15 SEO Terms All Marketers Need to Know in 2025

TL;DR: Confused about what SEO even means anymore? And even more baffled by how AIO, LLMO, AVO, and DXO fit into the equation? Read on for answers.

---

Is it SEO, AIO, SGO, GEO, or SSEO?

If you said IDK, you’re in good company.

Traditional ‘Search Engine Optimization’ (SEO) was well understood: Research keywords and optimize content to rank on terms your ideal customer is searching for. But now that AI dominates dang near everything, ‘showing up’ means a lot more than appearing in a list of links on Google.

Much like SEO, the acronyms we use to describe ‘optimizing for brand visibility’ have evolved. In fact, marketers, SEO experts, and martech companies coined a whole new vocabulary. Now, we’re talking about concepts like “AI Optimization”, “Generative Engine Optimization”, and “Search Everywhere Optimization.”

But what do all these new terms actually mean? And more importantly, how do they relate to the work marketers are doing to boost brand visibility, engagement, and conversion?

At this stage, it depends on who you ask because these terms are still being refined and pressure tested. Let’s investigate what we know so far.

Need a refresher on key AI terms (LLM, ML, RAG)? Coming in hot.

15 modern SEO terms and definitions

Search Engine Optimization (classic SEO) has been our tried-and-true method for improving rankings on search engine results pages (SERPs) for years. And it still matters! Even with all the new AI tools out there, traditional search engines (like Google and Bing) still drive a ton of traffic.

How to do it:

• Use the right keywords in your content and earn backlinks from trusted sites
• Make sure your site is mobile-friendly and loads fast
• Use structured data to help search engines understand your website (and your content).

Example: An e-commerce brand optimizes its product pages with relevant keywords, adds reviews and FAQs, and earns backlinks from top blogs. As a result, they rank on page one of Google for “best noise-canceling headphones”.

The core tenants of traditional SEO still help brands show up in AI search, but marketers have to add additional steps to the success formula to optimize brand visibility in 2025.

Here are 15 of the most popular SEO variations that AI, generative search, and changing customer behaviors have introduced to the conversation:

1 - AI Optimization (AIO)

What it means: Making sure your content is easy for AI tools (like ChatGPT or Perplexity) to read, understand, and use.

Why it matters: If AI can’t interpret your content, you’re not going to show up in its responses — even if you're the best at what you do.

How to do it:

• Be skimmer-friendly. Use clean formatting and clear language
• Make your website machine-readable (use things like schema markup or a knowledge graph)
• Keep content simple and well-structured

Example: A home security company updates its site to clearly explain each service and adds schema for pricing, reviews, and FAQs. Now, when someone asks ChatGPT for “best home security options,” the brand has a better shot at being included in the response.

2 - AI Experience Optimization (AEO)

What it means: Designing your content to show up well inside AI experiences — especially those that give direct answers or recommendations.

Why it matters: AI tools are doing more than pulling links. They’re summarizing, suggesting, and often even replacing clicks with answers.

How to do it:

• Overtly answer questions. Write FAQs or Q&A-style content
• Include clear calls to action (like “book now” or “see pricing”)
• Write like people talk. Use conversational language

Example: A dental clinic builds a page with questions like “How much does Invisalign cost?” and “Is Invisalign painful?” with clear, friendly answers. That page becomes a go-to resource in Google’s AI Overview (powered by Gemini) for local dental questions.

3 - AI Search Optimization (ASO)

What it means: Designing content to help your brand show up (and look good) in different AI outputs — featured answers, summaries, overviews, snippets, and chatbot citations. This one is similar to AEO, but gets more granular. Tactics include publishing specific pieces of content to help brands rank in response to particular queries, much like keyword targeting in SEO.

Why it matters: Customers trust what AI says. If your brand is missing from AI search results, you’re losing credibility.

How to do it:

• Create content that aligns with keywords and customer intent (why they’re searching)
• Provide easy-to-understand answers to common customer questions
• Use targeted tactics to optimize for different types of AI-generated content

Example: A regional health system wants to show up in AI search results when a patient queries “best urgent care near me.” They publish a guide that compares their hours, services, patient reviews, and pricing against local competitors. This provides context to AI search tools that helps increase relevance and visibility.

4 - AI Visibility Optimization (AVO)

What it means: Building content that helps your brand show up across all AI-generated content — from summaries to voice assistants.

Why it matters: If AI tools don’t see your brand as relevant or trustworthy, they’ll skip over you.

How to do it:

• Build up your brand presence by consistently publishing accurate, helpful content
• Get cited or mentioned by trusted third-party sources
• Use consistent language and structure across digital platforms

Example: A skincare brand notices it’s rarely mentioned in ChatGPT answers. They launch a PR campaign with expert quotes and guides that gets picked up by health sites to build credibility.

5 - Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)

What it means: Helping your content get used by AI tools that generate answers — not just link to websites.

Why it matters: When someone asks an AI tool a question, you want your brand’s language, claims, or links to be part of its response.

How to do it:

• Use clear, specific, consistent product and service descriptions
• Regularly link to trusted, high-authority sources
• Publish content that's easy to summarize and quote

Example: An insurance provider writes a blog titled “What renters insurance really covers” with clear bullet points and stats. That post is quoted directly in Perplexity’s generative answer.

6 - LLM Optimization (LLMO)

What it means: Creating content that’s easy for large language models (LLMs),like ChatGPT or Claude, to understand, remember, and use. Why it matters: To show up in AI search results, LLMs must be able to easily learn, retain, and interpret your brand content.

