This glossary compiles essential SEO, AI search, and digital marketing terminology with standardized definitions and cross-references.
Quick Navigation
AI and Search
AI Search Engines
Search systems that use Large Language Models (LLMs) and generative AI to produce search results, such as Google AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, ChatGPT, and Perplexity.
AI Search
Search experiences that leverage artificial intelligence to understand query intent, generate summaries, or cite sources.
Large Language Models (LLM)
Deep learning models trained on massive text datasets that can understand and generate natural language. Examples include GPT-4, Claude, and Gemini.
Generative AI
Artificial intelligence systems capable of creating new content (text, images, code, etc.) rather than just analyzing or classifying existing data.
Multimodal AI
AI systems that can process multiple types of data simultaneously—text, images, audio, and video.
Vector Search
A search technique that converts content into mathematical vectors and matches results based on semantic similarity rather than exact keyword matching.
Vector Embedding
The technique of converting text, images, or other data into multi-dimensional numeric vectors that represent semantic relationships.
SEO and Strategy
Topical Map
A strategic visualization tool that illustrates a website’s content architecture and coverage within a specific subject area.
Topical Authority
The depth and breadth a website accumulates on a specific topic, causing search engines and users to view it as a trusted source in that domain.
Topical Coverage
The completeness of a website’s content on a particular topic and its related subtopics.
Topic Cluster
A content architecture with a pillar page at its core, connected to multiple related subtopic articles through strategic internal linking.
Semantic SEO
An SEO strategy focused on topic comprehensiveness, entity relationships, and search intent alignment—rather than optimizing for individual keywords alone.
Search Intent
The true purpose and expectation behind a user’s search query, typically categorized as informational, navigational, transactional, or commercial investigation.
User Intent
The broader goals and motivations of users when interacting with websites or applications.
Information Gain
The additional value and unique perspectives a piece of content provides compared to existing search results.
Entity SEO
Optimizing content around entities (people, places, things, concepts) rather than just keywords, aligning with how search engines understand semantics.
Content and Structure
Entity
A distinct thing that search engines can identify and understand—including people, places, organizations, and concepts.
Entity Relationships
The connections between different entities, such as “author” and “work,” or “company” and “product.”
Knowledge Graph
A database structure used by search engines to store and relate entity information, enriching search results with contextual data.
Structured Data
Data formatted according to standardized schemas (like Schema.org) that helps search engines understand page content.
Schema Markup
The implementation of structured data in HTML using Schema.org vocabulary, typically presented in JSON-LD format.
Internal Linking
The strategic configuration of links between pages within a website, used to distribute authority and guide user navigation.
Content Brief
A strategic document created before writing content that includes target keywords, search intent, outline structure, and reference materials.
Authority and Ranking
Backlinks
Links from external websites pointing to your site—a key signal for evaluating website authority.
Link Equity
The authority or trust value passed through links, also known as “link juice.”
E-E-A-T
Google’s framework for evaluating content quality: Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness.
Ranking Algorithms
The algorithmic systems search engines use to determine the order of search results.
Crawl Budget
The maximum number of pages a search engine crawler can fetch from a website within a given timeframe.
Indexing
The process by which search engines add webpage content to their database, making pages eligible to appear in search results.
SERP and Visibility
Featured Snippets
Content summary blocks displayed at the top of search results, typically in paragraph, list, or table format.
Zero-Click Search
Search behavior where users get answers directly on the search results page without clicking through to any website.
AI Overviews
AI-generated summary answers on Google’s search results page that cite multiple source websites.
Query Fan-out
Techniques used by search engines or AI systems to reinterpret user queries for more relevant results.
Natural Language Processing (NLP)
The field of technology enabling computers to understand, interpret, and generate human language.
Search Engine
A system that indexes web content and provides relevant results based on queries, such as Google and Bing.