Glossary

The A to Z GEO glossary, in plain words

More than 80 terms used in generative engine optimization and AI search, each with a short definition, why it matters for getting cited, and a link to the page that goes deeper.

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Terms in this field are still settling, so some names overlap. Platform facts checked as of October 2026.

Content briefSample data

Brief: how much does GEO costAnswer first

Direct answerTwo sentences with the range
What moves the priceScope, markets, competition
Comparison tableRetainer vs project vs tools
Proof and limitsDated facts, honest caveats
FAQSix real questions

Terms80+ definitions, A to Z

CheckedAgainst official docs, October 2026

UseClick a card for the full guide

Each entry below gives a short definition, a line on why it matters for GEO, and a link to the best page on this site for the detail. Official bot names are written exactly as the companies publish them.

Engines change often. Where a term depends on a platform rule, we say so and date it. If a fact affects a decision for your site, check the vendor's own documentation too, and see our guide to how AI search engines choose sources for the bigger picture.

Glossary

Terms A and B

Engines, crawlers and the first measurement terms.

Agentic search

Search where an AI system plans and runs several steps for a person, such as searching, comparing options and filling in a form. The system may fetch pages with its own user agent and act on what it finds. Why it matters for GEO: Your pages and key actions need to be readable by software, not only by people. Clear text, stable URLs and honest structured data help an agent understand what you offer.

AI crawler

A bot run by an AI company that fetches web pages. Some collect training data, some build a search index and some fetch a page live when a user asks. Each has its own name and its own robots.txt rule. Why it matters for GEO: Blocking the wrong bot can remove you from AI search answers, while blocking the right one can limit training use. You need to know which is which before you edit robots.txt.

AI Mode

Google's AI search experience for deeper questions that involve exploration, reasoning or comparison. Google's documentation says it can run several related searches and show a wider set of links than a classic search. Why it matters for GEO: Google states that no extra technical requirements apply beyond being indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. The work is therefore crawl access, clear content and strong sources.

AI Overviews

Google's AI generated summary shown on some results pages, with links to supporting sources. Google says it appears only when its systems judge it adds value beyond classic results, so it often does not trigger. Why it matters for GEO: Being a linked source in an overview can send qualified visitors and build recognition. Because it triggers only for some queries, you should test your own queries rather than assume.

AI search

The wider group of search tools that write an answer instead of only listing links, including ChatGPT search, Perplexity, Gemini, Claude, Microsoft Copilot and Google's AI features. They differ in sources, citations and update speed. Why it matters for GEO: One strategy does not fit all of them. We test each engine separately because the same prompt can give different brands on each.

AI visibility

How often and how accurately your brand appears in AI answers for the questions your buyers ask. It covers mentions, citations, the facts stated about you and how you compare with rivals. Why it matters for GEO: It is the plain outcome GEO tries to improve. Without a measured starting point, you cannot tell whether any work helped.

Answer engine optimization (AEO)

The practice of shaping content so a search or AI tool can lift a short, correct answer from it. It began with featured snippets and voice answers and now covers AI answers too. Why it matters for GEO: Direct answers, question style headings and tidy structure help engines extract your text correctly. AEO and GEO overlap heavily, and we treat AEO as one layer of GEO.

Answer first writing

A writing method that gives the direct answer in the first one or two sentences under a heading, then adds detail, evidence and examples. It avoids long warm up paragraphs. Why it matters for GEO: A passage that opens with the answer can be quoted without editing. It also reads better for people in a hurry.

Applebot-Extended

A robots.txt token from Apple. Per Apple, it lets site owners control whether content Applebot has crawled is used to train Apple's foundation models. It does not crawl pages itself, and it does not affect whether you appear in Apple search features. Why it matters for GEO: It is one of several opt out controls for training use. Decide it on purpose alongside GPTBot, ClaudeBot and Google-Extended.

Authority building

Earning mentions, links and citations from sources that AI engines and people trust, beyond your own site. It includes digital PR, expert quotes, reviews, directories and community discussion. Why it matters for GEO: Engines often describe a brand using what other sources say about it. Strong third party coverage makes you easier to name with confidence.

Baseline

A dated record of what AI engines say about you, and which sources they cite, before any work starts. It uses a fixed prompt set so a later test is fair. Why it matters for GEO: A baseline turns opinions into evidence. It also shows where the biggest gaps are, so the first fixes are chosen by data and not by habit.

