The category is new enough that marketing language moves faster than actual methodology. A few direct questions separate a real AEO program from a repackaged content retainer.
Ask these before signing anything
- How do you measure AI visibility, specifically? A real answer names actual platforms tracked, ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Google AI Overviews, and how often citations get checked, not a vague reference to rankings.
- What did you do differently for AI answers than you would have for Google five years ago? If the answer sounds identical to a traditional SEO pitch, the agency may be relabeling existing SEO work as AEO.
- Can I see a sample citation report? A real program produces a real, regular artifact showing what got cited and where. If none exists, the measurement side is not built yet.
- What is your actual pricing model, and what triggers a scope increase? Custom pricing is common in this category, that alone is not a red flag, but an agency that cannot explain the model clearly during a sales conversation is worth a second look.
The two things every real program needs
A fixed list of buyer facing questions the agency will actually track citations against, tied to how real customers search, not a generic keyword list. And a citation report on a regular cadence, showing what changed and why. AEO without measurement is just publishing content and hoping it gets picked up.
Price and agency size matter less than whether these two things exist. A smaller, cheaper program with real measurement beats an expensive one that cannot show its work.