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GEO Glossary

Essential terms for understanding Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) and Answer Engine Optimization (AEO). Master the vocabulary of AI visibility.

Core Concepts

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

The practice of optimizing brand content to improve visibility and citation frequency in AI-generated responses from Large Language Models like ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Perplexity. Unlike traditional SEO which focuses on search engine rankings, GEO focuses on the synthesis layer of AI models.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

A subset of GEO focused specifically on optimizing content to appear in direct answer features of AI assistants and search engines. AEO targets the "zero-click" answer boxes and conversational AI responses.

Semantic Authority

The perceived expertise and trustworthiness of a source as evaluated by AI models. Built through consistent, factual content with proper citations and structured data.

Metrics

Share of Model (SoM)

A metric that measures how often a brand is cited or mentioned in AI-generated responses compared to competitors. It is the GEO equivalent of "Share of Voice" in traditional marketing and advertising.

Citation Frequency

The rate at which a brand, product, or piece of content is referenced by AI models in their generated responses. Higher citation frequency indicates stronger brand presence in AI outputs.

LLM Visibility

The degree to which a brand appears in responses from Large Language Models. Visibility can be measured across different prompt categories, industries, and competitive contexts.

Techniques

Adversarial Probing

A diagnostic technique where queries are systematically sent to AI models to uncover gaps, hallucinations, or inaccuracies in how a brand is represented. Used to identify optimization opportunities.

Strategic Text Sequences (STS)

Carefully crafted content blocks designed to align with LLM retrieval vectors and increase the probability of citation. STS includes structured definitions, factual claims with sources, and semantic keyword clusters.

Vector-Friendly Content

Content structured and written in ways that are easily parsed and embedded by AI models. Includes clear definitions, structured data (JSON-LD), and semantic markup.

Issues

Brand Hallucination

When an AI model generates inaccurate or fabricated information about a brand. GEO strategies aim to minimize hallucinations by ensuring authoritative source content is available for AI models to reference.

Technical

Knowledge Update Cycle

The frequency at which AI models update their training data or knowledge base. Leading models like GPT-5, Claude, and Gemini have faster update cycles than previous generations, affecting GEO timelines.

Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG)

An AI architecture that retrieves relevant documents before generating responses. Understanding RAG helps optimize content for real-time AI search and answer systems like Perplexity.

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