GeoVize 2025 Glossary of Must-Know SEO, GEO, and AI Search Terms

From Algorithm to Zero-Click Result — plus the latest concepts like AI Overview, SGE, and Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) — this glossary is your quick-reference guide to the language of search in the AI era.

Why this matters: Google, Bing, and emerging AI-powered search engines now deliver summaries first and links second. The better you understand these terms, the more effectively you can optimize your content for both humans and algorithms.

A

Term	Plain-English Definition
AI Overview	Google’s AI-generated snapshot that appears above traditional results, synthesizing answers from multiple sources.
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)	Tactics aimed at earning placements inside AI Overviews and other rich answers.
Algorithm	The recipe search engines use to decide which pages—and which AI answers—show up first.
ALT Text / Alt Tag	Written description of an image for accessibility and image-search indexing.
Analytics	Tools (e.g., GA4, Search Console) that measure traffic, engagement, and conversions.
Anchor Text	Clickable words in a hyperlink (e.g., learn SEO).
Authority Site	A domain widely cited as a trusted source in its niche.

B

Term	Definition
Backlink	An external site’s link pointing to your page—a major trust signal.
BERT	Google’s natural-language model that helps understand context, not just keywords.
Bing	Microsoft’s search engine; powers Copilot AI answers and some voice assistants.
Black-Hat SEO	Tactics that violate search-engine guidelines (e.g., cloaking, keyword stuffing).
Blog	Regularly updated web journal; great for long-tail traffic and topical authority.
Broken Link	URL that returns a 404 or other error—bad for UX and crawl budget.

C

Term	Definition
Canonical Tag	HTML tag (<link rel="canonical">) that tells crawlers which page is the “master” version.
Call to Action (CTA)	Copy that nudges the visitor to act: Book a Demo, Download Guide, etc.
Clickbait	Sensational headlines designed for clicks but often disappoint reader intent.
Cloaking	Showing search engines different content than users—penalized if detected.
Content	Any text, image, video, or interactive element on a webpage.
Content Spinning	Software-generated rewrites to fake “new” articles; flagged as spam.
Core Web Vitals	Google metrics for loading, interactivity, and visual stability (LCP, INP, CLS).
Crawler / Spider	Bot that discovers and indexes web pages.
Crawl	The act of a bot fetching your pages to update the index.
CSS (Cascading Style Sheets)	Code that controls layout and design across devices.

D

Term	Definition
DA (Domain Authority)	Moz score (0-100) predicting likelihood of ranking.
DR (Domain Rating)	Ahrefs metric (0-100) based on backlink strength.
Deep Link	URL that skips the homepage and goes straight to internal content.
Dedicated Server	Hosting where one client controls the entire server—boosts speed and security.
Duplicate Content	Substantially identical text appearing on multiple URLs—dilutes ranking.

E

Term	Definition
E-E-A-T	Google quality pillar: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, Trustworthiness.
E-commerce Site	Online storefront that processes transactions directly on the web.
Entities	Real-world people, places, or things that search engines map in a Knowledge Graph.
External Link (Outbound)	Link from your site to another domain—can signal credibility.

F

Term	Definition
Featured Snippet	A highlighted answer box (position 0) above organic results.
Footprint (SEO)	Pattern (IP, CMS, link scheme) that reveals a private network or duplicate strategy.

G

Term	Definition
GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)	Updating SEO tactics specifically for AI-driven search engines and chatbots.
Google	The world’s dominant search engine and provider of SGE / AI Overviews.
Google Business Profile	Free listing that boosts local visibility on Maps and search.
Grey-Hat SEO	Middle-ground tactics that toe the line of search guidelines.
GSC (Google Search Console)	Free Google tool for monitoring index status and site health.

H

Term	Definition
Headings (H1–H6)	Structured tags that organize content; H1 = main topic.
Helpful Content Update	Google algorithm that rewards people-first, expert content.
Hidden Text	Keywords concealed from users (e.g., white text on white background)—punishable.
Hosting	Service that stores website files on a server accessible via the internet.

I

Term	Definition
Impression	Recorded each time a link or ad appears in a user’s viewport.
Inbound Link	Synonym for backlink.
Index	Master database of all pages a search engine can serve.
IndexNow	Protocol (Microsoft/Bing) that instantly notifies search engines of new URLs.
Internal Link	Link that points to another page within the same domain.

