The GEO Vendor Reckoning
If you're evaluating Generative Engine Optimization vendors right now, you've likely heard the same pitch: "We get you into ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews." What you haven't heard, or haven't heard clearly, is what they actually ship—and by when.
Most GEO vendors operate in a fog of future promises. They talk strategy, methodology, competitive positioning. They nod knowingly about your industry. But when the contract closes, you get a Slack channel, a quarterly roadmap, and six weeks of silence. By month two, you're asking yourself: are we ranking in Perplexity search results? Are citations driving qualified traffic? Or are we paying for someone's unfinished product?
The vendors worth shortlisting are the ones who commit to week-one deliverables and make them transparent before you sign.
What to Demand in Week One
Concrete Audit Output
A credible GEO vendor ships a detailed audit within 5 business days. This includes:
A snapshot of current citations and mentions across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and AI Overview ecosystems
Competitive surface intelligence: which vendors, products, and thought leaders are being cited in your vertical
Gap analysis: where your brand, data, or expertise should be showing up but isn't
Technical readiness assessment: whether your existing content, structured data, and APIs are aligned for AI ingestion
You should have this in your hands by day 5. If a vendor says "we need two weeks to understand your business," that's a flag. The audit should be data-driven, not consultative handholding.
Implementation Roadmap with Deadlines
By end of week one, the vendor should present a 12-week roadmap with fixed milestones. Not "We'll optimize your schema." Specific: "Week 2-3: deploy structured data across 150+ product pages. Week 4: submit data feeds to Perplexity's source index. Week 6: first citation validation."
Each milestone should map to a measurable outcome: citations gained, impressions in AI Overviews, qualified traffic tracked via UTM codes.
Pricing Transparency Is Non-Negotiable
A vendor who hides pricing behind "let's talk about your goals first" is pricing based on perceived desperation, not value delivered.
Demand a pricing model that separates these layers:
Audit & Strategy (fixed fee, deliverables-based)
Technical Implementation (scope-based: schema deployment, feed creation, API integration)
Content Optimization & Monitoring (monthly, tied to citation velocity and traffic impact)
Each component should have a published rate card or a contract that locks the scope and price before day one. Variable pricing based on "optimization complexity" is vague; it's a license to bill beyond budget.
Ask this directly: "What do I pay if results don't materialize by month two?" A vendor confident in their method won't flinch. They'll either offer a performance adjustment or refund component. If they dodge, they're betting you won't measure closely.
Month-One Proof Points
By the end of week four, you should see:
Live citations in at least one AI platform (Perplexity or Claude) with attribution back to your site
Baseline traffic from AI Overviews (Google Search Console data) showing impressions and clicks
A documented increase in inbound qualified leads mentioning "I found you in [AI tool]"
A monthly report dashboard showing citation count, impression volume, and estimated qualified traffic value
If the vendor can't show at least two of these by week four, question whether the strategy is working or just in motion.
Work with us on this
At Modulus, our GEO service is built around this exact philosophy. We ship a full competitive and technical audit in week one—no delays, no "strategy conversations" as substitutes for data. You get a clarity document that shows where you are, where your competitors are being cited, and exactly what to build.
Week two through six, we handle implementation: schema markup, data feeds, content optimization for AI ingestion, and direct liaison with platform source teams where applicable. We monitor citations in real time and adjust tactics based on what's actually landing in Claude, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews.
This is built for B2B teams—SaaS platforms, agencies, enterprise services, AI tools themselves—who need to own visibility inside generative search results. It's not a gambling bet on future traffic. It's a structured program with measurable citations, qualified sourcing events, and revenue attribution from day 30 onward.
Ready to evaluate with concrete deliverables in hand? Explore our Generative Engine Optimization service and schedule a call to discuss your specific audit scope and timeline. We'll give you pricing, milestones, and proof-of-concept outcomes before you commit.
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Originally published on the Modulus1 insights blog. Browse more analysis on AI, SEO, and automation.
