AI SEARCH OPTIMIZATION
SEO gets you ranking. AEO/GEO makes you the answer AI cites.
Audiences increasingly ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview - no longer googling and scrolling. Sagara positions your brand as the source AI engines recommend, starting now.
Quick Answer
What is AI Search Optimization (AEO/GEO), and how much does it cost?
AI Search Optimization is the practice of optimizing a brand to be cited and recommended by AI-based search engines - covering AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization). The goal is to make your brand the answer that appears in ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview. Traditional SEO chases ranking; AEO/GEO chases citation - becoming the source AI references when answering a user's question.
At Sagara, this service starts with an AI Visibility Audit from around USD 500 (one-time, including gap analysis and roadmap), and an AEO/GEO Growth retainer from around USD 940 per month for ongoing optimization plus citation monitoring. Sagara is an established SEO agency for premium brands (BMW, Porsche, XPENG) and applies AEO/GEO on its own site - a methodology we practice, not theory.
- Audit From
- ~$500 (one-time)
- Growth Retainer
- ~$940 / month
- Focus
- ChatGPT · Perplexity · AI Overview
What Are AEO and GEO?
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) are two sides of one goal: making your brand the answer AI engines choose. AEO focuses on content formats that are easy to extract into a direct answer - answer blocks, FAQs, and dense definitions. GEO focuses on how generative models like ChatGPT and Gemini select, summarize, and cite sources when composing an answer. The two are often bundled under one umbrella term: AI Search Optimization.
The foundation is still healthy SEO - structured schema, authority, and quality content - but the orientation is different. Instead of chasing clicks to a website, AEO/GEO chases citation inside AI answers. At Sagara, this service is built on top of our technical SEO practice already in place - so it is not a separate discipline, but the natural evolution of how brands get discovered in the AI era.
The way people search is changing. Instead of typing a keyword and scanning ten links, more audiences ask ChatGPT, Gemini, or Perplexity directly - and receive a single concise answer with its sources. If your brand is not cited in that answer, you are invisible in the new era of search, even if your SEO is strong. At Sagara, we believe this is an early-mover moment: brands that move now become the source AI recommends before the category fills up.
Why Sagara
AN ESTABLISHED SEO AGENCY,
AN EARLY-MOVER IN AI SEARCH
AEO/GEO is a new field, and we are honest about it: no one has years of track record here yet - including us. What we do have is the right foundation to win it. Sagara already handles technical SEO for premium brands like BMW, Porsche, MINI, and XPENG.
And most importantly: we apply AEO/GEO on our own site. The page you are reading uses structured schema, extractable answer-first blocks, DefinedTerm definitions, and an llms.txt file for AI crawler access. We sell a methodology we practice - not promises of results that cannot be proven.
Discuss Your AEO/GEO Strategy
A Technical SEO Foundation
AEO/GEO is built on clean technical SEO - schema, structure, authority. We have already done this for premium brands, so the foundation is nothing new.
We Practice It Ourselves
The Sagara site uses structured schema, answer-first blocks, DefinedTerm, and llms.txt. This page itself is a demonstration of the methodology - proof you can inspect.
Honest About Expectations
We do not promise "guaranteed to appear in ChatGPT within X days". We are transparent about what can and cannot be controlled - and report citations as they are.
An Early-Mover Position
The AI search category is not crowded yet. Brands that lay the foundation now find it far easier to dominate citations than later, once every competitor moves in.
What We Do
SIX PILLARS OF AI SEARCH OPTIMIZATION
AI Visibility Audit
We check whether your brand appears in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview for your category queries - then map the gap: which questions do not cite you yet, and who is cited instead.
Entity & Schema
Entity and schema optimization (Organization, Product, FAQ, DefinedTerm) plus Knowledge Graph and Wikidata - so AI engines understand who you are, not just read keywords.
Answer-First Content
Restructuring content to be AI-extractable: concise answer blocks, self-contained FAQs, dense definitions, and citable figures. The format AI quotes, not rambling paragraphs.
Citability & Authority
Making the brand a source worth citing: first-party data, expert byline, and verifiable claims. AI cites sources that are credible and specific.
AI-Crawler Access
Technical setup for AI crawler access - llms.txt, and rules for GPTBot, PerplexityBot, and Google-Extended. If AI bots cannot read your site, your brand can never become the answer.
Monitoring & Iteration
Track AI citations over time - which queries start citing you, which do not - then iterate. This field moves fast; strategy is adjusted based on real data.
Methodology
HOW WE MAKE A BRAND THE ANSWER
AEO/GEO is not a one-time trick, but a recurring process: audit, optimize, measure, iterate. Because this is a new field, we stay transparent - what we offer is a methodology that is sound in principle and applied on our own site, not a promise of numbers that cannot be proven.
