AEO Provider Comparison Scorecard
Compare answer engine optimization providers on evidence, not buzzwords.
AI search has brought a wave of new services and new jargon, and it's hard to tell real measurement from a screenshot. This scorecard defines the terms in plain English, gives you eight questions to ask every provider, and shows what a good answer and a red flag look like, so you can compare them on how they measure and what they will actually change.
- Format
- Printable PDF
- Length
- 3 pages
- Use it
- On each sales call
- Price
- Free
Free download
Get the AEO Provider Comparison Scorecard
Three quick steps, then the PDF is yours to download. We'll email you a copy too.
- Printable 3-page PDF
- Instant download, plus a copy by email
- Plain language, no SEO background needed
- A next step for every weak row
Use it when
What the scorecard helps with
Step 4 of 4: hire the right help. Here is when this scorecard earns its place on your desk.
Someone is selling you "AI optimization"
They offer to get you into ChatGPT or Google's AI answers, and you can't tell whether there is a method behind it.
AEO and GEO mean nothing to you yet
The first page defines AEO, GEO and AI search visibility in plain language, and notes that the terms are used loosely.
Every provider shows you a screenshot
AI answers change often and differ by user, location and wording, so one screenshot proves nothing. The scorecard asks how they measure, which prompts, how often, and over what period.
You want providers side by side
The grid lines up to three providers on measurement, site changes, citations, reporting and the limits they admit to.
What you get out of it
What you'll walk away with
- A working understanding of AEO, GEO and AI search visibility, without the jargon
- Every provider's answers to the same eight questions, in one grid
- A shortlist, maybe or pass decision for each provider
- The red flags that rule a provider out, including guaranteed citations and special files sold as the key to Google's AI answers
- What to ask for when a row is weak, from a baseline prompt run to a sample report
Who it's for
- Owners and marketing leads being pitched AI search services
- Businesses comparing AEO or GEO providers
- Teams that want a measurement plan before they spend
Page by page
What's inside the scorecard
3 printable pages. Here is a look at each one.
Page 1
How to use it, plain definitions of AEO, GEO and AI search visibility, and what Google says about appearing in its AI features.
Page 2
The comparison grid for up to three providers and the first four questions, on measurement, prompts, testing and site changes, each with a good answer and a red flag.
Page 3
Questions five to eight on entity signals, third-party citations, reporting and limits, the red flags that rule a provider out, and what to do if a row is weak.
How to use it
Three steps, straight from the scorecard
- 01
Read the definitions, then ask each provider to define AEO and GEO in their own words.
- 02
Ask the eight questions and write what each provider says in the comparison grid.
- 03
Use the red flags to rule providers out. Choose the one that can show how it measures and what it will change.
Results depend on your market, your competition and your starting point. Nothing in this tool is a guarantee of rankings, traffic or revenue.
Free download
Ready to start? Get your free copy of the scorecard.
Three quick steps, then the PDF is yours to download. We'll email you a copy too.
- Printable 3-page PDF
- Instant download, plus a copy by email
- Plain language, no SEO background needed
- A next step for every weak row
Go deeper
Read the guide, or hand it to us
Want us to do this for you?
Arising Co can measure your AI visibility, show you the method, and tell you what to change on your site and off it.
Frequently Asked Questions
Questions about the scorecard
Keep going
