Glossary: websites, Google and AI in plain language

Whether everyone can use your site, including people who see or hear poorly or cannot use a mouse. It helps every visitor.

Answer engine optimisation: writing your pages so that they answer a question directly. It looks a lot like good SEO and clear writing.

A program that answers questions in plain language, such as ChatGPT, Gemini, Perplexity or Copilot. It gives an answer, not a list of sites.

A way of searching in Google where you ask questions in a conversation and get a fuller AI answer instead of a list.

A summary Google can show above the search results, made with AI and with links to sources. What it says differs per question and per time.

Whether an AI assistant names your business, uses your site as a source and gives the right details. Nobody can promise that an assistant names you.

A way for two programs to exchange data, for example your webshop and your bookkeeping.

A copy of your site, kept apart. If something goes wrong, we put the copy back.

A link to your site from another site. A link from a reliable, relevant site counts; bought links do not belong.

The upkeep after launch: updates, back-⁠ups, monitoring and small changes. With us, cancel any month.

The steps in which a customer pays in your webshop. A short, clear checkout keeps customers going.

A secured part of a site where clients log in to see their own details, documents or requests.

A system in which you change your site’s text and photos yourself, without programming. It stands for content management system.

The moment a visitor does what you want: call, email, request a quote or buy something.

A program that visits and reads websites, such as Google’s. AI services have their own crawlers for training and for search.

A program in which you keep track of your customers and their enquiries, so no one slips through.

A story about your business that news sites and trade magazines want to run, with a link to your site. We never buy links.

First we work out together exactly what needs to be built, and what does not. You then get a plan with phases and a fixed price per phase.

The address of your site, such as yourbusiness.com. You rent the name from a registrar. Make sure it is in your name.

A European rule that requires digital accessibility for certain webshops. The Authority for Consumers and Markets supervises it.

Generative engine optimisation: the work of appearing in AI answers. So far, no technique has a proven, lasting effect.

Ads in Google: you pay Google per click. You pay that ad budget separately, straight to Google.

Your free listing on Google, with your address, opening hours and phone number. Customers see it in Google Maps and next to the search results.

When an AI assistant says something that is wrong but sounds convincing. Always check important details yourself.

The place on a server where your website lives, so visitors can open it. You usually rent that place by the month or the year.

The padlock in the address bar. It means the connection to your site is encrypted. Without HTTPS, browsers warn your visitors.

Adding your pages to a search engine’s database. A page that is not indexed cannot appear in the results.

The technology under an AI assistant. It is trained on a lot of text and writes sentences that probably fit your question.

A possible customer who asks for contact. A lead can come from your own site or from a platform that you pay per contact.

A website that resells customer enquiries to businesses. You then pay per contact, instead of for your own site.

A proposed text file for AI services. Google does not use it. There is no proven effect on AI answers.

How fast a page becomes visible and usable. Google measures this with the Core Web Vitals. A slow site loses visitors.

Your business’s name, address and phone number. They must be exactly the same on your site, in Google and in listings.

A search result that is not paid for. It is there because Google finds it relevant, not because someone paid for the spot.

The question or instruction you give an AI assistant. A different wording can give a different answer.

Whether an assistant uses your own website as a source. For that, a page must answer a question clearly and with facts.

A site that adapts to the screen: phone, tablet or computer. Most traffic comes from phones.

A customer’s rating, for example on Google. Customers read them before they choose. Ask for them honestly and answer them personally.

A file on your site that tells crawlers what they may read. A mistake in it can lock AI services out without your knowing.

Extra code that labels your pages for search engines, such as an address or opening hours. Google says it is not needed for AI answers.

Everything you do to be found better in Google without paying for ads. Nobody can promise a first place.

SEO is everything you do to be found better in Google without paying for ads. In the check we look at what goes well and what goes wrong today.

A well-⁠known system for building and running a webshop. Your shop and your account are in your name.

A list of your site’s pages, meant for search engines. It helps them find your pages.

The international guidelines for accessible websites. They set, for example, how strong the contrast between text and background must be.

A service for making a site yourself, with ready-⁠made parts and a subscription. Handy for a simple site, less so for custom work.

A fixed series of steps that runs by itself, for example: an enquiry comes in, the customer gets a message at once, and you get a notice.