What decides your choice of an LLMO agency is not the price on the quote, but whether they can answer specifically, before you hire them, what they will do, how far they will go, and how they will report results. If an agency answers the 10 questions in this article with figures and defined scope, there will be far fewer misunderstandings after you sign.
Before choosing an agency, understand what LLMO measures actually change
LLMO means making your company's name and information more likely to be picked up when conversational AI such as ChatGPT or Gemini composes an answer. Whereas conventional SEO aims to rank high in the list of search results, LLMO aims to appear inside the AI's answer.
LLMO is still a new field. There are no established qualifications and no standardized way of measuring results. As a result, what agencies say and how they structure their quotes vary widely. The surest approach is for you, the client, to prepare questions and compare the answers.
10 questions to ask before requesting a quote
1. What will you assess, and what form will the results take?
Is the assessment limited to the top page, or does it cover every page? Will the result be a list of improvement proposals, or page-by-page findings? An agency that can show you a sample assessment is one with substance behind it.
2. Does this include implementation, or findings only?
Check whether the fee covers implementing structured data (markup that states a page's meaning in a form AI and search engines can read) and rewriting copy. There are cases where a quote looks like it covers the work but implementation is billed separately.
3. Are you promising that we will “definitely appear in AI answers”?
No agency can decide which pages AI will cite. If an agency promises you will definitely appear, check whether they can explain the basis for that promise. An honest agency will define the scope and say they will “shape the site so it is easier to cite.”
4. How will you measure and report results?
Ask how they verify whether your company's name appeared in an AI answer, how often they check, and the reporting format (a monthly document, or a shared screen review). Continuing without looking at the numbers leaves you with no clues for improvement.
5. Can you work with our current site, or does it need to be rebuilt?
On an outdated site where structured data is hard to add, a rebuild may be required. In that case, ask for separate estimates for the rebuild and for what can be done with the current site.
6. Who rewrites the copy?
Rewriting text so the conclusion comes first is central to LLMO work. Quality and cost change depending on whether the agency rewrites it, you write it, or it is left to AI. If AI is used, ask whether there is a human review process.
7. How do you view the relationship with SEO?
An agency that designs LLMO together with conventional SEO will keep your whole site consistent, more so than one that handles LLMO in isolation. Appearing in AI answers and being found in search results are not separate initiatives; they overlap considerably.
8. What is the contract term, and what are the conditions for ending it early?
Check whether there is a minimum contract term, how many months' notice is required to cancel, and whether what was implemented (such as structured data) can still be used after you stop.
9. What track record does the person in charge have?
Ask for the name and track record of the person who will handle your account before you hire. An agency that can show results on sites it runs itself is one that tests its own methods.
10. Can you work on a site built by another company?
Some production companies only work on sites they built themselves. Confirm whether sites produced by other companies are eligible.
A table for judging agencies by how they answer
| Question | Example of a good answer | Example of an answer to watch out for |
|---|---|---|
| Scope of the assessment | States the number of pages covered and the output format in figures | Says only “we'll look at the whole thing,” with no substance |
| Scope of implementation | Presents a list of what structured data and copy edits are covered | Vague about whether implementation is billed separately |
| Promises about results | Defines the scope as “shaping the site so it is easier to cite” | Flatly states “you will definitely rank at the top” |
| Reporting | Shows a sample monthly report | The reporting format has not been decided |
| Contract | Presents the term and cancellation conditions in writing | Proceeds on verbal explanation alone |
It is fine if you cannot find an agency that gives a good answer on every item. What matters is whether they respond to your questions with well-grounded words.
How to compare quotes step by step
- Decide how many pages your site has and which pages you want to work on
- Send the 10 questions above, with identical wording, to several agencies by email or in writing
- Rearrange the answers and quotes you receive into the format of the table above
- Split the work into four parts: assessment, implementation, copy editing and reporting, then align the scope for each agency and compare
- Once the scope is aligned, compare the prices
If you line up prices without aligning scope, you end up with misunderstandings such as discovering that the cheap quote covered the assessment only.
LLMO mistakes to avoid before signing
Starting without deciding how results will be measured
If you start with nothing more than “success means appearing in AI answers,” it is unclear what counts as appearing. Decide before signing on the exact wording of the questions you will check, which AI services you will use, and how often you will check.
Nothing from the implementation stays with you
Some setups carry out structured data and copy edits only within the agency's own admin panel, so they stop working once the contract ends. Confirm that what is implemented remains on your own site.
Starting work while the facts about your company are inconsistent
If your company name, address, phone number, year of establishment and so on differ between your site and external services, AI finds it harder to treat the information as reliable. Ask whether a step for aligning these facts is included at the start of the work.
Guidelines for when you can't decide
- If only a few pages need work, commission the assessment and implementation together
- If there are many pages and your staff have no time, hand over the copy editing as well
- If you already work with a production company, first ask them about LLMO
- If you cannot find agencies to compare, commission the assessment only and decide after seeing the results
How to score and compare the answers you receive
Once you have sent the 10 questions to several agencies, scoring the answers lets you compare on evidence rather than impressions.
- For each question, give 2 points for “answers with specific figures or scope,” 1 point for “stays at a general explanation,” and 0 points for “no answer, or a flat assertion only”
- Total the score for each agency
- Narrow it down to the 2–3 agencies with the highest totals
- Ask the shortlisted agencies to show you a sample assessment and a sample monthly report
- Check whether your own staff can make sense of the samples
When the scores are close, rapport with the person in charge and speed of communication become the deciding factors. Quick, courteous replies to your questions reflect the quality of the communication you will get after signing.
Examples of answers that suggest you should pass
- They answer your questions by phone only and leave nothing in writing or by email
- They say only that they have “a unique method no other company can offer” and never explain what it is
- The quote breaks down into a single line reading “one set of services”
If even one of these applies, ask them to provide an itemized breakdown in writing. If they refuse, passing on them is a reasonable decision.
Documents to request after the meeting, before the quote
Asking for the following three items in writing before the quote arrives makes comparison easier.
- A list of the pages covered by the assessment and the items checked on each page
- The types of structured data to be implemented (company information, FAQs, services, etc.)
- A sample monthly report, showing example check questions and how results are recorded
An agency that is reluctant to provide these three may not yet have its approach settled. Conversely, an agency that can supply them immediately has its process in order.
Appoint an internal point of contact
Once you hire an agency, work arises on your side too. Appoint one person to verify company facts, review copy and interpret reports before you commission the work, and the project will not stall. Without a designated contact, publication is delayed waiting for approvals.
A sample message for requesting a quote
Include these four points in your request and the replies will be more specific: the address of the site and its number of pages, the terms or questions you want to target, your desired launch timing, and a rough budget ceiling. A request with the conditions spelled out brings back a quote with specific reasoning behind it.
FAQ
No standardized qualification or certification has been established at this point. Judge by track record, sample assessments and reporting format.
There is no need to choose them separately. SEO and LLMO overlap considerably, so commissioning an agency that handles both keeps your whole site consistent.
It varies with the turnover of the pages AI references and the condition of your site. An agency that shows you its verification methods and frequency is more trustworthy than one that guarantees a timeframe.
Most agencies provide quotes free of charge. If the assessment is chargeable, it is reassuring to ask for a sample of the assessment results first.
Since they already know your site inside out, asking your production company is the quickest route. However, how well they know LLMO varies from company to company, so we recommend comparing their quote with others.
Start with a consultation about an assessment
Merci Ltd. builds structured markup that is easy for AI search to read into every new website as standard, and also offers assessments and consultations on improving existing websites. We will walk you through our answers to all 10 questions above.
