If you are considering AI search optimization, the first question is usually about price. Here is an honest, current view of what AEO and GEO services cost in 2026 and what drives the numbers.
The short answer
Most mid-market AEO and GEO retainers run between $2,000 and $8,000 per month. Entry-level programs for monitoring and foundational work start around $1,000 to $2,500 per month. Enterprise programs for competitive brands can reach $10,000 to $25,000 or more per month.
What you are actually paying for
- Multi-platform visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini
- Content creation and restructuring for extractability
- Schema markup and technical optimization
- Digital PR and citation building to earn third-party mentions
- Reporting on where and how often your brand appears in AI answers
Why the range is so wide
Pricing depends on how competitive your market is, how much content needs to be created or fixed, and how much off-site authority you need to build. A local service business needs far less than a national brand fighting for category visibility.
Is it worth it?
If your customers are increasingly asking AI for recommendations, being absent from those answers has a real cost. The brands investing now are doing so before most competitors, when the space is still winnable. Most see a meaningful lift in AI citations within three to six months.
How to start without overspending
Begin with the foundations that also help SEO: a clear website, strong content, schema markup, and consistent listings. These deliver value on their own and make every later investment more effective.
Want help putting this into practice? Opamedia builds SEO, AEO and GEO visibility for growing businesses. Book a discovery call to get started.