GlossaryThe vocabulary of GEO, defined
Terms as they are used in the GEO Standard and throughout this site. Each term has its own page you can link to.
- AI retrieval
- The step in which an AI system fetches candidate documents or passages before composing an answer.
- AI search
- Search experiences in which a model retrieves information and composes an answer, often with cited sources.
- AI visibility
- How often and how accurately an organisation appears in AI-generated answers for a defined set of queries.
- Answer engine
- A system that responds to questions with a composed answer rather than a list of results.
- Brand representation
- What AI-generated answers say about an organisation, and whether it is accurate.
- Citation
- A visible reference from an AI-generated answer to a source document.
- Entity
- A distinct, identifiable thing such as an organisation, person, product or place, with attributes and relationships.
- Entity optimization
- Making an organisation's identity, attributes and relationships unambiguous and consistent across sources.
- Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
- The practice of improving how an organisation is discovered, represented, cited and recommended in AI-generated answers.
- GEO
- Abbreviation of Generative Engine Optimization. Not related to geospatial AI.
- Search intent
- The goal behind a query: to learn, compare, decide, find a specific site, or act.
- Source authority
- The credibility a source carries for a given topic, as judged by independent references and track record.