Pull up your last SEO invoice. If it lists a keyword ranking report, a monthly bundle of backlinks, four blog posts and a technical audit that looks the same every month, you're paying for a playbook built for a search engine that no longer exists in the same form.
None of that work is useless. But the way people find businesses has changed, and a lot of agencies haven't changed what they sell. Here's how to tell if yours is still billing you for 2019, and what to ask for instead.
What changed since 2019
In 2019, the job was simple to describe: get a page into the top ten blue links and earn the click. Today, Google often answers the question before anyone scrolls. AI Overviews and AI Mode sit above the results, and tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Copilot answer questions directly, naming a handful of brands and linking a few sources.
That shift shows up in the click data. A Pew Research Center study of real browsing data found that Google users were less likely to click a result link when an AI summary appeared. In February 2026, Ahrefs research on 300,000 keywords estimated that AI Overviews cut the click-through rate of the number one result by about 58%.
Ranking still matters. But ranking alone no longer guarantees you're the business a buyer hears about. Being part of the answer does.
The 2019 retainer, line by line
1. The keyword ranking report
What you're paying for: a monthly spreadsheet showing where your pages rank for a list of keywords.
Why it's not enough: a position one ranking under an AI Overview can earn far fewer clicks than it used to, and the report says nothing about whether ChatGPT or Perplexity recommends you.
Ask for instead: rankings plus AI brand monitoring: how often AI answers mention you, how they describe you and which competitors show up instead.
2. The monthly link package
What you're paying for: a set number of backlinks, often from guest posts or directories you've never heard of.
Why it's not enough: volume was the selling point in 2019. AI systems lean on trusted, relevant sources, and a pile of low-quality links does little to make a brand credible. Backlinks still matter, but quality and relevance matter far more than count.
Ask for instead: earned mentions on sites AI tools actually cite in your category: industry publications, review sites, comparison articles and real press coverage.
3. The blog quota
What you're paying for: four or eight posts a month, each built around a keyword.
Why it's not enough: AI answers pull from content that answers a question clearly, states facts plainly and is easy to quote. Keyword-padded posts written to hit a word count rarely get cited.
Ask for instead: fewer, stronger pages that answer real buyer questions, open with a direct answer, use clear headings and include specific, verifiable details.
4. The same technical audit, every month
What you're paying for: a crawl report with the same list of missing alt tags and redirect chains.
Why it's not enough: the 2026 technical checklist includes things a 2019 audit never looked at, like whether AI crawlers such as GPTBot can reach your pages and whether your site uses structured data that explains who you are.
Ask for instead: an audit that covers AI crawler access, schema markup, page speed and whether key facts about your business are consistent across the web.
5. Meta tag tweaks as a monthly deliverable
What you're paying for: rewritten title tags and meta descriptions, again.
Why it's not enough: good title tags still help, but once they're done, they're done. Rewriting them every month is busywork, not strategy.
Ask for instead: work on your brand entity, such as knowledge graph submissions and consistent business details, so AI systems can verify who you are.
What a 2026 retainer should include
A modern search retainer covers both traditional SEO and generative engine optimization (GEO). At a minimum, look for:
- AI visibility tracking across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, Copilot and Google AI Overviews, using prompts your buyers actually ask.
- Prompt testing to see which questions you show up for, and which you don't.
- Content built to be cited: direct answers, clear structure and facts that AI tools can quote.
- Third-party credibility: mentions, reviews and coverage on the sources AI answers rely on.
- Entity and schema work so AI systems understand your business and its offerings.
- Reporting on outcomes, not activity: mentions, citations, qualified traffic and leads, not just a count of links built.
10 questions to send your SEO agency
Copy these into an email. A good agency will have clear answers. A 2019 agency will change the subject.
- Do you track whether ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews mention our brand? How often?
- Which prompts or questions do you test, and how did you choose them?
- Which competitors show up in AI answers for our category, and why?
- What sources do AI answers cite when they talk about our industry?
- How many of the links you built last quarter came from sites those AI answers actually cite?
- Can AI crawlers like GPTBot access our site? When did you last check?
- What structured data (schema) is on our key pages, and what's missing?
- Have you submitted our business to knowledge graphs like Wikidata or Crunchbase?
- How is our content structured to be quoted directly in an AI answer?
- What would you stop doing this month if we asked you to focus only on what moves visibility?
When the 2019 playbook still pays off
To be fair, some traditional SEO work still earns its keep. Fixing real technical problems, building a few strong links from respected sites and keeping pages fast and well structured all help both Google rankings and AI visibility. Local businesses still need an accurate Google Business Profile and consistent listings.
The problem isn't that agencies do this work. It's when it's the only work, billed every month on autopilot, while the way customers find you keeps moving.
Frequently asked questions
Is traditional SEO dead?
No. Rankings, technical health and quality links still matter, and they help AI visibility too. They're just no longer the whole job.
What is the difference between SEO and GEO?
SEO focuses on ranking pages in search results to earn clicks. GEO focuses on getting your brand mentioned and cited inside AI-generated answers. Most businesses now need both.
How do I check whether AI tools mention my business?
Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google the questions your customers ask, and note whether you appear. For ongoing tracking, an AI visibility tool or a GEO provider can monitor this for you.
Get a second opinion
If your current invoice reads like it's from 2019, Butter can show you where you stand today. Butter runs GEO and SEO together for small businesses and agencies, with GEO plans from $399/month and no long-term contracts. Request a free AI visibility audit.
Sources: Pew Research Center, Google users are less likely to click on links when an AI summary appears, PPC Land on Ahrefs' February 2026 AI Overviews CTR study.
