Choosing between GEO agencies can be difficult. This honest comparison between First Page Sage and Be The Answer breaks down the strengths, differences, and ideal use cases for each agency to help you make the right decision.
Quick Comparison
| Factor | First Page Sage | Be The Answer |
|---|---|---|
| Founded | 2009 | 2025 |
| Primary Focus | Thought leadership SEO | GEO-first (AI search optimization) |
| GEO Approach | Added to existing SEO services | Built as core methodology |
| Best For | Enterprise brands wanting traditional SEO + GEO | Brands prioritizing AI search as primary channel |
| Content Strategy | Long-form thought leadership articles | AI-citable content across all formats |
| Pricing | $10,000-$30,000+/month | $3,000-$15,000/month |
| AI Citation Tracking | Available | Core offering |
First Page Sage: Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
Established track record. Founded in 2009, First Page Sage has over 15 years of SEO experience and a proven methodology for thought leadership content that ranks on Google.
Enterprise experience. They’ve worked with large brands and understand complex organizational needs, approval processes, and multi-stakeholder environments.
Comprehensive SEO. Their traditional SEO capabilities are strong — keyword research, technical SEO, content strategy, and link building.
Limitations
GEO as an add-on. GEO was added to their existing service offering rather than being the foundation. This can mean AI optimization gets less strategic focus than traditional SEO.
Higher price point. Enterprise pricing starting at $10,000+/month puts them out of reach for startups, SMBs, and companies wanting to test GEO before committing large budgets.
Traditional content focus. Their content strategy centers on long-form blog posts — effective for Google but not always optimized for how AI models parse and cite content.
Be The Answer: Strengths and Limitations
Strengths
GEO-first methodology. Be The Answer was built specifically for AI search optimization. Every strategy, tool, and process is designed around how AI models discover and recommend brands.
AI-native approach. The team understands LLMs, monitors AI citations across all platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, AI Overviews, Claude), and creates content specifically designed for AI citability.
Accessible pricing. Packages starting at $3,000/month make GEO accessible to startups, SMBs, and companies testing AI search optimization.
Cross-platform optimization. Optimizes not just your website but your entire brand presence: Reddit, Wikipedia, review platforms, news coverage — all the signals AI models actually use.
Limitations
Newer agency. Founded in 2025, Be The Answer has less historical track record than established agencies.
Focused on AI search. If your primary need is traditional Google SEO with GEO as a secondary priority, a traditional agency with GEO capabilities might be a better fit.
Which Agency Should You Choose?
Choose First Page Sage if: You’re an enterprise brand with a large budget, need comprehensive traditional SEO alongside GEO, value long-established agency relationships, and want thought leadership content as your primary strategy.
Choose Be The Answer if: You want AI search as your primary optimization focus, need accessible pricing, want an agency built specifically for the AI era, or are a startup/SMB looking for maximum GEO impact per dollar.
FAQ
Can I use both agencies?
Yes — some brands use a traditional SEO agency for Google rankings and Be The Answer specifically for GEO. The two strategies complement each other.
Which agency gets better AI citation results?
For pure AI search visibility, a GEO-first agency like Be The Answer typically delivers faster results because AI optimization is the primary focus rather than an add-on to traditional SEO services.
Ready to explore GEO? Get a free AI visibility audit from Be The Answer.