Glossary

AI Attribution: The process of tracking how AI-generated responses influence user behavior and contribute to awareness, consideration, and purchasing decisions.

AI Overviews: AI-generated summaries shown in Google search results that synthesize information from multiple sources to directly answer a user’s query.

AI Prompts: The questions or instructions users submit to AI systems to generate responses. AI prompts are typically longer, conversational, and more context-rich than traditional search queries.

AI Search: A form of search where artificial intelligence systems generate direct answers to user questions by synthesizing information from multiple sources rather than returning a list of links.

AI Search Visibility: A metric that measures how frequently a brand, product, or website appears in AI-generated answers across platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews.

AI Visibility: The degree to which a brand appears, is accurately described, and is positively represented in AI responses.

Answer Engine Optimisation (AEO): The practice of structuring and formatting content so that it appears in direct answer boxes and Google AI Overviews.

Bottom of Funnel (BOFU): The decision stage where users are ready to take action, such as purchasing a product, signing up for a service, or requesting a demo.

Click-Through Rate (CTR): A metric that measures the percentage of users who click on a link after seeing it in search results or advertisements.

Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR): A metric that measures the average annual growth rate of a market or investment over a specific period of time.

Experience-Expertise-Authoritativeness-Trustworthiness (E-E-A-T): The criteria AI models and search engines use to evaluate whether a source is credible enough to cite or rank.

Generative Engine Optimization (GEO): The practice of optimizing digital content so AI platforms such as ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews can discover, understand, and cite it in their generated responses.

Intent-Based Targeting: An advertising approach that matches ads to the specific intent expressed in a user’s search or AI conversation rather than relying only on demographic or keyword targeting.

Invisible Funnel: The portion of the buyer journey that occurs within AI platforms, including research, comparisons, and brand evaluation.

Large Language Models (LLMs): Artificial intelligence systems trained on large datasets to generate human-like text and responses. Examples include models used by platforms such as ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude.

Middle of Funnel (MOFU): The evaluation stage where users compare products, services, or solutions to determine which best meets their needs.

Referral Traffic: Website visits that occur when a user clicks a link on another website. Analytics tools record the referring domain as the source of the visit.

Search Engine Optimization (SEO): The process of improving a website's visibility in traditional search engine results pages through techniques such as keyword optimization, backlinks, and technical website improvements.

Search Engine Results Page (SERP): The page displayed by a search engine after a user enters a query, typically showing ranked links, featured snippets, and other search features.

Top of Funnel (TOFU): The awareness stage of the marketing funnel where users seek general information to understand a problem or topic.

User Agent: A text string sent by a browser, application, or bot to a web server that identifies the software making the request. It also provides information about the device, operating system, and browser being used.

UTM Parameters: Tracking codes added to the end of a URL that enable analytics tools to identify the source, medium, and campaign of a website visit.