AI marketing glossary: the terms buyers ask about
How to use this glossary
Each term is defined in the way it is used in European project scoping, not as a marketing slogan. Where a claim cannot be guaranteed — placements in AI answers, rich results, rankings — the definition says so. For how these terms fit together commercially, read the comparison of SEO, GEO and AEO.
AI marketing
Using AI-assisted research, content operations, search analysis and workflow automation inside a marketing programme. The useful question is not which tools are used but which commercial decisions and measured outcomes changed.
Generative engine optimisation (GEO)
Making a brand's information clear, consistent and well documented enough to be retrieved and cited in generative answers. GEO builds on ordinary SEO foundations; it does not replace them.
Answer engine optimisation (AEO)
Structuring a page so that a real customer question is answered in it: the direct answer first, then scope, exceptions and supporting evidence for readers who need the detail.
AI Overviews
AI-generated summaries that search engines show alongside or above conventional results. Which sources are summarised varies by query, market and language, so an overview can be influenced by good content but never guaranteed.
Zero-click search
Queries answered inside a search or assistant interface without a visit to a website. Buyers may form a shortlist before reaching any vendor's pages, which is why being cited and being recognised by name both matter.
Entity
A distinct thing an information system can recognise — a company, service, person, place or concept — as opposed to the keywords used to describe it. Consistent naming, descriptions and third-party references help a system resolve your entity correctly.
Structured data (JSON-LD)
Machine-readable statements describing what a page is, who publishes it and what it refers to. It should always describe content that is genuinely visible on the page, and it does not guarantee a rich result or a citation.
llms.txt
A file at a site's root that lists its key pages in plain language for AI assistants to read. Provider support varies, so it is a discovery aid rather than a ranking control.
AI crawler
An automated agent that fetches pages for indexing, answering or training. Crawlers differ in whether they render JavaScript, and each one follows the rules a site publishes for it in robots.txt.
E-E-A-T
Experience, expertise, authoritativeness and trustworthiness: the qualities search quality guidance uses to assess content. It is an assessment made about a site, not a setting that can be switched on.
AI visibility audit
A documented review of what search engines and answer systems can find and say about a brand: the questions tested, the sources cited, the gaps found and the priorities agreed. It reports evidence rather than promising placements.
Where to go next
The AI search visibility service covers GEO and AEO delivery, while the AI visibility snapshot is a defined first step for testing what systems currently say about your brand. Multi-market questions are covered under multilingual European marketing, and SEO vs GEO vs AEO explains how the three approaches overlap.
Frequently asked questions
Is a glossary page enough to improve AI visibility?
No. Clear definitions help systems interpret terminology, but visibility depends on evidence, consistency and whether independent sources reference your brand for the questions buyers actually ask.
Can a definition guarantee that an AI assistant quotes us?
No. No page can guarantee a citation in a generative answer. The achievable aim is to be accurate, clearly structured and easy to reference.
Not sure which of these terms applies to your business?
Describe your market and the commercial question you need answered, and we will scope it in plain language.
Get a practical AI visibility snapshot →An evidence-first review
Review your current visibility and gaps before choosing a long-term engagement.
AI Visibility Snapshot →Marketing that survives scrutiny.
Clear deliverables, useful knowledge and accountable European project scoping.