What to Look for Before Hiring a GEO Agency (A Checklist)
There are 5 fundamental questions worth asking before hiring any GEO agency, including us.
Why You Need a Checklist
A lot of businesses have been getting the same email lately: a “free GEO audit” offer. If a pitch includes percentages without sources or undated case examples, ask how the results were measured. Without naming any competitors, here’s an objective framework: five questions worth asking before you say yes to any pitch.
5 Questions to Ask
01
Is the source of the numbers clear?
Does every percentage shared state clearly who measured it, when, and how?
02
Is the pricing transparent?
Is the scope and are the deliverables clear, or is it a vague “package”?
03
Is there a verifiable case example?
Does the example record its method, date and starting point? Where client confidentiality applies, request anonymised evidence or an authorised reference.
04
Is the methodology explained concretely?
Which prompts, tested on which platforms (ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews)?
05
Are the claims measurable?
Is there a measurable approach on offer, instead of unprovable slogans like “the first in the market”?
Why These Questions Matter
GEO is still a new and fast-growing field, which means clear standards haven’t fully settled yet and claims can be hard to verify. These five questions let you quickly tell whether an agency’s pitch actually rests on methodology, or just on marketing language.
Ask Us the Same Questions
We’d encourage you to run this same checklist against us. We don’t publish a number we can’t back up; our methodology follows scoping, multi-platform live testing, root-cause analysis, and prioritized delivery, and we’re happy to walk through it step by step in a conversation.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is it risky to accept a “free GEO audit” offer?
The offer itself isn’t risky, but if the source and methodology behind the numbers shared are unclear, it’s worth asking the questions in this checklist before deciding.
Should I ask for references when choosing a GEO agency?
Yes. Ask for an authorised reference or verifiable measurement records. Keeping a client name confidential does not by itself make a case study unreliable.
Why does pricing need to be transparent?
A price given without a clear scope and deliverables list makes it hard to know what’s actually included, and raises the risk of unexpected extra charges later.
Let’s Start with a Conversation
We’ll walk you through our methodology step by step — not a pitch, a real diagnosis.
SmartMoves Agency · Updated:
Official source: Google Search Central