What Does a GEO Retainer Really Cost? Five Agencies Compared Side by Side

Generative engine optimization is young enough that buyers have little to anchor on. Some agencies publish tiers, some quote by proposal, and the same dollar figure can buy very different work. This guide to GEO agency pricing pulls the public numbers together in one place so you can see how the main options stack up.

We are Skyfield Digital, one of the five agencies compared, so we have kept to figures each company publishes itself and flagged where sources disagree. Everything was reviewed on October 14, 2026, and because GEO agency pricing changes quickly, confirm current numbers before you buy.

What does GEO agency pricing look like across the market?

The best market-wide data point comes from First Page Sage, which compiled 1,146 GEO and AEO price quotes from 214 agencies between July and October 2026. It reports a median retainer of $6,850 per month, up 66% since the first quarter of 2024, and about 45% higher than the $4,740 median it finds for traditional SEO retainers. Because First Page Sage sells GEO itself, treat its study as one informed source, not a neutral audit.

The same study found that 68% of agencies sell GEO and AEO as a monthly retainer, with 41% using custom pricing and 27% using tiers. Only 23% of the agencies it examined publish any GEO pricing at all, which is why published plans are worth comparing carefully.

How does GEO agency pricing compare across five agencies?

The table below uses each agency’s own pages where available. First Page Sage and Omniscient Digital figures also appear in First Page Sage’s published pricing study, noted in the sources.

Two details matter before you read too much into that table, and Skyfield’s own plan and pricing details show what each tier ships. First, the scopes differ. WebFX and NoGood are broad marketing organizations, while Skyfield and Omniscient focus on organic channels. Second, First Page Sage’s own site says it does not lock clients into long-term contracts, so confirm its terms in writing.

Where do Skyfield’s plans fall against market tiers?

First Page Sage groups the market into four tiers. Starter engagements run $1,800 to $4,200 per month with a median of $2,950 and a typical three-month minimum. Growth runs $4,500 to $11,000 with a median of $7,400 and a six-month minimum. Advanced runs $11,000 to $22,000, and Enterprise runs $22,000 to $60,000 or more with a twelve-month minimum.

This is an illustration of where list prices sit, not a claim that the work is identical to what other agencies deliver in the same tier. Skyfield bundles SEO and GEO in one price, so its plans include search engine optimization work that some agencies bill separately.

Why does GEO agency pricing vary so much?

Four things drive most of the spread. The first is monitoring scale. WebFX’s tiers are built around how many prompts are monitored across 10 AI engines, from 50 prompts at Bronze to 2,000 at Enterprise+. Skyfield tracks 10 to 225 prompts across six AI surfaces depending on plan.

The second is content and authority work. First Page Sage’s study finds the biggest jumps between its Growth and Advanced tiers in digital PR and original research, which build the brand authority AI platforms weigh. The third is how many markets or locations are covered, and the fourth is the industry. Skyfield outlines how it thinks about AI search on its approach to AI page. In its data, financial services has the highest median at $9,850 per month, ecommerce sits at $5,310, and home services is lowest at $3,190.

What should a GEO retainer include?

A useful GEO program covers a baseline AI visibility audit, prompt tracking across the engines your buyers use, structured data and schema, content written to answer specific questions, and authority building through links and mentions. It should also include reporting that shows whether your brand is being cited, not just whether traffic moved.

Skyfield’s plans include schema, llms.txt setup, AI brand perception monitoring, and a live dashboard on every tier, with answer gap reports and share of voice reporting on higher tiers. You can read more about the reasoning on the GEO services page.

How do contract terms compare?

Minimum terms tend to lengthen as price rises. In First Page Sage’s data, Starter engagements typically require three months, Growth and Advanced require six, and Enterprise requires twelve. WebFX lists a six-month commitment. NoGood and Omniscient do not state terms on their public pages, and First Page Sage’s own materials describe month-to-month terms while some outside reviews report longer minimums.

Skyfield does not require a long-term contract. Results from SEO and GEO usually take three to six months to build, so a month-to-month agreement is not a promise of fast results. It does mean you stay because the work is performing. If you want more detail on process, see how the team approaches strategy and delivery.

How should you read published prices versus custom quotes?

When you study GEO agency pricing, a published price is a starting point. It shows what the agency considers its entry offer, but it rarely includes every add-on you might want. A custom quote can be more accurate for complex needs, but it hides the price until after a sales conversation, which makes comparison harder.

When you compare, ask each agency to write down what ships each month. Count articles, optimized pages, backlinks, tracked prompts, and reports. If a proposal cannot be reduced to those units, you are being asked to buy on trust. You can learn more about the team on the why choose Skyfield page.

Which option fits which buyer?

Reading GEO agency pricing in context means matching the agency to the buyer. WebFX suits brands that want AI tracking software and a large team in one package. First Page Sage suits enterprise B2B companies that value expert-authored thought leadership. NoGood suits funded brands that want paid, creative, and answer engine optimization from a single squad. Omniscient Digital suits B2B software companies that want a research-heavy program tied to pipeline.

Skyfield Digital suits businesses that want GEO and SEO at a published price without a long contract. That includes many small business SEO programs, local service providers, e-commerce brands, and nonprofits. The tradeoff is scale: Skyfield is younger, founded in 2022, and does not run paid media.

For a closer head-to-head, read our individual comparisons of Skyfield with each of these agencies and decide which tier matches your goals.

If you would like a clear read on where your brand appears in Google and AI answers today, request a free audit from Skyfield Digital.

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