By Rodrigo Diniz · Last updated: May 2026
AI Search Optimization Pricing: What GEO & AEO Cost in 2026
Straight answer: our Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) engagements both start at $500 per month, month-to-month, no long-term contract. What changes between them is the work, not the price — and this page breaks down exactly what the work includes.
It's part of our broader AI search optimization practice. For traditional SEO, web design, and PPC benchmarks, see the digital marketing pricing guide.
How AI-search pricing works
AI search optimization is priced as a monthly retainer rather than a one-time project, because the goal — competing to be cited by AI engines and to surface in direct answers — is worked toward and then defended over time. Authority compounds; a fixed build can't hold a position the way ongoing work does.
Both GEO and AEO start at $500 per month. Where the quote lands depends on the size of your entity footprint and the number of query surfaces you're competing for — detailed in what affects your price.
What GEO includes
Generative Engine Optimization builds the signals AI engines weigh when they choose which brands to cite and recommend inside their answers. It starts at $500 per month, and the work scales with your entity footprint and the citation surface you're targeting:
- Person and Organization schema, knowledge-graph hygiene (Wikidata, Crunchbase, LinkedIn), AI-citation baseline measurement across ChatGPT and Perplexity, and monthly tracking.
- Expert-bylined content, original research that earns inbound citations, and four-engine measurement (ChatGPT + Perplexity + Gemini + Claude).
- For saturated or multi-vertical categories: knowledge-graph claim work, named-expert media-placement coordination, custom AI-engine measurement panels, and monthly strategic review with our Head of Search Strategy.
See the full GEO service.
What AEO includes
Answer Engine Optimization does the work to compete for the direct-answer surfaces — featured snippets, voice, and People Also Ask. Same starting price as GEO, different deliverables, scaling with the number of question queries you target:
- Conversational query research, on-site FAQ schema, voice-search-friendly rewrites for your top 20 question queries, and monthly featured-snippet tracking.
- 50–80 question queries with answer-first content, expanded schema (HowTo, QAPage, SpeakableSpecification), and quarterly competitive analysis on snippet ownership.
- For dense answer-engine surfaces: continuous People-Also-Ask tracking, voice-search audit work for Hawaii-local queries, and dedicated answer-engineering for industry-defining questions.
See the full AEO service.
GEO vs AEO: same starting price, different work
Both start at $500 per month. GEO builds citation authority inside generative answers; AEO competes for featured snippets, voice, and People Also Ask.
Not sure which you need? Read GEO vs AEO for the full distinction. Most businesses run both, sequenced — AEO for near-term answer-box wins, GEO for compounding citation authority.
What affects your price
- Entity footprint (GEO): a single local brand needs less work than a business with multiple services, locations, or named experts.
- Query volume (AEO): the number of question queries you want to own — 20 vs 80 — changes the scope.
- Competitive density: saturated categories require more content and authority work to break into the citation surface.
- One discipline or both: running GEO and AEO together raises total investment through combined scope, not a premium rate.
Every engagement starts at $500 per month. Need a custom scope? Tell us what you need and we'll quote it.
Pricing FAQ
How much does GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) cost?
GEO engagements at Nekko Digital start at $500 per month. The scope — and the quote — grows with your entity footprint, from schema and an AI-citation baseline up to expert-bylined content, original research, and multi-engine measurement. Pricing is month-to-month with no long-term contract.
How much does AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) cost?
AEO engagements also start at $500 per month, but the deliverables differ from GEO: FAQ schema and voice-search rewrites for your top question queries to start, then answer-first content, HowTo and QAPage schema, and People Also Ask tracking as the scope grows.
Is GEO or AEO more expensive?
Neither — both start at $500 per month. They differ in what you get, not what you pay. GEO is the work that builds citation authority inside generative answers (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude); AEO is the work that competes for the direct-answer surfaces (featured snippets, voice, People Also Ask). Many businesses run both; the combined scope, not a premium, is what raises the investment.
Why is AI search optimization priced as a monthly retainer?
Because the work compounds. AI citation authority and answer-box ownership are earned over months of content, schema, and entity signals, then maintained as engines and competitors change. A one-time project can't hold a position the way ongoing optimization does, which is why we price month-to-month rather than as a fixed build.
Are there long-term contracts?
No. All Nekko Digital AI search optimization engagements are month-to-month — cancel anytime.
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