Many businesses are now being sold two retainers: one for SEO and a new one for GEO (generative engine optimization). Both promise visibility — one in search results, the other in AI assistants. Before paying for both, it is worth understanding how much of the work overlaps.
What does each one do?
| SEO agency | GEO agency | |
|---|---|---|
| Goal | Rank in Google and Bing | Be understood and cited by ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and AI Overviews |
| Technical work | Crawlability, speed, indexing, structured data | Crawl access for AI bots, structured data, clean facts |
| Content | Pages and articles targeting searches | Answer-first, factual content AI can extract |
| Off-site | Links from relevant sites | Mentions on sources AI systems trust |
| Measurement | Rankings, clicks, traffic | Mentions, citations, accuracy of AI answers |
Where they overlap
- A fast, crawlable website helps both.
- Structured data helps both understand what your business is.
- Clear, accurate, useful content is the raw material for both.
- Consistent business information helps local search and AI recommendations.
- Being mentioned by trusted sites helps both.
In practice, most of the content and technical work serves both goals. The differences are in emphasis and measurement.
What do two retainers cost?
| Service | Typical monthly cost |
|---|---|
| SEO agency | Average $3,209 (Ahrefs) |
| GEO agency | From about $3,000 (Pepper) |
| Both | $6,000+ per month |
That is often paying two teams to audit the same site, write overlapping content and report on it in different dashboards.
When separate specialists make sense
- A large site with complex technical SEO needs.
- A brand where AI visibility is a board-level priority and needs dedicated research.
- Highly competitive categories where each discipline needs depth.
When one combined service makes more sense
- A small or medium business site.
- You want the same content to serve search, AI assistants, social and email.
- You cannot justify $6,000+ per month for visibility work alone.
The combined approach
Reelistic treats SEO and GEO as one job: one audit covering search and AI assistants, one content plan, one set of on-site improvements and one report. It is included from $500 per month, along with social media management and email marketing.
| SEO + GEO agencies | Reelistic | |
|---|---|---|
| Monthly cost | $6,000+ | From $500 |
| Audits | Two | One, covering both |
| Content | Possibly duplicated | One plan for both |
| Social media and email | Not included | Included |
Related Reading
- SEO vs GEO: What Businesses Should Measure
- GEO Pricing in 2026
- SEO Pricing in 2026
- SEO and GEO for Small Businesses
- How to Choose Blog Topics From an SEO/GEO Audit
Frequently Asked Questions
Is GEO different from SEO?
The goals and measures differ — rankings versus AI mentions and citations — but most of the underlying work overlaps: crawlable sites, structured data and clear, accurate content.
Do I need a separate GEO agency?
Most small and medium businesses do not. A provider that handles SEO and GEO together avoids paying twice for overlapping work.
How much do SEO and GEO cost together?
From separate agencies, about $6,000+ per month. Reelistic includes both from $500 per month, together with social media and email marketing.
Can my SEO agency do GEO?
Some can and some charge extra for it. Ask what specifically they do for AI assistants and how they measure it.