GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) has become the buzzword of Quebec marketing: since ChatGPT, Gemini and Google’s AI Overviews started answering in place of lists of links, nearly every agency now advertises a “GEO offering.” Some have built a real practice; others have simply added three letters to their SEO page. Here are the 7 criteria to tell a real GEO agency from the rest — with, for each one, a specific question to ask in your meeting.
Key Takeaways
- GEO makes your business visible and cited in answers from ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google’s AI Overviews.
- Many agencies advertise a GEO offering with no real practice behind it: 7 concrete criteria help you tell them apart.
- The quickest test: check whether the agency applies GEO to its own website (llms.txt, structured data, AI crawlers allowed).
- Good GEO relies on solid SEO, continuous measurement of AI visibility and citable content — not on promises.
1. Does the agency apply GEO to its own website?
It’s the quickest and most unforgiving test. An agency that sells AI visibility must itself be visible and technically flawless: complete Schema.org structured data, an llms.txt file, a robots.txt that welcomes AI crawlers (GPTBot, Google-Extended, PerplexityBot), marked-up FAQs.
The test to run: open ChatGPT or Perplexity and ask “what does [agency name] do?” If the AI can’t accurately describe the agency based on its own website, how will that agency get yours cited? Also check theirsite.com/llms.txt in your browser: if it doesn’t exist, the agency doesn’t practise what it preaches.
2. Can it measure your AI visibility — before selling you anything?
GEO without measurement is astrology. A serious practice starts with a baseline assessment: for which commercial queries does your business appear (or not) in ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and AI Overviews? What’s your share of voice compared with your competitors?
The question to ask: “Show me what your AI visibility audit looks like.” A well-equipped agency will show you a concrete methodology — ideally a tool you can try yourself before signing.
3. Does it master SEO fundamentals?
Generative engines don’t start from scratch: to choose their sources, they rely heavily on traditional search results and on the established authority of websites. A site that’s invisible in Google will stay invisible in ChatGPT. GEO isn’t a shortcut that replaces SEO — it’s a layer added on top of it.
Be wary of “GEO agencies” born last year with no SEO track record: they’re optimizing the roof of a house that has no foundation.
The question to ask: “How many years have you been doing SEO, and can you show me rankings you’ve achieved in traditional search?”
4. Does it understand the Quebec market — in French?
Generative engines don’t answer the same way in French and in English: the sources cited, the businesses recommended and even the structure of the answers change from one language to the other. A Quebec SMB needs AI visibility built in both languages, with an understanding of local realities — including Quebec’s Law 25 on the protection of personal information, which your content and forms must comply with.
The question to ask: “Test my main query in French AND in English in front of me — what do we see?”
5. Does it produce citable content, not just content?
AIs don’t cite the prettiest pages: they cite sources that clearly answer a question — crisp definitions, structured FAQs, original data, honest comparisons, well-identified entities. Producing “content” is no longer enough; you need to produce passages an AI can quote word for word while attributing the answer to you.
The question to ask: “Show me a piece of content you produced that’s cited in an AI answer today.”
6. Is its method transparent?
Because GEO is still young, some take advantage of it to sell a black box: “trust us, it’s AI.” A serious agency explains exactly what it does — audit, technical fixes, content calendar, citation work — and what each deliverable includes. If you don’t understand what you’re buying, don’t buy it.
The question to ask: “Walk me through your deliverables for the first 90 days.”
7. Does it track results over time — and adjust?
AI visibility moves fast: models evolve, competitors publish, answers change from one month to the next. A serious GEO engagement includes recurring tracking of your citations, a comparison with your competitors and continuous adjustments — not a single report handed over at the end, followed by nothing.
The question to ask: “What does your monthly report look like, and what do you do when a query isn’t improving?”
The summary checklist
- ✅ Its own website is optimized for GEO (llms.txt, Schema, AI crawlers allowed)
- ✅ It measures your AI visibility before selling
- ✅ It has a demonstrable SEO track record
- ✅ It works in French and English, with Quebec realities in mind (Quebec’s Law 25)
- ✅ It produces citable content — and can prove it
- ✅ Its method and deliverables are transparent
- ✅ It tracks results monthly and adjusts
An agency that checks all 7 boxes — regardless of its size or reputation — will get you into AI answers. An agency that checks only two or three will sell you vocabulary.
Where to start?
With measurement. Before you even meet with an agency, assess your current visibility in generative engines for free with our GEO Score tool — you’ll walk into your first meeting knowing exactly where you stand. And if you’d like to talk it over with a Montreal team that has applied these 7 criteria to its own website since day one, let’s talk.
You can also take a closer look at our GEO agency in Montreal services.
FAQ — Choosing a GEO agency in Quebec
What exactly is a GEO agency? A GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) agency optimizes a business’s presence in the answers of generative engines — ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity, Copilot and Google’s AI Overviews. Where SEO aims for a position in a list of results, GEO aims for a citation inside the very answer the AI produces.
How can you check whether an agency really practises GEO? Look at its own website: an llms.txt file, Schema.org structured data, a robots.txt open to AI crawlers, content structured as questions and answers. Then ask ChatGPT or Perplexity to describe the agency: if the AI barely knows it, its GEO practice is theoretical.
Does a Quebec SMB really need GEO in 2026? Yes, and increasingly so: a growing share of searches goes through AI assistants and AI Overviews, which show only a few sources per answer. An SMB missing from those answers cedes that ground to its competitors — often without even noticing, because this traffic doesn’t show up in traditional tools.
Can you do GEO yourself, without an agency? The technical foundations (llms.txt, basic structured data, FAQs) are within reach of a self-sufficient, well-equipped SMB. The hard part is what comes next: producing truly citable content, building authority and measuring AI visibility over time. That’s where specialized support makes the difference.
Discover our approach on our SEO Services for SMBs page.
Read also: GEO vs SEO: what’s the difference and why SMBs need both in 2026
