// FAQ
Common questions, direct answers.
Everything most buyers want to know before they reach for the card. If something is missing, email ivar@authority.as — same-day response.
// Pricing and engagement
Pricing and engagement
How much does it cost?+
Audit: $1,490 one-time, delivered in 5 business days. Retainer: three tiers — Launch $2,490/mo, Growth $3,990/mo, Authority $6,490/mo. 50% of audit credits to first retainer month if signed within 14 days. Full pricing detail at /pricing.
Should I start with the audit or the retainer?+
About 70% of clients start with the audit. It's a one-time spend that gives you a 90-day roadmap you can run yourself or hand to your team. Retainer-direct makes sense if you already know AI search is a priority and you don't have internal capacity to ship — skip the audit, save the lead time.
Is there a free version?+
Yes — the free Shortlist Score at /score. 90 seconds, no credit card, no commitment. Returns a 5-page PDF with your AI citation rate across ChatGPT and Perplexity, your top cited competitors, and 5 specific things you can do this week. Limited to 5 runs per email per day.
Do you negotiate?+
No. Productized service means same scope, same price, every time. The only structured discount is the 50% audit-to-retainer credit. Negotiation creates 'who got the best deal' anxiety; flat pricing creates trust.
Cancellation policy?+
Audit: 14-day refund if fewer than 5 actionable issues are surfaced. Retainer: 3-month minimum (or 6-month for the Authority tier), then month-to-month — cancel anytime with 30 days notice. Month 4 is free if citation rate hasn't moved by end of month 3.
// Deliverables and timeline
Deliverables and timeline
What does the audit deliverable look like?+
A Notion doc with: (1) executive summary, (2) citation scorecard for 200+ buyer-intent prompts × 5 engines, (3) top-20 prioritized fixes ranked by impact × effort, (4) schema and content audit on top 10 pages, (5) competitor analysis on the top 5 brands cited above you, (6) 90-day execution roadmap. Plus a 30-min Loom walkthrough. Sample available on request.
How fast does the audit run?+
5 business days from kickoff to delivery. Days 1–2 are prompt runs across the 5 engines. Days 3–4 are analysis, schema audit, and competitor breakdown. Day 5 is roadmap assembly + Loom recording. You answer one ICP/positioning intake form at the start; otherwise the work is done independently.
When does citation rate start moving?+
Schema fixes and on-page changes can reflect in some engines within 2–4 weeks. Content + earned mentions take 3–6 months to compound — that's what the retainer is structured around. Authority data: average citation-rate movement of +12 to +18 points by end of month 3 across 40+ audits.
Can I see real client work?+
Public proof: The Shortlist Index at /shortlist-index runs the same methodology used on paying clients. Anyone can read it, verify scores by running the same prompts, and inspect the methodology page. For confidential client work, redacted samples available under NDA on request.