Everyone selling GEO says "we'll get you into ChatGPT." What sets a good service apart is method, not promises: a baseline measurement, competitor and source analysis, changes actually made to your site, the same questions re-tested on a schedule, and a result they can show. Ask these seven questions before you sign. At the end, I answer the same questions for my own service.
1. Which questions will you use for the baseline?
A good answer: a set of 20–50 questions your customers would ask, in their language and ideally from their country, weighted toward category questions that don't include your brand name. A bad answer: "We asked ChatGPT about your brand, and you don't show up."
2. Who recommends my competitors, and which sources lift them?
Someone who doesn't know which sites carry your competitors into AI answers can't get you there. The baseline should include a source list: lists, directories, comparison articles, news.
3. Will you only send a report, or will you make the changes?
Many GEO services are really a report that leaves the implementation to you. Agree up front on who makes the content and technical changes on your site, how many changes go live, and how often.
4. How many pieces of content a month, for which questions?
"20 blog posts a month" says nothing on its own. Ask which customer question each piece answers and why that question was chosen. Comparison, pricing and "alternatives" pages usually do more than general blog posts.
5. Will you re-ask the same questions regularly?
AI answers vary; you can only see progress by asking the same question set again on a schedule. The report should show mention rate, position and citations separately, plus AI-referred visits in Analytics.
6. Do you have a result you can show?
On their own site or a client's, with before-and-after numbers. A single ChatGPT screenshot isn't evidence, because answers change. Ask for Search Console, Analytics or a regular measurement sheet.
7. Do you guarantee rankings?
The right answer is "no". Nobody controls what ChatGPT, Gemini or Google answers. What can be guaranteed is deliverables and measurement: what will be done, how often, and how it will be reported.
Red flags
- "Guaranteed #1 in ChatGPT" or "we have a special deal with OpenAI".
- Bulk link packages, automatic submission to hundreds of directories.
- "Hacks" like fake reviews or getting people to ask AI about you en masse. What's said in a chat doesn't change other people's answers.
- Reports that give only a "visibility score" without explaining how it's measured.
Agency or freelancer?
| Agency | Freelancer | |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Several specialists; may have PR and content teams | One person; you talk directly to whoever does the work |
| Communication | Usually through an account manager | Direct |
| Capacity | High volume, many languages | Limited, narrower focus |
| Best for | Multi-market brands with large budgets | Focused small and mid-sized companies, companies selling abroad, software products |
Either can be good or bad. The real difference is in how they answer the seven questions above.
My answers
I'm Sabah Kemal Cansu. I work freelance from Mersin, Türkiye, with clients anywhere; I'm not an agency. Here are my answers to the same seven questions, for my own service:
- Baseline: I ask live ChatGPT 20 questions about your brand and three competitors, in your buyer's language and from their country. Results within 1 business day, free.
- Competitors and sources: In the initial check, I show how many questions your competitors appear in and which sources the answers rely on.
- Implementation: I make the changes; one improvement goes to your site every working day.
- Content: Eight in-depth pieces a month, each matched to a customer question.
- Tracking: I re-ask the question set from the initial check on a schedule, and every Monday I report what I did and what changed.
- Results: I tried it on my own product first. On ChartPilot, indexed pages went from single digits at the end of July to 58 in October, and ChatGPT sent 121 visits between July and October.
- Guarantee: I don't guarantee rankings; I commit to deliverables and measurement.
One plan: $1,500 a month, or $1,000 a month with a 12-month commitment. Service details
Common questions
How long should I keep a GEO service?
The first technical changes take effect within weeks, but changes in AI answers take months. Plan for at least three to six months, and decide whether to continue based on what was delivered in the first months.
Should I hire separate companies for SEO and GEO?
You don't have to; the foundation is shared. If you work with separate companies, have them agree on the same question list and the same measurement, or they may undo each other's work.
How long should the contract be?
Starting without a commitment is safer for you: you see the first months' deliverables, then decide. A long commitment only makes sense if it comes with a discount.
