The AI Visibility Glossary

The practice of optimizing your business's online presence so that AI assistants — like ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, and Perplexity — recommend you when someone asks for help. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on ranking in a list of links, AEO focuses on making your business the direct answer AI delivers. For home service pros, this means being the plumber, roofer, or electrician that AI tells a homeowner to call.

When an AI assistant references or names your business as a source in its response. Citations are the AEO equivalent of clicks in traditional SEO — they indicate that AI considers your business authoritative enough to mention by name. Pantora tracks how often your business is cited across AI platforms.

How easily AI systems and their web crawlers can access, read, and understand the content on your website. If your site blocks AI crawlers or uses formats that AI can't parse (like heavy JavaScript or images without text), AI won't have the information it needs to recommend you.

Google's AI-generated summaries that appear at the top of search results, providing a synthesized answer before the traditional list of links. When a homeowner searches "best plumber near me," AI Overviews may directly name businesses. Getting mentioned here means you're being recommended before anyone even scrolls.

A website specifically structured so AI systems can easily understand your business, services, and service area. Pantora creates an AI-optimized site that works alongside your existing website — it presents your business information in the format AI needs to confidently recommend you to homeowners.

How often and how prominently your business appears when someone asks an AI assistant for recommendations in your service area. If a homeowner asks ChatGPT "Who's the best HVAC technician near me?" and your business isn't named, you have low AI visibility. Pantora monitors and improves this metric.

A metric that quantifies how frequently your business is mentioned across AI platforms when relevant questions are asked. It reflects the percentage of relevant queries where your business appears in AI-generated answers compared to your competitors.

Any AI-powered platform that provides direct answers to user questions rather than a list of links. This includes ChatGPT, Google AI Overviews, Perplexity, Microsoft Copilot, and voice assistants like Siri and Alexa. Answer engines are replacing traditional search for many consumers looking for local service providers.

Technology that enables machines to simulate human intelligence — understanding language, recognizing patterns, and making decisions. In the context of local business, AI powers the assistants (like ChatGPT and Google AI) that homeowners increasingly use to find and choose service providers.

An AI-powered tool that interacts with users through natural conversation to answer questions, provide recommendations, and complete tasks. ChatGPT, Google Assistant, Siri, Alexa, and Microsoft Copilot are all AI assistants. Homeowners increasingly ask these assistants to recommend local service professionals.

A set of rules that allows different software systems to communicate with each other. In the context of AI visibility, APIs are how platforms like Pantora connect to your Google Business Profile, monitor AI platforms, and automate actions like responding to reviews.

How often your business name appears in AI-generated answers, even without a clickable link. In the world of AEO, brand mentions are a primary success metric because AI often recommends businesses by name without linking to a website.

Links from other websites that point to your website. Backlinks act as votes of confidence — when reputable sites link to you, search engines and AI systems consider your business more authoritative. For local pros, backlinks from local directories, news sites, and industry associations are especially valuable.

The percentage of website visitors who leave after viewing only one page. A high bounce rate can signal to search engines that your content isn't meeting visitor expectations. For service businesses, a high bounce rate on your homepage might mean visitors can't quickly find your services or contact information.

Microsoft's AI-powered search assistant integrated into Bing search. Copilot provides conversational answers to search queries, often recommending specific businesses and services. It draws from Bing's search index and web data, making your online presence on Bing-related platforms important.

The level of trust and credibility your business has established in your industry and community. Strong brand authority comes from consistent quality, positive reviews, professional credentials, and a solid online presence. AI systems weigh brand authority heavily when deciding which businesses to recommend.

The practice of organizing your website content with clear headings, concise answers, FAQ sections, and logical hierarchy so that AI systems can easily extract and understand key information. Well-structured content is more likely to be used by AI when generating recommendations.

How recently your website content has been updated. Search engines and AI systems favor content that is current and regularly maintained. For home service businesses, keeping your service pages, pricing information, and blog posts up to date signals that your business is active and reliable.

