1import{j as e}from"./query-Cjpfdvw4.js";import{S as p,H as g,F as b}from"./index-Belz_cbG.js";import{B as y}from"./Breadcrumbs-CiGy5rQg.js";import{A as f}from"./AuthorBox-CgYU6ur9.js";import{T as j}from"./TLDRBox-BuuU7GWP.js";import{B as v}from"./BoardDeckVsRealityFigure-CvUdhWBD.js";import{G as w}from"./GeoHubTableOfContents-CAh20pOD.js";import{G as N}from"./GeoHubSidebar-BDQ1i05D.js";import{G as k}from"./GeoHubCTA-BmFX4q-1.js";import{r as h}from"./react-vendor--0RGCJ5T.js";import{A,a,b as o,c as i}from"./accordion-B-EK5zKF.js";import{A as E}from"./arrow-left-ChGEGT5Y.js";import{U as I}from"./user-WRZjW-gk.js";import{C as G}from"./calendar-C_OBrlZx.js";import{C as T}from"./clock-BFfLOtZe.js";import{L as s}from"./router-DC17JV-w.js";import"./three-BVHvBj-Y.js";import"./ui-core-C_2viBZu.js";import"./charts-iMAX-OBK.js";import"./EnlargeableFigure-CuaYjjvp.js";import"./dialog-DR7vMUQk.js";import"./list-DV4bmTTv.js";const O=[{question:"How much does a GEO agency cost?",answer:"Most specialized GEO agencies charge $5,000-15,000/month for B2B SaaS. Agency costs $5-15K/month and is productive from day one. In-house salary is $120-180K/year ($10-15K/month) with 3-6 months ramp time before real output, plus additional $500-2,000/month for tools. The agency often costs less in year one while delivering results faster.",link:"/services/geo-marketing",linkText:"Learn about Growtika's GEO services"},{question:"How long until GEO shows results?",answer:"Timeline depends on who's doing the work. With an agency: 2-4 weeks for Perplexity visibility, 60-90 days for ChatGPT and Claude, 4-6 months for pipeline impact. In-house teams should add 6-9 months to each timeline for learning curve. If you're reporting to a board quarterly, that gap is the difference between having data and having excuses.",link:"/blog/geo-case-study",linkText:"See real GEO results timeline"},{question:"What should I look for in a GEO agency?",answer:"Three things separate real GEO practitioners from repackaged SEO: 1) Multi-platform proof with results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot, not just Google. 2) Authority-first approach explaining how they build trust with AI models before optimizing content. 3) Adaptation history showing how they responded to the last major AI update with specific tactics that changed. See our curated list of vetted enterprise agencies.",link:"/blog/best-enterprise-seo-geo-agencies",linkText:"See 12 best enterprise SEO & GEO agencies"},{question:"Can I do GEO myself without an agency?",answer:"You can, but GEO requires technical implementation (schema, LLM sitemaps), authority building (brand mentions, expert citations), content strategy (AI-extractable formats), and ongoing adaptation as tactics change every 3-4 months. If you have 20+ hours/week, existing SEO expertise, and 6-9 months runway, DIY is viable. If not, the learning curve costs more than an agency retainer.",link:"/blog/geo-playbook",linkText:"Read the complete GEO playbook"},{question:"Is GEO worth it for early-stage startups?",answer:"Depends on runway and growth expectations. Yes if you raised seed/Series A and need traction in 2-3 quarters, if your category is still forming in AI models (first-mover advantage), or if enterprise buyers are part of your ICP. Maybe not if pre-revenue with 18+ month runway and no board pressure. Getting cited early creates positioning that's hard for competitors to displace later.",link:"/use-cases/series-a-b-visibility",linkText:"AI visibility for Series A/B companies"}],B={"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"FAQPage",mainEntity:O.map(r=>({"@type":"Question",name:r.question,acceptedAnswer:{"@type":"Answer",text:r.answer}}))},l=[{id:"board-doesnt-wait",title:"The Board Doesn't Wait"},{id:"what-youre-paying-for",title:"What You're Actually Paying For"},{id:"what-agencies-bring",title:"What Agencies Bring"},{id:"the-bottom-line",title:"The Bottom Line"},{id:"faqs",title:"FAQs"}],F=["In-house GEO hire: 6-9 months before meaningful output","Agency with playbooks: results in pipeline within 60-90 days","The real cost isn't salary. It's two board meetings with nothing to show.","Agencies bring scenarios they've already solved at other companies"],se=()=>{const[r,m]=h.useState(l[0].id),x=[{label:"GEO Hub",href:"/geo-hub"},{label:"True Cost of GEO"}];return h.useEffect(()=>{const n=()=>{const c=l.map(t=>document.getElementById(t.id)),u=window.scrollY+150;for(let t=c.length-1;t>=0;t--){const d=c[t];if(d&&d.offsetTop<=u){m(l[t].id);break}}};return window.addEventListener("scroll",n),()=>window.removeEventListener("scroll",n)},[]),e.jsxs("div",{className:"min-h-screen relative overflow-x-clip",style:{background:"hsl(230 40% 12%
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The board expects growth metrics in 90 days. Your marketing lead says they'll "figure out this AI visibility thing" and hire someone.`}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed",children:"From my experience working with 50+ funded startups, that decision will cost you two quarters. Not because in-house is wrong. 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4olid #FECACA"},children:[e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#991B1B"},children:"Month 1-2"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#7F1D1D"},children:"Hiring process. Interviews. Offers. Notice periods."})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#991B1B"},children:"Month 3-4"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#7F1D1D"},children:"Onboarding. Learning your product. Building strategy."