Working Principle
BUILT ON SEO, AIMED AT AI CITATION
We start with an AI visibility audit to map the gap, then strengthen entities and schema so AI engines understand your brand. Content is restructured into an answer-first format that is easy to extract, and authority is built through quotable first-party data. Finally, crawler access is kept open and citations are monitored over time. Every step is verifiable - just like this page, whose schema and structure you can inspect.
Proof You Can Check
Investment
AI SEARCH OPTIMIZATION PACKAGES
Start with a one-time audit, or a monthly retainer for ongoing optimization. Prices are indicative (converted from IDR at ~Rp16,000/USD) and finalized after a consultation based on scope - no hidden fees.
AI Visibility Audit
A thorough audit of whether your brand shows up in AI answers - plus a prioritized fix roadmap.
- Brand visibility check across ChatGPT, Perplexity & Google AI Overview
- Gap analysis: which category queries do not cite you yet
- Audit of entities, schema, and existing content structure
- AI crawler access check (GPTBot, PerplexityBot, Google-Extended)
- Prioritized roadmap + effort estimate
AEO/GEO Growth
Monthly retainer: audit, ongoing optimization, and AI citation monitoring over time.
- Everything in the AI Visibility Audit
- Entity & schema optimization (Organization, FAQ, DefinedTerm)
- Answer-first content restructure (AI-extractable format)
- Citability: quotable first-party data & expert byline
- llms.txt setup + AI-crawler access
- Monthly AI citation monitoring + iteration
Enterprise
For multi-product brands or competitive categories that need full-scale entity and content coverage.
- Fully custom AEO/GEO strategy
- Knowledge Graph & Wikidata entity building
- Large-scale answer-first pillar content
- Integration with your existing SEO & content teams
- Dedicated specialist + scheduled reporting
- Cross-channel coordination (web, PR, social)
Not sure where to start? Free consultation via WhatsApp - we recommend starting with the AI Visibility Audit to see where you stand today.
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FAQ
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
What is AI Search Optimization (AEO/GEO)?
AI Search Optimization is the practice of optimizing a brand to be cited and recommended by AI-based search engines. The technical terms are AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) and GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) - both focused on making a brand the answer that appears in ChatGPT, Google Gemini, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview. Unlike traditional SEO that chases rank positions on Google's blue links, AEO/GEO chases citation: becoming the source AI references when answering a user's question.
How is AEO/GEO different from regular SEO?
Traditional SEO optimizes for your website to appear at the top of search results so users click through. AEO/GEO optimizes for your content to be cited directly inside AI-generated answers - often with no click. SEO gets you ranking; AEO/GEO makes you the answer. The two are complementary: a clean technical SEO foundation (schema, structure, authority) is actually the primary fuel for AEO/GEO.
Why should brands optimize for AI now?
Search behavior is shifting: more people ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google AI Overview directly and receive a single concise answer, instead of scanning ten links. If your brand is not cited in that answer, you are effectively invisible in the new era of search - even if your SEO is strong. This is the early-mover phase: categories that are not yet crowded are far easier to dominate now than later, once every competitor moves in.
How much does AEO/GEO cost at Sagara?
At Sagara, AI Search Optimization starts with a one-time AI Visibility Audit from around USD 500 - covering the AI visibility audit, gap analysis, and priority roadmap. For ongoing optimization plus citation monitoring, the AEO/GEO Growth package is available as a retainer from around USD 940 per month. Brands with competitive categories or large-scale needs are handled with a custom Enterprise package. These prices are indicative (converted from IDR at ~Rp16,000/USD) and finalized after a consultation based on scope.
How long until a brand starts getting cited by AI?
No agency can guarantee an exact timeline - AEO/GEO is a new, fast-moving field, and each AI engine selects sources differently. What we can be certain of: the technical foundation (schema, answer-first, crawler access) can be put in place within weeks, while citations grow alongside authority and content consistency. We are transparent about what can and cannot be controlled - be wary of anyone who promises "guaranteed to appear in ChatGPT within X days".
What makes Sagara credible for this new service?
Sagara is an established creative and digital agency working with premium brands like BMW, Porsche, MINI, and XPENG, with a strong technical SEO foundation - and AEO/GEO is built on top of it. More importantly: we apply AEO/GEO on our own site. The page you are reading uses structured schema, extractable answer-first blocks, DefinedTerm definitions, and llms.txt for AI crawler access. We sell a methodology we practice, not theory.
READY TO BE THE ANSWER, NOT JUST A RESULT?
Free consultation, no commitment. We check where your brand stands in AI answers today and share initial recommendations - then decide the next steps together.
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