A good brief for a GEO agency states your business goal, the buyers and questions that matter, what you already have, what you want done and how you will judge success, and then asks each agency to explain its method, measurement and limits in writing. The questions that separate strong agencies from weak ones are about evidence: how they know what works, how they measure AI mentions, and what they will not promise. The template below can be copied and filled in.
Why a written brief helps
GEO is new enough that agencies describe the same work very differently, and some sell tactics with no evidence behind them. A written brief makes proposals comparable, forces clear answers on measurement, and protects you from paying for activity instead of results.
The brief template
1. ABOUT US Company, website, what we sell, to whom, in which markets. Main competitors (3 to 5). 2. GOAL The business outcome we want (for example: more qualified enquiries from buyers who research with AI assistants), and by when. 3. BUYERS AND QUESTIONS Our main buyer types. 10 to 20 questions they ask before choosing a provider like us. 4. CURRENT STATE Website platform and who maintains it. SEO work to date and current organic results. Known issues (crawling, rendering, brand confusion, reviews). Access we can provide: Search Console, analytics, server logs, CMS. 5. SCOPE WE ARE CONSIDERING Audit / technical fixes / content / digital PR and listings / measurement and reporting. Mark what is in and out of scope. 6. BUDGET AND TIMELINE Budget range, start date, initial period (at least 6 months). 7. WHAT WE NEED IN YOUR PROPOSAL See the questions below. Answer each one in writing. 8. HOW WE WILL DECIDE Criteria and weights (below). Deadline for proposals.
Questions to ask every agency
Method
- What would you check first on our site, and why?
- Which search and AI crawlers will you make sure can access our site, and how will you verify it?
- How do you decide which pages to create or rewrite?
- What sources do you rely on for how AI assistants choose sources? Please cite them.
Measurement
- How will you measure our visibility in ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google’s AI features? How many runs per question?
- How will you separate AI referral traffic and conversions in our analytics?
- What will the monthly report contain? Please share a sample.
Limits and honesty
- What results do you not guarantee, and why?
- Which popular GEO tactics do you think do not work, and what is your evidence?
- How do you handle reviews, mentions and links? What will you not do?
Team and experience
- Who will work on our account, and what is their experience?
- Can you show work for a client in a similar situation, with permission?
- Who owns the content, reports and data if we stop working together?
Red flags in proposals
- Guaranteed positions in Google or guaranteed mentions in ChatGPT
- “Secret” or proprietary techniques with no explanation
- Heavy emphasis on llms.txt or schema as the main strategy
- Offers to create reviews, buy mentions or publish paid articles as independent coverage
- Reporting based on a single test run or screenshots
- No mention of crawler access, rendering or measurement
How to score proposals
| Criterion | Weight | What a strong answer looks like |
|---|---|---|
| Understanding of our business and buyers | 20% | Refers to our questions and competitors specifically |
| Method and evidence | 25% | Clear steps, cited sources, honest about unknowns |
| Measurement and reporting | 20% | Repeated test runs, analytics setup, sample report |
| Team and relevant experience | 20% | Named people, examples with results |
| Cost and terms | 15% | Clear pricing, ownership of work, reasonable exit terms |
These weights are a starting point. Adjust them to what matters most for your business.
Before you send it
Run a quick self-assessment so you know where you stand and can judge whether agencies spot the real issues. The GEO Readiness Score and our AI crawler access checker take an afternoon. For a professional baseline, Brilad offers an AI Search Audit.
Frequently asked questions
How many agencies should we invite?
Three to five. More makes comparison hard; fewer gives little choice.
Should we hire separate SEO and GEO agencies?
Usually not. The work overlaps heavily, and two agencies can pull in different directions. See GEO vs SEO.
What contract length is reasonable?
An initial period of six months, with monthly reporting and the option to continue, suits the time GEO work takes to show results.
Sources
- Google Search Central, “Do you need an SEO?”
- Google Search Central, “AI features and your website”