SEO & GEO Glossary - Complete Terms and Definitions Guide

A

AI Crawler

Definition: Specialized web crawlers used by AI systems (like GPTBot, Claude-Web, CCBot) to discover and index content for training language models and generating responses. These crawlers analyze content structure, quality, and relevance for AI consumption.

Example: "GPTBot is OpenAI's AI crawler that scans websites to gather training data for ChatGPT."

Related: GEO, Web Crawler

Anchor Text

Definition: The clickable text in a hyperlink. Important for SEO as it provides context to search engines about the linked page's content. For GEO, descriptive anchor text helps AI systems understand content relationships.

Example: In "Learn more about SEO best practices", the anchor text is "SEO best practices".

Related: Internal Linking, Link Building

Authority

Definition: A measure of a website's trustworthiness and expertise in its subject matter. Built through quality content, expert credentials, citations, and backlinks. Critical for both SEO rankings and AI system citations.

Example: "Medical websites with doctor-authored content have high authority in health topics."

Related: E-A-T, Domain Authority

B

Backlink

Definition: An incoming hyperlink from one website to another. Backlinks are crucial ranking factors in SEO, indicating trust and authority. High-quality backlinks also increase content discoverability by AI crawlers.

Example: "When a news website links to your article, that's a valuable backlink."

Related: Link Building, Authority

C

Core Web Vitals

Definition: Google's set of specific metrics measuring user experience: Largest Contentful Paint (LCP), First Input Delay (FID), and Cumulative Layout Shift (CLS). Essential for both SEO rankings and GEO optimization.

Example: "A website with poor Core Web Vitals scores may rank lower in search results."

Related: Page Speed, User Experience

Crawler

Definition: Automated programs that systematically browse the web to discover and index content. Different types include search engine crawlers (Googlebot) and AI crawlers (GPTBot, Claude-Web).

Example: "Googlebot is Google's web crawler that indexes web pages for search results."

Related: AI Crawler, Indexing

E

E-A-T (Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness)

Definition: Google's content quality framework focusing on expertise, authoritativeness, and trustworthiness. Crucial for YMYL (Your Money or Your Life) content and increasingly important for GEO optimization.

Example: "Medical advice should demonstrate high E-A-T with expert credentials and reliable sources."

Related: Authority, YMYL

F

Featured Snippet

Definition: A highlighted search result that appears above organic results, providing a direct answer to user queries. Content optimized for featured snippets often performs well in GEO applications.

Example: "The definition box that appears when searching 'What is SEO?' is a featured snippet."

Related: Schema Markup, GEO

G

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

Definition: The practice of optimizing content to be effectively discovered, understood, and cited by AI language models and generative systems. Focuses on structured content, clear definitions, and authoritative information.

Example: "GEO strategies include using FAQ sections and JSON-LD markup to help AI systems understand and cite content."

Related: AI Crawler, Schema Markup

Google Search Console

Definition: Free Google tool providing insights into website performance in search results, including indexing status, search queries, and technical issues. Essential for both SEO and GEO monitoring.

Example: "Use Google Search Console to monitor which queries bring users to your site."

Related: Indexing, Search Performance

H

Heading Tags (H1, H2, H3)

Definition: HTML elements that define content hierarchy and structure. Proper heading structure is crucial for both SEO and GEO, helping search engines and AI systems understand content organization.

Example: "Use one H1 tag per page, followed by H2s for main sections and H3s for subsections."

Related: On-Page SEO, Content Structure

Hreflang

Definition: HTML attribute that tells search engines the language and geographical targeting of web pages. Essential for international SEO and helps AI systems understand content language context.

Example: '<link rel="alternate" hreflang="es" href="https://example.com/es/page" />'

Related: International SEO, Canonical URL

I

Indexing

Definition: The process by which search engines and AI systems store and organize web content in their databases. Proper indexing is fundamental for both SEO visibility and GEO discoverability.

Example: "After crawling your site, Google indexes your pages to include them in search results."

Related: Crawler, Sitemap

Internal Linking

Definition: Links between pages within the same website. Strategic internal linking helps with SEO by distributing page authority and assists AI systems in understanding content relationships and site structure.

