Glossary: GEO, AEO, FAQPage, AI Mode and More in Plain Language

Google changed several search features in May and June 2026, and each change came with its own vocabulary. This glossary explains those terms in plain language, so you can follow the news and make decisions about your website with confidence.

The terms are grouped by topic. Each entry says what the term is and what it means for a small business that wants to show up when customers ask Google, ChatGPT or Perplexity about its services.

Search Features

AI Overviews

Google AI Overviews are the AI-generated answers Google shows for many searches. Industry studies in 2026 put them on roughly 47 to 64 percent of all queries across desktop and mobile, with even higher rates for health, local service and how-to searches.

Those are the very searches many small businesses rely on. Being cited inside one of these answers is now a form of visibility in its own right.

AI Mode

Google lists AI Mode next to AI Overviews as one of its generative AI search features. Both are covered by the new Search Console reporting, by the official optimization guide and by the updated spam rules described below.

FAQ Rich Results

The expandable question-and-answer rows that used to stretch a Google listing down the page were called FAQ rich results. They stopped appearing on May 7, 2026, across all site types.

Search Console reporting and Rich Results Test support for them are being removed through June, and API support ends in August 2026. Do not spend time trying to win them back.

Markup and Shortcuts

FAQPage Schema

The markup that labels questions and answers on a page for search engines is called FAQPage schema. Google confirmed it still uses this schema to understand page content, even though the visual rich result is gone.

Pages that carry it are reportedly more likely to appear in AI Overviews. Keep it on any page that already has it, and make sure the direct answer sits in the first sentence of each response.

llms.txt

A separate text file that some sites add for AI systems is known as llms.txt. Google says it is not needed for its generative AI features.

Content Chunking and AI-Specific Rewriting

These labels describe cutting pages into small blocks or rewriting them just for AI readers. Google says neither one is needed, and neither is special schema built only for AI.

Strategy and Content

GEO and AEO

These two acronyms name the work of getting content found and cited by search features that run on AI. For Google Search, the official guide treats GEO and AEO as part of SEO rather than separate disciplines.

That means you do not need to overhaul your whole site or buy a costly new tool to comply. Strong SEO already covers most of the ground.

Non-Commodity Content

Google uses this phrase for content that offers unique insight beyond common knowledge. Its opposite is the generic tips article that many sites could have written.

A plumber writing "7 Tips to Prevent Frozen Pipes" is producing commodity content. A plumber writing "Why We Always Recommend Foam Over Fiberglass in Michigan Crawl Spaces" is producing non-commodity content, because only real experience could produce it.

AI Citation

A citation happens when an AI answer names or links your page as a source. Ranking number one on Google no longer guarantees clicks, so a citation inside AI Overviews has become the new currency of visibility.

Brands cited this way report higher trust perception, more branded searches and higher conversion rates from the traffic they receive. Visitors referred from AI Overviews arrive with more context and stronger intent, so the goal shifts from volume to quality.

Buying Citations

Google confirmed that its spam policies now apply to AI search features. Buying or manipulating citations in AI Mode and AI Overviews counts as spam under the same framework used for inauthentic backlinks.

Measurement and Access

Search Console AI Performance Section

Google is rolling out a dedicated area in Search Console that shows how pages perform inside AI Overviews and AI Mode, separate from traditional organic data. Traditional ranking reports never showed whether your content appeared inside an AI answer.

Once it reaches your account, note which pages earn AI impressions and which do not. Compare that list against your key service and location pages, and treat the gaps as candidates for a content audit.

AI Crawlers

The bots AI systems send to read web pages are called AI crawlers. Cloudflare changed its default configuration to block AI bots, so if your site uses Cloudflare, log in and verify your bot management settings.

Google Business Profile

Your business listing on Google is your Google Business Profile. Google recommends it for local business visibility in AI responses, so keep your categories, services, hours and photos current.

Recency Bias

The phrase describes how AI favors recently updated content. Refresh your most important pages at least once every three months, and treat that schedule like any other business task.

Answer-First Writing

This style puts the main answer at the very top of a page. AI reads the opening lines first to decide what a page covers, so open with a brief summary that names the topic and who the page is for.

Putting It All to Work

The businesses earning AI citations are not doing anything exotic. Clear category definitions, question-led pages, FAQs, comparison pages, case studies, founder bios and consistent wording across a site and its profiles help machines understand who you serve.

Google now measures AI visibility directly, has published clear guidance on what works and has confirmed that shortcuts count as spam. The window to build a real presence inside AI answers is open, but it will not stay easy forever.

If you want help auditing your site for AI readiness or making sense of the new Search Console AI reports, we are ready to work through it with you. Contact us to tell us where you are starting, or schedule a call and we will map out a practical plan.