What should an AEO retainer actually cost?

The short version: a genuine AEO retainer runs roughly £1,000 to £8,500+ a month, depending on how much done-for-you work you need. Here is exactly what you are paying for at each level, and where the industry quietly adds markup.

What you are actually paying for. Two things, always: an intelligence layer (tracking, a dashboard, a monthly briefing, a prioritised action list) and a delivery allocation (a pool of done-for-you work aimed at your biggest gaps). More budget buys more delivery, not a fancier dashboard.

The honest ranges:

• Intelligence, ~£1,000/mo. Advisory. You get the tracking, the dashboard, the monthly briefing and the action list, and your own team executes. For brands who just need direction.

• Growth, ~£3,000/mo. Done for you. Around 21 hours a month of expert-led work - content, on-site, product-feed and shopping fixes. Hiring that capability in-house is £4,000 to £5,000 a month, plus months of ramp.

• Partner, ~£5,500/mo. The off-site attack. Around 38 hours a month, adding community, deeper technical and earned-media work. In-house equivalent: £8,000 to £9,000 a month.

• Enterprise, £8,500+/mo. Multi-market, bespoke, dedicated strategist.

Where the markup hides. Be wary of: retainers that are all dashboard and no delivery (you are paying for a login), "AI visibility" packages that only report mentions and never move anything, and anyone who will not tell you the hours or the outputs behind the number. If you cannot see what the money buys, that is the markup.

One more thing. Our Blueprint is a one-off £5,000 + VAT: a 90-day roadmap and technical foundation you keep whether or not you continue. It is the single publicly-priced way in, and the free AI Health Score is the front door.

Get your own scoped read - generative-agency.com/ai-health-score