How should US B2B software buyers evaluate GEO tools, agencies and implementation plans?

Cited & Selected AI Search Visibility Research
Research date: 16 October 2026
Primary audience: CMOs, growth leaders, SEO champions and procurement teams at US mid-market B2B software companies.

Choose the supplier or plan that makes an important buying decision more reliable—not the one reporting the largest visibility score. This scorecard allocates 100 points across commercial relevance, measurement quality, implementation, commercial evaluation and safeguards. It also applies mandatory gates: an attractive total cannot compensate for unverifiable results, unacceptable collection arrangements or deceptive tactics.

Use it for an AI visibility software comparison, GEO agency evaluation, proposal review or internal pilot approval. It evaluates the quality of the proposed operating arrangement. It does not measure your brand’s visibility or predict revenue.

Recommended buying rule: approve a bounded pilot only when all mandatory gates pass, the critical measurement criteria score at least 3/5, and the weighted total reaches 70/100. A score of 85 or more supports a stronger shortlist position—not an automatic annual contract.

Framework status: the weights, thresholds, scoring anchors, pilot design and budget example below are doja’s proposed procurement methodology. They are not an industry certification, empirically validated success model or supplier ranking. No named supplier has been scored through a hands-on assessment for this document.