Glossary

AI Visibility measures your presence in AI-generated answers. When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, or Google Gemini for recommendations, does your business appear? Are you named directly, described indirectly, or completely absent?

Traditional search rankings still matter. But discovery is fragmenting. Some customers search Google. Some ask ChatGPT. Some do both. You need to show up in all of them.

Surmado tests AI Visibility across 7 platforms: ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google Gemini, Claude, Meta AI, Grok, and DeepSeek. Surmado Scan handles your SEO. Surmado Signal handles your AI visibility. Scout reads both and tells you what to fix first.

Answer Engine Optimization focuses on being the answer, not just ranking in results. When AI platforms generate responses, they pull from sources they trust. AEO means structuring your content, building your authority, and establishing your entity so AI platforms cite you.

This includes structured data, authoritative backlinks, consistent NAP information, and content that directly answers common questions.

Traditional SEO and AEO work together. Surmado Scan audits your technical SEO foundation. Surmado Signal tests whether that foundation translates into AI visibility. Scout explains which fixes matter most.

Generative Engine Optimization makes your business visible to generative AI systems like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google Gemini. Unlike traditional SEO, which focuses on search engine rankings, GEO focuses on entity recognition. AI platforms need to know who you are, what you do, and why you're credible before they recommend you.

GEO includes directory listings, structured data, consistent business information, authoritative mentions, and content that establishes expertise.

GEO and SEO reinforce each other. Strong SEO builds the foundation. Strong GEO extends your reach into AI discovery. Surmado Signal measures your GEO effectiveness across 7 AI platforms.

Ghost Influence happens when your business influences what AI platforms recommend, even when they don't mention you by name. For example, an AI might recommend "a taco shop in North Park with handmade tortillas" without saying the name. That's Ghost Influence. You're shaping the answer without owning it.

Ghost Influence is about recognizable attributes that map to your brand footprint, not just generic category relevance.

Surmado Signal detects Ghost Influence by analyzing AI responses for indirect references, attribute matches, and contextual signals. High Ghost Influence means you're close to being recommended. Low Ghost Influence means you're invisible.

Most AI visibility tools test generic prompts like "best SEO tools" or "top marketing software." Real customers search differently. A busy restaurant owner asks different questions than a marketing agency. A first-time founder searches differently than a serial entrepreneur.

Persona-based testing uses prompts built from actual customer archetypes.

Surmado Signal builds 5 distinct personas per report based on your intake form, then tests how each persona's questions get answered across 7 AI platforms. You see what your actual customers see.

Scout is the AI analyst included free with every Surmado report. Most marketing tools give you data and expect you to figure out what it means. Scout does the interpretation for you. What's broken. What to fix first. Why it matters.

Scout reads your entire report and delivers a plain-English briefing. No jargon. No dashboards. Just answers.

Scout gets smarter with every report you run. The more context Scout has about your business, the more specific and actionable the recommendations become.

Zero-click search happens when someone gets the information they need without visiting your website. Google's featured snippets, AI Overviews, and direct answers all contribute to zero-click search. So do AI platforms like ChatGPT and Perplexity.

For businesses, this means traditional traffic metrics are becoming less reliable. Someone might learn about you, trust you, and choose you without ever visiting your site.

Surmado Signal tests whether you appear in these zero-click environments. Surmado Scan audits whether your content is structured to be featured. Scout helps you prioritize what to fix.