SEO

American  

abbreviation

Digital Technology.

1. search-engine optimization: the methods used to boost the ranking or frequency of a website in results returned by a search engine, in an effort to maximize user traffic to the site.

   The first step in SEO is to generate keywords that are relevant to your site's content.

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SEO British  

abbreviation

1. computing search engine optimization

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Etymology

Origin of SEO

First recorded in 1995–2000

Example Sentences

AI systems like ChatGPT are changing online search, shifting standards from traditional SEO rankings to a company’s visibility online, in places like review sites and forums.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

The bottom line is that the SEO fundamentals still matter.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

For a long time, people’s experience of the internet has been shaped by SEO and the tactics companies use to boost their rankings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

But owing to the peculiarities of AI’s large language models, SEO practitioners have had to adopt new strategies.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

AI search might not immediately supplant SEO, but its trajectory over the next five years is “a one-way street,” according to Brian Stempeck, co-founder and chief executive of AI search optimization startup Evertune.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025