AI SEO & GEO Glossary:
Key Terms for Modern Search Marketing
Essential definitions and insights for SEO professionals and marketers working with AI-powered search optimization.
Generative Engine Optimization
AI Response Optimization
Tailoring your content so AI assistants incorporate it reliably and favourably into their generated answers.
GEO
LLM Content Optimization
Techniques for tailoring content so large language models recognise and cite it.
GEO
AI Brand Mentions
Occurrences when artificial intelligence platforms mention, source, or suggest particular brands within their automated responses to user inquiries.
GEO
Source Citation
How AI systems attribute information to the original sources they use.
GEO
Content Clusters
A structured grouping of related articles around a central theme to build topical authority.
GEO
AI Visibility Score
A metric indicating how frequently your brand is cited in AI-generated answers.
GEO
AI Response Optimization
Techniques for optimizing content to appear prominently and accurately in AI-generated responses across different platforms.
GEO
Topical Authority
Demonstrated expertise and credibility on a specific subject or niche.
GEO
AI Search Performance
Monitoring and analysing how your content performs across AI-driven search platforms.
GEO
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Digital marketing strategy focused on ensuring AI models cite your content in their generated responses.
GEO
AI-First Content Strategy
Developing content with AI systems in mind from the very beginning.
GEO
Citation Probability
The chance that an AI system will cite or reference your content when generating an answer.
GEO
Generative Search Optimization
An alternative term for GEO that highlights optimisation for AI systems that generate answers rather than retrieve links
GEO
Content Authority
The perceived credibility of a particular article or author on a specific topic.
GEO
AI Content Ranking
The process how AI prioritize and order content when generating responses, determining which sources get cited or referenced.
GEO
Search Everywhere Optimization
A holistic strategy for optimizing visibility across every search and discovery channel, from traditional engines to AI assistants and social platforms.
GEO
Progressive Web Apps (PWA)
Web applications that behave like native apps, offering offline access and enhanced engagement through the browser.
GEO
Training Data Optimization
Creating content with the goal of shaping how future AI models learn about your brand or topic.
GEO
ChatGPT Optimization
Tactics to improve the likelihood of your brand being cited in ChatGPT conversations.
GEO
Reference Rate
A metric indicating the percentage of AI responses that cite your brand or content.
GEO
Search Engine Optimization
Dwell Time
The time users spend on a page before returning to the search results, reflecting engagement and content usefulness.
SEO
Click-Through Rate (CTR)
The ratio of users who click on your result compared to those who view it, reflecting attractiveness and relevance.
SEO
AMP
Accelerated Mobile Pages (AMP) provide a stripped‑down HTML framework for delivering lightning‑fast mobile experiences.
SEO
Canonical URLs
Preferred URL versions used to consolidate ranking signals and avoid duplicate content issues.
SEO
Mobile‑First Indexing
Google’s practice of primarily using the mobile version of a site’s content for indexing and ranking.
SEO
Local SEO
A branch of SEO focusing on optimizing visibility in local searches and map listings.
SEO
Internal Linking
Connecting pages within a site using hyperlinks to distribute authority, aid navigation and improve crawlability.
SEO
Knowledge Panel
An information box appearing in search results with structured data about entities like people, organizations or places.
SEO
E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)
Google’s framework evaluating the Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness of content and creators.
SEO
Crawling and Indexing
The processes by which search and AI bots discover, analyze and store web content for retrieval.
SEO
Knowledge Graph
A network of interconnected entities and relationships used by search engines and AI systems to understand context and facts.
SEO
Featured Snippets
Concise answer boxes displayed at the top of search results, providing quick information without requiring clicks.
SEO
Long-tail Keywords
Longer, more specific phrases (often three or more words) that capture targeted search intent and conversational queries.
SEO
Google Search Console
A free tool providing insights into your site’s visibility, indexing, performance and technical health.
SEO
Backlinks
Hyperlinks from other websites that act as endorsements, signalling authority and trust to search engines and AI systems.
SEO
Image Optimization
The practice of reducing file sizes and adding context so images load quickly and are properly understood by search engines and AI models.
SEO
Domain Authority
A comparative metric estimating the likelihood of a domain ranking in search results based on link profile and trust signals.
SEO
Core Web Vitals
A set of performance metrics—LCP, FID and CLS—evaluating page loading, interactivity and visual stability
SEO
Entity SEO
Optimizing content around people, places or things (entities) to help AI models understand relationships and context.
SEO