We looked at a company charging $499/month for their "AEO Lite" package. For that price, they "question-format" two pages per month and set up schema markup. Two pages. Per month. For $499.
Their "AEO Pro" tier at $799/month adds four pages per month and something called "entity repetition and triadic definition optimization" — which, when you strip away the jargon, means writing a keyword three times in a paragraph.
Let's be honest about what's happening here.
What AEO Companies Are Actually Selling
| What They Call It | What It Actually Is | Should It Cost Extra? |
|---|---|---|
| Question-based formatting | Using questions as headings | No — basic content writing |
| Schema setup and maintenance | JSON-LD markup in your page head | No — standard web development |
| Entity repetition optimization | Writing your business name consistently | No — common sense |
| Passage-level clarity | Writing clear, scannable paragraphs | No — basic copywriting |
| Voice search structuring | FAQ sections with Q&A format | No — should be on every service site |
| AEO performance tracking | Checking if AI mentions your brand | Maybe — if using paid tools |
What a Properly Built Website Already Includes
Every website built by a competent developer in 2026 should ship with:
- Schema markup — LocalBusiness, FAQPage, Service, Organization, Article. This is standard structured data, not a premium feature.
- Structured content — Clear headings, scannable paragraphs, FAQ sections. This is how good content is written.
- Entity consistency — Matching NAP across the site and external listings. This is basic local SEO.
- Fast page loads — Under 2 seconds. This is a performance standard, not an AEO tactic.
- llms.txt — A five-minute file that helps AI understand your site.
- Mobile-responsive design — Already universal.
That covers roughly 80% of what AEO companies charge $500–$1,200/month for. The remaining 20% is monitoring (checking AI citations, tracking brand mentions) — which is legitimately useful but doesn't justify a four-figure monthly retainer.
The Math Doesn't Work
Let's say you pay $599/month for "AEO Pro." That's $7,188 per year. For that money, you get four pages reformatted per month and some schema markup.
Or you could have a website that was built with all of this included from day one — for $149/month. That's $1,788 per year. Everything included. No bolt-on services needed because it was done right the first time.
The difference: $5,400 per year. For what amounts to standard web development practices repackaged with a new acronym.
When Paying for AEO Does Make Sense
To be fair, there are scenarios where dedicated AEO work adds value:
- Large sites (100+ pages) that need systematic content restructuring
- Competitive industries where AI citation share is a battleground
- Enterprise brands that need ongoing AI visibility monitoring across multiple platforms
- Existing sites built poorly that need remediation
But for a local plumber, dentist, lawyer, or contractor? You need a website built right. Not a website built wrong with a $500/month patch.
Our Position
Every site Bindingstone builds includes full schema markup, structured content, FAQ sections, llms.txt, entity-consistent information, and fast page loads. We do this because it's how modern websites should be built — not because we're selling you an "AEO package."
If someone is trying to sell you AEO as a separate service on top of an existing website, ask them one question: "Why wasn't this included when the site was built?"
Ready for a Floor That Lasts?
We Build, Host, and Run the Website. You Run the Business.