AEO is worth it when your buyers already ask AI tools about your category and your brand is missing from the answers. The quickest test is to run 20 or 30 real buying questions through ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini and Google AI Overviews and note who gets named. If competitors appear and you do not, there is a gap worth closing. It is less urgent for businesses whose customers rarely research online before buying.
Cost varies widely. In EliteAEO's market data, 100 of 355 eligible providers publish a starting price, and the median monthly starting price is $1,500, based on the 88 that publish a monthly fee. That is a starting price, not the cost of a full campaign.
The State of the AEO Agency Market 2026 report breaks pricing down by vertical, so you can weigh the likely return against real numbers.