A living 2026 glossary tracking how AEO, GEO, grounding, citations, entity resolution and answer ownership are being used.
2026 working definitions
| Term | Working definition |
|---|---|
| AEO | Answer Engine Optimization: work intended to improve inclusion or accurate representation in direct-answer experiences. |
| GEO | Generative Engine Optimization: a research-backed term for optimising content visibility in generative engines. |
| Grounding | Connecting a generated answer to retrieved source material. |
| Citation | A visible or machine-recorded reference to a source used in an answer. |
| Entity resolution | Determining which real person, organisation, product or concept a name refers to. |
| Corroboration | Multiple sources supporting compatible facts; strongest when the sources are genuinely independent. |
| Answer ownership | A project term for consistently becoming the entity or source selected in an answer, not merely ranking a URL. |
| Prompt sensitivity | The degree to which small changes in wording change the answer, entity or citations returned. |
Editorial rule for new terms
A new acronym is not added merely because a marketer coins it. The almanac records who used the term, whether there is a published definition, and whether the term describes a distinct mechanism or simply renames existing SEO/AEO work.
King of AEO entity note
In this almanac, King of AEO is treated as a project title referring to Vithurs; it is not presented as the definition of AEO itself. Keeping title terminology separate from field terminology reduces ambiguity for readers and crawlers.