Glossary
The SEO & AEO Glossary.
Definitions for AEO, GEO, schema, and AI search visibility. written by a practitioner, built to be cited.
AEO
What is Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)?
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of structuring your website and content so that AI-powered answer engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, Google AI Overviews, and Bing Copilot) cite your business as the source when users ask questions in their domain.
How do I get cited by ChatGPT?
To get cited by ChatGPT, you need three things: content that directly answers high-intent questions in 1-3 sentences, comprehensive structured data (FAQPage, Article, Organization schema) that makes your content machine-readable, and topical authority across a clearly defined subject area that the model can grade as expert.
What is the difference between SEO, AEO, and GEO?
SEO optimizes for ranking in traditional search results, AEO optimizes for being cited by AI answer engines like ChatGPT and Perplexity, and GEO optimizes for being recommended by name inside generative AI responses. All three run in parallel and require different signals to win.
How do I optimize for Google AI Overviews?
Google AI Overviews cite pages that answer a specific question directly in the first paragraph, use question-formatted headings (H2s that mirror real queries), have FAQPage or Article schema, and demonstrate topical authority through a cluster of related content. Front-load the answer, structure the page, and prove expertise.
How do I optimize for Perplexity citations?
Perplexity cites pages with fast load times, clean HTML, direct answers in the first paragraph, clear structured data, and recent publish or update dates. It weights source freshness and topical authority more heavily than Google AI Overviews, so a recently updated page from a domain with topical depth beats a stale page with more backlinks.
How long does AEO take to work?
AEO results typically show up faster than traditional SEO — measurable citation lift within 30 to 90 days for well-structured content on a technically clean site, versus 6 to 12 months for equivalent SEO ranking gains. Speed depends on domain authority, content freshness, and how quickly AI engines recrawl the pages.
What tools measure AI search visibility?
The main tools tracking AI search visibility in 2026 are Profound (citation share across ChatGPT, Perplexity, Claude, and Google AI Overviews), Otterly.AI, Peec AI, and BrightEdge's AI visibility module. Each measures how often your brand is cited or recommended in AI-generated answers for tracked queries.
GEO
About
What is the Found First methodology?
Found First is the methodology Zach Hipes developed for making businesses the answer customers find first across search and AI. It works in three stages: know where you stand, fix what's broken, and compound the gains, each built around measurable outcomes and revenue attribution.
What does an SEO/AEO/GEO strategist actually do?
An SEO/AEO/GEO strategist architects the full stack of search visibility across traditional search engines, AI answer engines, and generative AI recommendation systems. That means technical audits, structured data deployment, content strategy for citation extraction, entity clarity across platforms, and measurement infrastructure that tracks both organic rankings and AI citation share.
SEO
What schema markup should I use for my business?
Every business should implement at minimum: Organization or LocalBusiness schema on the homepage, FAQPage schema on any Q&A content, Article schema on every blog post, BreadcrumbList schema on every nested page, and Person schema for any individual operator or founder. These five types deliver most of the SEO and AEO benefit available from structured data.
What is E-E-A-T and why does Google care about it?
E-E-A-T stands for Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. It is Google's framework for evaluating content quality, especially on topics that affect people's health, finances, or safety. Content with strong E-E-A-T signals ranks better in Google search and gets cited more often by AI answer engines.
How do I do local SEO for a multi-location business?
Multi-location local SEO requires a unique, indexable landing page for every location with location-specific content, a claimed and fully populated Google Business Profile for each rooftop, consistent NAP (name, address, phone) across all citation sources, and LocalBusiness schema on every location page.
Paid
What is Meta Conversion API (CAPI) and why does it matter?
Meta Conversion API (CAPI) is a server-side integration that sends conversion events directly from your server to Meta's ad platform, bypassing the browser and any ad blockers, iOS tracking prevention, or third-party cookie restrictions. It restores conversion visibility that the standard Meta Pixel now loses, which typically improves attribution accuracy by 20 to 40 percent.
How do I reduce Google Ads waste on a small business budget?
The four highest-leverage moves to cut Google Ads waste for a small business are: switch broad match keywords to phrase and exact match, build an aggressive negative keyword list from actual search terms, add location targeting exclusions to eliminate out-of-service-area clicks, and set up call tracking with recording so you can hear which keywords produce real leads versus wrong-number calls.
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