The process where search engine bots (like Googlebot) visit and read the pages of your website to understand what's on them. If your site can't be crawled, it won't appear in search results or be available for AI to reference. Think of it like search engines sending scouts to catalog your business.

OpenAI's AI chatbot used by over 400 million people weekly. When homeowners ask ChatGPT questions like "Who's a good plumber in my area?" it generates responses based on information it has gathered. Being well-represented online increases your chances of being recommended when someone uses ChatGPT to find a service provider.

An AI assistant built by Anthropic. Like ChatGPT, Claude can be asked for local service recommendations. As more AI assistants enter the market, optimizing your presence across all of them — not just one — becomes essential for capturing the widest audience of potential customers.

A prompt that encourages a website visitor or potential customer to take a specific action, like "Call Now," "Get a Free Estimate," or "Book Online." Clear CTAs on your website help convert the traffic that AEO and SEO drive into actual customers.

The percentage of people who click on your listing or link after seeing it in search results. In the age of AI, CTR is declining as more answers are delivered directly. This is why AEO metrics like brand mentions and citations are becoming equally important alongside CTR.

Creating and sharing valuable, relevant content (like blog posts, guides, and FAQs) to attract and retain customers. For home service businesses, content marketing means answering the questions homeowners actually ask — which also happens to be exactly what AI is looking for when generating recommendations.

The percentage of website visitors who take a desired action, such as calling your business, filling out a contact form, or requesting a quote. Strong AEO and SEO drive qualified traffic, but your website still needs to convert those visitors into paying customers.

A set of Google metrics that measure real-world user experience on your website, including loading speed (LCP), interactivity (INP), and visual stability (CLS). Good Core Web Vitals improve both your search rankings and your AI crawlability, since faster, more stable sites are easier for AI to access and process.

Any online mention of your business's name, address, and phone number (NAP) on external websites — like Yelp, Angi, the BBB, or local directories. Consistent citations across the web reinforce your legitimacy to both search engines and AI systems, making them more confident in recommending you.

The process of evaluating which competitors appear in AI-generated answers for services in your area and understanding why. Pantora shows you exactly which businesses AI is recommending instead of you, and what they're doing differently so you can close the gap.

A score (typically 0–100) that predicts how likely a website is to rank in search engine results. It's influenced by factors like backlinks, content quality, and site age. Higher domain authority also correlates with greater trust from AI systems. A new local business website might start at DA 10–20 and build from there.

The sum of everywhere your business appears online — your website, Google Business Profile, social media, review sites, directories, and more. AI systems pull information from all of these sources when deciding whether and how to recommend you. A strong, consistent digital presence is the foundation of AI visibility.

The process of ensuring that AI systems clearly understand your business as a distinct entity — including your name, services, locations, and relationships to other entities (like your industry or service area). Strong entity optimization helps AI connect your business to relevant queries.

Google's framework for evaluating content quality. For home service businesses, E-E-A-T means demonstrating real-world experience (photos of your work), expertise (detailed service descriptions), authoritativeness (industry certifications and credentials), and trustworthiness (reviews, licensing, insurance). AI systems also weigh these signals when deciding whom to recommend.

A highlighted answer that appears at the top of Google search results ("position zero"), pulled directly from a website. Featured snippets are a precursor to AI Overviews and are still valuable — content that wins featured snippets often gets cited by AI systems too.

A specific type of structured data markup that explicitly identifies questions and answers on your webpage. Implementing FAQ schema helps search engines and AI systems recognize your content as direct answers to specific questions, increasing the chance of being featured in snippets and AI responses.

An alternative name for AEO that emphasizes optimization for generative AI models specifically. GEO focuses on how large language models like GPT-4 and Gemini select, synthesize, and present information. GEO and AEO are largely interchangeable terms.

AI that creates new content — text, images, code, or other outputs — based on patterns learned from existing data. ChatGPT, Google Gemini, and Perplexity are generative AI tools. They don't just retrieve existing web pages; they synthesize information from multiple sources to generate original responses.

