AI search, explained jargon-free.
GEO, AEO, llms.txt, AI Overviews… the vocabulary of AI search explained simply, by a practitioner, for local businesses. Eight definitions, eight in-depth pages.
01 The definitions
Eight terms.
Eight in-depth pages.
01
AI search optimization (GEO)
The set of practices that make a business visible, understandable and citable by generative AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Perplexity.
Read the definition ↗02
AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)
Structuring content so it gets picked up directly as the answer — by AI assistants as well as Google's featured snippets.
Read the definition ↗03
llms.txt
A plain-text file at the root of a website that presents the essentials of a business in a format designed to be read by large language models.
Read the definition ↗04
AI Overviews (Google)
Google's AI-generated answers, displayed above the classic search results, rolling out in France in summer 2026.
Read the definition ↗05
Structured data (Schema.org)
Standardised markup added to a page's code to describe its content (opening hours, address, menu, reviews) in a machine-readable way.
Read the definition ↗06
Local SEO
Search optimization targeting local-intent queries: appearing on Google and Google Maps when a customer looks for a business nearby.
Read the definition ↗07
AI crawlers (GPTBot, ClaudeBot…)
The exploration robots of AI companies that read websites to feed assistant answers; their access is controlled via robots.txt.
Read the definition ↗08
AI citation
The mention of a business or source in an AI assistant's answer, with or without a link — the GEO equivalent of a Google ranking.
Read the definition ↗→
From theory to practice
These definitions describe exactly what I set up for shops and restaurants — AI visibility check included.
The AI search service ↗02 Next step
Theory done. Now let's talk about your business.
First conversation commitment-free — I tell you what ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini already answer about your business.