How long does an AEO agency engagement usually last?

What can change the length of the work?

Your starting point matters. A site with clear service pages and sound facts may need a different scope from one with gaps across many brands. Ask the agency to show what it found before you agree to a long term. The proposal should tie each planned task to a need you can recognize.

The number of pages and places in scope matters too. Each location may have its own services, local facts, staff, and approval needs. A team that owns several sites may also need different people to sign off. Put the sites, markets, and page types in the agreement so both sides know where the work starts and ends.

Your goal changes the shape of the work. You might want a review and a list of fixes, help making those fixes, or ongoing support as pages and services change. Each choice calls for a different set of handoffs. Ask who will write, approve, publish, and check the work. A task is not done just because it appears in a plan.

Example: A regional dental group wants its core service pages reviewed. Another dental group needs work across several local brands. Ask how local facts and approvals fit into the scope, and whether each brand has an owner.

Ask for a work plan with named outputs, owners, and review dates. Include the sites, markets, and page types covered, along with the access and approvals your team must provide. Review the plan together before signing.

How is the contract term different from the time results take?

The contract term says how long the agreement runs and when it can end or renew. A result is a change you hope to observe, such as a useful mention, a visit, or a qualified inquiry. Those are separate things. Signing for a set period does not put an AI answer or a sale on a clock.

Ask the agency what it expects to see, when it will review that signal, and what could affect the outcome. For a fuller set of hiring questions, see Google’s SEO hiring guide in the Sources below.

Example: A dental group signs a trial with a review date. At that review, the team checks whether the agreed page work was delivered and what the available data shows.

Keep delivery and outcomes in separate rows of your review. For delivery, note what was approved, published, or handed over. For outcomes, note the measure, its source, and the period it covers. Add a plain note about what the measure cannot show. This makes it easier to see whether a delay is in the work, the data, or the result you hope to earn.

Google says no one can guarantee first place in its search results. At your review, use a written record with separate rows for delivered work and observed outcomes.

Why start with a short trial and clear checkpoints?

A short trial can give both sides a chance to test the fit before a longer commitment. Set a scope that can be reviewed within the term you choose. It should name the work, the people who approve it, the fee terms, and what you will receive at the end. A trial is useful only if you know what decision it is meant to support.

Set a dated checkpoint before any renewal. At the review, compare the promised work with what was delivered, note what awaits your team, and decide whether to continue, change scope, or stop. Put the decision and its owner in writing.

Example: A dental group wants help with its service pages. Its trial covers a page review and agreed changes, subject to the group’s approval. At the checkpoint, its marketing lead compares the work with the plan and decides whether to expand the scope.

Do not make a trial so narrow that it cannot answer your buying question. If you need to judge how the agency works with legal and web teams, include those handoffs in the plan. If you need to judge the quality of proposed copy, ask for a reviewable sample. State what counts as accepted work and how you will handle revisions.

A longer agreement may fit a broader need, but it should still have review points. At each dated checkpoint, have the agreed outputs, open approvals, and a written continue, change, or stop decision in hand.

What should you review at each checkpoint?

Start with a record of the work: pages reviewed or changed, decisions on each suggestion, and the next steps. Keep that record for the checkpoint and the eventual handoff.

Then look at the agreed signals. Google Search Console can show how often your site appears in Google Search and receives clicks. It is useful context, but a change in those totals alone does not prove that a specific task caused a lead. Compare like periods and keep notes on other changes that could affect the picture.

A citation is when an AI answer links to your page or names it as a source. Microsoft’s Bing AI Performance view reports citations and a sample of the queries behind them. Microsoft says those counts do not show a page’s rank, authority, or role in an answer. A citation count is a signal to review, not a count of sales.

Example: A dental group sees a page cited in a Bing report and also sees inquiries in its sales records. We check each record for its date, source, and what it actually shows before drawing a connection.

For each checkpoint, keep a report that lists delivered work, open tasks, and agreed measures with their sources and date ranges. Bing citation counts do not show a page’s rank, authority, or role in an answer.

Example: Your team gets a report with a list of pages and a set of search figures. Ask the agency to show which pages were changed, when the changes went live, and which figures relate to the review period. Keep any open questions beside the report so the next person who reviews it can see what is known and what still needs an answer.

What exit terms should you ask for before signing?

Ask when you can end the agreement, how to give notice, and what happens if either side ends it early. Check whether it renews on its own and when you must act to prevent renewal. Do not assume the trial ends on its own. Have the proposed terms reviewed by the people who handle contracts for your firm.

Ask who owns the copy, reports, and other work once paid for. Make sure the contract says what you can keep and use, including any limits on third-party material. Ask for a list of accounts and assets that will be used, who owns each one, and who holds admin access. Your firm should be able to reach its own site and data after the work ends.

Example: A dental group plans to move site work to its in-house team after a trial. Before signing, it asks for final files, a record of live changes, and open tasks. The agreement names who will transfer access and answer handoff questions.

Ask what the final invoice covers and whether an early exit brings a fee. If extra work is proposed, require a written scope, price, and approval before it starts. Also ask what happens to unused work, scheduled work, and any outside costs. The point is to know your choices before a dispute or a renewal date makes them urgent.

Include a handoff plan with a named contact on each side. List source files, reports, account access, open requests, and any data to return or remove. Set an access end date and a way to confirm the handoff is complete.

What should be in your review checklist?

• A clear scope for sites, pages, and places
• Named owners for review and publishing
• A work plan with agreed outputs and checkpoints
• Measures with their sources and limits
• Written terms for changes and extra work
• Renewal and exit terms with notice rules
• Ownership, access, and a handoff plan

How can you compare proposals with different terms?

Put each offer beside the same list of needs. Compare the pages and places covered, the actual outputs, who does the work, and what your team must supply. A shorter term with a narrow scope is not directly equal to a longer term with broader work. Ask each provider to show the tradeoffs in plain language.

Look at the decision points as well as the end date. Can you review work before it goes live? Can you stop or change scope at a checkpoint? What notice, renewal, or early exit terms apply? A proposal that answers these questions gives your team a clearer basis for a decision.

Example: A dental group receives a broad proposal and a smaller trial proposal. Its lead asks both providers to map their offers to the same service pages and review needs. The comparison shows what is included and what the group keeps if it stops.

Ask for dated examples of prior work and a clear account of what the provider did. Google’s hiring guide in the Sources offers more questions to use when comparing providers.

Make a side-by-side table of each offer’s scope, checkpoint, renewal date, notice terms, and handoff. Use it to choose a trial your team can review before committing to more work.