Bing Webmaster Tools

Microsoft's free console for site owners. You can verify a site, submit sitemaps, use IndexNow, review crawl and index reports and see search performance. Microsoft has also been adding AI related reporting, so check your own account for what is available as of October 2026. Why it matters for GEO: Microsoft Copilot and Bing results draw on Bing's index. A verified, healthy Bing setup is a cheap and useful part of GEO.

Bingbot

Microsoft's main web crawler for the Bing index. It follows robots.txt and can be verified by reverse DNS. Why it matters for GEO: If Bingbot cannot reach a page, that page is unlikely to appear in Bing based answers. Do not block it by mistake with a broad rule.

Brand mention

Your brand named in an AI answer, with or without a link. A mention shows awareness. It does not show that the engine used your page as a source. Why it matters for GEO: Mentions and citations are different results and need different fixes. We report them separately.

Buyer prompt

A question a real customer would type or say to an AI tool when researching a purchase, such as which provider to choose or how much a service costs. It is usually longer and more specific than a search keyword. Why it matters for GEO: GEO tests are built on buyer prompts, not on generic keywords. The prompt wording decides which brands appear.

Glossary

Terms C

Crawlers, citations and the words around them.

Canonical URL

The preferred address for a page, signalled with a rel canonical tag, redirects and consistent internal links. It tells search systems which version of duplicate or near duplicate pages to treat as the main one. Why it matters for GEO: Split signals make a page harder to trust and cite. One clean address per page keeps links, mentions and crawl effort in one place.

ChatGPT search

The web search feature inside ChatGPT. OpenAI's documentation says OAI-SearchBot is the crawler that surfaces sites in ChatGPT search results, and that sites which opt out can still appear as navigational links. Why it matters for GEO: If OAI-SearchBot is blocked, your pages can be left out of ChatGPT search answers. Checking this takes a minute and is one of our first steps.

ChatGPT-User

An OpenAI user agent used for certain actions that a person starts in ChatGPT or a Custom GPT, such as opening a page when asked. OpenAI says it is not used for automatic crawling, and that robots.txt rules may not apply to user started actions. Why it matters for GEO: It should not be confused with OAI-SearchBot. Blocking it is not the right way to opt out of search results, and OpenAI points to OAI-SearchBot for that.

Chunking

The splitting of a page into smaller passages that a system can store, index and retrieve on their own. Each chunk may be only a few sentences or a section. Why it matters for GEO: An engine may quote one chunk, not the whole page. Each section should therefore make sense alone, with a clear heading and a complete answer.

Citation

A source link shown with, or used for, an AI answer. Different engines display citations differently, and a cited page was not always the one that shaped the text. Why it matters for GEO: A citation is the clearest sign that an engine trusts a page enough to point to it. It also brings visitors who already have context.

Citation share

The portion of tested prompts where your site is cited, compared with the sites cited for competitors across the same prompts. Why it matters for GEO: It shows relative strength in a fixed test, not rank. It only means something when the prompt set stays the same between tests.

ClaudeBot

Anthropic's crawler. Anthropic's help centre says it collects web content that may help train its generative AI models. Why it matters for GEO: Disallowing it is a choice about training use. It is separate from the Claude user and search bots, so read each rule before copying a template.

Claude-SearchBot

An Anthropic bot that, per Anthropic, navigates the web to improve search result quality for users by analysing online content. Why it matters for GEO: If you want to be findable in Claude search features, blocking it may work against you. Treat it separately from ClaudeBot.

Claude-User

An Anthropic user agent that supports Claude users by accessing websites when a person's question calls for it. Why it matters for GEO: It acts for a person in the moment. Blocking it can stop Claude from reading your page when a user asks about it.

Context window

The amount of text a language model can consider at one time, measured in tokens. It includes the prompt, any retrieved pages and the answer being written. Why it matters for GEO: Retrieved material has to fit. Short, dense and well structured passages are easier to include than long pages with filler.

Crawl budget

The number of URLs a crawler is willing and able to fetch from your site in a given period. It matters most on very large sites or sites with endless URL variations. Why it matters for GEO: Wasted crawling on duplicates and filters can slow discovery of the pages you want engines to know. Tidy architecture helps.

Crawlability

How easily a bot can reach and read your pages. It depends on robots.txt, server responses, redirects, links, rendering and any firewall or CDN rules. Why it matters for GEO: If a bot cannot fetch a page, it cannot index or cite it. Crawlability is the base layer of every other GEO task.

CCBot

The crawler of Common Crawl, a nonprofit that publishes large open web datasets. Many AI models have used Common Crawl data in training. Why it matters for GEO: Allowing or blocking it affects whether your pages enter that open dataset. It does not control live AI search results.