})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#991B1B"},children:"Month 5-6"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#7F1D1D"},children:"First experiments. Trial and error. 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Maybe starting over."})]})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"bg-white rounded-lg p-3 mt-5 text-center",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"Board meetings passed"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-3xl font-extrabold",style:{color:"#DC2626"},children:"2-3"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs",style:{color:"#991B1B"},children:`with "we're still ramping up"`})]})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"p-6 sm:p-7",style:{background:"#ECFDF5"},children:[e.jsxs("div",{className:"flex items-center gap-2.5 mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"w-8 h-8 rounded-full flex items-center justify-center text-white font-bold text-sm",style:{background:"#059669"},children:"A"}),e.jsx("span",{className:"font-bold",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Agency"})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"relative pl-5",style:{borderLeft:"2px solid #6EE7B7"},children:[e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Week 1-2"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Audit complete. Strategy from proven playbooks."})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Week 3-4"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Implementation starts. Technical foundations live."})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"mb-5",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Month 2"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Content and authority building in motion."})]}),e.jsxs("div",{children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs font-semibold",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"Month 3"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"First measurable results. Data for board deck."})]})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"bg-white rounded-lg p-3 mt-5 text-center",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"Board meetings passed"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-3xl font-extrabold",style:{color:"#059669"},children:"1"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs",style:{color:"#065F46"},children:"with metrics to show"})]})]})]})}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed",children:"The salary looks similar on paper. The outcome couldn't be more different."})]}),e.jsxs("section",{id:"what-youre-paying-for",className:"mb-12 pt-8",children:[e.jsx("h2",{className:"text-2xl font-bold text-white mb-4 pb-2 border-b border-white/10",children:"What You're Actually Paying For"}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed",children:"An agency that's run 30+ GEO campaigns has already solved your problems at other companies. They know which citation formats work for developer tools. Which authority signals matter for cybersecurity. Which content structures get picked up by Perplexity vs ChatGPT."}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed mt-4",children:"Your in-house hire will figure this out eventually. They'll run the same experiments the agency ran two years ago. They'll make the same mistakes. They'll discover the same insights."}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed mt-4",children:"The question is whether you can afford to wait while they learn."}),e.jsx("p",{className:"text-white/80 leading-relaxed mt-4",children:"And here's the uncomfortable truth about what actually shows up in board decks versus what actually drives pipeline:"}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"my-8",children:[e.jsx(v,{}),e.jsxs("p",{className:"text-sm text-white/50 mt-3 text-center italic",children:["What looks good in your board deck rarely matches what actually converts. See our ",e.jsx(s,{to:"/blog/board-deck-ai-visibility",className:"text-orange hover:underline",children:"AI Visibility for Board Decks"})," analysis for the full breakdown."]})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"rounded-lg p-6 my-8",style:{background:"#FEF3C7",borderLeft:"4px solid #F59E0B"},children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"font-bold text-sm uppercase tracking-wide mb-2",style:{color:"#92400E"},children:"â ï¸ The Hidden Cost"}),e.jsx("p",{className:"m-0",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"Every quarter without AI visibility is a quarter your competitors are building citation authority. In emerging categories, the first company AI models learn to trust often keeps that position for years. You're not just losing time. You're losing territory that gets harder to reclaim."})]})]}),e.jsxs("section",{id:"what-agencies-bring",className:"mb-12 pt-8",children:[e.jsx("h2",{className:"text-2xl font-bold text-white mb-4 pb-2 border-b border-white/10",children:"What Agencies Bring That Hires Can't"}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"my-8 rounded-xl overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsxs("div",{className:"grid grid-cols-3",children:[e.jsxs("div",{className:"p-6 text-center",style:{borderRight:"1px solid #E5E7EB"},children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-3xl font-extrabold",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"30+"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm mt-1",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"Active client learnings"}
