The verdict in three sentences
For a commodity trading house in Zurich, SEO remains the measurable channel: recruits, KYC analysts at trade finance banks and counterparties checking your legal entity still go through Google. AEO/GEO, meaning how AI assistants like ChatGPT describe your house, carries more weight every quarter, because compliance teams and candidates now ask those assistants before they open your website. For most houses the sensible 2026 order is a factual, consistent site first, then a dated baseline of AI answers, with a budget set on quote rather than by package.
Who actually searches for a trading house, and what do they ask?
A metals or agricultural trader does not buy visibility to sell a cargo. The website exists to be checked: by the bank opening a letter of credit line, by a charterer's compliance department, by an NGO following a supply chain, by a journalist, and above all by the talent you want to hire in Zurich against houses in Geneva and Zug. Product marketing is almost absent; governance, compliance, office and careers pages carry the credibility.
| Audience | Typical Google query | Typical question to an AI assistant | Page that should answer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bank KYC analyst | [name] Zurich legal entity | Who owns [name] and where is it registered? | Group structure, entities, offices |
| Counterparty compliance | [name] sanctions policy | Does [name] run a sanctions compliance programme? | Compliance page, policy as published |
| NGO or journalist | [name] responsible sourcing report | What has [name] published on responsible sourcing? | ESG page with dated PDF reports |
| Graduate candidate | commodity trading graduate programme Zurich | Which trading houses in Zurich hire junior operators? | Careers, graduate programme |
| Experienced trader | [name] careers metals Zurich | Is [name] a good employer for a metals trader? | Careers, teams, offices |
| Supplier or logistics partner | [name] supplier code of conduct | Does [name] have a supplier code of conduct? | Supplier code, contacts by topic |
One simple rule: publish online only what the house already publishes officially (policies, ESG reports, addresses). AI assistants like ChatGPT recycle what they find; an old address or an outdated shareholding structure can resurface in a KYC review.
SEO vs AEO/GEO: the comparison for a Zurich house
| Criterion | SEO | AEO/GEO |
|---|---|---|
| What it targets | Google rankings and clicks on name, careers and compliance queries | Accurate mention and faithful description in AI answers |
| Time to visible effect | 3 to 6 months outside branded queries, faster on the brand | Uneven: some answers shift within weeks, others take months |
| Market budget (2026 ballpark, typical Zurich agency quotes) | CHF 2,000 to 6,000 per month, or CHF 8,000 to 25,000 for an audit and fixes | CHF 3,000 to 12,000 for an initial audit, then CHF 1,500 to 5,000 per month of monitoring |
| Metrics | Search Console impressions and clicks, applications, qualified contacts | Share of answers citing the house, factual accuracy, sources cited |
| Main risk | Chasing traffic that is useless for a house with few buyers | Measuring noise: answers vary, so repeated and dated samples are needed |
| Compliance sensitivity | Medium: pages reviewed by legal | High: a wrong statement on sanctions or ownership can do harm |
The AEO/GEO market is young: the ranges above are prudent and vary a lot with the number of languages (German for local hiring, English for counterparties, French if a desk sits in Geneva) and the number of group entities.
Where to put the first franc: decision by situation
| Situation | Priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| New house or spin-off | SEO foundations and factual pages | AI assistants have almost nothing to say; they need consistent, indexable facts |
| Established brand, dated site | AEO/GEO audit first, then fixes | Assistants may repeat former offices or former shareholders |
| High regulatory exposure (sensitive origins) | Accuracy monitoring | An error weighs more than a lack of visibility |
| Graduate hiring push | SEO on careers queries | Candidates still click through to apply |
| Budget below CHF 2,000 per month | One combined diagnostic, then fixes | Splitting a small budget weakens both levers |
| Group with entities in Geneva and Zug | Consistent entity data everywhere | Conflicting addresses confuse Google and AI assistants alike |
On data, an application or contact form falls under the revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023 and supervised by the FDPIC; the GDPR may apply if you target EU residents. This is not legal advice: have your notices validated by your lawyers.
How to measure each lever, and what a diagnostic covers
SEO is measured with established tools: Search Console, analytics, applications and inbound contacts classified by audience (bank, counterparty, candidate, press). For a trading house, 40 qualified contacts a year are worth more than 40,000 visits.
AEO/GEO is measured with a dated record: the same list of questions (often 20 to 40), asked at regular intervals to AI assistants like ChatGPT, logging for each answer the date, the wording, whether the house is mentioned, factual accuracy and sources cited. Without that record, nobody can tell whether anything changed.
A serious diagnostic covers, in broad terms: consistency of public information about the entity (site, registers, professional profiles), clarity of factual pages, presence of structured data, third-party mentions, the baseline of AI answers and a prioritised list priced on quote. If you want that starting point, request a free quote.
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Mini case study
Illustrative example: Helvetia Ore Partners, a 60-person metals trading house in Zurich, has CHF 48,000 for the year.
- Option A, all SEO: CHF 4,000 per month × 12 = CHF 48,000.
- Option B, split: AEO/GEO audit CHF 8,000 + SEO CHF 2,500 × 12 = CHF 30,000 + AI answer record CHF 800 × 12 = CHF 9,600, so CHF 47,600.
Option B's initial record shows the house appears in 9 answers out of 30 (30%), 3 of them with a former office address. Correcting facts becomes the priority, measured at 3 and 6 months on the same 30 questions, with no promised outcome.
FAQ
Is SEO worth it for a house with no retail customers?
Yes, for verification and hiring. A graduate campaign that brings 15 more qualified applications a year often justifies a CHF 2,000 to 3,000 monthly budget on its own.
How much does an AEO/GEO audit cost in Zurich in 2026?
As a ballpark, CHF 3,000 to 12,000 depending on languages, entities and questions tracked. Monthly monitoring then sits around CHF 1,500 to 5,000 in typical agency quotes.
Can we be sure ChatGPT will mention our house?
No, and no serious provider promises it. Public facts can be made clearer and more consistent, then you measure across 20 to 40 questions whether the share of accurate answers improves.
How long before an effect shows?
Allow 3 to 6 months for non-branded SEO. With AI assistants, some answers change within weeks and others stay frozen for months, which is why a dated monthly record matters.
Who should own this internally?
Communications, with systematic review by compliance. Plan 2 to 4 hours a month of review to sign off sensitive pages.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. A dated record across 30 questions is enough to decide how to split your budget between SEO and AEO/GEO. 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.
