How much does it cost to hire a GEO service to improve visibility in AI searches?

How much does it cost to hire a GEO service?

There is no single price, but it is possible to give an order of magnitude. GEO, or Generative Engine Optimization, is the optimisation of digital presence to increase the likelihood of a brand being found, cited or recommended in answers generated by artificial intelligence.

In Portugal, the investment in a GEO service can range from around €350 to €1,500 a month, depending on the size of the project, the platform of the website or online store and the length of the optimisation period, which may be 3, 6 or 12 months. After that period there is normally a maintenance phase, monthly or quarterly, to track results and improve what is needed. These are reference figures and always depend on the concrete scope of each proposal.

The quote can take different formats:

A cheap proposal that is limited to generating reports can cost the business more, in lost opportunities, than a well-delimited project that fixes concrete problems. The opposite is also true: a high retainer is not justified when a few improvements to the website are enough.

What influences the price of a GEO service?

The cost rises mainly with the size of the problem to be solved, and not just with the number of AI tools analysed. Before asking for prices, it is worth understanding the work your company really needs.

The current state of your digital presence

A company with a clear website, consistent information and content that explains its services well may need one-off adjustments. Another, with incomplete pages, vague positioning and contradictory information, may need broader work.

Competition and customers' decisions

Looking for visibility for a very specific service is not the same as competing for recommendations in a market with several established brands. The more complex the customer's decision, the greater the need to demonstrate experience, differentiation and credibility.

It is also important to know what questions potential customers ask. Being present in generic answers may be worth less than appearing when someone is looking for a solution the company actually sells.

The work included and continuity

An audit, improving pages, organising information and tracking progress are different jobs. If the proposal only includes monitoring, it should not be compared with another that also involves execution.

The price also depends on who implements the changes: the company, the agency or a joint team. That responsibility should be clear before hiring.

What should a GEO proposal include?

A useful proposal should explain which problems will be analysed, which improvements will be made and how progress will be assessed. Simply promising to "put the brand on ChatGPT" is not a credible scope of work.

Before hiring, confirm that these components are planned:

• Diagnosis: analysis of the brand's current presence in questions relevant to the business.
• Priorities: identification of the problems that most justify intervention.
• Execution: concrete improvements to the website, content and public information about the company.
• Measurement: tracking of visibility and, where possible, of the visits and sales opportunities generated.
• Responsibilities: definition of what is included, who approves and who implements.

A GEO for AI Optimization service should be tied to business goals, not to a long list of actions whose impact nobody can explain.

Google itself makes clear that the fundamental practices of SEO Optimization remain relevant for AI search features. It also does not require special files or markup for a page to appear in its AI experiences. So be wary of proposals based solely on technical tricks sold as a guarantee of recommendations.

When is it worth investing in GEO, and when should you wait?

The investment pays off most when your potential customers search, compare and choose suppliers through information available online. In those cases, not being considered in a relevant answer can mean a chance of contact that never reaches the company.

It may make sense to go ahead if your company already has a clear offer, a working website and wants to strengthen how its services are discovered. GEO can also matter when trust and reputation strongly influence the choice of supplier.

But not every SME needs to hire a GEO retainer right now. If the website does not explain the offer, if basic information is out of date or if there are no resources to respond to existing enquiries, those limitations may deserve attention first.

At Norde, we start by assessing demand, the company's current presence and the commercial opportunities before recommending a project. For many SMEs that already depend on search to win customers, working on GEO together with organic visibility tends to be more consistent than buying an isolated monitoring tool.

How do you assess whether the investment is generating a return?

The first sign is the brand's presence in relevant questions; the business goal is to understand whether that presence helps generate qualified demand. The two are related, but not equivalent.

You can track how often the company is mentioned in selected searches, the pages that receive visits attributable to AI experiences and the enquiries that arrive through those paths. Google provides information about visibility in generative features in Search Console, but not every interaction on external platforms can be attributed to a sale.

Imagine, as an illustrative example, that a project has a total cost of €2,400 and each new customer generates €800 of contribution margin after variable costs. Three additional customers attributable to the investment would be needed to match that cost, before considering other commercial or follow-up costs. The example is not a forecast of results.

This analysis calls for caution: a brand may be mentioned without receiving a click, and a customer may search in several places before getting in touch. It is better to combine different signals than to promise an exact number of sales "generated by AI".

Frequently asked questions

Is GEO more expensive than SEO?

Not necessarily. The cost depends on the work planned and the company's current state. There are activities common to both areas, so an integrated strategy can avoid duplicated tasks and expense.

Do you have to pay monthly for a GEO service?

Not necessarily. A one-off project can solve well-identified limitations. Regular follow-up makes more sense when there is a need to watch progress and adjust content or priorities.

Can a small company benefit from GEO?

Yes, as long as customers look for relevant information about its services and the commercial potential justifies the investment. Company size alone does not determine whether GEO pays off.

Is it possible to guarantee my company appears in ChatGPT's answers?

No. Answers depend on the AI systems, the questions and the sources used at any given moment. An agency can improve the brand's information and digital presence, but it cannot control future recommendations.

Can Norde help decide how much to invest in GEO?

Yes. We analyse the business, the website, the current presence in AI searches and the acquisition processes before recommending an investment. For many SMEs with real search opportunities, Norde's GEO approach tends to pay off more than hiring monitoring alone. If simple fixes to your current tools are enough, we will tell you frankly.

How can Norde help your company?

Before investing in GEO, find out whether your customers look for solutions through AI.

At Norde, we assess the commercial problem and propose the right improvements, whether structured GEO work or simpler adjustments.

If you want to assess the investment needed for your company, talk to us: we reply within 24 hours and the conversation is without obligation. We work without lock-in and everything we build stays on your side.