Google Just Told You How to Vet a GEO Tool. I Ran Mine Through It.
A founder messaged me last week: "There are like fifty of these AI visibility tools now, how do I know which one isn't selling snake oil?" Fair question. From what I've seen, the honest answer used to be "you don't, you guess."
That changed. In May 2026 Google quietly shipped the thing nobody in this category asked for: an official rulebook for vetting tools exactly like mine.
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So I'm going to do the uncomfortable thing and run GEOlikeaPro through Google's own checklist, in public. If the tool you're paying for fails it, you'll know what to ask.
First, the size of the problem
The reason Google bothered: the category exploded. G2's SEO Tools category lists more than 200 products - 217 in the free filter alone.
The GEO slice is younger and messier. Evertune's 2026 landscape ranks 15 generative engine optimization platforms, and that's the shortlist - the long tail runs into dozens.
Hundreds of tools, near-zero gatekeeping, every one of them promising AI visibility. Your snake-oil radar gets tired. Google's new pages are basically a way to recalibrate it.
What Google actually published
Two documents, both worth ten minutes:
- A brand-new page, Guidance on Third-Party SEO Tools & Advice, on how to judge any tool or consultant's claims.
- A rewrite of the old Do you need an SEO? page, which now folds GEO/AEO into the list of normal SEO services and adds a section on vetting tools.
The spine running through both: Google does not evaluate, approve, or certify third-party tools. Nobody does. So any claim that smells like a Google blessing is, by definition, a tell.
The tells - what Google says to walk away from
| Red flag | Why it's a lie |
|---|---|
| "Google-approved" / "acceptable to Google" | Google evaluates zero third-party tools. There is no approval to give. |
| "Guaranteed #1 ranking" / "guaranteed AI citations" | No tool has Google's internal ranking data. A guarantee is math nobody outside Google can do. |
| "You need our special AI file or markup to appear in AI search" | Google's own AI guide says you don't need llms.txt, chunking, or AI-only markup. |
| Claims stated as fact, no source, no "in my experience" | Good advice cites Google's docs or flags itself as opinion from data. Bald assertions do neither. |
That last row is the whole game. Google's bar for good advice is low and clear: back the claim with official documentation, or label it as your own read of your own data. Anything that does neither is just vibes with a price tag.
How to vet any GEO or SEO tool - 5 checks
Steal this. Run it on us, then run it on the other tab you have open.
- Ask for the source. Every recommendation in the audit should point to either Google's documentation or the tool's own data. "Because the algorithm likes it" is not a source. Cross-check the technical claims yourself in Google PageSpeed Insights.
- Hunt for the word "guarantee". On the pricing page, in the sales call, in the audit PDF. Find it, leave. No third party has the ranking data to back a guaranteed ranking or citation.
- Check the "approved by Google" claim. If it exists, it's false - there is no certification program. A tool that invents one will invent other things.
- Pressure-test the AI-only tactics. If the pitch leans on llms.txt, content chunking, or special AI markup as the thing that gets you cited, hold it against Google's AI optimization guide, which lists those as myths.
- Make your own call. Google's literal instruction: before you make significant changes off a tool's audit, check it against official guidance and decide for yourself. The tool advises. You own the site.
Running GEOlikeaPro through its own article
Uncomfortable part. Here's where we land on each check, and where you can call me on it.
- We never say "Google-approved." Search the site. You won't find it, because it isn't a real thing.
- We don't guarantee outcomes. Our Terms say it in plain text: no guaranteed SEO outcomes, no guaranteed AI visibility, no promised ranking changes. The Visibility Vitals checker tells you what's broken; it doesn't sell you a ranking.
- We cite Google when Google's the source. When we told readers to skip llms.txt for citations, we quoted Google's AI guide and Gary Illyes - not our opinion, their documentation.
- We label our own data as ours. When a number comes from our 50+ brand audit, we say "our audit" - and we tell you schema explained roughly 9 points of citation variance, not 90. Foundation, not magic.
One more thing Google added: the FTC
The updated page now tells you where to go when a tool actually defrauds you. If an SEO or GEO vendor lied to take your money, Google points you at the US Federal Trade Commission - file at ftc.gov, or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.
Read that as a signal. When Google starts naming the fraud regulator on its own help docs, the category has a trust problem worth taking seriously.
There are hundreds of these tools now, and Google just handed you the filter. Three questions kill most of the bad ones: Where's your source? Do you guarantee anything? Are you pretending Google approved you? A tool that answers those cleanly earns your afternoon. One that dodges them earns the back button.
Want to see what an audit looks like when every line traces back to a source instead of a promise? Run GEOlikeaPro's Visibility Vitals checker and see where you stand. No guarantees - just what's actually breaking your AI visibility, and why.
FAQ
Does Google approve or certify SEO and GEO tools?
No. Google's third-party SEO guidance is explicit that Google does not evaluate, approve, or certify any third-party tool or service. There is no certification program, so any tool claiming to be "Google-approved" or "acceptable to Google" is making a claim Google itself says is false.
Can a GEO tool guarantee I'll get cited in AI search?
No. No third-party tool has access to Google's internal ranking data, so none can guarantee a ranking or an AI citation. Good tools show you what's broken and cite their sources; a guarantee on the pricing page is a reason to walk away.
How do I check whether a tool's audit advice is legit?
For each recommendation, ask whether it cites official Google documentation or the tool's own data. Google's guidance says good advice does one of those two things. Before making significant changes off any audit, cross-check it against Google's published docs and decide for yourself.
What can I do if an SEO or GEO vendor scammed me?
Google's updated guidance now points to the US Federal Trade Commission for fraudulent SEO services. You can file a complaint at ftc.gov or call 1-877-FTC-HELP.