From the book

Glossary

Terms are defined as they are used in this book. The chapter where each term is discussed is shown in parentheses.

A

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Efforts to have a business's information used in the direct answers that AI-powered platforms give, rather than only in a list of links. (Intro)
AIO (Artificial Intelligence Optimization)
A general term for improving how AI platforms find, understand, and recommend a business. (Intro)
Apple Business Connect
Apple's free tool for claiming and managing a business listing on Apple Maps. (Ch. 8)
Aspect ratio
The proportion of an image's width to its height, such as 1:1 (square) or 4:5 (portrait). (Ch. 7)

B

Baseline
A record of where your measurements stand before you make changes, so later results have something to compare against. (Ch. 18, 19)
Bing Places for Business
Microsoft's tool for managing a business listing on Bing and Bing Maps. It can import information from a Google Business Profile. (Ch. 8)
Brand mention
A reference to your business on another website, with or without a link. (Ch. 11)

C

Category management
Organizing products and services into logical groups based on how customers look for them. (Ch. 1)
Content repurposing
Adapting one piece of content, such as a website article, into other formats like a Google Post, social media post, or short video. (Ch. 2, 6)
Conversion
An action a customer takes after finding you online, such as calling, placing an order, booking, or submitting a form. (Ch. 18)
Crawler
An automated program that search engines use to follow links and discover pages on the web. (Ch. 3)

E

Editorial calendar
A schedule of what content will be published, where, and when. (Ch. 15)
Entity optimization
Making sure your business is described the same way everywhere online so search engines and AI platforms recognize every listing as the same business. (Ch. 2)

F

FAQ
Frequently asked questions. A page or section that answers the questions customers ask most often. (Ch. 3)

G

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)
Efforts to improve how a business appears in answers written by AI platforms. (Intro)
Google Business Profile
Google's free business listing, shown in Google Search and Google Maps, with a business's location, hours, services, reviews, photos, and contact details. (Ch. 2)
Google Posts
Short updates published directly to a Google Business Profile. (Ch. 6)
Google Search Console
A free Google tool that shows how often a website appears in Google search results and for which searches. (Ch. 18)

I

Impressions
The number of times your website or listing is shown in search results, whether or not anyone clicks. (Ch. 18)
Industry-specific directory
An online listing service focused on one industry or type of service, such as restaurant or home-service platforms. (Ch. 11)
Information gain
The new, useful information a page provides beyond what is already available elsewhere. (Ch. 1, 3)

L

Local Pack
The group of map-based business listings Google shows near the top of results for local searches. (Ch. 2)
Local SEO
Search engine optimization focused on searches tied to a particular geographic area. (Intro)
Long-form video
Video that explores a subject in depth, typically running much longer than a social media clip. (Ch. 12)

M

Meta Business Suite
Meta's tool for managing and scheduling Facebook and Instagram posts for a business from one place. (Ch. 7)

N

NAP
Name, address, and phone number. These details should match exactly across every listing. (Ch. 2)

O

Organic
Visibility or reach earned without paying for advertising. (Ch. 10, 13)

P

PageRank
Google's long-standing system for evaluating pages based on the links pointing to them. (Ch. 11)
Pillar page
The main page on a broad topic in a topic cluster, linking to more detailed supporting pages. (Ch. 1)
Press release
A written announcement of business news sent to journalists and media outlets. (Ch. 10)
Pricing transparency
Publishing clear prices so customers and AI platforms can answer the question "How much does it cost?" (Ch. 3)

S

Search engine optimization (SEO)
The practices that help a business appear in search engine results. (Intro)
Sentiment analysis
Reviewing customer feedback to find recurring positive and negative themes. (Ch. 16, 17)
Short-form video
Brief vertical video, typically 15 to 90 seconds, made for platforms such as YouTube Shorts, Instagram Reels, Facebook Reels, and TikTok. (Ch. 13)
Social proof
The reassurance customers get from seeing that other people have used and recommended a business. (Ch. 4)
Structured information
Business details organized in standard fields, such as name, hours, and categories, that platforms can read and compare easily. (Ch. 5, 8)
Subreddit
A community on Reddit dedicated to a particular topic or location, each with its own rules. (Ch. 9)

T

Technical SEO
The behind-the-scenes setup of a website, such as mobile compatibility, page speed, and sitemaps, that helps search engines read it. (Ch. 18)
Topic cluster
A way of organizing information about your business from broad categories down to specific products, services, and customer questions, with related pages linked together. (Ch. 1)
Topical authority
Being recognized as a knowledgeable, reliable source on a particular subject. (Ch. 12)
TSPB
The Standard Pizza Business, the example business followed throughout this book. (Intro)