Everything buyers ask before the first project — answered plainly, with numbers where numbers exist.
They are complementary, not alternatives. The technical overlap is large — quality content, structured data, mobile performance, authoritative links. But GEO adds two things SEO does not: machine readability (llms.txt, JSON-LD, real HTML tables) and entity-level authority (NAP consistency across platforms, third-party citations). A site can rank first on Baidu and still never be quoted by an AI assistant, because the assistant evaluates authority and structure differently. If budget only covers one, do both at the technical layer first.
No for the foundation. Adding LocalBusiness JSON-LD, writing an llms.txt and creating an FAQ page can be done through your CMS or by hand — no code required. Advanced work does need technical help: custom schema types, large-scale multi-language export sites, crawler and render diagnostics.
GEO is a compounding project, not a toggle. Expect the first movement in 4–8 weeks, as your structured data and FAQ pages get picked up; clearer citation growth over 2–3 months. Once you are in the model's source pool, the effect accumulates — that is where the moat sits versus classic SEO. The timeline depends heavily on how established your entity already is and how competitive the category is.
It depends on whether you are a credible entity in the sources AI reads. In many niches — high-purity industrial supply, specialist trades, regional services — the international or national leaders have not done this work at all, and the smaller specialist wins the answer. That is precisely what the audit phase hunts for: the empty space the incumbents ignore. Where the category is dominated, the realistic goal is getting into the second or third mention, not the first.
Yes. I am based in Beijing and work with clients across China, including export-facing manufacturers whose buyer journey runs through English-language AI tools. The first audit and all content work are done remotely. On-site visits are arranged for Beijing clients at no extra charge.
A single NAP fact sheet: registered company name, full address, phone, domain, core services (three to five), one-line positioning for customers and AI, and any certifications. If you already have a website, point me at it. I run the audit first and send you the gap list — then we talk scope and price.
A GEO landing page with llms.txt and structured data starts at CNY 6,000. A full AI-readable bilingual export website typically runs CNY 60,000–80,000. Annual monitoring and maintenance is CNY 3,000–6,000. A proof-of-concept period can be arranged, so the decision rests on data rather than promises. Final scope and quote are agreed one-to-one.