GEO & AI search glossary
The essential vocabulary of AI search — clear, concise definitions of the terms you need to understand Generative Engine Optimization.
- GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
- The practice of optimizing a business so that AI answer engines cite and recommend it. GEO is to AI search what SEO is to Google's blue links.
- AI Overview
- An AI-generated summary shown at the top of Google search results that answers the query directly and cites a few sources.
- AI Mode
- Google's fully conversational search experience, where the user dialogues with the AI across multiple turns instead of browsing a list of links.
- AI citation
- A reference to a source (URL, brand or entity) inside an AI-generated answer. Being cited is the core objective of GEO.
- Zero-click search
- A search that ends without the user clicking through to any website because the answer is provided directly on the results page. About 68% of Google searches are now zero-click.
- LLM (Large Language Model)
- The type of AI model (e.g. GPT, Gemini, Claude) that powers generative search engines and chat assistants.
- RAG (Retrieval-Augmented Generation)
- A technique where an AI retrieves external documents at query time to ground its answer. It is why fresh, structured, retrievable content matters for citations.
- Share of voice (AI)
- The share of AI answers in your category that mention your brand versus competitors. A key GEO performance metric.
- Entity
- How search and AI engines understand a real-world thing (a business, person, product) as a consistent set of facts. Entity consistency drives trust and citations.
- Structured data (Schema.org)
- Machine-readable markup that describes your content's meaning to search and AI engines, improving how you are understood and cited.
- llms.txt
- An emerging plain-text file that gives AI crawlers a structured map of a site's most important content. Wispra publishes one at /llm.txt.
- AI-native directory
- A directory designed to be read and cited by AI engines rather than by humans — providing the structured, consistent data AIs need to recommend a business.
Put the glossary into practice
See where your brand stands on these metrics today.