AI crawlers

Training use

Opt out is your choice

GPTBot
ClaudeBot
Google-Extended
CCBot

Search results

Allow to be found

OAI-SearchBot
PerplexityBot
Claude-SearchBot

User started fetch

Acts for a person

ChatGPT-User
Claude-User
Perplexity-User

Roles as described in the glossary. Check each company's documentation before editing robots.txt.

Glossary

Terms D to F

Content, entities and freshness.

Digital PR

Earning coverage and mentions in publications, industry sites and other outlets through news, data and expert comment. It differs from buying links. Why it matters for GEO: AI engines often lean on third party sources when describing brands. Real coverage gives them something independent to cite.

Direct answer

A short, self contained reply to a question, placed right under the heading that asks it. Usually one to three sentences. Why it matters for GEO: It is the passage an engine is most likely to lift. Write it so it is correct even when read out of context.

Duplicate content

Substantially similar content available at more than one URL, on one site or across sites. Causes include tracking parameters, print versions and copied text. Why it matters for GEO: Duplicates blur which page is the source. Canonical tags, redirects and unique writing keep the signal clear.

EEAT

Short for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness, a framework in Google's Search Quality Rater Guidelines. It is not a single ranking factor or a score. Why it matters for GEO: It describes what quality looks like: real authors, real experience, honest sourcing. These traits also make content safer for engines to cite.

Embedding

A list of numbers that represents the meaning of a piece of text, so that systems can compare meaning rather than exact words. Why it matters for GEO: It is why a page can be found for a question that does not use its exact words. Clear, topic focused writing makes your meaning easier to match.

Entity

A clearly identified thing, such as a company, person, product, service or place, that a system can recognise and tell apart from similar things. Why it matters for GEO: Engines answer about entities. If yours is vague or confused with another, answers about you will be thin or wrong.

Entity consistency

Using the same name, description, address, founder, services and key facts across your site, profiles, directories and press. Why it matters for GEO: Conflicting facts lower confidence and can produce mixed answers. Consistency is one of the cheapest and most useful fixes.

Enterprise GEO

GEO for large organisations with many sites, markets, teams and approval steps. It adds governance, templates, access control and shared reporting. Why it matters for GEO: At scale, one wrong template or blocked bot repeats across thousands of pages. Process matters as much as tactics.

FAQ schema

Structured data that marks up questions and answers visible on a page, using the schema.org FAQPage type. Google limited FAQ rich results in 2023 and has since phased them out, though the markup is still valid. Why it matters for GEO: Even without a rich result, a visible FAQ gives clear question and answer pairs that engines and people can use. Mark up only what the page shows.

Featured snippet

A highlighted excerpt shown at the top of some classic Google results, taken from a page and shown with a link. Why it matters for GEO: It trained a generation of writers to answer directly. The same habit helps with AI answers, although the two are different features.

Foundation model

A large model trained on broad data that can be adapted to many tasks. The models behind ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini are examples. Why it matters for GEO: What a model learned in training can shape how it describes you even without a live search. That makes accurate public facts valuable.

Freshness

How recent and up to date a page is, shown by visible dates, real updates and current facts. Engines weigh it more for some topics than others. Why it matters for GEO: Old prices, staff or policies can be repeated back to buyers. Review key pages on a schedule and show real update dates.

Glossary

Terms G to K

Generative engines, grounding and knowledge.

Generative engine optimization (GEO)

The work of getting a brand named, described correctly and cited in answers written by AI systems. It combines technical access, content, entity clarity, third party sources and measurement. Why it matters for GEO: It is the umbrella for this whole field. No one can guarantee a result, so honest testing before and after is the core method.

GEO Pilot

Our fixed price, 30 day, done for you GEO implementation for $999. It covers a baseline, technical fixes, up to 10 priority pages made answer ready, a retest and a 90 day roadmap. Why it matters for GEO: It turns the ideas in this glossary into changes on your site. We never promise particular rankings, citations or traffic.

Googlebot

Google's main crawler for Search. Content that Googlebot cannot crawl or index cannot show in Google AI Overviews or AI Mode, per Google's documentation on AI features. Why it matters for GEO: Google says normal Search requirements apply. Keep Googlebot and any CDN rules from blocking your key pages.

Google-Extended

A robots.txt token that lets site owners control whether content crawled by Google is used for Gemini training and for grounding in other Google AI products. Google says it does not affect inclusion or ranking in Google Search. Why it matters for GEO: Blocking it is a training and grounding choice, not an SEO choice. Decide it deliberately, and do not mix it up with Googlebot.

