Customers now ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude for recommendations, and Google’s AI Overviews and AI Mode answer many questions directly. Naturally, more agencies are selling Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO).
The difficulty is that the field is new and the claims are loud. Nobody can guarantee a citation inside an AI answer. Google’s own guidance on AI features says there are no additional requirements to appear in AI Overviews or AI Mode, and that no special optimisations are needed beyond sound SEO. A good agency should be comfortable with that.
These 12 questions will help you tell the difference between a specialist and a salesperson.
Understanding the Fundamentals
1. How do you define GEO, and how does it differ from SEO and AEO?
A credible answer treats them as connected. Generative Engine Optimisation concerns how your brand is represented in AI-generated responses. Answer Engine Optimisation concerns how clearly your content answers specific questions. Both depend on the foundations of Search Engine Optimisation.
2. What will you fix in my technical SEO first?
Google’s guidance says AI features are built on its core ranking and quality systems. Pages that can’t be crawled, indexed or navigated through internal links are unlikely to be cited. An agency that skips the audit is skipping the base layer.
3. What would make you tell me not to buy a service?
Honest agencies sometimes say “fix your site first” or “you don’t need this yet.” If the answer is “nothing,” treat it as a warning.
Strategy and Method
4. How will you research the questions my customers actually ask?
AI systems can break one prompt into several related searches, which Google calls query fan-out. Ask how the agency maps these questions, and whether it works from real sales conversations and search data or from guesswork.
5. How do you decide which content to create, update or merge?
More pages are not always better. Look for a plan built around customer decisions, with original examples and first-party evidence, rather than a stack of near-identical articles.
6. Do you rely on special markup, AI-only files or secret tactics?
Be cautious. Google states you don’t need new machine-readable files, AI text files or special markup to appear in its AI features. Structured data still helps when it matches the visible content, but “proprietary AI algorithms” should prompt more questions.
Evidence and Measurement
7. Can I see case studies with a baseline, a method and a result?
Ask what was measured, over what period, and what else changed. Our case studies are one example of the format to expect: named client, defined goal, stated outcome.
8. How will you measure success beyond rankings?
Sensible reporting can include citations, brand mentions, referral traffic, branded search, enquiries and assisted conversions. AI visibility data is imperfect, so expect honest caveats about what each tool can and cannot show.
9. What can’t you promise?
No one controls what ChatGPT or Gemini says. Be wary of guaranteed placements. Reasonable agencies discuss likelihood, typical timeframes and variables such as competition and content quality.
Accountability and Commercials
10. Who will actually do the work?
Find out who writes, who reviews, who reports and who answers your calls. A local team makes it easier to discuss Australian audiences, Melbourne competitors and regional terminology.
11. What am I paying for, and how long am I committed?
Ask for a defined scope, deliverables, reporting frequency and notice period. Check who owns the content, the reports and the research if you leave.
12. How will the work adapt as platforms change?
Google published new guidance on generative AI features this year, and platforms keep evolving. Ask how the agency tracks changes and how often your strategy is reviewed.
A Simple Way to Use This List
Score each agency’s answers from one to five. The best candidates usually share three traits: they explain trade-offs plainly, they separate what is known from what is assumed, and they show their work.
At Myoho Marketing, we combine SEO foundations with AI search optimisation for businesses across Melbourne and Australia. If you’d like a straight answer on whether GEO suits your business right now, book a free consultation and bring these 12 questions with you.
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