J

Term	Definition
JSON-LD	Preferred schema-markup format that embeds structured data in scripts.

K

Term	Definition
Keyword	Word or phrase users type—or speak—into search.
Keyword Cannibalization	Multiple pages target the same term, competing with each other.
Keyword Density	Ratio of a keyword to total words on a page.
Keyword Research	Process of finding profitable terms your audience searches.
Keyword Stuffing	Overloading pages with keywords—classic black-hat signal.
Knowledge Graph	Google’s database of entities and their relationships.

L

Term	Definition
Landing Page	Stand-alone page built around a single conversion goal.
Link	Clickable reference to another resource.
Link Bait	Content crafted to attract backlinks (e.g., original research).
Link Building	Earning high-quality backlinks through outreach and content.
Link Farm / PBN	Network of sites created solely to pass link equity—risk severe penalty.
Local Pack	Map-based listing of nearby businesses triggered by geo-queries.
Long-Tail Keyword	3-plus-word phrase with specific intent; often lower competition.

M

Term	Definition
Meta Description	155-character summary that can appear in SERPs and AI snippets.
Meta Tag	Invisible HTML info (title, robots, viewport) that aids crawling.
Meta Keywords	Outdated tag once used for ranking; ignored by Google today.
Mobile-First Index	Google primarily uses the mobile version of a site for ranking.

N

Term	Definition
Natural Link	Backlink earned organically without solicitation.
Nofollow	Link attribute telling crawlers not to pass ranking credit.
Noindex	Directive telling search engines to exclude a page from results.
NLP (Natural Language Processing)	AI that helps search engines understand conversational queries.

O

Term	Definition
Off-Page SEO	Reputation signals beyond your site (links, PR, social).
On-Page SEO	Optimizations you control on your own pages (keywords, headings, UX).
Open Graph Tags	Metadata that controls how a page appears when shared on social platforms.
Outbound Link	See External Link.

P

Term	Definition
Page Experience	Google signal combining Core Web Vitals, HTTPS, mobile-friendliness.
PageRank	Original Google algorithm measuring link authority.
Panda / Penguin	Major Google updates targeting thin content (Panda) and link spam (Penguin).
PBN (Private Blog Network)	See Link Farm.
People Also Ask (PAA)	Interactive SERP box listing related questions.

Q

Term	Definition
QDF (Query Deserves Freshness)	Google factor that boosts timely content for trending searches.
Query	The words a user types or speaks into the search bar.

R

Term	Definition
Robots.txt	File that sets crawl permissions for search bots.
RSS Feed	Syndication format that pushes new content to subscribers.
Reciprocal Link	Two sites link to each other—fine if natural, risky if excessive.

S

Term	Definition
Schema Markup	Code that helps search engines understand content (recipes, FAQs, events).
Search Generative Experience (SGE)	Google’s AI pilot that creates dynamic, conversational SERPs.
SERP (Search Engine Results Page)	The list of results returned for a query.
SEO (Search Engine Optimization)	Practice of increasing organic visibility in search.
Sitemap (XML / HTML)	File that lists URLs for bots (XML) or users (HTML).
Spider	Synonym for crawler.

T

Term	Definition
Traffic	Number of visits a webpage receives.
TrustRank	Algorithm assessing site credibility based on links from trusted domains.
Top Stories	News-carousel box featuring recent articles—requires structured data.

U

Term	Definition
User Intent	The goal behind a search query (informational, navigational, transactional).
URL	Uniform Resource Locator—the web address of a page.

V

Term	Definition
Voice Search Optimization	Techniques that target conversational, question-based queries via smart speakers.
Web Vitals	See Core Web Vitals.

W

Term	Definition
White-Hat SEO	Strategies that comply fully with search-engine guidelines.
WordPress	Widely used open-source CMS powering ~40% of the web.

X

Term	Definition
XML Sitemap	Machine-readable list of site URLs submitted to search engines.

Y

Term	Definition
YMYL (Your Money or Your Life)	Pages affecting health, finance, or safety—held to higher quality standards.

Z

Term	Definition
Zero-Click Result	Answer, often AI-generated, that satisfies the query without a user leaving the SERP.