The short answer
Clients now ask their SEO consultant whether ChatGPT and Gemini recommend them. GEO (generative engine optimization) extends work you already do: crawler access, clear content, entity signals and earned mentions. Consultants can add it as prompt tracking, citation gap analysis and source outreach. Report it as trends with honest caveats, and never promise that a client will be recommended.
- GEO builds on SEO skills you already have, so it fits into existing retainers.
- Package it as tracking, gap analysis and outreach, priced by scope.
- Report trends with caveats, and never guarantee AI recommendations.
- Your own visibility in AI answers is part of your pitch.
Questions buyers ask AI
Example- “SEO consultant who understands AI search for B2B SaaS”
- “Who can help my law firm show up in ChatGPT answers?”
- “GEO consultant for ecommerce brands in the UK”
- “What should I ask an SEO consultant about AI Overviews before hiring?”
- “Freelance SEO who reports on AI visibility, not just rankings”
What GEO adds to an SEO retainer
Much of GEO is SEO you already do. Crawl access, structured data, clear pages and authority all still matter.
The new parts are measurement and sources. You track buyer prompts across AI platforms, not just keyword rankings. You also study which outside pages answers cite, and work to get clients onto them.
Technical checks widen too. You review AI crawler rules in robots.txt and firewalls, alongside Googlebot. Bing matters as well, since Microsoft Copilot answers draw on the Bing index.
Content work shifts slightly. Pages need direct answers, clear facts and comparison content that AI answers can quote.
How to package GEO services
Price by scope and effort, not by promised outcomes. Put a clear no-guarantee clause in every proposal.
| Offer | What’s included | Best fit |
|---|---|---|
| AI visibility audit | Crawler access, entity consistency, prompt baseline and citation gap | New clients and one-off projects |
| Monthly GEO add-on | Prompt tracking, a monthly report and a short fix list | Existing SEO retainers |
| Full SEO and GEO retainer | Tracking, content, technical fixes and source outreach | Clients in competitive categories |
How to onboard a client for GEO
A clean baseline makes every later report easier to explain.
Agree on the reporting rhythm at the start. Monthly reports suit most retainers, with weekly data kept for spotting issues.
- 1
Agree on competitors
Pick up to three that the client actually loses deals to.
- 2
Build the prompt set
Draft buyer prompts with the client’s sales team. Cover category, comparison, alternatives and fit.
- 3
Record a baseline
Capture mentions, citations and share of voice before you change anything.
- 4
Fix access and entity basics
Check AI crawler rules, Organization schema and consistent business details.
- 5
Plan source work
List the cited pages where competitors appear and the client does not.
How to report AI visibility to clients
Clients want a simple answer. Give them a trend, the reasons behind it and the next actions.
WebValet Pro costs $19 a month for one site. It tracks 25 prompts on ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity against three competitors. Extra client sites are a $15 monthly add-on. The white-label reports add-on, at $29 a month, puts your logo and colors on reports. Tracking is rolling out in early access.
- Show mention rate and share of voice over time, not one week’s snapshot.
- Separate observed data, such as recorded answers, from estimates.
- Explain that answers vary by platform, user and day.
- Link each change you made to the metric it was meant to move, without claiming certainty.
Make yourself visible in AI answers too
Prospective clients ask AI tools for consultants. Your own presence is the easiest proof that you can do the work.
- State your niche and services, including GEO, in plain words on your site.
- Publish anonymized case studies with your method and honest results.
- Keep the same positioning on LinkedIn, Clutch or any marketplace you use.
- Share original findings from client work, with permission and without client names.
Mistakes to avoid when selling GEO
These promise too much or measure too little.
- Selling “guaranteed ChatGPT rankings”.
- Treating llms.txt as a silver bullet.
- Reporting a single screenshot as a win.
- Ignoring Bing and Bing Webmaster Tools.
Questions people ask
Is GEO a separate service from SEO?
It overlaps heavily with SEO. Many consultants sell it as an add-on to an existing retainer. The main new work is prompt tracking and earning citations on outside sources.
Can I promise a client they will appear in ChatGPT?
No. AI answers vary, and no one controls them. You can promise the work, the measurement and honest reporting.
Does WebValet offer white-label reports?
Yes, as a $29 monthly add-on to Pro. It puts your logo and colors on client reports. Client workspaces are a separate $9 monthly add-on.
Do I still need Ahrefs or Semrush?
Probably, if you do keyword research, backlink analysis and rank tracking for clients. They are strong SEO suites. WebValet focuses on AI answers, competitors and citation gaps, and works alongside them.
How should I price GEO work?
Price by scope and effort, as you would SEO. An audit suits a fixed fee, and ongoing tracking suits a monthly fee. Avoid pricing tied to being recommended, since no one controls that.