AI SEO glossary
The vocabulary of AI SEO, defined plainly. Each term gets one clear, self-contained explanation you can quote or skim.
Core terms, defined
SEO (search engine optimisation)
Improving a site so it ranks higher in classic search results like Google's list of links. The foundation that GEO now builds on.
GEO (generative engine optimisation)
Structuring content so it gets cited and recommended inside AI answers from ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews, Claude and Gemini.
AEO (answer engine optimisation)
A near-synonym for GEO, emphasising optimisation for direct-answer engines. In practice the goals overlap heavily with GEO.
AI SEO autopilot
A tool that plans, writes, optimises and publishes SEO content with minimal input, for example Sorank, Outrank or BabyLoveGrowth.
AI Overviews
Google's AI-generated answer shown above or among search results, which can cite sources. Being cited here is a core GEO goal.
Citation
A mention or link to your content inside an AI answer. The main currency of GEO, the equivalent of a ranking in classic SEO.
Share of voice
How often your brand appears in AI answers or search results for a topic, relative to competitors. A common visibility metric.
llms.txt
A file at your domain root that tells AI systems how to read and use your site, similar in spirit to robots.txt for crawlers.
On-page optimisation
Improving a single page's content and structure for a target intent. What tools like Surfer SEO focus on.
Backlink
A link from another site to yours. Still a major authority signal, and part of why data suites like Ahrefs are valued.
Keyword intent
The goal behind a search, informational, commercial or transactional. Matching intent is central to useful SEO content.
Content cluster
A hub page plus related articles that together build topical authority on a theme, strengthening rankings across the group.
Answer-first structure
Leading a section with a clear, quotable answer before the detail. Makes content easier for AI to cite.
Entity consistency
Describing your brand, products and facts the same way across the web so AI systems trust and reuse the information.
Data suite
A research platform for keywords, backlinks and competitors, such as Semrush or Ahrefs. It informs work rather than doing it.
Crawler
A bot that reads web pages. Search and AI crawlers (Googlebot, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot) must be allowed to access your content.
SERP
Search engine results page. The page of results, increasingly topped by AI-generated answers rather than only links.
Auto-publishing
An autopilot feature that sends finished content straight to your CMS or platform, removing manual copy-paste.
Where to go next
For the concept most people search first, read what is GEO. To match these ideas to a tool, see best AI SEO tool by use case or the buyer's guide.
See the output before you commit
The fastest way to judge an AI SEO tool is to watch it work on your own site. Start a Sorank trial and see real content and AI-search visibility in days.