For agenciesMake GEO a verified capability of your agency
Why certification exists
GEO is new, and anyone can claim to offer it. Clients have no easy way to tell a structured practice from a relabelled SEO package.
Certification gives them one: an assessment against the published GEO Standard, a time-limited credential, and a public record they can check themselves.
Certification independence. Certification can be pursued independently of purchasing consulting, training, audits, software or partnership services, and none of these influence eligibility, assessment results or certification decisions. How we keep them separate
What gets assessed
- 01
Strategy
Engagement plans that start from a measured baseline and prioritise by dependency.
- 02
Technical
Redacted technical audits and the fixes that followed.
- 03
Content
Redacted content briefs and published examples.
- 04
Entity
Entity inventories and profile-alignment records.
- 05
Measurement
Client reports showing query sets, systems, dates, sample sizes and limits.
- 06
Ethics
Written policy, leadership acceptance and delivered work free of prohibited tactics.
- 07
Process
Documented workflow that different team members can repeat.
See the full crosswalk.
What certified agencies receive
- Digital certificate (PDF) with QR code
- Unique certificate ID and permanent verification page
- Live badge and embed code
- Profile in the GEO Certified Agency Network
- LinkedIn, proposal and email-signature assets
- Launch announcement template with approved wording
- Certification guidelines for accurate claims
How verification works
- 01
Apply
Choose a programme, read the requirements and submit your details.
- 02
Eligibility Review
We check the application against published eligibility criteria within ten working days.
- 03
Assessment
Professionals sit a written assessment. Agencies submit evidence and attend an assessor interview.
- 04
Certification Decision
A decision-maker who did not assess you reviews the assessor's scores and decides.
- 05
Certificate Issued
You receive a certificate with a unique ID, plus a live badge and its embed code.
- 06
Public Verification
Your record appears in the Verification Registry. Agencies also appear in the directory.
- 07
Renewal
Certificates last 12 months. Renewal reassesses you against the current Standard version.
See a GEO badge? Verify it.
Anyone can display an image. An active GeoAI Optimization credential can be verified through the public registry.
Directory, founding cohort and partners
- Agency directory
- Certified agencies appear in the GEO Certified Agency Network, alphabetically. Placement cannot be bought.
- Founding cohort
- The first agencies certified under GEO Standard v1.0, published as they qualify.
- Partner programme
- A separate commercial programme for training and white-label delivery. Partner status is not certification.
Questions
Is this a purchased badge?
No. Agencies submit evidence, are interviewed by an assessor, and a separate Certification Decision Authority decides. The fee pays for the assessment, not the outcome.
Do we need to buy training or consulting first?
No. Certification can be pursued independently, and buying other services has no effect on the outcome.
How do clients check our certification?
Your badge links to a public registry page showing your certificate ID, status, dates and the Standard version. Anyone can also search the registry by name or ID.
Does certification bring client referrals?
Certified agencies are listed in the directory, sorted alphabetically. We do not sell leads, placement or referrals.
What if we are a small agency?
The criteria scale with size. A two-person consultancy can document a repeatable workflow as well as a large agency.
Join the founding cohort
Founding certification applications open. Agencies are assessed against the same criteria now as later.