If you’re still talking about keywords, rankings and SERPs, it’s time to catch up.
Generative Engine Optimisation (GEO) is reshaping how B2B buyers discover, compare, and decide.
We’ve put this glossary together to help B2B marketers get their head around all the AI search optimisation lingo they need to know.
These are the terms that matter now, in a world where prompts replace queries, AI assistants replace search engines, and visibility doesn’t always equal traffic.
Let’s get fluent.
Foundational concepts of GEO
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) | The practice of making your brand visible inside generative engines like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude. Think SEO, but for AI tools or LLMs. |
| LLMO (Large Language Model Optimisation) | A subset of GEO focused on influencing the output of LLMs directly, but often used interchangeably with GEO. |
| Answer Engine Optimisation | Structuring website content to directly answer user queries within search engines and AI-powered tools – also used interchangeably with GEO / LLMO. |
| AI Search | Search experiences powered by large language model, often conversational and generative, not link-based. |
| Prompt | The new search query or keyword. It’s what a buyer types into ChatGPT or Perplexity. Google research shows often 2-3x longer than a typical Google search. |
| Prompt Visibility | Your brand’s likelihood of showing up in a generative response to a specific prompt. |
| PromptPath™ | A FirstMotion framework for defining an GEO or AI Search optimisation strategy in AI-native B2B buyer journeys. |
| ContextualJourney™ | FirstMotion’s own technology platform for AI search intelligence, including audience research, data enrichment & AI to define winning AI search strategies. |
How AI models work when it comes to search
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| LLM (Large Language Model) | AI trained on massive datasets to generate human like text and answer complex questions. |
| Training Data | The information used to train a model before it’s deployed. This includes web pages, forums, docs, YouTube videos etc. |
| Citations | The sources an AI model references in its answers. Sometimes clickable/linked to, sometimes not. |
| Retrieval Augmented Generation (RAG) | A method where LLMs pull in real time or external data to improve responses. |
| Temperature | A setting that controls how “random” or “creative” a model’s output is. |
| Memory | The model’s ability to remember context across sessions – crucial for longer B2B journeys. |
Generative Engine Optimisation techniques & tactics
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Structured Content | Content formatted for clarity and semantic cues – more digestible by LLMs. |
| Third Party Optimisation | Ensuring your brand is visible on sources LLMs love to cite (G2, Forrester, Gartner, Reddit, LinkedIn etc). |
| Prompt Mining | Researching and mapping the kinds of prompts your buyers are likely using. |
| Content Mapping | Crafting content to align with common prompts and maximise citation potential. |
| AI Citability | How likely your content is to be referenced by an LLM, based on structure, authority, and clarity. |
| Zero Click Journey | A buying process that happens entirely within an AI assistant, with no site visit at all. |
| LLMs.txt | An llms.txt file is a proposed standard for websites to guide Large Language Models (LLMs) in understanding and navigating site content. |
| Influence Intelligence | FirstMotion’s approach to understanding why certain AI models choose to cite certain sources of ‘influence’ in their answers. |
Challenges & limitations
| Term | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Dark Funnel 2.0 | Buyers discover and evaluate your brand via LLMs – but you never see it in analytics. See our recent blog post here. |
| Attribution Collapse | The breakdown of traditional attribution models in the face of AI discovery. |
| Visibility ≠ Traffic | Just because you’re mentioned doesn’t mean they click – or that you can track it. |
| Answer Theft | When your content trains or informs an LLM’s response – but you don’t get the credit or link. |
Bonus: some SEO terms you should rethink…
| Term | Why It’s Outdated |
|---|---|
| Keywords | LLMs don’t think in keywords, they understand context, concepts, and prompts. Prompts are much longer than keywords. |
| SERP rankings | There’s not really a ‘1st position’ in generative search, as every prompt can produce a different outcome for different users. |
| Traffic = Success | Influence matters more than clicks. Some of your most valuable B2B buyer touch points won’t show up in Google Analytics. |
| SEO-first | We don’t believe SEO is dead – but GEO is the long game. |