Google's family of AI models that powers Google AI Overviews, Google Assistant, and other AI features. Gemini synthesizes information from across the web to provide direct answers. Because Google remains the dominant search platform, being visible to Gemini is critical for local service businesses.

The process by which AI systems verify their responses against real-world data sources to ensure accuracy. When AI is "grounded," it's drawing from factual, verifiable information rather than generating content from patterns alone. Businesses with strong, consistent online information give AI more data to ground its recommendations.

Your free business listing on Google that appears in Google Maps and local search results. Your GBP includes your business name, address, phone number, hours, reviews, photos, and more. It's one of the most important sources AI uses when recommending local businesses — keeping it complete, accurate, and active is essential.

The section of Google search results that shows a map with three local business listings. Appearing in the Map Pack for service-related searches drives significant calls and visits. The factors that help you rank in the Map Pack — reviews, GBP optimization, proximity — also influence AI recommendations.

Optimizing your content and online presence for specific geographic areas you serve. For home service businesses, this means creating content that mentions your service cities, neighborhoods, and counties so that AI knows exactly where you operate and can recommend you to homeowners in those areas.

When an AI system generates information that sounds plausible but is factually incorrect or entirely made up. For local businesses, this could mean AI recommending a competitor that doesn't exist or providing incorrect details about your services. Having accurate, consistent information online reduces the chance of AI hallucinating about your business.

HTML elements that structure your content into a clear hierarchy. H1 is the main page title, H2s are major sections, and H3s are subsections. Proper heading structure helps AI systems parse your content and extract the most relevant information for specific queries.

The secure version of the HTTP protocol that encrypts data between a website and its visitors. HTTPS is indicated by the padlock icon in your browser. Search engines and AI systems favor secure sites — running your site without HTTPS can hurt both your search rankings and AI visibility.

After a search engine crawls your site, indexing is the process of storing and organizing that information so it can be retrieved for search queries. If your pages aren't indexed, they're invisible to both search engines and AI. You can check your indexing status in Google Search Console.

Links that connect pages within your own website. Good internal linking helps search engines and AI understand your site's structure, find all your content, and determine which pages are most important. For example, linking your "Services" page to individual service pages like "Water Heater Installation" strengthens both.

The number of times your business listing, website, or content is displayed to users — whether in search results, AI responses, or ads. In AEO, impressions include instances where AI mentions your business name, even if the user doesn't click through to your website.

A format for adding structured data (schema markup) to your website using JavaScript. It's Google's preferred method for implementing schema and is invisible to visitors but readable by search engines and AI. For local businesses, JSON-LD is used to mark up your business name, address, services, hours, and more.

The words and phrases people type into search engines when looking for services. For a plumber, keywords might include "emergency plumber near me," "water heater repair," or "clogged drain fix." In AEO, keywords evolve into full conversational questions like "Who should I call for a burst pipe at 2 AM?"

Google's database of interconnected facts about people, places, businesses, and things. When Google's Knowledge Graph has strong information about your business, it's more likely to appear in AI Overviews and other AI-generated answers. Consistent information across the web helps build your presence in the Knowledge Graph.

The information box that appears on the right side of Google search results for businesses, people, and organizations. It pulls from the Knowledge Graph and Google Business Profile. A complete, accurate Knowledge Panel signals to AI that your business is well-established and trustworthy.

Optimization strategies specifically targeting large language models (LLMs) like ChatGPT and Claude. LLMO focuses on ensuring your business information is included in the training data and retrieval sources that LLMs use to generate recommendations. Another term closely related to AEO.

SEO strategies specifically focused on improving your visibility for location-based searches. This includes optimizing your Google Business Profile, building local citations, earning reviews, and ensuring your NAP (Name, Address, Phone) is consistent across the web. Local SEO is the foundation that AEO builds on for home service businesses.

Longer, more specific search phrases that typically have lower search volume but higher intent. Instead of "plumber," a long-tail keyword would be "licensed plumber for slab leak repair in Alpharetta." These closely mirror how people ask AI questions, making them critical for both SEO and AEO.

