Even though we launched Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization (SAIO) over a year ago, many people are still struggling to understand how GenAI tools are changing the way we search for information online, both for personal and work-related questions.
We put together the following definitions of acronyms, names, and best-practice terms to provide a framework for understanding options for achieving SAIO and SEO success. We will continue to update this glossary as new terms and platforms emerge.
Let us know if you have questions about other related terms, so we can add them for the benefit of all our readers.
AEO – Answer Engine Optimization. This content optimization strategy provides direct answers to queries conducted on any search platform. These answers appear as featured snippets in traditional search platforms or citations in GenAI platforms. AEO tactics include some but not all the best practices DBE utilizes for our SEO/SAIO programs. We use the SAIO variation as it communicates the emphasis on “search” and the synergistic relationship with SEO.
AI Overviews – Google’s AI responses to search queries from users of Google’s search engine. As of this writing, AI Overviews appears in about 12% of Google searches. However, with 8.5 billion Google searches daily, that would translate to over 1 billion Google searches showing AI Overviews. Here is an example of how AI Overviews appears on the SERP. Note how it appears with paid search, organic search, and other features on the same page.
AIO – Artificial Intelligence (AI) Optimization. Another variation used to describe the practice of gaining visibility and link citations from searches conducted on generative AI platforms like Perplexity, AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, etc. We prefer using the SAIO variation as it communicates the synergistic relationship with SEO.
Bard – The early name for Google’s AI platform that is now called Gemini.
Bing Chat – The early name for Bing Copilot.
Bing Copilot or just Copilot – The current version of Bing’s generative AI platform that leverages ChatGPT’s AI technologies but provides a different interface. Microsoft has integrated Copilot into a number of its other products including the Edge browser and Skype. This integration is one of the reasons over 100 million people use Bing Copilot every day.
Bing Generative Search – A new variation of the Bing Search Platform that is being rolled out in beta as of this writing. It includes a GenAI response and traditional search results in a split-screen layout on the same page. This format provides the opportunity to have both SEO and SAIO visibility on the same page. Here is an example:
Carousel – A presentation format used to show link citation sources by various AI platforms including AI Overviews and Perplexity. Here are some examples:
ChatGPT – OpenAI’s initial generative AI platform. This platform was initially trained on available data/content up to 2022 and did not have internet access to keep updated. As such, the original ChatGPT did not provide link citations and was not a target for SAIO.
ChatGPT Plus – The paid version of ChatGPT that had access to the internet and provided link citations. It was a target platform for SAIO early on.
ChatGPT 4o – The latest iteration of ChatGPT that is faster and more powerful for content and image creation. It is free and can access the internet, but typically does not include source/link citations unless prompted. It is currently considered a secondary target platform for SAIO given it is hard to ignore that ChatGPT had 132.9 million total visits in September 2024.
Citations/Link Citations – Citations with links to the websites used by GenAI platforms to generate its response to your prompt/search. These link citations convey visibility and authority to the cited website much like a top ranking does in traditional search results and can trigger a click-through from an interested/pre-qualified user.
Claude AI – A GenAI platform from Anthropic. Like the early version of ChatGPT, Claude has been trained on available data through April 2024 and it does not currently have access to the internet or external sources of information. So, it does not provide link citations and is not a target for SAIO. We are keeping a close eye on an upgraded version of Claude 3.5 Sonnet that “can understand and interact with any desktop app” via a new “Computer Use” API. It is unclear if this will lead to the ability to access the internet.
Copilot – See Bing Copilot.
EEAT – Acronym for Expertise, Experience, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness. These are key elements in Google’s Search Quality Rater Guidelines that assess the overall quality and relevance of page content for inclusion in search results. Optimizing content for EEAT is a best practice for both SEO and SAIO. SAIO citation links to websites are particularly valuable for GenAI platforms as reinforcement for the validity of the provided responses.
FAQs – AKA, Frequently Asked Questions. FAQs have been a popular content format for SEO, but the best practice was to split them into separate pages to optimize for individual keywords. Now, FAQ content on a single SAIO page has been shown to attract the attention of GenAI platforms for demonstrating topic/category authority and relevance.
Gemini – The Google GenAI platform formerly known as Bard. The initial response from Gemini does not include link citations for its sources. However, being a Google product, it offers the opportunity to fact-check its GenAI response by clicking a “Google it” button. On the desktop version, clicking produces a choice of pre-populated Google queries. On the mobile version, Gemini runs the fact check and highlights its response in Green (for accurate) or Red (for inaccurate) elements and provides the sources it used to conduct the check. Given the roundabout and inconsistent way link citations are ultimately generated, Gemini is not a target for SAIO.
GEO – Generative Engine Optimization. Yet another variation used to describe the practice of gaining visibility on and link citations from searches conducted on generative AI platforms like Perplexity, AI Overviews, Bing Copilot, etc. We still prefer using the SAIO variation as it communicates the synergistic relationship with SEO.
