Jargon Journal
Cut Through the Jargon. Accelerate Your Catalog Strategy.
A place to bring clarity to industry speak—decode terms and master the lingo.
Generative AI has taken the world by storm in just a few short years, unleashing a flood of new tools—and even more new jargon. What do we call the new AI-powered search engines? To some they’re “AI search,” to others “LLM search,” and to others “conversational search.” Sometimes these terms mean the same thing; other times they signal subtle distinctions—and lately, they’re often used interchangeably. That’s where CatalogIQ’s Jargon Journal comes in: your guide through the evolving soup of AI buzzwords, cutting through the chaos one term at a time.
| Jargon [Term] | Description |
|---|---|
| Foundations: How AI Search Works | |
| Agentic AI | AI systems capable of autonomous decision-making and action—perceiving, reasoning, learning, and executing tasks like product discovery, recommendations, and complete checkouts on behalf of users. |
| AI Search Engines | Search tools enhanced with generative AI capabilities—short for Generative AI Search Engine—understanding natural language input to generate answers or synthesize information in real time. |
| Answer Engines | Platforms designed to provide immediate, concise answers to user queries—powered by AI and NLP—without requiring users to click through links. |
| Conversational Search | Search interfaces that allow users to interact via natural, dialogue-like exchanges—engaging in chat-style Q&A rather than keyword lookup. |
| Optimization Strategies: How Brands Get Found | |
| SEO (Search Engine Optimization) | The practice of optimizing websites to rank in traditional search engine results by improving relevance, technical performance, and authority. SEO focuses on earning organic traffic through content quality, backlinks, and site health. |
| AEO (Answer Engine Optimization) | The practice of structuring content so search and AI systems can extract clear, direct answers for featured snippets, People Also Ask, voice search, and AI-powered short answers. AEO optimizes for answers, not just clicks. |
| GEO (Generative Engine Optimization) | The practice of optimizing content and entities so brands are cited accurately in AI-generated summaries and recommendations across platforms like Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT, and Perplexity. GEO optimizes for citations and brand presence inside generative responses. |
| Commerce Outcomes: What AI Enables | |
| Autonomous Ecommerce | A broad term referring to AI systems that independently manage and execute purchases on behalf of users, minimizing or eliminating manual input. |
| Programmatic Commerce | Purchases made automatically by connected devices (e.g., a smart coffee machine ordering beans when supplies run low) using preset rules and learning. |
| Zero-Click Buying | A predictive model where AI or retailers anticipate your needs and send products automatically—customers can keep what they like and return the rest. |
| Zero-Click Ordering | AI-driven automatic reordering of everyday items via voice assistants or agents, reducing friction in replenishment purchases. |
| Zero-Click Commerce / Zero-Click Result | Transactions completed directly within an interface—like search results or a chat—without visiting an external site; in e-commerce, purchases occur inside the AI or search tool. |
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