There is no reliable universal monthly price for AI search optimization. What you pay depends on whether you need technical fixes, better service content, research, reporting, or ongoing search strategy. Ask for a clear written scope rather than assuming a service labeled AEO or GEO is inherently different from SEO.
For context, Tide & Type publishes monthly SEO starting prices of $900, $1,500 and $2,500 across its local, growth and authority plans. Those are published SEO plan starting prices—not separate AI search optimization package prices or industry-wide averages. Confirm any AI-specific deliverables in your proposal. View the current SEO pricing page for authoritative details.
What are you actually purchasing?
The phrase “AI search optimization” is broad. A useful proposal breaks down specific work that can be evaluated. The most common categories are:
| Workstream | Example deliverables | What to verify |
|---|---|---|
| Technical discovery | Crawl, indexing, canonical and internal-link review | Which pages and tools are covered? |
| Editorial improvement | Clearer service explanations, useful comparison or cost guides, source verification | Who writes, fact-checks and approves content? |
| Brand and business facts | Consistent business identity, service descriptions and accurate structured data | Are facts backed by the real website and business? |
| Visibility measurement | Bing citation review, Google AI-feature performance and documented manual checks | Are citations separated from rankings, impressions and leads? |
| Ongoing optimization | Prioritized page updates, tracking review, content maintenance | What is delivered every month? |
A one-time audit and a monthly implementation program are not the same product. A quote should spell out the pages reviewed, the number and type of changes, reporting sources, ownership of content and any extra charges.
What drives the cost?
Website condition and technical debt
If your important pages cannot be indexed, old URLs redirect incorrectly or internal navigation hides services, technical work comes first. A content-only agency cannot reliably solve an indexing problem by publishing additional articles.
Business complexity and competitive scope
A single-location business may need a focused service-and-location structure. A professional services organization operating across markets or practice areas may need much more research, editing and measurement. More target markets also increase the risk of duplicative content, so a larger campaign should not be equated with more near-identical landing pages.
How much editorial work is actually required
Good content explains what a buyer needs to decide, not just what a keyword tool suggests. Pricing, implementation constraints, service comparisons and case-specific FAQs can take more work to research than generic “what is SEO?” articles. Publication volume is not a substitute for accuracy.
Measurement access and expectations
Not every AI platform provides comparable reporting, and one test prompt is not a reliable performance baseline. An engagement with transparent reporting may include tooling, repeatable prompt sampling, manual verification and CRM reconciliation. Define those tasks before pricing the service.
How Tide & Type's published SEO plans fit
| Published plan | Monthly starting price | Starting conversation |
|---|---|---|
| Local SEO | $900 | Core service-page clarity, eligible local signals and measurement |
| SEO Growth | $1,500 | Broader content and technical priorities across additional search needs |
| SEO Authority | $2,500 | More competitive or multi-market planning and ongoing work |
These prices are the site’s published SEO starting points, not dedicated AEO rates. Services, capacity and final deliverables must be confirmed in the current plan descriptions and written proposal. There is no promise of inclusion in ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews or Microsoft Copilot, and no fixed citation timeline.
Should you pay for an AI SEO audit first?
Sometimes. A bounded audit can be valuable when the business is deciding what is broken. Ask whether it checks live pages, indexability, citations in a stated tool or platform, and the accuracy of claims made about the site. Be wary of a score generated solely from the homepage’s metadata and presented as “how ChatGPT ranks you.”
Our AI visibility measurement guide explains what different tools can and cannot show. Google’s AI features documentation also makes clear that no additional technical requirements are necessary beyond normal Search eligibility.
Can your team do this work in-house?
Yes, if you have someone who can manage Search Console, check indexing, improve the writing on service pages and track qualified enquiries. An external specialist becomes more useful when the site requires deeper development, coordinated editorial production or research across many services. A good agency should be able to explain which tasks your team can retain and which it would own.
Questions to ask before signing an AEO proposal
- Which actual pages and business goals are included?
- How much of the fee covers new content, technical implementation, measurement and reporting?
- Which search or AI platforms are measured, and are the metrics independently verifiable?
- Will the agency distinguish citations, impressions, clicks, enquiries and sales?
- Are there setup fees, software subscriptions or costs for work outside scope?
- Who owns the published content and all reporting accounts?
- What happens if the first diagnosis reveals an ordinary SEO or conversion problem rather than an AI visibility issue?
The decision that matters
Purchase a scope you can understand. Start with a useful site and measurable customer outcomes; add AI visibility reporting where it improves decisions. Compare AEO and traditional SEO before choosing a service. If you want help prioritizing the right work, explore our SEO approach or talk to Tide & Type about your actual site.
Need help putting this into practice? Explore our AI Search Optimization (AEO/GEO) service for a defined strategy and transparent next steps.
