The verdict in three sentences
An executive search firm in Geneva speaks to two audiences: clients (boards, chief executives, HR heads) who rarely choose on Google, and candidates who search online a lot. AEO/GEO matters mostly on the client side, when a board chair asks an AI assistant like ChatGPT which Geneva firms cover private banking or commodity trading; SEO remains the effective channel for candidates and brand searches. Before deciding, a dated diagnostic of what Google and AI assistants say about your firm avoids investing in the wrong place.
Two audiences that search differently
| Criterion | SEO (Google) | AEO/GEO (AI assistants like ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|
| Main audience | Candidates, brand searches, HR heads checking you | Chairs, board members, CEOs shortlisting |
| Example request | executive search Geneva commodity trading | Which executive search firms in Geneva know private banking? |
| Time to effect | 4 to 9 months on sector queries | 2 to 6 months to correct a description, longer to be cited |
| Market budget, 2026 ballpark | CHF 1,500 to 7,000 a month, audit CHF 3,000 to 9,000 | Diagnostic CHF 2,500 to 8,000, monitoring CHF 1,200 to 4,500 a month |
| What is measured | Search Console clicks, CVs received, client enquiries | Share of answers citing the firm, accuracy of sectors and partners |
| Specific risk | Surge of off-target CVs | Firm confused with a namesake or a former name |
These ranges reflect typical agency quotes in French-speaking Switzerland and public agency rate pages; they remain wide, especially for AEO, still a young market. No provider can promise a Google position or a recommendation by an AI assistant.
AI assistants like ChatGPT draw on what is public and consistent: the firm's sector pages, partner profiles, public talks, business press, professional directories. A firm that publishes neither its practice areas nor its partners' seniority leaves the answer to others.
Where to put the budget for your situation?
| Situation | Indicative split | First metric to track |
|---|---|---|
| Recent firm, founded by partners from a large network | 60% brand SEO and profiles, 40% AEO | Is the firm's name correctly linked to its partners? |
| Established firm, strong local reputation | 30% SEO, 70% AEO and accuracy | Practice areas cited correctly in answers |
| Specialist firm (private banking, trading, international organisations) | Targeted sector SEO, AEO on niche questions | Presence in answers about your precise sector |
| Sensitive mandates, strict confidentiality | Process and confidentiality pages first | Accuracy, with no client reference published |
| Budget under CHF 2,000 a month | One-off diagnostic, then sector and partner pages | Number of errors corrected in public sources |
Never invent placements, client names or success rates to look more visible: an AI assistant may repeat them, and a client who checks does not come back.
Measuring without fooling yourself
On the SEO side, measurement is standard: impressions and clicks on non-brand queries in Search Console, client enquiries through the site, CVs received per published mandate. On the AI side, there is no official dashboard. The honest method is to ask the same set of client and candidate questions at regular intervals, record the answers with their date, then track the share of answers citing the firm, accuracy (sectors, partners, offices) and the sources cited.
The candidate side requires rigour on data. The revised Federal Act on Data Protection (revFADP), in force since 1 September 2023 and supervised by the FDPIC, applies to CV submissions; the GDPR may also apply to candidates living in the EU, who are numerous in the Geneva area. Minimal form, stated retention period, clear consent. This is not legal advice.
What does a diagnostic cover?
In broad terms: how Google and AI assistants like ChatGPT present the firm today, consistency between the site, partner profiles and directories, missing pages (sectors, search process, confidentiality, application submission), the technical health of the site and the balance between French and English, English remaining essential for the multinationals and international organisations based in Geneva. Kolonell's work is priced on quote.
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Illustrative example. Rhône Leadership Partners, a five-partner Geneva firm, works on retained searches for senior roles. Average fees used for the calculation: CHF 90,000 per mandate.
Budget considered over 12 months: SEO at CHF 2,000 a month, i.e. CHF 24,000, plus an AEO diagnostic at CHF 4,500 and a quarterly record at CHF 1,200, i.e. CHF 4,800. Total: CHF 33,300. Ratio to one mandate: 33,300 / 90,000 = 0.37. A single additional mandate covers the investment almost three times. If the first record shows AI assistants attributing to the firm a sector it left in 2023, that correction comes first.
FAQ
Does an executive search firm really need SEO?
For clients, less than a consultancy does: referrals remain central. For candidates and credibility, yes; a search on a partner's name must lead to an accurate page, which often takes 10 to 20 well-built pages.
Can we cite completed mandates?
Only with the client's written consent, and often anonymised (sector, function, year). Many Geneva firms publish none, which is a defensible choice.
How long before AI assistants describe the firm correctly?
Allow 2 to 6 months for corrections to appear in part of the answers, depending on the sources involved. The dated record lets you see it.
Should we publish open mandates?
It attracts candidates and clicks, but also off-target CVs. A selection of 3 to 5 non-confidential mandates is often enough.
What minimum budget to start?
A diagnostic of CHF 2,500 to 8,000, 2026 ballpark, gives a decision base before any monthly commitment.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record how Google and AI assistants describe your firm today to clients and candidates, and where the budget should go. 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.
