The verdict in three sentences
For a funded B2B software company in Geneva, part of the shortlisting now happens inside AI assistants like ChatGPT, before the first visit to your site. Those answers rely on consistent public information, third-party mentions and factual pages (security, integrations, pricing) that many vendors never wrote to be read that way. A diagnostic costs CHF 3,000 to 9,000 on the 2026 market, and it tells you what these tools say about you, what is wrong and what is missing.
The questions your buyers ask AI assistants before a demo
Your buyers are CIOs, heads of operations, CFOs and CISOs, often at private banks, commodity traders, international organisations or industrial groups around Lake Geneva. They work in French, English and sometimes German. Here are realistic questions, as they are phrased in 2026.
| Question asked | Who asks it | What the assistant must be able to find about you |
|---|---|---|
| “Which contract management tools are hosted in Switzerland?” | CFO, in-house counsel | explicit hosting location, security page |
| “Swiss alternative to an American procurement tool, revFADP compliant?” | CIO | factual comparison page, no disparagement |
| “Which Geneva vendor integrates with Abacus or SAP?” | head of operations | up-to-date integrations page, real connectors |
| “Is this software ISO 27001 certified?” | CISO | certifications actually held, with dates |
| “How much does this software cost for 50 users?” | CFO | pricing page or a public range you stand by |
| “What do customers say about this vendor?” | buying committee | real case studies, reviews on third-party platforms |
| “Is a young Geneva SaaS company solid enough for a private bank?” | procurement, compliance | team, governance, funding actually announced |
| “Is support available in French and German?” | operations | support page, hours, languages |
Each question maps to a page. When the page does not exist, the assistant fills the gap with whatever it finds elsewhere: an old press release, a poorly filled directory listing, a competitor's profile.
Why some vendors appear in answers and others do not
| Factor | What helps | What hurts |
|---|---|---|
| Consistent public information | same description, offer and address on the site, profiles and directories | three different positionings depending on the source |
| Third-party mentions | trade press, integration partners, comparison sites, industry events | no source outside your own site |
| Clear factual pages | security, integrations, pricing, hosting, support | marketing claims without data |
| Structured data | consistent Organization and SoftwareApplication markup | missing or contradictory markup |
| Reviews where allowed | verified reviews on software platforms | invented or paid-for reviews |
| Freshness | update dates, release notes | a 2023 pricing page still live |
Two rules are not negotiable. A certification (SOC 2, ISO 27001) is shown only if it is actually held, with its scope. A customer, a revenue figure or a funding round is cited only if it is real and authorised: an assistant can pick up a false claim and repeat it to a buyer, which costs more than silence.
What the work covers and what it costs on the market
In broad terms, the work covers a record of what AI assistants say about your company and your competitors, an upgrade of your factual pages, consistency of your public information, earning credible third-party mentions and tracking over time. It is an emerging market: the ranges below are a 2026 ballpark from typical agency and consultant quotes, to be read with caution.
| Service | 2026 ballpark (CHF) | Note |
|---|---|---|
| One-off diagnostic (30 to 60 questions) | 3,000 to 9,000 | dated baseline, errors listed |
| Upgrade of factual pages | 8,000 to 25,000 | security, integrations, pricing, in two or three languages |
| Monthly tracking | 1,500 to 5,000 per month | regular records, corrections |
| Press relations and third-party mentions | 3,000 to 8,000 per month | often handled by a specialist agency |
| Added to an existing SEO programme | + 20 to 40% of the SEO budget | shares content and technical work |
At Kolonell, this work is on quote, after a diagnostic.
How to measure without fooling yourself
Measurement rests on a dated record: the same questions, asked under the same conditions, at regular intervals (monthly, for example), in your buyers' languages. You track the share of answers that mention your company, the accuracy of what is said (pricing, hosting, certifications), the sources cited and, on the sales side, the share of demo requests that name an AI assistant as their starting point. No provider can promise that an assistant will mention your company: they can improve the information it draws on.
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On data, your demo forms and tracking tools fall under the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023 and overseen by the FDPIC, and under the GDPR if you target EU residents. This is not legal advice.
Mini case study
Illustrative example. “Lémanis Software”, a fictional Geneva contract management vendor, has 40 buyer questions recorded. The company appears in 6 answers out of 40, or 15%, and 2 of those answers quote an old price list. Budget considered: a diagnostic at CHF 6,000, then tracking at CHF 2,500 a month for 6 months, so 6,000 + 15,000 = CHF 21,000. With an assumed average annual contract of CHF 36,000, the investment is covered by about 0.6 of a contract (21,000 ÷ 36,000).
FAQ
What does an AI visibility diagnostic cost in Geneva?
On the market, CHF 3,000 to 9,000 for 30 to 60 questions (2026 ballpark). The price depends on the number of languages and competitors covered.
How quickly do answers change?
Corrections to factual pages can be picked up within weeks, while the effect of third-party mentions often takes 3 to 6 months. A monthly dated record lets you see it rather than assume it.
Should we publish our pricing?
It is not mandatory, but without a public range the assistant answers with whatever it finds elsewhere. A “from” price or bands of 25 to 100 users limit errors.
Is this different from SEO?
Partly: SEO targets a list of Google results, this work targets written answers. There is a shared foundation, which explains the 20 to 40% extra when it is added to an SEO programme.
Can we be sure of being mentioned?
No. No serious provider can promise it. What you can do is measure the share of answers that mention you and correct what is wrong.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. A dated record of the answers to 30 to 60 of your buyers' questions, in French and English, with the errors to fix. Request a diagnostic quote: reply within 48 hours.
Mohamed Bah
Fondateur, Kolonell
Passionate about digital and entrepreneurship in Africa, Mohamed has been helping Sénégalese businesses with their digital transformation since 2020. Founder of Kolonell, he believes every SME deserves a professional and accessible online présence.