The AI technology behind tools like ChatGPT and Google Gemini. LLMs are trained on massive amounts of text data and can understand and generate human-like language. They power the recommendations that AI assistants make — including which local businesses to suggest to homeowners.

The process of attracting potential customers (leads) and capturing their interest so they contact your business. AEO contributes to lead generation by getting your business mentioned when homeowners ask AI who to call, turning AI interactions into phone calls and form submissions.

An online listing platform where businesses are organized by category and location — like Yelp, Angi, HomeAdvisor, Thumbtack, and the BBB. Being listed (with consistent information) on major directories is important for both local SEO and AI visibility, as AI systems pull data from these sources.

A short summary (about 150–160 characters) that describes a webpage's content and appears in search results below the page title. While meta descriptions don't directly affect rankings, they influence click-through rates and provide AI with a concise summary of what your page offers.

HTML elements that provide information about a webpage to search engines and AI systems. Common meta tags include the title tag (your page's title in search results), meta description, and robots tag (which tells search engines what to index). Properly configured meta tags help both search engines and AI understand your content.

Google's practice of primarily using the mobile version of your website for indexing and ranking. Since most homeowners search for services on their phones, your website must be fully functional and fast on mobile devices. This also affects how AI systems access your content.

The branch of AI that deals with understanding and interpreting human language. NLP enables AI assistants to understand questions like "My AC is making a weird noise, who should I call?" and connect that query to relevant HVAC businesses. Writing in natural, conversational language helps AI understand your content.

The three core pieces of business information that must be consistent everywhere your business appears online. Inconsistent NAP data confuses both search engines and AI — if your address is listed differently on your website, Google Business Profile, and Yelp, AI may not trust any of them.

Visitors who find your website through unpaid search results (as opposed to paid ads). Organic traffic is driven by SEO and indicates that search engines consider your content relevant and valuable. As AI search grows, the definition of "organic" expands to include visitors who find you through AI recommendations.

The overall perception of your business based on reviews, ratings, news mentions, and other online content. AI assistants heavily factor in online reputation when making recommendations. A business with hundreds of positive reviews and thoughtful owner responses will be favored over one with few or negative reviews.

Customer ratings and written feedback left on platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Reviews are one of the strongest signals for both local SEO and AEO. AI systems don't just count your reviews — they analyze the language, sentiment, and recency to determine how confidently to recommend you.

A Google search feature that displays related questions users commonly ask about a topic. PAA boxes are goldmines for AEO because they reveal the exact questions homeowners are asking — and content that answers these questions is more likely to be cited by AI.

Pantora's proprietary score that measures your overall AI visibility compared to competitors in your service area. The PVI combines factors like citation frequency, sentiment, platform coverage, and content quality to give you a single number that reflects how well your business is positioned for AI recommendations.

The featured snippet spot that appears above all organic search results on Google. Content in position zero is often the source that AI systems cite when generating answers. For local service businesses, earning position zero for queries like "how to fix a leaky faucet" can drive both clicks and AI visibility.

How fast your website loads. Search engines favor faster sites, and slow pages frustrate visitors — especially homeowners searching on their phones during an emergency. Page speed also affects whether AI crawlers can efficiently read your site.

An AI-powered answer engine that provides sourced, cited answers to user queries. Unlike ChatGPT, Perplexity explicitly shows which websites it pulls information from, making it important for businesses to have strong, authoritative web content that Perplexity can cite.

The question or instruction a user gives to an AI assistant. When a homeowner types "find me a reliable electrician in Denver" into ChatGPT, that's a prompt. Understanding common prompts homeowners use helps you optimize your content to match what AI is looking for.

Structuring your website content around specific questions homeowners ask (like "How much does a new roof cost?" or "When should I service my HVAC?") and providing clear, authoritative answers. AI systems prefer content formatted this way because it directly matches how users ask questions.

A file on your website that tells search engine and AI crawlers which pages they can and cannot access. Misconfigured robots.txt files can accidentally block AI from reading your content, preventing your business from being recommended. Make sure you're not blocking important pages or AI-specific crawlers.

