Glossary
Plain-English definitions of the web, SEO and AI search terms we use, from structured data to generative engine optimisation.
12 terms
AI Search
- AI AnswerThe written response an AI engine builds at the top of the results instead of just listing links.AI Search
- AI CitationWhen an AI answer names or quotes your site as the source it used to build the reply.AI Search
- AI OverviewsGoogle's AI-generated answer box that sits above the normal blue links and answers the question directly.AI Search
- Generative Engine OptimisationGenerative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, is the work of getting your website mentioned inside the AI-written answers that now sit at the top of Google and inside tools like ChatGPT, so that when someone asks the machine a question, your business is part of the reply rather than buried on page two of the old blue links.AI Search
- llms.txtA plain-text file at /llms.txt that tells AI crawlers what your site is and which pages matter most.AI Search
- robots.txt for AI botsRules in robots.txt that say which AI crawlers may read your site and which paths they should skip.AI Search
Structured Data
- JSON SchemaA way of describing the structure of JSON data so machines can understand and validate it.Structured Data
- SchemaHidden code on a page that labels what each part means, so machines can read it accurately.Structured Data
- Schema MarkupCode added to a website that labels its content so search engines and AI assistants know what each part means.Structured Data
- Structured DataInformation on a web page organised in a standard format so search engines and AI can read it accurately.Structured Data