Ask what the agency will actually deliver

Make the work understandable before comparing prices.

A proposal should explain which parts of your website and public information need attention. Ask whether the agency will carry out technical fixes, write content, improve structured data and research supporting evidence, or only deliver recommendations.

If a knowledge base is proposed, ask what it will contain and how it relates to the main website. If new pages are proposed, ask which distinct customer decisions they answer. The explanation should make sense without requiring you to master every search acronym.

Our AI SEO, GEO and AEO guide helps clarify the terminology before a supplier conversation.

Inspect the evidence and reporting

Understand what each example demonstrates.

Ask to see actual work. A functioning resource demonstrates implementation; a dated performance record demonstrates observations over a period. A paid-media case study may support marketing experience, but it is not automatically evidence of AI search results.

Ask how mentions, citations and enquiries are distinguished. Find out which platforms and questions are sampled, what reporting access is required and how the agency records changes. Results should be interpreted in the context of the method used.

An agency should be able to explain its evidence without promising that an independent platform will recommend your business. Byte's knowledge-base implementation case study is an example you can inspect directly.

Agree the working relationship

Scope, costs and responsibilities should be clear.

Establish who writes and approves content, who deploys changes and how the agency works with your current developer. Ask what source material your team needs to supply and how confidential information is handled before publication.

Separate initial implementation from ongoing work when comparing proposals. Check the actual commitment, notice period and the boundaries of any exclusivity promise. A fee has little meaning until the deliverables and responsibilities are understood.

Byte offers bespoke working arrangements, with initial implementation separately quoted and ongoing monthly rolling optimisation. If you would like to discuss the fit for your company, request a free initial review.

Our documented working arrangements explain how Byte scopes and delivers the service.