A technique where AI retrieves relevant information from external sources (like the web) before generating a response. RAG is how many AI assistants stay current — they search for real-time information rather than relying solely on their training data. This makes your live web presence important, not just historical data.

The practice of actively monitoring, responding to, and encouraging customer reviews across platforms like Google, Yelp, and Facebook. Pantora helps by analyzing reviews and crafting professional, content-rich responses that both potential customers and AI assistants can use to evaluate your business.

A reply from the business owner to a customer review. Thoughtful, professional responses demonstrate active engagement and customer care. AI systems factor in response quality and rate when evaluating businesses. Pantora helps craft content-rich responses that improve your reputation with both customers and AI.

How positively or negatively AI describes your business when it mentions you. A mention alone isn't enough — if AI calls your competitor "highly rated and responsive" while describing you as "available in the area," your sentiment is weaker. Pantora tracks and helps improve the language AI uses about your business.

A numerical measure of how favorably AI platforms portray your business. Pantora analyzes the specific language, tone, and context AI uses when mentioning your business and compares it to how competitors are described, giving you a clear benchmark.

The practice of optimizing your website and online presence to rank higher in search engine results like Google. SEO focuses on getting your website to appear when people search for services you offer. While AEO targets AI recommendations, SEO targets traditional search rankings. Both work together — strong SEO builds the foundation that AEO needs.

The page of results that a search engine displays after a user enters a query. Modern SERPs include organic results, paid ads, local map packs, featured snippets, and now AI Overviews. For home service businesses, appearing in the local pack and AI Overviews is often more valuable than traditional organic rankings.

A file that lists all the important pages on your website, helping search engines and AI crawlers discover and understand your site's content. Think of it as a table of contents for your website — it ensures nothing gets missed when search engines come to catalog your services.

Code you add to your website that helps search engines and AI understand the content on your pages more precisely. For local businesses, schema markup can explicitly define your business type, services, service area, hours, reviews, and pricing — making it much easier for AI to recommend you accurately.

Information organized in a standardized format that machines can easily read and process. On websites, structured data (typically implemented as schema markup) tells search engines and AI exactly what your content means rather than leaving them to interpret it. It's like giving AI a clearly labeled filing system for your business information.

A digital certificate that enables HTTPS encryption on your website. It protects visitor data and signals trustworthiness to search engines and AI. Most web hosts offer free SSL certificates, and not having one can actively harm your search rankings and AI visibility.

The geographic region where your business provides services. Clearly defining your service area on your website, Google Business Profile, and AI-optimized content helps AI accurately recommend you to homeowners in the locations you actually serve — and avoid recommending you for areas you don't cover.

A business that travels to customers rather than having customers visit a storefront — which describes most home service professionals. Google Business Profile has specific settings for SABs that let you define your service area without displaying a physical address. Configuring this correctly helps AI understand and recommend your business appropriately.

The HTML element that specifies the title of a webpage. It appears as the clickable headline in search results and in the browser tab. Optimized title tags include your primary service, location, and business name — like "Emergency Plumber in Atlanta | 24/7 Service | Smith Plumbing."

The massive collection of text and information that AI models learn from during their development. If your business information exists in high-quality sources across the web, it's more likely to be included in AI training data, increasing the chance AI "knows" about your business and can recommend it.

Elements on your website and online profiles that communicate reliability and professionalism — like licenses, insurance badges, certifications, years in business, guarantees, and customer testimonials. AI systems look for trust signals when evaluating whether to recommend a business.

Using spoken commands to search for information through AI assistants like Siri, Alexa, or Google Assistant. Voice searches tend to be more conversational and question-based ("Hey Siri, who's the best roofer near me?"), making conversational content optimization important for local businesses.

A search where the user gets their answer directly from the search results page (or AI response) without clicking through to any website. With AI Overviews and answer engines, zero-click searches are growing rapidly. For local pros, this means your business name needs to appear in the answer itself, not just in a link below.