AI visibility terms, defined.

Definitions

AI visibility

Whether AI assistants like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Google's AI can find, understand, and recommend your business when someone asks for your service.

Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

The work of making your business the recommended answer when someone asks an AI engine for a service like yours.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

The work of getting your business included in the answers generative AI assistants write, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, and Grok.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO)

The work of making your site readable and rankable by classic search engines like Google. It is the foundation AI engines read from.

Entity trust

The confidence AI engines have in a business as a real, verifiable entity, built from consistent information and corroboration across the web. It is the dominant factor in whether an engine recommends you.

Citation

When an AI engine names or links your business as a source or a recommendation in the answer it gives a person.

Answer engine

An AI system that returns a direct answer or recommendation instead of a list of links, such as a chat assistant answering who is the best provider for a service.

Generative engine

An AI assistant that composes an answer by synthesizing information from across the web, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude, or Grok.

Structured data (schema)

Machine-readable markup that helps engines parse who you are and what you do. It makes a site legible to engines. It does not, by itself, make a site rank or get recommended.

The 30/60/90 curve

The measured schedule on which AI visibility results appear, because entity trust accrues over weeks rather than switching on. Early movement around 30 days, compounding by 60, a clear trend by 90.