SEO & GEO Glossary
Every SEO and Generative Engine Optimisation term defined. The only glossary that covers both traditional search and AI search visibility.
24 terms · updated June 2026
A
A reference to a specific web page or brand within an AI-generated answer. Being cited is the primary goal of Generative Engine Optimization.
Read definition →A Google Search feature that generates a summarised answer at the top of the results page using AI, appearing for approximately 48% of searches in 2026.
Read definition →An AI-powered search tool such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Gemini that generates direct answers to user queries rather than returning a list of links.
Read definition →C
An HTML element that tells search engines which version of a page is the authoritative one when duplicate or near-duplicate content exists across multiple URLs.
Read definition →A Google ranking signal that measures how recently a piece of content was published or significantly updated. Recency matters most for time-sensitive queries.
Read definition →The process of identifying topics and keywords your competitors rank for that your site does not yet cover, revealing where content investment will generate the most ranking opportunity.
Read definition →A set of three Google page experience metrics: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), Interaction to Next Paint (INP), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Used as ranking signals since 2021.
Read definition →G
The practice of optimising content so it is cited in AI-generated answers from systems such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, and Gemini.
Read definition →A composite metric that measures how visible a website or brand is in AI-generated answers across major AI search engines. Tracked and improved through content and structural optimisation.
Read definition →L
A proposed standard file placed at the root of a domain (e.g. example.com/llms.txt) that tells AI language models which pages and content on a site are most relevant to read and index.
Read definition →Search queries that are longer, more specific, and lower in search volume than broad head terms. They typically have higher conversion intent and lower ranking difficulty.
Read definition →S
Structured data added to a web page using vocabulary from schema.org that helps search engines and AI systems understand the content and context of a page.
Read definition →The underlying goal or purpose behind a search query. The four primary types are informational, navigational, commercial, and transactional.
Read definition →Non-standard elements that appear on a Google results page beyond the ten blue links, including featured snippets, AI Overviews, image packs, knowledge panels, and local packs.
Read definition →The percentage of total search visibility a brand holds for a defined set of keywords, compared to all competitors ranking for the same queries. A measure of overall market presence in search.
Read definition →T
Pages with low informational value: insufficient word count, scraped text, auto-generated content, or content that fails to substantively address the topic. A negative quality signal for Google.
Read definition →The degree to which a website is recognised by Google and AI systems as a comprehensive, trustworthy source on a specific subject area, built through depth and breadth of content coverage.
Read definition →A structured content plan that maps out all the subtopics, supporting articles, and internal link relationships needed to achieve topical authority on a given subject.
Read definition →