SEO has always had its own jargon, but right now we’re living through one of the biggest shifts in how search works. It's no surprise that new language has emerged to describe the impact of AI on the world of SEO.
By now everyone is familiar with new AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, Copilot and Google Gemini but it feels like we have been scrambling around to find new ways to describe the practices and methodologies that underpin SEO.
I feel that this has settled a little and we now have some consensus as to what this new language and terminology looks like.
Nova Lingua Inquisitionis
So what is this new language of search? Let's look at some of these new abbreviations and phrases so we can understand them better.
AI Overview
What is an AI overview? Well, if you’ve asked ChatGPT or Google Gemini a question recently and received a neatly packaged summary — that’s an AI Overview. It’s a quick, curated response generated by AI, often pulled from multiple sources, designed to give you an instant answer without needing to click a link.
For businesses, this is a big deal.
Instead of search engines showing a list of websites, users are increasingly seeing AI-generated summaries right at the top of the page. That means the AI is becoming the new gatekeeper. If your brand, product or content doesn’t appear in these overviews, you’re essentially invisible in that moment.
Zero-Click Search
A zero-click search happens when the user gets everything they need from the results page (or AI assistant) without ever visiting a website. Zero-click searches aren’t new — Google has been experimenting for years through featured snippets, knowledge panels, and quick-answer boxes. But with AI-driven search, it’s becoming the default.
For brands, this can feel like a loss of traffic. But the reality is more nuanced. AI isn’t just giving the answer — it’s acting as a filter. Users often spend longer engaging with the AI results before deciding whether to click. That means by the time they reach your site, they’ve already had their intent clarified, their options narrowed, and their expectations shaped.
In other words: fewer clicks, but better ones. Instead of getting untargeted traffic from people who bounce quickly, you’re more likely to receive visitors who are genuinely interested and closer to making a decision. Over time, this could shift SEO strategy away from chasing raw visitor numbers and towards optimising for higher-value, pre-qualified traffic.
AISEO
AISEO stands for AI Search Engine Optimisation. It’s the natural evolution of traditional SEO, but with a twist. Instead of focusing purely on Google’s algorithm, AISEO is about making sure your brand and content are discoverable inside AI-powered search engines and assistants.
These platforms don’t always show links — often, they just give direct answers. That means the way you write, structure, and present information has to help AI systems confidently include you in their responses. In practice, AISEO is about authority, clarity, and trust — all packaged in content that AI can easily digest.
GENAI Content
Generative AI (GENAI) content refers to blog posts, product descriptions, FAQs, and even ads that are created with the help of AI tools. The benefit is speed and scale — you can create more material than ever before. But volume alone isn’t enough. Search engines and AI models are getting better at filtering out “thin” or repetitive text. To really work, GENAI content should be human-edited, fact-checked, and infused with original insights. Think of AI as your assistant, not your replacement. The best results come when AI handles the first draft, and you add the expertise that makes it stand out.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
Generative Engine Optimisation, or GEO, is SEO’s younger sibling, built specifically for the age of AI. Unlike traditional SEO, which optimised for a list of ranked results, GEO is about optimising your content so AI models can confidently use it in their answers. That means making sure your content is well-structured, rich in context, and backed up by credible sources. GEO also rewards transparency — models are far more likely to surface information that feels authoritative and well-evidenced than vague sales copy. In short, GEO is about teaching AI engines what you know, in a way they can easily repeat to others.
Answer Optimisation
For decades, SEO has been about ranking for clicks — trying to get the user from Google’s results page to your website. But AI-driven search changes the goalposts. If an AI gives an answer directly in the chat window, the user may never click.
Answer optimisation is the art of structuring your content so that AI models lift and use your words in full. That means writing in clear, direct, and complete sentences that can stand alone as an authoritative answer. If your content leaves gaps, the AI will look elsewhere. If it feels complete and reliable, you become the answer.
Entity-First SEO
Keywords still matter, but modern SEO — especially in AI contexts — is increasingly entity-first. Entities are things like people, companies, products, and places. Both Google and AI models understand these entities as distinct nodes of knowledge, connected in a vast web.
If your business isn’t clearly defined as an entity across the web — with consistent naming, linked social profiles, strong citations, and accurate data — you risk being overlooked. Entity-first SEO is about making sure your brand has a clear identity online, one that both humans and machines can easily verify.
Why This Matters
The old SEO world revolved around search engines being like online directories. You typed in a query, got a ranked list of blue links, and clicked through. That world isn’t gone, but it’s being overtaken by AI-driven search — where answers are delivered directly, without the click.
Here’s why this shift is so important:
- Visibility has a new meaning – It’s no longer just about being “on page one.” If an AI gives an answer and your business isn’t included in it, you’re effectively invisible to that user. Make sure you monitor who's appearing in AI overviews, especially your competitors!
- Trust is the new currency – AI models are trained to avoid unreliable sources. That means factual accuracy, citations, and a strong reputation matter more than ever. The more trustworthy you appear online, the more likely you are to be surfaced in AI responses.
- Structured content wins – AI engines work best with clear, well-organised content. Long walls of vague marketing fluff don’t cut it anymore. FAQs, how-to guides, and structured explanations make it easier for AI to “quote you” in full.
- Brand authority is everything – Whether it’s Google or Gemini, AI platforms look for signals of expertise and authority. That means using digital PR and other advertising tactics to increase brand mentions across the web. This will signal to AI platforms that you are a notable voice in your niche and worthy of inclusion.
- Clicks aren’t the only metric – Success in the AI-driven search era isn’t always about website traffic. Sometimes it’s about brand recall, word-of-mouth, or being cited directly in an AI answer. That visibility has value, even if the user never leaves the platform. Look out for increases in direct visits
Final Thought
SEO isn’t just about ranking anymore — it’s about reputation, clarity and trust. The game has changed, and AI is rewriting the rules, literally in real time. That might sound overwhelming, but here’s the good news: if you focus on creating helpful, structured content and building genuine authority, you’re already playing the long game.
AI is learning how to talk about your business. The question is, are you teaching it the right things?
Get your content in order. Be the expert. And make it easy for both people and AI to find you, trust you, and talk about you. That’s the new SEO.
