SEO, GEO & AEO Glossary

AI Overviews (formerly Search Generative Experience or SGE) are AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of Google search results. They synthesize information from multiple sources to provide direct answers to user queries. AI Overviews fundamentally change how content is discovered, as they can feature your content in a prominent summary without users clicking through to your website. Approximately 47% of AI Overview citations come from sources not ranking in the top 10 organic results.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of optimizing content to appear as direct answers in search features like featured snippets, People Also Ask boxes, and AI-generated responses. AEO focuses on structuring content to directly answer specific questions users are asking. This involves using question-based headings, providing concise answers in the first paragraph, and ensuring content is formatted for easy extraction by AI systems.

Citation-worthy content is information that AI systems and other authoritative sources want to reference and quote. This type of content typically includes original research, unique data, expert opinions, clear definitions, and actionable frameworks. To be citation-worthy, content must be accurate, well-sourced, and presented in a format that is easy to extract and attribute. Creating citation-worthy content is the cornerstone of successful GEO strategy.

E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is a framework used by Google to evaluate content quality and determine which sources deserve to rank highly in search results. For AI search optimization, E-E-A-T signals help AI systems identify which content is most reliable to cite. Strong E-E-A-T signals include author credentials, first-hand experience, citations from authoritative sources, and transparent business information.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing content to appear in AI-powered search results, such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews. Unlike traditional SEO which focuses on ranking in blue links, GEO focuses on making your content citation-worthy so AI systems will reference and quote it when answering user questions. This involves creating authoritative, well-structured content with clear answers, statistics, and expert insights that AI can easily extract and cite.

A Large Language Model (LLM) is an AI system trained on vast amounts of text data to understand and generate human-like language. Popular LLMs include GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, and Llama. LLM Optimization (LLMO) focuses on making content more likely to be understood, referenced, and cited by these AI systems. Understanding how LLMs process and retrieve information is essential for effective GEO strategy.

Real-time web search performed by AI tools before generating responses. Used by Perplexity, ChatGPT with search enabled, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot. Live retrieval depends on existing search indexes, making traditional SEO the foundation for AI visibility.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO) is the practice of improving a website's visibility in traditional search engine results pages (SERPs). SEO involves optimizing content, technical infrastructure, and building authority signals to rank higher for relevant keywords. While SEO focuses on earning clicks from blue links, it now works alongside GEO strategies as search evolves to include AI-generated answers. Modern SEO requires understanding both traditional ranking factors and AI citation patterns.

Search intent refers to the underlying purpose behind a user's search query. The four main types of search intent are: informational (seeking knowledge), navigational (looking for a specific website), transactional (ready to purchase), and commercial investigation (comparing options before buying). Understanding and matching search intent is critical for both SEO and GEO success, as content must align with what users actually want to find.

Topical authority is a measure of how comprehensively a website covers a particular subject area. Websites with strong topical authority have deep, interconnected content that demonstrates expertise across all aspects of a topic. Search engines and AI systems favor sources with topical authority when selecting content to rank or cite. Building topical authority requires creating pillar content, supporting cluster articles, and maintaining consistent coverage over time.

A zero-click search occurs when a user finds the answer they need directly on the search results page without clicking through to any website. This includes answers from featured snippets, knowledge panels, AI Overviews, and other SERP features. As of 2024, nearly 60% of Google searches result in zero clicks. For content creators, this means optimizing for visibility in these features rather than just traditional click-through traffic.

Bounce rate is the percentage of visitors who leave a website after viewing only one page without taking any further action. A high bounce rate might indicate that content does not match user expectations, page loads slowly, user experience is poor, or users found their answer immediately. Context matters when interpreting bounce rates. A blog post answering a specific question may naturally have high bounce rates, while a sales page should aim for lower bounce rates with conversions.

Click-through rate (CTR) is the percentage of users who click on a link compared to total users who saw it. In SEO, CTR measures how often users click your search result when it appears. CTR is calculated by dividing clicks by impressions and multiplying by 100. Factors affecting CTR include search ranking position, title tag appeal, meta description quality, rich snippet presence, and URL structure. Higher CTR can signal relevance to search engines and may indirectly influence rankings.

Domain Authority (DA) is a search engine ranking score developed by Moz that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search results. Scores range from 1 to 100, with higher scores indicating greater ranking ability. DA is calculated based on factors including linking root domains, number of total links, and other metrics. While not used by Google directly, DA provides a useful comparative metric for evaluating website strength. Similar metrics include Ahrefs Domain Rating (DR) and Majestic Trust Flow.

Impressions represent the number of times your content appears in search results, regardless of whether users click. In Google Search Console, impressions count when your URL appears in search results for a query. High impressions with low clicks indicate opportunity to improve titles and descriptions. Tracking impressions helps understand visibility and reach. Impressions data combined with clicks calculates CTR. AI search platforms may show content without traditional impressions, requiring new measurement approaches.