Jarvis – A new AI agent powered by Google’s Gemini 2.0 platform that can take over your Chrome browser “to complete tasks such as gathering research, purchasing a product or booking a flight.” It’s still in early-stage development that may be previewed in December 2024 but is not likely to launch anytime soon. We are intrigued by how Jarvis may gather research and whether it will provide link citations in its reporting.
Keywords – These are the words and phrases used by searchers when looking for websites to help them with their immediate needs. Keywords are selected and prioritized for SEO efforts based on a variety of factors including monthly search volume, relevance to a website’s content and conversion goals, and competitive visibility.
Link Signals – Hypertext links from other websites and social property posts pointing to optimized pages on your website signal the relevance and value of your SEO and SAIO content. They also reinforce the EEAT quality elements that are especially important to support SAIO link citations.
Long-Tail Keywords – Long-tail keywords are typically longer phrases searchers use when they are looking for more specific information on a subject. Search volumes for long-tail keywords are typically much less than shorter keywords, but they can be very valuable SEO targets due to lesser competitive visibility and more relevance to the searcher. Thus, creating a higher likelihood of conversion. From an SAIO perspective, long-tail keywords align well with the conversational and topical nature of prompts typed or spoken into the GenAI platforms.
OpenAI – OpenAI is the owner and licensor of ChatGPT products.
Perplexity – Perplexity promotes itself as an “AI designed to revolutionize the way you discover information.” It searches the internet to provide conversational and verifiable answers to prompts. The verifications are in the form of link citations that appear in a carousel at the top of their SAIRP. This is one of the reasons Perplexity is a primary target for SAIO. That, and Perplexity has over 10 million active users per month.
Prompts – Prompts are what you type or say to engage with and guide GenAI platforms’ outputs, including content creation, coding, and informational searches for information relevant to a topic or category of interest. Given the conversational nature of GenAI platforms and the importance of providing as much information as possible to get the desired output, prompts can often take a form similar to long-tail keywords.
Queries – Queries are the keyword phrases entered into traditional search engines to initiate a search and generate a SERP.
SAIRP – Search AI Response Page. DBE coined this term to provide context and differentiation for SAIO responses to prompts vs. SEO results to keyword searches. Google’s AI Overviews and Bing’s Copilot SAIRPs may contain paid ads mixed in their response. Other GenAI platforms have yet to introduce ads into their formats. Link citations on SAIRPs can appear in carousels and/or as annotations to specific text blocks.
SAIO – Search Artificial Intelligence Optimization. SAIO targets visibility and link citations on GenAI platforms response pages generated by prompts. SAIO success is dependent on following best practices for Technical, Content, and Links/Social Signals designed to elevate authority and trust factors.
SearchGPT – Another GenAI platform from OpenAI designed specifically to give an answer to your search prompt with up-to-date information from the web with clear links to relevant sources. While it is still in prototype mode, it is expected to be integrated into ChatGPT by the end of 2024. The addition of link citations as a regular feature in ChatGPT would elevate its status from Secondary to Primary as a SAIO target platform.
SEO – Search Engine Optimization. SEO targets visibility in search engines’ natural (unpaid) results generated for keyword searches. While SEO and SAIO share the same broad categories of best practices for success (Technical, Content, Links/Social Signals), DBE leverages some of the specific tactics for each strategy differently.
SERP – Search Engine Results Page. SERPs typically contain a mix of features including paid ads, business listings, featured snippets, etc. that often appear before the organic/natural search results.
Social Signals – Similar to link signals, social signals reinforce the EEAT value of your website content as relevant to SEO queries and SAIO prompts. For SAIO, posts in LinkedIn and YouTube are more valued by GenAI platforms than X or Facebook as they are viewed to be more authoritative and unbiased.
Structured Data/Schema Markup – Structured data is a standardized format for providing information about a page and classifying the page content for the benefit of both humans and computers (like Google indexing robots and GenAI platforms). Google can use this parsed data to create rich results that can lead to more engagement and clicks. GenAI platforms can also use it to create their responses to prompts and provide link citations. Schema.org provides pre-defined structured data schemas for a variety of business applications ranging from recipes to events to products and more.
Topics/Categories – Where keywords are the drivers for SEO, the conversational nature of GenAI platform prompts and responses is best leveraged for SAIO by creating content on broader topics/categories. Longer form formats like FAQs, how-tos, lists, features/benefits comparisons, white papers, etc. provide a wealth of relevant content related to a topic/category in a structured approach. That helps the GenAI platforms learn and leverage snippets in their responses and link citations.
Again, we will be updating this list as the terms related to SAIO and SEO evolve. Please let us know if you have any questions or suggestions for improving this glossary by contacting info@digitalbrandexpressions.com.
