What is Search Generative Experience (SGE)?
Google’s earlier name for generative search features, superseded by AI Overviews and AI Mode. Historical SGE studies still inform how zero-click and citation behavior is measured.
Related terms
AI Overviews
Google’s AI-generated summaries at the top of some results pages. They synthesize multiple sources and link to them, which can reduce clicks to publishers even when a page ranks well organically.
Google AI Mode
Google’s conversational answer-first search mode, where multi-turn queries are resolved with grounded AI responses. Visibility here depends on citation readiness more than classic rank position.
Zero-Click Search
A search that ends without a click to any website, because the answer appears directly on the results page or inside an AI summary. Zero-click behavior pushes measurement beyond clicks toward mentions and citations.
Answer Engine Optimization (AEO)
Answer Engine Optimization is the practice of structuring pages so answer engines and AI assistants can extract, trust, and quote them: a direct definition up top, scannable steps, quotable facts, and FAQ or Article schema behind them.
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO)
Generative Engine Optimization improves how often a brand or page is cited inside AI-generated answers. It combines classic SEO (crawlability, relevance) with quotability: clear facts, named entities, sources, and machine-readable structure.
Citation Readiness
How easily an AI answer can find, extract, and cite a page: direct definitions, self-contained paragraphs, named entities, published dates, author bylines, sources, and clean semantic HTML with matching schema.