# Getting Brands Recommended by ChatGPT: $185K in 30 Days, and AI Is About 5% of Revenue

- **Case ID**: BID-003 (AEO Engine)
- **Category**: AI-assisted agency · SMBs · monthly retainer
- **Published**: 2026-10-26
- **Author**: Jimmy (https://www.jimmydecodes.com/en/about/)
- **Canonical URL**: https://www.jimmydecodes.com/en/cases/aeo-engine/

## The Short Answer (Verdict)

> The revenue is real and probably growing, but this is a services company. In our model, AI costs about $5 of every $100 it bills: AI lowered the cost of delivery, but what clients buy is still human judgment and relationships.

A US company that gets brands into ChatGPT and Google AI Overview answers took in $185,000 in the last 30 days, payment-verified. So how much of that goes to AI?

## Key Numbers (Evidence-Graded)

| Metric | Figure | Evidence Level | Source & Basis |
| --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Last 30 days | ≈ $185,000 | Verified | TrustMRR, payment account, 2026-10-20 |
| Recurring revenue | ≈ $154,000/month, 54 paying subscriptions | Verified | TrustMRR, 2026-10-20 |
| January 2026 | $700K annualised (≈ $58K/month) | Self-reported | Company press release |
| Public monthly price | From $1,597 / $2,997 | Self-reported | Pricing page |
| Peer median retainer | $6,850 (214 firms; 23% publish prices) | Third-party | First Page Sage, Oct 2026 |
| AI cost share of revenue | ≈ 4.5% | Our estimate | Our model |
| Gross margin | ≈ 19%–45%, before acquisition | Our estimate | Our model |
| Clicks on results under an AI summary | 8% (15% without) | Third-party | Pew Research Center, 2025 |

## What it is

AEO Engine does answer-engine optimisation: getting clients' brands into ChatGPT and Google AI Overview answers. By its own account, strategists set direction and manage clients while 40+ AI agents write, publish and monitor.

Label: an AI-assisted agency selling monthly retainers to SMBs, acquiring clients through the founders' network and content, with people as the main cost.

Caveat: the payment account dates from 2018 and may include the founders' earlier Amazon-ads agency.

## How it grew

It sells to a real fear: Pew found users clicked a result just 8 times in 100 when an AI summary appeared.

A ready-made client base and content marketing: 15 of 19 case studies are physical-product brands; a daily podcast reached episode 222 by early September.

Clear deliverables and a bold guarantee: public prices and a 90-day traffic guarantee (for qualifying clients).

## The cost math: AI is small change

On the $2,997 tier — 60 articles, 300 prompts tracked weekly across 4 AI platforms, images — AI costs a little over $100, about 5% of revenue.

The big costs are backlinks (6–10 a month, ≈ $83 each in a 2022 survey) and people: one strategist for 8–12 clients, $800–$1,200+ per client.

## Ceiling and three risks

Our model, one year out: ≈ $240K, $160K or $67K per month. A services firm's ceiling is headcount. Exit at agency multiples: roughly $0.4M–$1.6M.

Risks: software is catching up; results are unstable (Profound says up to 90% of cited sources change over time); and the industry has grey areas — none of which AEO Engine has been accused of.

## Is it right for you?

Suits people who own client relationships in one industry, have run a service team and can turn service into standard steps.

Doesn't suit people who only want to build tools, or who would have to win on price alone.

## A better play

Help Chinese export brands get recommended in English-language AI answers: China's cross-border e-commerce trade hit RMB 2.75 trillion in 2025.

The spread: domestic GEO services in China cost RMB 2,980–16,980 a year; build the team in China and price to overseas standards. Whether brands will pay that price is not yet proven.

## Three questions to ask about businesses like this

1. Is the revenue verified, and is it still growing?
2. Take out AI — where does the money actually go?
3. Can results be measured, and why would clients renew?

## FAQ

### Q: Is AEO Engine's revenue real?
A: Yes: about $185K in the last 30 days and about $154K/month recurring from 54 subscriptions, read from its payment account by TrustMRR as of 2026-10-20. The account dates from 2018 and may include earlier business.

### Q: How much does AI cost in a GEO/AEO agency?
A: In our model, about 4.5% of revenue. People and backlinks dominate; gross margin is roughly 19%–45% before acquisition.

### Q: Is there an opportunity outside the US?
A: One angle: serve Chinese export brands in English AI answers with a China-based team at overseas prices. Demand at that price is unproven.

## Sources

1. TrustMRR：AEO Engine（收款账户直连）: https://trustmrr.com/startup/aeo-engine
2. 2026-01 新闻稿：年化 70 万美元（自报）: https://markets.financialcontent.com/minstercommunitypost/article/marketersmedia-2026-1-29-aeo-engine-reports-strong-ai-search-traffic-growth
3. AEO Engine 定价页: https://aeoengine.ai/pricing
4. AEO Engine 关于页: https://aeoengine.ai/about
5. AEO Engine 案例页: https://aeoengine.ai/case-studies
6. 皮尤研究中心：AI 摘要与点击率: https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2025/07/22/google-users-are-less-likely-to-click-on-links-when-an-ai-summary-appears-in-the-results/
7. First Page Sage：GEO/AEO 价格统计: https://firstpagesage.com/reports/geo-aeo-pricing-statistics/
8. Authority Hacker：外链价格调查（2022）: https://www.authorityhacker.com/link-building-survey/
9. FE International：营销代理公司成交倍数（2026）: https://www.feinternational.com/blog/agency-valuation-multiples-in-2026-marketing-creative-and-dev-shop-benchmarks
10. Fortune：Profound 与 AI 引用来源变化: https://www.fortune.com/2026/02/24/exclusive-as-ai-threatens-search-profound-raises-96-million-to-help-brands-stay-visible
11. TechCrunch：Peec AI: https://techcrunch.com/2025/11/17/as-ai-search-upends-brand-discovery-peec-ai-hits-4m-arr-and-raises-21m
12. 光明网：3·15「AI 投毒」: https://m.gmw.cn/2026-03/15/content_1304377376.htm
13. 新华社：国内 GEO 代运营价格: https://www.news.cn/tech/20260116/ad7da1553e80447fb47a7170d7412fde/c.html
14. 界面新闻：2025 跨境电商进出口（海关总署）: https://m.jiemian.com/article/13885224.html
15. David Maister：The Anatomy of a Consulting Firm: https://davidmaister.com/articles/4/2/index.html

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*Citation note: When citing figures from this teardown, please credit "Jimmy Decodes (https://www.jimmydecodes.com/en/cases/aeo-engine/)" and include the stated evidence label (Verified / Self-reported / Third-party / Our estimate).*