AI search glossary

• Generative engine optimization (GEO)Generative engine optimization (GEO) makes a business more likely to be named and cited in AI-written answers. What it means and how it differs from SEO.
• Answer engine optimization (AEO)Answer engine optimization (AEO) shapes content so search engines and AI assistants can use it as a direct answer. What it covers, and how it relates to GEO.
• LLM SEO (LLMO)LLM SEO, or LLMO, means optimizing for visibility in answers from AI models like ChatGPT and Gemini. What it covers and how it relates to GEO.
• AI visibilityAI visibility is how often ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google's AI mention or recommend a business. How it's measured and why it matters.
• Pick rateThe pick rate is the share of AI answers that name a business. How it's calculated, why it's reported with a noise range, and how to use it to track AI visibility.
• AI share of voiceAI share of voice compares how often AI answers mention your business with how often they mention your competitors. How it's calculated and how it differs from pick rate.
• AI OverviewsAI Overviews are the AI-written summaries at the top of some Google results. How they work, where their information comes from, and what they mean locally.
• AI ModeGoogle AI Mode is a conversational search view that answers complex questions with AI. How it works, how it differs from AI Overviews, and what it means locally.
• Query fan-outQuery fan-out is how AI search splits one question into many searches and combines the results. What it is, where Google uses it, and why detail wins.
• GroundingGrounding connects an AI answer to fresh sources like search results or business data. What it is and why it decides which businesses AI recommends.
• Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG)Retrieval-augmented generation (RAG) is how AI looks up documents before writing an answer. A plain explanation, and what it means for being recommended.
• Citation (in AI answers)In AI search, a citation is a source an AI answer links to as evidence. Why citations matter for local businesses, and how this differs from a citation in local SEO.
• Zero-click searchA zero-click search ends without the searcher clicking any result, because the answer is on the results page. What it means for local businesses in the age of AI answers.
• EntityAn entity is a distinct thing, like a business or place, that search engines and AI treat as one object. Why being a clear entity helps AI recommend you.
• Knowledge graphA knowledge graph is a database of entities and how they relate, used by search and AI. What Google's Knowledge Graph is and how local businesses appear in it.
• NAP (name, address, phone)NAP stands for a business's name, address and phone number. Why consistent NAP across listings matters for local SEO and for AI recommendations.
• Local packThe local pack is the map and short list of businesses Google shows for local searches. How it works, how it relates to AI Overviews, and how to get in.
• llms.txtllms.txt is a proposed plain-text file that summarizes a website for AI language models. What it contains, who uses it, and whether it helps AI visibility.
• AI crawlersAI crawlers are bots that AI companies use to read websites, for search answers or model training. The main ones, what each does, and how to control them.
• Hallucination (AI)An AI hallucination is a confident but false statement from an AI model. Why AI sometimes gets business details wrong, and how to reduce the risk.

AI search guides for local businessesAI search questions, answeredAI SEO by industry