is still on the horizon, the trend toward AI search is undeniable.

Google’s AI overviews, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and other generative AI tools are becoming the first port of call for online queries. For businesses and brands that once competed for SERP positioning, there’s a new challenge: being referenced in AI-generated answers.

GEO and AI-generated responses are not replacing traditional SEO, but rather complementing it. The best approach is to integrate GEO with digital PR and content strategy for maximum impact.

For those seeking to show up in AI answers, partnering with an experienced agency that understands the value of AI-powered search can be hugely beneficial.

One Final Tip
Ask AI.

If an agency is surfacing in AI queries themselves, that’s a strong indicator they know how to increase AI visibility. An agency with its own GEO strategy is likely capable of delivering results for you as well.