GPTBot

OpenAI's crawler for content that may be used to train its generative AI foundation models. Per OpenAI, disallowing it indicates content should not be used for that training. Why it matters for GEO: It is separate from OAI-SearchBot. Blocking GPTBot does not by itself remove you from ChatGPT search.

Grounding

Connecting an AI answer to outside sources, such as retrieved web pages or databases, so it rests on checkable material and not only on model memory. Why it matters for GEO: Grounded answers cite sources, which creates your chance to be cited. Pages that are easy to retrieve and clear to quote suit grounding.

Hallucination

An AI answer that states something false or invented with confidence, such as a wrong price, a service you do not offer or a made up source. Why it matters for GEO: Wrong facts about your brand cost trust and leads. Clear, consistent public facts and good sources reduce the risk, and we log errors in the baseline.

hreflang

An annotation that tells search engines which language or regional version of a page to show to which audience. Why it matters for GEO: For sites in Arabic and English, or several markets, clear language targeting helps engines pick the right version to cite.

IndexNow

An open protocol that lets a site tell participating search engines about new, updated or deleted URLs as they happen. Bing and Yandex are among the engines that take part, and the protocol is documented at indexnow.org. Why it matters for GEO: Faster discovery of changes helps Bing based surfaces see fresh pages sooner. It does not replace sitemaps or guarantee indexing, and you should check which engines support it.

Indexing

The step where a search system processes a crawled page and stores it so it can be returned later. Not every crawled page is indexed. Why it matters for GEO: Google states a page must be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet to appear in its AI features. Check indexing in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Internal linking

Links between pages on your own site, using clear anchor text. They show how pages relate and which are important. Why it matters for GEO: Good links help bots find pages and help engines understand topics. Link from broad pillar pages to detailed pages and back.

Knowledge cutoff

The date after which a model's training data has little or no coverage. Later events are known only if the system also retrieves live sources. Why it matters for GEO: If a model's training ended before your launch or rebrand, it may describe you wrongly unless it can retrieve current sources.

Knowledge graph

A structured store of entities and the relationships between them, such as a company, its founder and its products. Search engines keep their own versions. Why it matters for GEO: Being a clear entity in these graphs supports accurate summaries. Consistent profiles and Organization data help.

How an answer is built

From crawl to citation

1
CrawlA bot reaches and reads the page.
2
IndexThe system stores the page so it can be returned.
3
RetrieveThe tool fetches pages relevant to the question.
4
GroundThe answer rests on checkable sources.
5
CiteA source link is shown with the answer.

A simplified path using terms defined in this glossary.

Glossary

Terms L to N

Models, llms.txt and the first control files.

LLM

Large language model, a system trained on large amounts of text that predicts and writes language. It sits behind ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and many other tools. Why it matters for GEO: It writes the answers your buyers read. Understanding its limits explains why facts about you can drift.

LLMO

Large language model optimization, another name for work that overlaps with GEO. Writers coined these names at different times, so the boundaries are loose. Why it matters for GEO: If you see LLMO, GEO, AEO or AI SEO, check what the work actually includes, not the label.

llms.txt

A proposed plain text file at the root of a site that gives AI tools a short guide to the site, with links to key pages. It comes from a community proposal at llmstxt.org and is not an official standard. Google says it needs no AI text files for AI features. Why it matters for GEO: Support varies and benefits are unproven. Fix crawler access and page quality first, then add it if it is cheap to keep current.

llms.txt adoption

A common question about whether the file is required. As of October 2026 we know of no major engine that documents it as a requirement. Why it matters for GEO: We treat it as optional. The decision guide explains when it is worth the effort.

LLM visibility audit

A structured test of what AI engines say about you across a fixed prompt set, plus checks on crawler access, entity facts and cited sources. Why it matters for GEO: It gives the baseline and the fix list. Without it, work is guesswork.

Local GEO

GEO for businesses that serve a place, such as clinics, restaurants and trades, and for questions that name a city or area. Why it matters for GEO: Local answers draw on maps, listings, reviews and your site. Keeping name, address and hours the same everywhere is basic.

Meta-ExternalAgent

A crawler name published by Meta. Meta documents it for collecting content that may be used to train its AI models, and it can be controlled in robots.txt. Why it matters for GEO: Like other training bots, it is a policy choice. Record your choice and apply it consistently.

