AEO Glossary

The language of AI search

Clear, accurate definitions for Answer Engine Optimization, Generative Engine Optimization, and the AI search concepts shaping how brands get found and cited.

A B C E G H J K L P R S T V X

A

AEOThe common abbreviation for Answer Engine Optimization.

Answer EngineA system that returns a synthesized answer instead of a list of links.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)Optimizing content so AI answer engines cite and recommend your brand.

B

Brand MentionAny reference to your brand in an AI answer or across the web.

C

Canonical URLThe preferred URL that represents a page when duplicates exist.

ChatGPT SearchOpenAI's web-connected search experience inside ChatGPT.

CitationA source an AI engine references or links to in its answer.

CrawlabilityHow easily bots can access and read your site's pages.

E

E-E-A-TExperience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.

EmbeddingsNumeric vectors that represent the meaning of text or data.

Entity SEOOptimizing around entities and relationships rather than just keywords.

G

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)Optimizing content to be included in AI-generated answers and recommendations.

GEOThe common abbreviation for Generative Engine Optimization.

GroundingTying an AI response to verifiable external sources or data.

H

HallucinationWhen an AI model produces confident but false or fabricated information.

J

JSON-LDA JSON-based format for embedding structured data in web pages.

K

Knowledge GraphA network of entities and relationships used to understand the world.

L

Large Language Model (LLM)An AI model trained on vast text to generate and understand language.

llms.txtA proposed file that guides LLMs to a site's key content.

P

PerplexityAn AI answer engine that responds with cited web sources.

PromptThe input or question given to an AI model to elicit a response.

R

RetrievalThe step where an AI system fetches relevant sources for a query.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)Combining document retrieval with LLM generation for grounded answers.

robots.txtA file that tells crawlers which parts of a site they may access.

S

Schema MarkupSchema.org vocabulary used to label content for machines.

Semantic SearchSearch based on meaning and intent rather than exact keywords.

Sentiment AnalysisAssessing whether mentions of a brand are positive, neutral, or negative.

Share of ModelHow often an AI model surfaces your brand across relevant prompts.

Share of VoiceYour brand's share of citations or mentions relative to competitors.

Structured DataMachine-readable markup that describes a page's content and entities.

T

Topical AuthorityDemonstrated depth and breadth of expertise on a subject.

V

Vector SearchFinding results by semantic similarity between embeddings.

X

XML SitemapA file listing a site's URLs to help crawlers discover content.

Get started

Be the brand AI assistants recommend.

Track AI visibility, surface insights via Signals, and create content that gets cited. Built for agencies, B2B SaaS, and e-commerce brands.

Start a 7-day free trial Talk to Sales

7-day free trial. Cancel anytime.