Glossary
Plain-English definitions for local SEO and AI search terms — written so you can understand what matters and why.
Local SEO
Local SEO is the practice of optimizing a business's online presence so it appears prominently in geographically relevant search results, including Google Maps and the local pack.
Google Business Profile
Google Business Profile (GBP) is a free listing that controls how your business appears in Google Search and Google Maps, including your name, address, hours, photos, and customer reviews.
NAP Consistency
NAP consistency refers to having your business Name, Address, and Phone number identical across every online listing, directory, and web page where your business appears.
AI Search Visibility
AI search visibility is the likelihood that AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews mention or recommend your business when a user asks a local question.
Citations
Citations are online mentions of your business's name, address, and phone number on directories, review sites, data aggregators, and local websites — with or without a link.
Backlinks
Backlinks are links from other websites pointing to your site, and they act as votes of authority that help search engines determine how trustworthy and relevant your content is.
GEO Audit
A GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) audit evaluates how accurately and consistently your business information appears across the sources that AI search tools use to generate answers.
Review Signals
Review signals are the quantity, recency, rating, and sentiment of customer reviews on Google and other platforms, and they directly influence local search rankings and customer conversion.
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