What is generative engine optimization (GEO)?
How AI assistants choose which sources to cite, and what you can change.
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Short answer
White label SEO is an arrangement in which one agency does search optimization work and another agency sells it to its own clients under its own name. The client deals only with the agency it hired. The provider stays in the background: its name does not appear on reports, emails or invoices that the client sees.
Who does what
| Party | Role | What it sees |
|---|---|---|
| End client | buys SEO from an agency it knows | one agency, one brand, one invoice |
| Reselling agency | owns the client relationship, sets the price, presents results | the client, the provider’s work, both prices |
| Provider | does the audits, page changes, outreach and reports | the work order and the access it was given |
The reselling agency is responsible to its client. The provider is the agency’s subcontractor and usually has no contract with the client at all.
Why agencies use it
Agencies use it to add a service without hiring a team, to absorb a month when several new clients sign at once, and to get specialist skills such as technical audits, international sites or AI answer tracking without training staff. A specialist provider can cost less than training your own people, depending on how much work you have.
What usually goes into it
Scope varies by provider. The usual building blocks are a starting audit, monthly work on pages and structured data, outreach for mentions and links, and a monthly report in the agency’s template. Some agencies now also ask for AI visibility tracking: how ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews answer the client’s buyer questions.
The reselling agency is responsible to its client.
How the money works
Providers usually price in one of two ways: a monthly fee per client, or a fixed fee per project such as an audit. Terms differ, so compare what each line includes before you compare the numbers.
Your margin is the difference between what you charge the client and what you pay the provider, divided by what you charge the client. An illustration with round numbers, not market prices: if the provider charges you 1,000 a month for a client and you sell the service at 1,600, your margin is 600, or 37.5% of the price you charge (a 60% markup on what you pay). Out of that margin you pay for your own account management: calls with the client, strategy, explaining results. The more of that you do, the higher the margin you need.
How long things take
- Before the first order
agree on scope, price and terms, and sign an NDA. This depends mostly on how fast both sides reply.
- First weeks
access, a starting audit and the plan for the first month.
- First month
the first report in your template, if the provider’s plan has one. Ask for the date before you sign.
- Results in search
usually a matter of months, not weeks, and never guaranteed. Set this expectation with your client before you sell.
What to put in the contract
This is not legal advice, and the rules depend on your country and your provider’s. At minimum, put these points in writing:
- Confidentiality. A mutual NDA that covers client data and your pricing.
- Non-solicitation. The provider does not approach or accept clients you introduce, for a set period.
- Ownership. Who owns the reports, texts and other deliverables after payment.
- Access and data. What access the provider gets, and data processing terms if personal data is involved.
- Deadlines and corrections. When deliveries are due and how long you have to ask for changes.
- Liability. What happens if the provider makes a mistake, and any cap on it.
Providers usually price in one of two ways: a monthly fee per client, or a fixed fee per project such as an audit.
How to choose a provider
Ask these questions before you hand over the first client:
- Can we see a
real report? Look for dates, the questions or queries tracked, and the work done, not only charts.
- Who will we talk
to, and when? Name, language, time zone and how fast replies come.
- What is in the
contract? Check the points listed above.
- What access do you
need, and who publishes changes? Many providers work with view access to analytics and Search Console and hand your team the changes to publish.
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Others ask for access to the website itself, which is a bigger step to agree in writing.
- Can we start with
one client? A single trial order shows quality and timing better than any sales call.
Warning signs
- Guaranteed rankings or guaranteed mentions in ChatGPT. No one controls search engines or AI assistants.
- Links from networks of sites built for selling links. Google’s spam policies treat links made to manipulate rankings as a violation, so they put your client at risk.
- Reports without the actual work. If you cannot see what changed on which page, you cannot defend the invoice to your client.
- No written terms about your clients. Without them, nothing stops a provider from offering its services to them directly.
White label, outsourcing or hiring
| White label | Outsourcing with the provider’s name | Hiring in-house | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Brand the client sees | yours | the provider’s, or both | yours |
| Speed to start | fast, once scope is agreed | fast, once scope is agreed | slower: recruiting and training |
| Your control over the work | through orders and reports | through orders and reports | direct |
| Fixed cost | none, you pay for the work you order | none, you pay for the work you order | salaries |
A common path is to start with white label for a new service and hire once that service has enough clients to keep a person busy.
Frequently asked questions
Is white label SEO honest towards the client?
Yes, when the agency stays accountable for the work and its contract with the client allows subcontractors. It works like a builder using specialist trades: the client buys the result from the agency it chose. Whether and how you mention your partners is your decision and should match your contract.
Does the end client ever see the provider’s name?
Not unless you tell them or something in the work shows the provider’s name. Reputable providers remove their name from reports, files and file metadata, and send any direct contact back to the agency. One exception to plan for: if the work involves your client’s customers’ personal data, privacy law such as GDPR can require you to tell your client which subcontractors handle it. Check your own contract and the rules that apply to you.
What if the provider makes a mistake?
You answer to your client, and the provider answers to you under your agreement. That is why written terms on deadlines, corrections and liability matter before the first order.
How do I start?
Pick one client with a clear goal, agree on scope and price for one month, and compare the first report with what the provider promised. If you want to try us, see our white label offer.
