The verdict in three sentences
For a boutique strategy consultancy in Toronto, SEO captures executives searching Google for a precise topic, while AEO/GEO targets the answers AI assistants like ChatGPT give when a CEO, a board member or a private equity operating partner asks who to hire. Both rest on the same material, clear pages about your partners, sectors and thinking, but they are measured differently. The right split depends on your current reputation and budget, and no provider can guarantee a ranking or an AI recommendation.
Two levers, two logics
Buyers of a strategy engagement choose on partner experience, sector depth, the quality of thought leadership and discretion. On Google, they type queries such as pricing strategy consultant Toronto or post-merger integration advisory Canada. To AI assistants, they ask more open questions: which independent Toronto firms advise private equity funds on value creation? The ranges below come from typical agency quotes, converted approximately at about 0.72 USD per CAD.
| Criterion | SEO (Google) | AEO/GEO (AI assistants like ChatGPT) |
|---|---|---|
| What you target | Positions on precise queries | Accurate mentions of the firm in answers |
| Time to effect | 4 to 12 months depending on competition | 3 to 9 months, highly variable, young market |
| Monthly market budget | 3,000 to 8,000 CAD, about 2,200 to 5,800 USD | 2,000 to 6,000 CAD, about 1,450 to 4,300 USD |
| One-off diagnostic | 3,000 to 10,000 CAD, about 2,200 to 7,200 USD | 1,500 to 5,000 CAD, about 1,100 to 3,600 USD |
| Metrics | Impressions, clicks, enquiries from search | Share of answers citing the firm, accuracy, cited sources |
| Main risk | Generic content that never ranks | Inaccurate or outdated description of the firm |
| Dependency | Google's algorithm | Public sources AI assistants judge reliable |
The shared material matters more than the channel. A firm whose partners have detailed bios, real anonymised case studies and signed, dated analysis serves both Google and AI assistants.
Where should you invest, given your situation?
| Firm situation | Recommended priority | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Young firm, little known | SEO first, on niche queries | You first need to exist on precise pages |
| Established brand, well-known partners | AEO/GEO alongside SEO | Check that AI assistants describe the firm correctly |
| Work for regulated sectors (banking, health, energy) | Factual, sourced content for both | Precision protects reputation |
| Limited budget, under 2,000 USD a month | One-off AEO diagnostic and rewritten key pages | One targeted effort beats diluted tracking |
| Partners who already publish a lot | AEO/GEO, to tie that work to the firm | The material exists and must be readable |
| Expansion towards Quebec or francophone Europe | Bilingual SEO and tracking answers in French | Questions are asked in the client's language |
Discretion means most firms cannot name their clients. Case studies must be real, anonymised and approved by the client where needed. On regulation, form data generally falls under PIPEDA, newsletters under CASL, and site accessibility under the AODA for many Ontario organisations. This is not legal advice.
How do you measure each lever?
SEO is measured with Search Console and your enquiry tracking: impressions and clicks on 20 to 40 target queries, pages viewed before contact, qualified enquiries per quarter. AEO/GEO is measured with a dated record: the same 20 to 30 questions asked every month to AI assistants like ChatGPT, under the same conditions, noting whether the firm is cited, what is said about it and which sources appear. Read this record over at least six months, because answers vary. In both cases, ask on the first call how the prospect heard of you: it is often the most reliable signal.
A serious diagnostic covers the site's technical health, the quality of partner and sector pages, the consistency of your public information (directories, professional profiles, press), a first record of AI answers and a budget split recommendation. At Kolonell, this diagnostic and the work that follows are on quote: request a free quote.
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Illustrative example: King West Strategy Partners, seven consultants in Toronto, has 4,000 USD a month. Option A: all SEO, so 48,000 USD over 12 months. Option B: 2,800 USD of SEO and 1,200 USD of AEO/GEO tracking a month, so 33,600 + 14,400 = 48,000 USD, plus an initial 2,500 USD diagnostic. The firm picks B, because its first record shows it appears in 2 answers out of 20, so 10%, with an inaccurate sector description. A hypothetical average engagement of 120,000 USD makes the effort pay off with a single mandate won.
FAQ
Is SEO still useful if executives ask AI assistants?
Yes, because AI assistants often rely on well-built, well-indexed pages. As a 2026 ballpark, an SEO program costs 2,200 to 5,800 USD a month in Toronto.
How much does AEO/GEO cost for a consultancy?
Expect roughly 1,100 to 3,600 USD for a diagnostic and 1,450 to 4,300 USD a month for tracking. It is a young market with widely dispersed prices.
Can we be certain ChatGPT will recommend us?
No. The work improves the clarity and consistency of your public information, and the monthly record measures whether answers change, with no guarantee.
Should we publish case studies?
Only real ones, anonymised and approved by the client where needed. Two or three detailed studies per sector are worth more than ten vague summaries.
How many questions should the record track?
Between 20 and 30 questions are enough for a firm of this size. Keep them identical from month to month so you can compare.
Find out how AI assistants describe your firm. We record what AI assistants like ChatGPT say about your firm and help you decide 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.
