Hire someone who can name the brands winning in AI search right now and explain why. Weak answers say generic things like "companies with good content." Strong answers name specific examples: Google's own documentation gets cited constantly because it is authoritative, structured, and updated. Ahrefs' blog on AI search ranking factors ranks because it is specific, data-backed, and answers a precise query. A strong GEO specialist points to brands like Zapier, Notion, or HubSpot, which win because they publish comparison content, entity-rich pages, and structured data that LLMs pull directly.
10 Questions to Ask Before Hiring a GEO Specialist
1. What brands are winning in AI search right now, and why?
Weak: "Brands with good content." Strong: "Zapier wins because its comparison pages are formatted as clear tables with pros and cons. Perplexity pulls those tables verbatim." The specialist should reference specific brands and cite the exact content structure driving citations. If they cannot name three brands and explain the mechanism, they have not studied the field.
2. If you had zero backlink budget, how would you improve visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity?
Weak: "Focus on social media." Strong: "I would build entity signals through Wikipedia, Crunchbase, and industry directories. Then I would create comparison content and how-to guides with step-by-step formatting. I would publish on Medium and Dev.to to get indexed fast. I have done this for RemoteStack, ranking it number one on a new domain with zero backlinks." The answer should include specific platforms and tactics, not generic advice.
3. What content types are most likely to be cited by LLMs?
Weak: "Blog posts." Strong: "Comparison content, structured how-to guides with numbered steps, FAQ pages with schema, and data-driven original research. LLMs favor content that is easy to extract and verify. Lists, tables, and bullet points get cited more often than narrative prose." The specialist should reference how Perplexity surfaces structured answers from these formats.
4. How do you measure GEO success when AI referral traffic is hard to track?
Weak: "We can't track it." Strong: "I use brand mention tracking in ChatGPT and Perplexity queries. I monitor citation frequency using tools like Brand24 or manual spot checks. I track referral traffic from AI chat platforms via UTM parameters. I also measure branded search volume growth, which correlates with AI visibility." The specialist should have a concrete measurement framework, not just shrug.
5. What does your first 90-day GEO roadmap look like?
Weak: "Create content and build links." Strong: "Week 1: audit existing content for entity gaps and schema issues. Weeks 2-4: rewrite top 10 pages for structure and specificity. Weeks 5-8: publish 5 comparison posts targeting high-volume LLM queries. Weeks 9-12: build entity signals on Wikipedia, Crunchbase, and industry directories. Measure citation frequency weekly." The roadmap should be granular, not vague.
6. What role do entities play in modern SEO and AI search?
Weak: "Entities are keywords." Strong: "Entities are the people, places, and things your brand is associated with. For Velar, we built entity signals by getting mentioned on DeFi Llama and CoinDesk. AI systems use entity graphs to determine relevance. If your brand is not in Wikipedia or industry databases, you are invisible to LLMs." The specialist should explain the difference between keywords and entities with examples.
7. What on our site would you remove, merge, rewrite, or expand first?
Weak: "I would rewrite everything." Strong: "I would remove thin pages with no entity value. I would merge three product pages into one comprehensive guide. I would rewrite the homepage to include your core entity and a clear value proposition. I would expand your FAQ section with schema markup to target AI-sourced answers." The answer should show a prioritization framework, not a blanket approach.
8. How do you make our brand the source AI systems quote instead of competitors?
Weak: "Write better content." Strong: "I would create a single authoritative guide on your core topic, updated quarterly. I would publish original data or research that no one else has. I would ensure your brand is mentioned on Wikipedia and in industry reports. I would format content as tables and lists that LLMs extract directly." The specialist should describe a repeatable process for becoming a primary source.
9. Which third-party sites would you want us mentioned on in the next six months?
Weak: "High-DA blogs." Strong: "Wikipedia for entity authority, Crunchbase for business verification, industry-specific directories like DeFi Llama for Web3, and one major publication like CoinDesk or TechCrunch. I would also target Reddit for community credibility, not for links." The specialist should name specific sites relevant to your industry, not generic domains.
10. If you were launching our company from scratch today knowing AI search exists, what would you do differently?
Weak: "Start a blog." Strong: "I would build the company's entity before the website. I would secure Wikipedia and Crunchbase listings first. I would create one definitive guide on the core problem we solve, formatted as a structured how-to with tables. I would publish on Medium and Dev.to for fast indexing. I would skip link building for the first six months and focus entirely on content structure and entity signals." The answer should reflect a fundamental shift in strategy, not a minor tweak.
GEO is a distribution strategy, not just a content strategy. The first paragraph of every page is your GEO bet.
Bonus Question: The $10,000 Test
Weak: "Spend it on backlinks." Strong: "I would spend $3,000 on a Wikipedia editor to get the brand listed. $2,000 on a Crunchbase and industry directory cleanup. $3,000 on creating one data-driven research piece with original statistics. $2,000 on Reddit outreach and community building. Every dollar goes to entity signals and structured content, not links." If the candidate cannot allocate a budget with specific line items, they are not ready to manage yours.