4),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs mt-2",style:{color:"#9CA3AF"},children:"Patterns visible across portfolio"})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"p-6 text-center",style:{borderRight:"1px solid #E5E7EB"},children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-3xl font-extrabold",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"72h"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm mt-1",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"Response to AI updates"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs mt-2",style:{color:"#9CA3AF"},children:"vs months for solo operators"})]}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"p-6 text-center",children:[e.jsx("div",{className:"text-3xl font-extrabold",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"Day 1"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-sm mt-1",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"Connections & relationships"}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-xs mt-2",style:{color:"#9CA3AF"},children:"Podcasts, publications, experts"})]})]}),e.jsx("div",{className:"text-center py-4 px-6",style:{background:"#F9FAFB",borderTop:"1px solid #E5E7EB"},children:e.jsx("p",{className:"text-sm m-0",style:{color:"#5A6B7A"},children:"A new hire starts at zero on all three. An agency brings them fully loaded."})})]})]}),e.jsxs("section",{id:"the-bottom-line",className:"mb-12 pt-8",children:[e.jsx("h2",{className:"text-2xl font-bold text-white mb-4 pb-2 border-b border-white/10",children:"The Bottom Line"}),e.jsxs("div",{className:"rounded-lg p-6 my-8",style:{background:"#FFE5DE",borderLeft:"4px solid #F78B6F"},children:[e.jsxs("p",{className:"m-0",style:{color:"#002237"},children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"If you have 12+ months and no board pressure:"})," In-house can work. Hire smart, give them runway, let them learn."]}),e.jsxs("p",{className:"mt-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"If you raised money and need to show growth:"})," Agency first. Get the playbooks running, show results to the board, then decide if you want to build internal capability alongside."]}),e.jsxs("p",{className:"mt-4 mb-0",style:{color:"#002237"},children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"The real calculation:"}),' Two quarters of "still ramping up" costs more than any agency retainer. Your board cares about metrics, not org charts.']})]})]}),e.jsxs("section",{id:"faqs",className:"mb-12 pt-8",children:[e.jsx("h2",{className:"text-2xl font-bold text-white mb-6 pb-2 border-b border-white/10",children:"Frequently Asked Questions"}),e.jsxs(A,{type:"single",collapsible:!0,className:"space-y-3",children:[e.jsxs(a,{value:"faq-1",className:"rounded-xl border-0 overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsx(o,{className:"px-6 py-5 hover:no-underline [&[data-state=open]>svg]:rotate-180",children:e.jsx("span",{className:"text-lg font-bold text-left",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"How much does a GEO agency cost?"})}),e.jsxs(i,{className:"px-6 pb-6 pt-0",children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"text-base m-0 mb-3",style:{color:"#374151"},children:"Most specialized GEO agencies charge $5,000-15,000/month for B2B SaaS. Here's how it compares to in-house:"}),e.jsxs("ul",{className:"pl-5 mb-3 list-disc",style:{color:"#374151"},children:[e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Agency:"})," $5-15K/month, productive from day one"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"In-house salary:"})," $120-180K/year ($10-15K/month)"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Ramp time:"})," 3-6 months before real output"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Tools:"})," Additional $500-2,000/month"]})]}),e.jsx("p",{className:"font-medium m-0 mb-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"The agency often costs less in year one while delivering results faster."}),e.jsx(s,{to:"/services/geo-marketing",className:"text-sm font-semibold text-orange hover:underline",children:"â Learn about Growtika's GEO services"})]})]}),e.jsxs(a,{value:"faq-2",className:"rounded-xl border-0 overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsx(o,{className:"px-6 py-5 hover:no-underline [&[data-state=open]>svg]:rotate-180",children:e.jsx("span",{className:"text-lg font-bold text-left",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"How long until GEO shows results?"})}),e.jsxs(i,{className:"px-6 pb-6 pt-0",children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"text-base m-0 mb-3",style:{color:"#374151"},children:"Timeline depends on who's doing the work and which platforms you're targeting:"}),e.jsxs("ul",{className:"pl-5 mb-3 list-disc",style:{color:"#374151"},children:[e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Agency (real-time platforms):"})," 2-4 weeks for Perplexity visibility"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Agency (training-based platforms):"})," 60-90 days for ChatGPT, Claude"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Agency (pipeline impact):"})," 4-6 months for measurable revenue influence"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"In-house:"})," Add 6-9 months to each timeline for learning curve"]})]}),e.jsx("p",{className:"font-medium m-0 mb-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"If you're reporting to a board quarterly, that gap is the difference between having data and having excuses."