Collecting proposals for answer engine optimisation in Dubai and I'm stuck.

[Jonh Newman]

Hey everyone. Collecting proposals for answer engine optimisation in Dubai and I'm stuck. Four agencies, four decks, and they read almost identically: schema markup, FAQ pages, entity optimisation, AI visibility. None of them publish pricing, two quoted me the same monthly figure as our old SEO retainer, and when I asked how they would measure results I got charts with no source on them. I don't have the technical background to separate the real ones from the repackaged. What questions would you ask to tell them apart before signing anything?

[Konstantin Volkov]

Ask two things and most of the field sorts itself out. First, make them name the tool producing your citation numbers. Real tracking runs on something specific, whether that's Profound, Otterly, Peec, the DataForSEO endpoints or a custom build. A chart with no named source usually means nobody is measuring anything. Second, ask for a case with a date window and a metric attached rather than vague growth language. A LinkedIn piece scoring nine Dubai AEO agencies https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/best-aeo-agency-dubai-2026-i-ranked-... uses exactly those criteria plus published pricing, and it flags what you already noticed: an AEO price identical to your old SEO retainer is normally a rebrand. Local bands run around AED 3,000 to 14,000 a month.