Example: "Link from your homepage to important product pages using descriptive anchor text."

Related: Anchor Text, Site Structure

J

JSON-LD

Definition: JavaScript Object Notation for Linked Data. A method of encoding structured data using JSON. Preferred format for schema markup and crucial for GEO as it helps AI systems understand content context.

Example: "Use JSON-LD to implement Article schema on blog posts."

Related: Schema Markup, Structured Data

K

Keyword Research

Definition: The process of finding and analyzing terms that people enter into search engines. For GEO, keyword research includes understanding how AI systems interpret and respond to different query types.

Example: "Research shows people search for 'what is SEO' more than 'search engine optimization definition'."

Related: Search Intent, Long-tail Keywords

M

Meta Description

Definition: HTML meta tag providing a brief summary of a web page's content. While not a direct ranking factor, well-written meta descriptions improve click-through rates and provide context for AI systems.

Example: "Keep meta descriptions under 160 characters and include relevant keywords naturally."

Related: Title Tag, On-Page SEO

Mobile-First Indexing

Definition: Google's approach to indexing and ranking pages based primarily on their mobile version. Critical for modern SEO and GEO as AI systems also prioritize mobile-optimized content.

Example: "Ensure your mobile site has the same content and functionality as your desktop version."

Related: Responsive Design, Core Web Vitals

O

On-Page SEO

Definition: Optimization techniques applied directly to web pages to improve search engine rankings. Includes content optimization, HTML tags, internal linking, and technical elements that also benefit GEO.

Example: "On-page SEO includes optimizing title tags, headers, and content quality."

Related: Title Tag, Meta Description

Open Graph

Definition: Protocol that enables web pages to become rich objects in social media. Open Graph tags control how content appears when shared on social platforms and provide context for AI systems parsing social signals.

Example: "<meta property='og:title' content='Your Page Title' />"

Related: Social Signals, Meta Tags

P

Page Speed

Definition: How quickly a web page loads completely. A crucial ranking factor for SEO and important for GEO as AI crawlers prefer fast-loading sites with good user experience.

Example: "Use Google PageSpeed Insights to measure and improve your page loading times."

Related: Core Web Vitals, User Experience

R

Robots.txt

Definition: A text file that tells web crawlers which pages or sections of a site they can or cannot access. Modern robots.txt files include directives for AI crawlers like GPTBot and Claude-Web.

Example: "User-agent: GPTBot\nAllow: /" allows OpenAI's crawler to access your site.

Related: Crawler, AI Crawler

S

Schema Markup

Definition: Structured data vocabulary that helps search engines and AI systems understand content meaning and context. Essential for both SEO rich snippets and GEO content comprehension.

Example: "Use Article schema for blog posts and FAQPage schema for Q&A content."

Related: JSON-LD, Structured Data

SEO (Search Engine Optimization)

Definition: The practice of improving website visibility and ranking in search engine results pages (SERPs) through various techniques including content optimization, technical improvements, and link building.

Example: "Good SEO practices include keyword research, quality content creation, and technical optimization."

Related: GEO, SERP

Sitemap

Definition: An XML file listing all URLs on a website to help search engines discover and index content more efficiently. Critical for both SEO and GEO content discoverability.

Example: "Submit your sitemap.xml file to Google Search Console for better indexing."

Related: Indexing, Google Search Console

T

Title Tag

Definition: HTML element specifying the title of a web page. Appears in search results and browser tabs. One of the most important on-page SEO factors and crucial for AI systems understanding page topics.

Example: "<title>Complete SEO Guide 2025 - Best Practices</title>"

Related: Meta Description, On-Page SEO

U

User Experience (UX)

Definition: Overall experience users have when interacting with a website. Good UX improves SEO rankings and increases the likelihood of AI systems recommending your content to users.

Example: "Fast loading times, intuitive navigation, and mobile responsiveness improve user experience."

Related: Core Web Vitals, Mobile-First

W

Web Crawler

Definition: Automated software that systematically browses the internet to discover and index web content. Includes both traditional search engine crawlers and modern AI crawlers.

Example: "Googlebot, GPTBot, and Claude-Web are all types of web crawlers."