Model Context Protocol (MCP)

An open protocol introduced by Anthropic that lets AI applications connect to outside tools and data sources in a standard way. Why it matters for GEO: It is about tool access, not page ranking. It matters if you want AI agents to use your data or services directly.

Multilingual GEO

Making a brand findable and correctly described in more than one language, with matching facts, proper language tags and separate prompt tests per language. Why it matters for GEO: An answer in Arabic may cite different sources than one in English. Test and write for each language you serve.

noindex and nosnippet

Directives that control search display. Noindex keeps a page out of the index. Nosnippet and the snippet length controls limit the text shown, and Google lists these as controls for its AI features. Why it matters for GEO: A stray noindex can hide a key page. Used on purpose, snippet controls limit what can be shown from a page.

Glossary

Terms O to Q

Official bots, markup, prompts and query fan out.

OAI-SearchBot

OpenAI's crawler that surfaces websites in ChatGPT search features. OpenAI recommends allowing it if you want to appear, and says robots.txt changes can take about 24 hours to be reflected. Why it matters for GEO: It decides whether your pages can show in ChatGPT search. Check it before anything else on the ChatGPT side.

Organization schema

Structured data using schema.org's Organization type to state who you are: name, logo, URL, contact points and links to official profiles. Why it matters for GEO: It states core entity facts in a machine readable way. It must match what is visible on the page and elsewhere.

Original data

Facts, surveys, benchmarks or findings that you collected yourself and publish with a clear method and date. Why it matters for GEO: Original and well sourced data gives others a reason to cite you. Never publish a number you cannot support.

Parametric knowledge

What a model has stored in its weights from training, as opposed to what it retrieves live. Why it matters for GEO: It can be out of date or thin for smaller brands. Wide, consistent public coverage over time is how brands enter it.

PerplexityBot

Perplexity's crawler. Per Perplexity, it surfaces and links websites in Perplexity search results and is not used to crawl content for AI foundation models. Why it matters for GEO: Perplexity recommends allowing it so your site can appear. Blocking it can reduce your chance of being cited there.

Perplexity-User

A Perplexity user agent used when a person's question leads Perplexity to visit a page. Per Perplexity, it generally ignores robots.txt rules because a user asked for the fetch. Why it matters for GEO: Do not rely on robots.txt alone to control user started fetches. Use access controls if a page must stay private.

Prompt

The text a person gives an AI tool, such as a question or instruction. In GEO, it is the unit we test, in place of a keyword. Why it matters for GEO: Small wording changes can change the brands named. Test several phrasings of each need.

Prompt set

A fixed list of buyer prompts that we test before and after the work. In the GEO Pilot it is up to 20 prompts across five AI engines. Why it matters for GEO: Using the same set both times is what makes a before and after comparison fair.

Query fan out

The way an AI search system splits one question into several smaller searches, runs them and combines the results. Google's documentation describes this for AI Overviews and AI Mode. Why it matters for GEO: You may need to rank for the hidden sub questions, not only the main one. Cover the related questions a buyer would ask next.

Query fan out

Buyer asksBest managed IT provider in Dubai for a 40 person company

Managed IT providers in Dubai
IT support for a 40 person office
What a managed service includes
Provider comparison and reviews

Engine answersA short list of providers, with a sentence on each and the sources used.

Hypothetical example of the behaviour the glossary defines.

Glossary

Terms R and S

Retrieval, robots.txt, schema and share of voice.

Reddit and community mentions

Discussion posts, answers and recommendations about your brand on forums and Q and A sites such as Reddit and Quora. Why it matters for GEO: Engines may cite these pages. Honest, helpful participation and good reviews help. Fake accounts cause harm and risk bans.

Rendering

The step where a browser or crawler runs a page's code to build the final content. Pages that need JavaScript to show text can be read late, partly or not at all by some bots. Why it matters for GEO: Do not assume every AI bot runs JavaScript. Put key text in the HTML the server sends, and check what a basic fetch sees.

Retrieval

The step where an AI tool fetches pages or data relevant to a question before it writes the answer. Why it matters for GEO: If your page is not retrieved, it cannot be used. Retrieval depends on access, indexing, relevance and clarity.

Retrieval augmented generation (RAG)

A design where a model first retrieves outside documents and then writes an answer using them. Many AI search products work this way. Why it matters for GEO: RAG is why your live pages matter, not only training data. Pages that are easy to retrieve and quote have an edge.

robots.txt

A text file at the root of a domain that tells crawlers which paths they may fetch. It is a voluntary standard that respectable bots follow, and it is not a security tool. Why it matters for GEO: One wrong line can hide a whole site from AI search. Use official bot names and test the result.