Organic traffic refers to visitors who arrive at your website through unpaid search engine results. Unlike paid traffic from ads, organic traffic comes from users clicking your listings in natural search results. Organic traffic is valued for its cost-effectiveness, sustainability, and indication of content relevance. Key factors affecting organic traffic include search rankings, click-through rates, keyword targeting, and content quality. Analytics tools like Google Analytics track organic traffic volume, sources, landing pages, and user behavior.

SERP stands for Search Engine Results Page, the page displayed by search engines in response to a user query. Modern SERPs contain various elements beyond traditional blue links, including featured snippets, AI Overviews, People Also Ask boxes, knowledge panels, local packs, image carousels, video results, and paid advertisements. Understanding SERP features and how they appear for target keywords helps inform SEO and GEO strategy. SERP layouts vary by query type and user intent.

Backlinks (also called inbound links or incoming links) are links from external websites pointing to your pages. Search engines view backlinks as votes of confidence, with links from high-authority, relevant sites carrying more weight. Backlink quality matters more than quantity. Key factors include the linking site's authority, relevance to your topic, anchor text used, link placement (editorial vs. footer), and whether the link is follow or nofollow. Building quality backlinks remains one of the most important SEO ranking factors.

A content cluster is a strategic grouping of related content pieces organized around a central pillar page. The pillar covers the main topic broadly, while cluster articles dive deep into specific subtopics. All pieces are interconnected through internal links, creating a semantic relationship that search engines and AI systems recognize as topical authority. This structure is now essential for both SEO ranking and AI citation success.

A featured snippet is the highlighted answer box that appears at the top of Google search results, often called "Position Zero." Featured snippets extract and display content directly from a webpage to answer user queries without requiring a click. They can appear as paragraphs, lists, tables, or videos. Approximately 12% of Google searches trigger a featured snippet, making them a valuable opportunity for visibility.

Internal linking refers to hyperlinks that connect pages within the same website. Effective internal linking distributes page authority (link equity) across the site, helps search engines discover and understand content relationships, improves user navigation, and establishes content hierarchy. Key strategies include linking from high-authority pages to important content, using descriptive anchor text, creating hub pages that link to related content, and ensuring important pages are accessible within a few clicks from the homepage.

Keywords are words and phrases that describe page content and match what users type into search engines. In SEO, keywords help search engines understand page topics and match content to relevant queries. Effective keyword strategy involves researching what terms your audience uses, understanding search volume and competition, and naturally incorporating keywords into content. Keywords should appear in titles, headings, body text, URLs, and meta descriptions without over-optimization or keyword stuffing.

Long-tail keywords are longer, more specific search phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher conversion rates and less competition. While "shoes" is a broad keyword, "women's waterproof hiking boots size 8" is a long-tail keyword. Long-tail keywords often indicate clearer user intent and later stages in the buying journey. They comprise the majority of search queries and are particularly valuable for newer sites competing against established competitors.

A meta description is an HTML element that provides a brief summary of a web page's content. While not a direct ranking factor, meta descriptions appear as the snippet text under page titles in search results and influence click-through rates. Effective meta descriptions are 150-160 characters, include target keywords naturally, accurately describe page content, and include a call to action. Well-crafted meta descriptions can significantly improve organic traffic by encouraging users to click your result over competitors.

People Also Ask (PAA) boxes are expandable question-and-answer features that appear in Google search results. Each question reveals a snippet from a webpage that answers the query, along with related follow-up questions. PAA boxes present a significant opportunity for visibility, as they can appear for thousands of related queries. Optimizing for PAA involves identifying common questions in your niche and providing clear, direct answers.

A pillar page is a comprehensive, authoritative resource that covers a broad topic in depth. It serves as the hub of a content cluster, linking to and from more specific subtopic articles. Pillar pages demonstrate topical authority to search engines and AI systems, making them more likely to rank and be cited. An effective pillar page typically covers 3,000+ words and links to 10-20 related cluster articles.

The process by which AI search tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews expand a single user question into multiple Google searches, then combine the results to generate a response. For example, a query for "best project management tools" might fan out into searches for "project management software 2025," "top PM tools for teams," and "project management app comparison." Content must appear in these fanned searches to be visible to AI, which is why ranking for a single keyword is no longer sufficient for AI search visibility

The process by which AI tools search for content, retrieve relevant results, and feed that content into their context before generating a response. RAG enables AI systems to access current information beyond their training data.

Schema markup is structured data code added to web pages that helps search engines and AI systems understand your content more precisely. Using vocabulary from Schema.org, it creates a semantic layer that identifies key elements like articles, FAQs, products, reviews, and more. For AI search optimization, schema markup increases the likelihood of your content being correctly interpreted and cited. Pages with proper schema markup are significantly more likely to appear in rich results and AI-generated answers.