Glossary: AI search, GEO, SEO, web and software terms explained

A permanent redirect from one URL to another. It passes most ranking value to the new page and is essential during website redesigns.

A link or source reference that an AI assistant shows alongside its answer. Being cited means the AI used your page as evidence.

An automated bot that reads web pages for AI companies, such as GPTBot (OpenAI), PerplexityBot and Google-Extended. Your robots.txt file controls which ones may access your site.

A conversational search experience in Google that answers questions with AI-generated responses and follow-up questions instead of a list of links.

AI-generated summaries that Google shows at the top of some search results, answering the query directly and linking to the sources it used.

How often, and how favorably, a business is mentioned or cited by AI assistants across the questions its buyers ask. It is the main measure of GEO progress.

An AI phone agent that answers calls in natural language, responds to common questions, books appointments and logs leads, 24/7.

A search tool that replies with a direct, written answer rather than a page of links. ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews all work this way.

An application programming interface: a defined way for two software systems to exchange data, such as a website sending leads into a CRM.

A link from another website to yours. Links from relevant, trusted sites are one of the strongest signals of authority for search engines.

Continuous integration and continuous delivery: an automated process for testing and releasing software updates quickly and safely.

Moving data, applications and processes from local servers, legacy systems or spreadsheets to cloud infrastructure.

Software that lets you edit a website’s content without code, such as WordPress, Webflow or Shopify.

Measuring the actions that matter, such as calls, form fills and bookings, so ad platforms and reports know which campaigns produce customers.

Google’s measurements of real-world page experience: how fast the main content loads, how quickly the page responds, and how stable the layout is.

The total ad spend divided by the number of leads generated. It is a clearer measure of ad performance than cost per click.

A mobile app built from one codebase that runs on both iOS and Android, usually lowering cost and time to market.

Software designed and built for one business’s specific workflow, rather than bought off the shelf.

A system that stores customer and lead information and tracks every interaction, deal and follow-up in one place.

Zoho’s scripting language for building custom automations, functions and integrations inside Zoho apps.

Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness and Trustworthiness: the qualities Google’s quality guidelines use to describe helpful, reliable content.

Software that connects core business operations such as inventory, orders, finance and staff in one system.

A specific, identifiable thing, such as a business, person, place or product, that search engines and AI models recognize and connect to facts about it.

A highlighted answer box at the top of Google results that quotes a short passage from a web page.

Google’s open-source framework for building iOS, Android and web apps from a single codebase.

The practice of making a business easy for AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity and Google AI Overviews to understand, trust and recommend, so it is named and cited in AI-generated answers.

Google’s advertising platform for search, YouTube, display, Gmail and Maps ads, formerly called Google AdWords.

The free business listing that appears in Google Search and Maps, showing your address, hours, reviews and photos. It is a core signal for local SEO and AI answers.

The format Google recommends for adding schema markup to a page, written as a script block that does not change what visitors see.

Grouping related search terms that share the same intent so one page can target the whole group instead of a single keyword.

Google’s database of entities and the facts and relationships between them, used to power knowledge panels and to understand what a business is.

A focused web page built for one campaign or offer, designed to turn visitors into leads.

An AI model trained on large amounts of text to understand and generate language. ChatGPT, Gemini and Claude are built on large language models.

A proposed plain-text file at the root of a website that summarizes the site for large language models. It is not an official standard, and support across AI platforms is still limited.

Any online mention of your business name, address and phone number, such as a directory listing. Not to be confused with an AI citation.

SEO focused on appearing in map results and “near me” searches, built on a Google Business Profile, reviews, consistent listings and location pages.

Google ads for local service businesses that appear at the top of results and charge per lead rather than per click.

The smallest version of a product that delivers real value to users, launched early to learn what to build next.

Keeping your business Name, Address and Phone number identical everywhere they appear online, which helps search engines and AI trust your details.

The branch of AI that lets computers understand and generate human language, used in chatbots and voice assistants.

A React-based framework for building fast websites and web applications, often used when a site needs app-like features.

Visitors who arrive from unpaid search results rather than ads.

An advertising model where you pay each time someone clicks your ad, used on Google, YouTube, Meta and LinkedIn.

A Google Ads campaign type that uses AI to show ads across Search, YouTube, Display, Gmail, Discover and Maps from a single campaign.

The question or instruction a person types into an AI assistant. In GEO, tracking real buyer prompts shows which businesses AI recommends.

Google Ads’ 1-to-10 rating of how relevant your ads, keywords and landing pages are. Higher scores usually mean lower costs.

Designing a website so its layout adapts to any screen size, from phones to large desktops.

Showing ads to people who have already visited your website or engaged with your business.

A technique where an AI system looks up current information, for example by searching the web, before writing its answer. It is why fresh, well-structured pages can appear in AI responses.

A text file at the root of a website that tells crawlers which pages or sections they may or may not access.

A security model that gives each user access only to the data and features their role requires.

Code added to a web page, using the Schema.org vocabulary, that describes its content in a structured way for search engines and AI, for example a business’s address or a page’s FAQs.

The work of improving a website so it ranks higher in organic search results for the searches its customers make.

The goal behind a search, such as learning, comparing or buying. Matching content to intent is essential for ranking and conversions.

Google Ads’ automated bidding that uses machine learning to set bids for each auction based on the likelihood of a conversion.

Software delivered over the internet on a subscription, such as a hosted CRM or accounting tool.

A visual website builder and CMS popular for design-led marketing sites.

SEO methods that follow search engine guidelines, such as helpful content and earned links, as opposed to manipulative tactics like buying links.

The most widely used content management system, well suited to content-rich business websites that teams want to edit themselves.

Using software to complete repetitive steps, such as assigning leads, sending follow-ups or creating invoices, without manual work.

A file listing the important pages on a website so search engines and AI crawlers can find and index them.

A search where the person gets their answer on the results page or in an AI summary without clicking through to any website.

A customer relationship management platform from Zoho that can be customized and connected to other Zoho apps and third-party tools.