AI search glossary
Plain-English definitions of the terms behind AI search visibility: GEO, AEO, LLMO, Google AI Overviews, AI Mode, llms.txt, query fan-out, AI share of voice and more.
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)GEO definition: how generative engine optimization gets brands cited in AI answers, how it differs from SEO and AEO, and what the work involves.Read →
- Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)AEO definition: what answer engine optimization is, how it relates to GEO, and the formatting that gets content used as the answer.Read →
- LLM Optimization (LLMO)LLMO definition: how LLM optimization shapes what large language models say about your brand, and how it relates to GEO and AEO.Read →
- Google AI OverviewsWhat Google AI Overviews are, how they select and cite sources, and what site owners can do to be included.Read →
- Google AI ModeWhat Google AI Mode is, how it differs from AI Overviews, and how sites get cited in AI Mode answers.Read →
- llms.txtWhat llms.txt is, what goes in it, how it differs from robots.txt and sitemaps, and whether AI engines use it.Read →
- Query Fan-OutWhat query fan-out is, how Google AI Mode and AI Overviews use it, and why it changes which pages get cited.Read →
- AI Share of VoiceWhat AI share of voice means, how to measure it across ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity and Gemini, and why repeated runs matter.Read →
- Information GainWhat information gain means in SEO and AI search, and how adding original data and insight makes pages more likely to be cited.Read →
- Entity SEOWhat entity SEO is, why consistent brand descriptions and sameAs links matter for AI engines, and how to build entity signals.Read →
- IndexNowWhat IndexNow is, which search engines support it, how to set it up, and why it matters for Copilot and ChatGPT visibility.Read →
- AI CitationWhat an AI citation is, how it differs from a brand mention, and how to earn more citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI answers.Read →