What Boutique B2B CRO Agencies Should Charge for GEO
Most boutique B2B CRO agencies should price a standalone GEO retainer at $2,500–$6,500 per month for a defined 5–10 page/service scope. If GEO rolls into an integrated CRO + GEO program—content optimization, LLM visibility tracking, and conversion test support—the realistic range is $6,000–$12,000 per month. Charge a one-time setup fee of $1,500–$5,000 for technical foundations, entity mapping, and baseline measurement. Page count, LLM platforms, content velocity, and revenue attribution depth will move that number up or down.
Before you quote, get clear on what GEO does for a CRO client. It isn’t SEO. GEO focuses on how ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and Copilot select and cite a brand. For a boutique B2B shop, the point is rarely just getting mentioned. You want AI engines pointing to a service page, comparison page, or pricing page that already converts. If you need a fast grounding, start with what GEO actually measures.
What should be included in the retainer
A defensible GEO retainer for a B2B CRO agency shouldn’t be a vague “AI visibility” package. Include the following:
- Answer-target mapping: 10–30 high-intent B2B questions or comparison queries tied to specific service pages.
- A current share-of-citation baseline across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Gemini, and/or Copilot.
- On-page optimization for service pages, comparison pages, pricing pages, case studies, and FAQ sections.
- Net-new Q&A or decision-focused content for spots where the brand isn’t cited yet.
- Technical GEO setup: llms.txt, clean crawl paths, and working AI crawler access.
- Monthly reporting on citation share, AI referral traffic, on-site engagement, demo requests, and influenced pipeline.
- A CRO feedback loop that turns AI-referred session data into new A/B test ideas.
Pricing models that fit boutique agencies
Three pricing structures work well for boutique CRO shops:
- Fixed monthly retainer: predictable and scope-based. It works for clients with steady content volume.
- Tiered retainer: starter, core, and enterprise levels that scale pages, LLM coverage, and reporting depth.
- Hybrid retainer + performance: a lower base plus a bonus tied to qualified LLM-referred demos or pipeline. This one fits when you already have CRO attribution in place.
Keep setup fees separate. Otherwise you end up donating strategy and baseline work during the first month.
Benchmark retainers by scope
| Scope | Monthly retainer | Setup fee | Typical inclusions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Starter GEO | $2,500–$4,500 | $1,500–$3,500 | 5 key pages, 10 answer targets, 3 LLM platforms, llms.txt, monthly citation report |
| Core GEO + CRO | $5,000–$8,500 | $2,500–$5,000 | 10–20 pages, 20–30 answer targets, 4 platforms, 8–12 content updates/month, CRO test hypotheses, biweekly reporting |
| Enterprise GEO + CRO | $9,000–$15,000+ | $5,000–$9,000 | 30+ pages, multiple service or product lines, 5 platforms, weekly optimization sprints, dedicated strategist, revenue attribution layer |
These ranges reflect what specialized boutique teams can charge, not enterprise SaaS shops. If your CRO agency also designs and runs the A/B tests, add 20–35% to the integrated tiers.
Five variables that move the price
- Page and entity count: a 5-page service catalog is far easier than a 30-page multi-product B2B site.
- LLM coverage: tracking Perplexity and Google AI Overviews is standard. Adding Copilot and Gemini multiplies data collection and formatting work.
- Content velocity: eight updates a month is a retainer. Three net-new articles a week is a separate content engagement.
- Technical readiness: if the client blocks AI crawlers or has messy structured content, setup fees and month-one hours climb. Check the AI crawlers list before you quote.
- Attribution depth: citation share is only a leading indicator. Tying AI referral sessions to demos and closed revenue takes more instrumentation, and that justifies higher retainers.
How to build a quote in 6 steps
- Pick the 10 highest-intent service, pricing, and comparison queries the client cares about.
- Run a baseline share-of-citation check across ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.
- Count pages that need optimization and content gaps that need new assets.
- Audit technical GEO readiness, including llms.txt and AI crawler access. If no llms.txt exists, generate one with the llms.txt generator.
- Choose a tier based on page count, answer targets, content velocity, and number of LLM platforms.
- Set the setup fee, define monthly deliverables, and attach a revenue metric or citation-share KPI.
Questions to ask before quoting
- Which LLM platforms already send traffic or pipeline?
- Do we need to optimize existing pages, create new content, or both?
- How many product or service lines are in scope?
- Will the CRO team act on AI-referred session data to run tests?
- What counts as a win: share of citation, LLM referral traffic, demo requests, or closed revenue?
- Who owns technical implementation, or is the agency expected to manage llms.txt and crawler access?
Don’t underprice the CRO connection
GEO retainers aren’t just content retainers. A CRO agency’s defensible value sits in connecting LLM citations to conversion behavior. Depending on the client, one B2B demo can be worth $5,000–$50,000 in lifetime value. If GEO work influences even two to four additional qualified demos per month, a $6,000 retainer looks cheap. Show that connection in your reporting.
On the technical side, make sure the client’s AI-facing content is easy for LLMs to parse. In practice, that means a proper llms.txt file, clean crawl directives, and no accidental blocks on AI crawlers. These items belong in the setup fee, not as optional add-ons.
Boutique B2B CRO agencies get GEO pricing right when the scope is built around concrete answer targets, setup is separated from ongoing work, and the monthly fee ties to a conversion outcome—not a fuzzy “AI visibility” metric.
UpGeo gets your brand cited across ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI.
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