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GEO Primer

A shared vocabulary

GEO glossary

Plain-English definitions for the language of AI search, evidence, and measurement.

  1. AI visibility

    An umbrella term that needs a defined measure and sample.

  2. Answer engine

    A broad label for a product that responds to questions with an answer.

  3. Answer engine optimization (AEO)

    A working label for making content answer a reader’s question clearly.

  4. Brand mention

    An occurrence of a brand name under a stated observation rule.

  5. Citation

    A source reference in an answer; not necessarily an endorsement or a visit.

  6. Claim

    A statement whose support or applicability a reader can question.

  7. Discoverability

    The ability to find a page, distinct from its eventual use in an answer.

  8. Entity

    A distinguishable thing such as an organization, product, person, or place.

  9. Generative engine optimization (GEO)

    A working label for improving how content may be represented in generated answers.

  10. Grounding

    Connecting an answer to external information or context.

  11. Observation log

    A record of what was seen, kept separate from the conclusion drawn from it.

  12. Prompt set

    A versioned collection of questions used for a stated observation purpose.

  13. Retrieval

    Selecting information to use for a particular question or task.

  14. Source

    The material offered as the basis for a statement.

  15. Structured data

    Machine-readable description that should agree with the visible page.