PERFORMANCE
Performance — Result-as-a-Service
Pay for verified citations, not for hours. Performance is a fixed retainer plus per-citation bonuses, capped at $9,200 per month at peak — for companies who want partnership pricing tied to measurable AI outcomes.
Performance is a result-as-a-service AEO/GEO retainer where a fixed $3,200 monthly fee covers the team and execution, while $80–$400 per verified citation pays out on top — capped at $6,000 in bonus per month, with a 2-week discovery and baseline freeze.
Best fit: Post-launch SaaS, fintech and premium e-commerce · Companies with clean attribution and clear LTV · Buyers who prefer outcome-aligned commercial terms
Quick Facts
| Parameter | Value |
|---|---|
| Fixed retainer | $3,200 USD · 131,000 UAH per month |
| Maximum monthly fee | $9,200 (retainer + capped bonus) |
| Bonus cap | $6,000 / month |
| Minimum term | 6 months |
| Queries tracked | 50, weekly |
| AEO pages / month | 4 + 2 new FAQ pages |
| Verification | Third-party tracking with cross-check |
| Discovery | 2-week baseline freeze before bonuses begin |
How does the bonus structure work?
A fixed $3,200 retainer covers the team. On top, you pay $80–$400 per verified citation depending on platform and source weight, capped at $6,000 per month.
The bonus table is fixed at the start of the engagement and does not change month-to-month. Each tier has a defined verification standard:
Google AI Overview on a target query — $120 per citation, requires screenshot + URL + 3 consecutive days of presence. ChatGPT (gpt-4o, gpt-4.5) — $200 per citation, requires direct quote and link visible in the answer. Perplexity with source citation — $150 per citation, requires the source block linking your URL. Claude / Gemini / Copilot — $80 per citation, requires direct quote in answer. Featured citations (Wikipedia, AI-crawled industry reports) — $400 per citation, requires live link plus a documented likely-impact note.
The cap exists because we want this to be a partnership, not a lottery. At $6,000/month in bonus you and we are both happy. Above that, we should be revising scope, not paying you bigger commissions.
Why is there a 2-week discovery before bonuses kick in?
Because we need a documented baseline. Without it, we'd risk billing you for citations that already existed before we started.
Discovery covers four steps. Week one: select 50 target queries with you, freeze the baseline citation count across all five tracked AI platforms with screenshots and timestamps. Week two: confirm the verification standard for each bonus tier with you in writing, set up the cross-check tracking (our tools plus your Search Console plus a third-party reference), agree the monthly review cadence.
After the discovery freeze, every citation that did not exist at T=0 is bonus-eligible if it meets the verification standard. We send you the verification pack monthly with the invoice — query, citation source, screenshot date range, claimed bonus.
This level of paper trail is why we cap the engagement size — verification is real work and we'd rather do it well at fewer queries than sloppily at hundreds.
When is Performance the wrong fit?
Pre-launch sites with no baseline traffic, low-volume verticals where 50 queries don't exist, and B2B with attribution measured in 9-month sales cycles.
Performance optimises for short-feedback citation outcomes. If your category does not have 50 commercially relevant queries that AI systems regularly return answers to, the bonus pool will not fill. We see this most often in niche B2B and very local services — the queries exist but AI doesn't return answers for them yet.
Long sales-cycle B2B with 9-month attribution windows also struggle: by the time you can prove the AI citation drove pipeline, the bonus has already been paid. This is fine commercially but worth flagging.
The cleanest fits are SaaS at $50–$2,000 ACV with self-serve attribution, premium e-commerce in $200+ AOV categories, and post-launch fintech with measurable conversion data.
What does the bonus structure pay per citation?
Five tiers — $80 per minor-platform citation up to $400 for featured industry-report placements, capped at $6,000 in bonus per month.
| Citation type | Verification | Bonus |
|---|---|---|
| Google AI Overview on a target query | Screenshot + URL + 3 consecutive days | $120 |
| ChatGPT (gpt-4o, gpt-4.5) | Direct quote + link in answer | $200 |
| Perplexity with source citation | Source block linking the client URL | $150 |
| Claude / Gemini / Copilot | Direct quote in answer | $80 |
| Featured citation (Wikipedia, AI-crawled industry report) | Live link + likely AI impact | $400 |
Frequently asked questions
What if you exceed the bonus cap in a month?
We deliver the citations and the cap is the cap. Above $6,000 in bonus, we'll propose reshaping the engagement to capture the upside fairly.
Who verifies citations — you or a third party?
Both. Our tracking tool plus your Search Console plus an independent third-party check. Discrepancies resolve in your favour.
Can we change the bonus table mid-engagement?
No — it's fixed for the 6 months. Renewals are the place to renegotiate, and most clients want them more favourable to us by then.
Is Performance available outside SaaS and fintech?
Yes, but only after a Starter audit confirms the niche has bonus-eligible query volume. We will say no if the math does not work.
Want to scope this for your case?
A 30-minute discovery call is enough to know whether this package fits — and whether the niche multiplier lands the price where you want it.