Answer engine optimization (AEO) services: agency, consultant or platform?

AEO services help your business get named when people ask ChatGPT, Gemini or Google's AI for a recommendation. You can hire an agency, hire a consultant, or use a platform. Check what AI says about you first, so you know what needs fixing before you pay anyone.

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  • A free check of what AI says about you today
  • What AEO services include, in plain words
  • Agency, consultant or platform, side by side
  • Already want it done for you? See the Sophyx AEO service

Thirty prompts, re-checked every two weeks, free forever on the free plan. No card.

Agency
  • Does the work for you
  • Monthly retainer
  • Little data on AI answers
  • Results hard to check
Consultant
  • One-time audit
  • Advice you carry out
  • No ongoing tracking
  • No competitor tracking
SophyxPlatform
  • Free check of what AI says
  • Competitors re-checked every two weeks
  • Writes and publishes the fixes
  • You approve every change

What AEO services include

Good AEO work helps AI tools understand your business well enough to recommend it. Most services mix these six things.

  • AI answer check

    Ask AI the questions your customers ask, and see what it says about you.

  • Clear description

    Say what you do in plain words that AI can repeat.

  • Answer-first pages

    Put a short, direct answer at the top of each page.

  • Competitor check

    Find out why AI names a competitor and not you.

  • Structured data

    Label your pages so machines read your facts correctly.

  • Ongoing tracking

    Re-check the answers to see whether the work changed anything.

The hard part is proving it worked. Without a record of what AI said before and after, neither you nor the agency can tell.

When to hire outside AEO help

Find out what is wrong first. A free check shows where AI names you, where it names a competitor, and which topics you are missing. With that in hand, the choice is easier.

  1. 1.Do you know what AI says about your business today?

    Yes

    Check the answers are correct and still current

    No

    Start with the free check

  2. 2.Can someone on your team approve changes to your site?

    Yes

    Let Sophyx write and publish the fixes

    No

    Consider an agency, and use Sophyx to check their results

  3. 3.Do you need ongoing tracking, not a one-time fix?

    Yes

    Sophyx re-checks your questions every two weeks

    No

    A consultant audit may be enough, with a free Sophyx check as the starting point

Hire an agency when

  • Nobody on your team can do the work
  • You want someone to do all of it
  • You run several brands or markets

Hire a consultant when

  • You need a one-time audit
  • You want a plan, not ongoing help
  • Your team can do the work

Use Sophyx when

You want the answers checked before you commit, the fixes written and published for you to approve, and the answers re-checked every two weeks.

See what AI says about you first

AEO services vs AEO tools

An agency does the work for you. Most tools only show you what to fix. Sophyx tracks for free, then writes and publishes the fixes once you approve them.

AEO agency, AEO consultant and Sophyx compared
FeatureAEO agencyAEO consultantSophyx
Shows what AI says about youSometimesOnceYes, every two weeks
Tracks competitors in AI answersBy handOnceYes
Does the workYesAdvice onlyWrites and publishes fixes you approve
Ongoing trackingMonthly reportsNoYes
Cost$3K to $15K+/mo$2K to $10K one-timeFree tracking, plans from USD 99/mo
Time to first resultsWeeksDaysMinutes
Shows before and afterHard to checkSnapshot onlyYes

How Sophyx differs from AEO agencies

Agencies are people doing the work. Sophyx writes the fixes, publishes them, and shows you the answers before and after. Many small teams find that is enough to skip the retainer.

AEO agency

  • A person runs the work for you
  • Results are hard to check on your own
  • Higher cost and a slower start
  • The data lives with them, not you

Sophyx

  • Free check of what AI says, in minutes
  • Competitors tracked in every re-check
  • Fixes written and published for you to approve
  • Before and after answers you can read
  • Works on its own or next to an agency
Check what AI says about youStart free trial

How to decide which AEO approach is right for you

Start with what AI says today. That tells you how big the gap is and what kind of help you need.

  1. Check first

    Run the free check. See where AI names you, where it names a competitor, and which topics are missing.

  2. Size the gap

    A few wrong facts or missing topics is a small job. A competitor named everywhere is a bigger one.

  3. Pick your approach

    Let Sophyx write and publish the fixes, or share the results with an agency so they start from real answers.

  4. Check the results

    Whoever does the work, re-check the same questions. The answers show whether it paid off.

AEO services FAQ

What are AEO services?
AEO (answer engine optimization) services help your business get named when people ask AI tools like ChatGPT or Gemini for a recommendation. They usually include a check of what AI says about you, clearer pages, structured data and ongoing tracking. Sophyx does the check for free, then writes and publishes the fixes, and can let the assistant book a customer for you.
Do I need an AEO agency or can I use a platform like Sophyx?
It depends on who will do the work. If someone on your team can approve drafts, Sophyx writes and publishes the fixes for you. If you want a person to own it end to end, hire an agency, and use Sophyx to check whether their work changes what AI says.
What should I look for in an AEO agency?
Ask them to show you what AI said about a client before and after their work. Ask how they track mentions and competitors in AI answers. If they only report on content they produced, they cannot prove it worked.
How much do AEO services cost?
Agency retainers usually run from $3,000 to $15,000+ per month. Consultants charge $2,000 to $10,000 for an audit. Sophyx tracks for free and paid plans start at USD 99 a month.
Can Sophyx replace an AEO agency?
For many small businesses, yes. Sophyx finds where AI skips you or gets you wrong, writes the fixes and publishes them once you approve. If you want a person to run it for you, an agency still helps, and Sophyx shows you whether their work is moving the answers.
What's the difference between AEO services and GEO services?
Very little. AEO (answer engine optimization) and GEO (generative engine optimization) are two names for the same work: getting your business mentioned, and described correctly, in AI answers. Vendors pick the name they prefer.
How do I know if AEO services are working?
Look at the answers themselves. Ask the same questions before and after the work, and check whether AI now names you and gets your facts right. Sophyx re-checks your questions every two weeks, so you can see the change.
Should I start with measurement or services?
Start with a free check at https://app.sophyx.io/brandanalysis. It shows where AI names you, where it names a competitor, and what it gets wrong. That tells you what to fix before you pay anyone, and gives an agency a clear starting point.

Find out what is broken before you hire

Check what ChatGPT and Gemini say about you today, for free. You get the answers and the first things to fix.

Check what AI says about youStart free trial

Related:Sophyx AEO serviceAnswer Engine OptimizationAI visibility trackingAI answer visibilityGEOHow it works

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