}),e.jsx(s,{to:"/blog/geo-case-study",className:"text-sm font-semibold text-orange hover:underline",children:"â See real GEO results timeline"})]})]}),e.jsxs(a,{value:"faq-3",className:"rounded-xl border-0 overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsx(o,{className:"px-6 py-5 hover:no-underline [&[data-state=open]>svg]:rotate-180",children:e.jsx("span",{className:"text-lg font-bold text-left",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"What should I look for in a GEO agency?"})}),e.jsxs(i,{className:"px-6 pb-6 pt-0",children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"text-base m-0 mb-3",style:{color:"#374151"},children:"Three things separate real GEO practitioners from repackaged SEO shops:"}),e.jsxs("ol",{className:"pl-5 mb-3 list-decimal",style:{color:"#374151"},children:[e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Multi-platform proof:"})," Results across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Copilot. Not just Google."]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Authority-first approach:"})," They should explain how they build trust with AI models before optimizing content."]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Adaptation history:"})," Ask how they responded to the last major AI update. If they can't name specific tactics that changed, they're not doing this work."]})]}),e.jsx("p",{className:"font-medium m-0 mb-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"The best agencies show you their methodology because execution matters more than secrets."}),e.jsx(s,{to:"/use-cases/ai-visibility-audit",className:"text-sm font-semibold text-orange hover:underline",children:"â Get a free AI visibility audit"})]})]}),e.jsxs(a,{value:"faq-4",className:"rounded-xl border-0 overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsx(o,{className:"px-6 py-5 hover:no-underline [&[data-state=open]>svg]:rotate-180",children:e.jsx("span",{className:"text-lg font-bold text-left",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"Can I do GEO myself without an agency?"})}),e.jsxs(i,{className:"px-6 pb-6 pt-0",children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"text-base m-0 mb-3",style:{color:"#374151"},children:"You can. The question is whether the math works for your situation. GEO requires:"}),e.jsxs("ul",{className:"pl-5 mb-3 list-disc",style:{color:"#374151"},children:[e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Technical implementation:"})," Schema markup, LLM sitemaps, crawl optimization"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Authority building:"})," Brand mentions, expert citations, trust signals"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Content strategy:"})," AI-extractable formats, entity optimization"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Ongoing adaptation:"})," Tactics change every 3-4 months as platforms update"]})]}),e.jsx("p",{className:"font-medium m-0 mb-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"If you have 20+ hours/week, existing SEO expertise, and 6-9 months runway, DIY is viable. If not, the learning curve costs more than an agency retainer."}),e.jsx(s,{to:"/blog/geo-playbook",className:"text-sm font-semibold text-orange hover:underline",children:"â Read the complete GEO playbook"})]})]}),e.jsxs(a,{value:"faq-5",className:"rounded-xl border-0 overflow-hidden",style:{background:"white"},children:[e.jsx(o,{className:"px-6 py-5 hover:no-underline [&[data-state=open]>svg]:rotate-180",children:e.jsx("span",{className:"text-lg font-bold text-left",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"Is GEO worth it for early-stage startups?"})}),e.jsxs(i,{className:"px-6 pb-6 pt-0",children:[e.jsx("p",{className:"text-base m-0 mb-3",style:{color:"#374151"},children:"Depends on your runway and growth expectations. Here's when it makes sense:"}),e.jsxs("ul",{className:"pl-5 mb-3 list-disc",style:{color:"#374151"},children:[e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Yes, if:"})," You raised seed/Series A and need traction in 2-3 quarters"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Yes, if:"})," Your category is still forming in AI models (first-mover advantage)"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"mb-2 text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Yes, if:"})," Enterprise buyers are part of your ICP (they use AI for research)"]}),e.jsxs("li",{className:"text-base",children:[e.jsx("strong",{children:"Maybe not, if:"})," Pre-revenue with 18+ month runway and no board pressure"]})]}),e.jsx("p",{className:"font-medium m-0 mb-4",style:{color:"#002237"},children:"Getting cited early, while AI models are still learning your category, creates positioning that's hard for competitors to displace later."}),e.jsx(s,{to:"/use-cases/series-a-b-visibility",className:"text-sm font-semibold text-orange hover:underline",children:"â AI visibility for Series A/B companies"})]})]})]})]}),e.jsx(k,{variant:"box",headline:"Need Help With Your GEO Investment Decision?",subtext:"We've helped companies of all sizes build the right AI visibility strategy. Get a free consultation on what makes sense for your budget and timeline.",buttonText:"Get a Free Cost Analysis â"}),e.jsx(f,{})]})]}),e.jsx(N,{relatedLinks:[{title:"Should I hire a GEO agency or build in-house?",href:"/geo-hub/should-i-hire-a-geo-agency-or-build-in-house"},{title:"Read the complete GEO playbook",href:"/blog/geo-playbook"},{title:"What makes a GEO agency great vs good",href:"/geo-hub/good-vs-great-geo-agencies"}]})]})})}),e.jsx(b,{})]})};export{se as default};
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