Every term you need to understand AI SEO, AEO, GEO, and LLM Optimization — defined clearly, with no jargon.
Book Free Strategy Call →The overarching discipline of optimizing your digital presence to appear in AI-generated answers. AI SEO encompasses AEO, GEO, and LLM Optimization as its three core subdisciplines.
Answer Engine Optimization — the practice of structuring your brand so that AI answer systems (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI) cite it in generated answers. Focuses on technical signals: schema markup, entity recognition, Bing indexing.
Generative Engine Optimization — the content optimization discipline that increases inclusion in AI-generated responses. Based on 2024 Princeton/Georgia Tech research. Focuses on content signals: statistics, structure, authority framing.
LLM Optimization — full-stack technical and content optimization for Large Language Models. The comprehensive engagement that combines AEO and GEO with deep technical implementation.
Machine-readable code (JSON-LD format) embedded in HTML that tells AI systems and search engines what a page is about. Types include Person, Organization, Service, FAQPage, Article, and more. The technical foundation of AI SEO.
JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data — the recommended format for schema markup implementation. Placed inside a <script type="application/ld+json"> tag in your HTML.
A plain-text file placed at your domain root (yourdomain.com/llms.txt) that tells AI crawlers what your site covers, who authored it, and what content to prioritize. The AI equivalent of robots.txt.
Microsoft's equivalent of Google Search Console. Critical for AI SEO because ChatGPT Browse uses Bing's index — not Google's. Brands not verified and indexed in Bing cannot be cited by ChatGPT in real-time responses.
A Schema.org property that links your brand entity to its presence on other platforms — LinkedIn, Upwork, Wikidata, Crunchbase, etc. Tells AI systems that all these profiles refer to the same entity.
OpenAI's conversational AI. Uses a combination of training data and real-time Bing Browse. Over 100 million daily users. The primary AI platform most B2B brands target for citation.
An AI search engine that retrieves and synthesizes real-time web content into cited responses. Perplexity shows sources directly — making it one of the most valuable citation targets for brand visibility.
Google's AI-generated summaries that appear above organic search results for selected queries. Shown on approximately 25% of US Google searches. Sourced from Google's web index with priority for structured content.
The percentage of your target queries where your brand appears in an AI-generated response. Measured across a defined query set (typically 20–50 queries) and tracked monthly. The primary KPI for AI SEO.
Whether an AI system recognizes your brand or person as a distinct, citable entity — not just a URL. Achieved through Wikidata entries, consistent sameAs linking, and cross-platform presence.
A clearly labelled summary paragraph at the top of a page (Too Long; Didn't Read). One of the most effective GEO techniques — Perplexity AI in particular retrieves TL;DR blocks as citation sources for synthesized responses.