How to choose a GEO agency
in Malaysia (and the questions
that expose pretenders)
GEO is new, demand is rising, and plenty of agencies have added "AI optimization" to their menu without changing what they actually do. This guide gives you a concrete way to tell a real GEO agency from a relabelled SEO package — including the eight questions we'd ask before hiring anyone. Yes, including us.
First: what a real GEO agency actually delivers
Generative Engine Optimization has specific, verifiable deliverables. If an agency can't name these, they're improvising:
- A scored baseline audit — a measurable assessment of your current AI visibility before any work starts
- Structured data (schema markup) — machine-readable business information AI engines trust
- llms.txt — a structured summary file that helps AI systems understand your site (what is llms.txt?)
- AI crawler configuration — robots.txt rules that let GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot read your site (is your site blocking them?)
- Citable content work — restructuring pages so AI can confidently quote them
- Brand authority building — presence on the platforms AI engines cite: Google reviews, directories, LinkedIn, media
- Ongoing measurement — monthly reporting on AI mention frequency and score movement
The 8 questions to ask before you hire
1. "Does your own agency show up in ChatGPT?"
The fastest credibility test. Ask ChatGPT or Perplexity about GEO agencies in Malaysia. An agency that can't make itself visible to AI can't make you visible either.
2. "Can I see your robots.txt, llms.txt, and schema markup?"
Visit their website's /robots.txt and /llms.txt and check a page's source for JSON-LD structured data. A real GEO agency implements GEO on itself first. Ours: robots.txt, llms.txt.
3. "What exactly will be in my monthly report?"
You want AI mention frequency and movement on a scored framework — not just traffic graphs. Traffic doesn't capture AI visibility; most AI recommendations never register as a website visit.
4. "What are your specific GEO deliverables in month one?"
Expect concrete items from the list above. "We'll optimize your content for AI" with no specifics is a relabelled SEO retainer.
5. "How do you handle Bahasa Malaysia and Chinese-language visibility?"
Malaysians ask AI questions in three languages, and AI answers in the language of the question. If your customers search in BM or Mandarin, an English-only strategy leaves visibility on the table.
6. "What's the contract term?"
Prefer month-to-month. GEO produces measurable signal changes within weeks, so an agency confident in its work doesn't need a 12-month lock-in to keep you.
7. "Will you score my current visibility before I commit?"
A baseline must exist before any retainer starts — otherwise you can never verify improvement. A serious agency offers this readily (we deliver a free 0–100 GEO score within 48 hours).
8. "Do you guarantee I'll appear in ChatGPT?"
The correct answer is no. Nobody controls AI model outputs. A credible agency commits to improving the signals AI relies on and measuring the results — not to guaranteed placements. A guarantee here is your clearest red flag.
Red flags, summarized
- Guarantees of specific AI placements ("#1 in ChatGPT")
- No baseline audit or scoring methodology
- Their own site lacks schema, llms.txt, or allows no AI crawlers
- Reports built entirely on traffic and rankings — SEO metrics for a GEO engagement
- Long lock-in contracts on a discipline that shows results in weeks
What GEO costs in Malaysia
Monthly GEO retainers in Malaysia typically run RM2,000–RM5,000 depending on scope. For reference, SeenBy Digital charges RM2,000/month for GEO optimization, technical fixes, audits, and strategy, and RM4,200/month for the full version including SEO implementation, content writing, and social media execution — both month-to-month with no lock-in. Full pricing details here.
Whatever you pay, the test is the same: can the agency tell you exactly what deliverables the fee covers, and will the monthly report show signal movement you can verify yourself?
Still deciding between GEO and SEO?
If you're not yet sure your business needs GEO at all, start with our comparison: GEO agency vs SEO agency — which does your business need? Comparing specific agencies? See best GEO agencies in Malaysia (2026) or SeenBy Digital vs Rankpage vs Cleverus. Or run the five-minute self-check: how to check if your business appears in ChatGPT or Perplexity.
Put us through the 8 questions. Start with the free baseline.