How to do it:

• Use clear language with consistent meaning (semantic clarity) -Incorporate structured data (schema markup, metadata, and tables)
• Make sure your domain is trustworthy and reputable

Example: A well-known financial services organization creates a glossary of investment terms, structured as a table with simple definitions. Over time, this content starts showing up as a reference in ChatGPT’s answers.

7 - Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)

What it means: Optimizing content to help it appear as the direct answer in search engines or voice assistants.

Why it matters: You want to show up as the go-to answer, not a link buried in citations.

How to do it:

• Use a question-and-answer (Q&A) format in your content
• Keep answers short and direct
• Add schema markup to help search engines contextualize the content

Example: A real estate company creates a blog titled, “What’s the average down payment on a house?”, with a clear answer at the top of the post. It gets pulled into a featured snippet and Alexa voice results.

8 - Content Experience Optimization (CEO)

What it means: Making sure your content is not just findable; it’s useful, engaging, and easy to read.

Why it matters: If your content is hard to read or navigate, people will bounce (and Google will notice).

How to do it:

• Use consistent headings, visuals, and scannable formatting
• Prioritize accessibility and effective UX design
• Always include a clear call to action (see pricing, request demo).

**Example: **A regional bank redesigns its “Business Checking” page with icons, short descriptions, and a clear “Compare Accounts” CTA. Visitors stay longer, explore more options, and application conversions improve.

9 - Digital Experience Optimization (DXO)

What it means: Improving how people interact with your brand across all digital touchpoints — website, emails, chat, and more.

Why it matters: Great content only works if everything around it functions smoothly and meets expectations.

How to do it:

• Personalize experiences when possible
• Make every digital interaction easy, fast, and consistent
• Optimize for both desktop and mobile

Example: An e-commerce brand tests different home page layouts and finds that one with personalized product recs boosts sales — so they roll it out site-wide.

10 - Agentic AI Optimization (AAIO)

What it means: Developing content in a way that allows AI agents (tools that act on customers' behalf) to understand it and take action.

Why it matters: AI is starting to do things for customers. You want to be included in those actions.

How to do it:

• Use clear calls to action
• Structure content so AI knows what to do with it (buttons, APIs, etc.)
• Make information easy to extract and follow

Example: A travel site structures its hotel listings in a way that allows AI agents to use an API to book rooms. In the future, when a user says “book me something with a pool in Miami,” an AI assistant can take care of it on their behalf.

11 - ChatGPT Optimization (GPTO)

What it means: Making sure your brand shows up when people ask ChatGPT questions.

Why it matters: If people ask ChatGPT about a product category that you fall into, you want to be in the response.

How to do it:

• Get mentioned on high-authority sites
• Use clear citations and formatting
• Keep content updated (AI has recency bias) and easy to reference

Example: A meal delivery brand appears in trusted roundups on NYT Cooking and TechCrunch. When someone asks ChatGPT “What are the best meal delivery kits?”, it includes this brand in its answer, with a link.

12 - Search Everywhere Optimization (modern SEO)

What it means: Optimize your brand to show up across every platform — not just Google.

Why it matters: People search everywhere (YouTube, TikTok, Reddit, AI tools) and you need to be visible on all of them.

How to do it: Audit your digital presence and look for any blind spots Make sure your listings and brand data are all consistent and up-to-date Treat every channel — including social channels — like a search engine

Example: A makeup brand posts tutorial videos to TikTok, answers questions on Reddit, and posts how-to blogs on their site — so wherever someone searches, they show up.

13 - Search Experience Optimization (SXO)

What it means: Optimizing not just for traffic, but for what happens after someone clicks. Why it matters: If your website isn’t easy to navigate, visitors won’t stick around even if your content is helpful. How to do it: SXO blends traditional SEO and UX to make sure that once customers find your content, they stay, engage, and convert.

• Design clean, fast, mobile-friendly pages
• Deliver on the promise of the headline
• Include clear calls to action

Example: A fitness brand writes a blog titled “Beginner workout tips,” publishes it on a mobile-optimized page, and includes a free downloadable plan, a progress tracker, and product recommendations.

14 - Search Intent Optimization (SIO)

What it means: Aligning your content with what people are really trying to do when they search.

Why it matters: A customer searching “best laptops under $1,000” doesn’t want an opinion piece; they want a clear, helpful comparison.

How to do it:

• Understand different types of search intent (research, compare, buy)
• Create content that maps to each type
• Use formats that match customer expectations (lists, charts, guides)

Example: An electronics retailer builds a comparison chart for budget laptops with specs, pros/cons, and reviews, and ranks well for “best laptops under $1,000.”

15 - Semantic SEO (SSEO)

What it means: Helping search engines and AI understand the meaning (context) of your content.

Why it matters: AI doesn’t just match words anymore. It looks for intent, connections, and context.

How to do it:

• Group related content into clusters
• Use consistent internal linking
• Tag content with schema and related terms

Example: A gardening site writes articles on soil types, watering techniques, and sun exposure, all linked in a “How to Grow Tomatoes” hub. Google sees (and surfaces) the content as an expert resource.

So, which SEO is the right SEO?

This hearty dose of alphabet soup can be a tad overwhelming. But all these terms have good intentions and share a common goal: Helping your brand get discovered as search continues to change.

The good news is, though search tools are evolving fast, SEO best practices — the building blocks of visibility — haven’t changed nearly as much as the acronyms suggest.

No matter what you’re optimizing for, the same fundamentals apply:

• Say what you mean, clearly
• Share information people can count on
• Make content easy to read (and surface in results)
• Meet people where they are
• Deliver the content your customers are actually looking for

Across every version of SEO on this list, clarity, structure, trust, and intent matter.

Ready to make sure your brand is visible everywhere today’s customers are searching? Start here.