Schema markup

Structured data in a page, usually JSON LD using schema.org types, that states facts in a machine readable way. Google says no special schema is required for its AI features, and that markup should match visible text. Why it matters for GEO: Accurate markup removes ambiguity about who you are and what you sell. It is not a ranking trick.

Search Console

Google's free tool for site owners. It shows indexing status, crawl issues and search performance. Google says sites in AI features count toward the Web search type in the Performance report. Why it matters for GEO: It is your first view of how Google sees your pages. AI features are not split out in that report.

Sentiment

The tone with which an AI answer describes your brand, such as positive, neutral or critical, and the reasons it gives. Why it matters for GEO: A mention with weak or negative framing can hurt. We note tone and cited reasons in the baseline.

Share of voice

How often your brand appears compared with competitors across the same set of prompts. Why it matters for GEO: It shows relative standing in a fixed test. Define the prompt set, the engines and the date before comparing.

Sitemap

An XML file listing the URLs you want search systems to find, often with last modified dates. Why it matters for GEO: It helps discovery and signals updates. Keep it clean: only canonical, indexable pages, and submit it in Search Console and Bing Webmaster Tools.

Glossary

Terms T to Z

Training data, topical depth and zero click.

Technical GEO

The technical side of GEO: crawler access, robots rules, sitemaps, canonicals, rendering, structured data and speed, so AI systems can reach and read your content. Why it matters for GEO: If bots cannot reach it, nothing else matters. It is Week 2 of the GEO Pilot.

Topical authority

Depth and breadth of reliable coverage across a subject, so a site is seen as a go to source for it. Why it matters for GEO: Engines build answers from many sub questions. A site that answers them well across linked pages is easier to cite.

Training data

The text and other material used to teach a model before release. Some of it comes from web crawls. Why it matters for GEO: It shapes what a model believes about you without any live search. You can only influence it over time through public, consistent facts and opt out controls.

User initiated fetch

A page visit made by an AI tool because a person asked, as opposed to routine crawling. ChatGPT-User, Claude-User and Perplexity-User are examples. Why it matters for GEO: Rules for them differ from normal crawlers, and robots.txt may not apply. Plan access with this in mind.

Zero click

A search where the person gets what they need without visiting any site, because the answer appears on the results page or in the AI reply. Why it matters for GEO: Some value shifts to being named and trusted inside the answer. Track mentions and brand search, not only visits.

Two results

Brand mention

Your brand is named in the answer
With or without a link
Shows awareness

Citation

A source link shown with the answer
Your page is pointed to
Brings visitors who have context

You can have one without the other, and each needs different fixes.

FAQ

Questions people ask

What is a GEO glossary?

It is a list of the terms used in generative engine optimization, the work of getting a brand named and cited in AI answers. This one covers engines, bots, content terms, technical files and measurement terms in plain language.

Why do GEO, AEO and LLMO have different names?

Different writers coined them at different times for overlapping work. We use GEO as the umbrella term and treat AEO as the answer writing layer inside it. Always check what a provider actually does, not the label.

Is GEO different from SEO?

They overlap a lot. Crawlable, fast, clear pages help both. GEO adds testing across AI engines, work on entities and answers, and attention to third party sources that engines trust.

Does a citation mean a ranking?

No. A citation is a source link inside or beside an answer. It does not mean a position in a list, and engines may cite different pages for similar prompts.

What is the difference between a mention and a citation?

A mention means your brand is named in the answer. A citation means your page is linked or listed as a source. You can have one without the other, and each needs different fixes.

Should I block GPTBot or ClaudeBot?

That is a business choice about training use. Blocking them does not by itself remove you from search features, which use separate bots such as OAI-SearchBot and Claude-SearchBot. Read each company's documentation and decide bot by bot.

Do I need llms.txt?

It is optional and support varies. Google says no special AI files are needed for its AI features. Fix crawler access, indexing and page quality first, and add the file only if you can keep it current.

Does Google need special markup for AI Overviews or AI Mode?

According to Google's documentation, no. A page needs to be indexed and eligible to show with a snippet. Structured data should match visible text, but no special schema is required.

How current is this glossary?

The bot names and product features here were checked against official documentation as of October 2026. Engines change often, so verify any rule that matters before you act on it.

Where should I start?

Record what AI engines say about you today, then fix the biggest gaps in access, facts and answers. The GEO Pilot does this in 30 days for $999, and the free AI visibility checker gives a quick first look.

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