SEO, GEO and contest glossary
Definitions of key SEO, GEO and SEO-contest terms.
- SEO
- Search engine optimization: the techniques that improve a site’s organic visibility.
- GEO
- Generative Engine Optimization: optimising to be cited in the answers of generative AI engines.
- AIEO / AEO
- AI Engine Optimization / Answer Engine Optimization: GEO variants focused on assistants and answer engines.
- SERP
- A search engine results page.
- Backlink
- An inbound link from another site; historically a major ranking signal.
- PageRank
- Google’s algorithm that weighs pages by their inbound links.
- Texte d’ancre / Anchor text
- The clickable text of a link, used as a relevance signal.
- Nofollow
- A rel attribute telling an engine not to pass credit through a link.
- Black hat SEO
- Techniques that violate search-engine guidelines (spamdexing).
- Google Panda
- A 2011 update against low-quality content.
- Google Penguin
- A 2012 update against artificial link schemes.
- Google bomb
- Ranking manipulation through links sharing identical anchor text.
- Concours SEO / SEO contest
- A ranking competition on a keyword, often invented, with a deadline.
- llms.txt
- A file proposed in 2024 to guide large language models to a site’s essential content.