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

"It was similar to SEO, positioning yourself as an expert in these areas and making sure you're giving the LLMs everything they need to provide a thorough and conclusive answer," he says.

From BBC • Apr. 6, 2026

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

For instance, traditional SEO strategies advise users to put plenty of subheads in their content.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

In some ways, this is an evolution of SEO, or search engine optimization—the strategies companies have been using for decades to appear atop Google results.

From The Wall Street Journal • Jan. 30, 2026

The global SEO and AEO services market will grow to $171 billion by 2030 from $81.4 billion last year, partly driven by growing AI optimization efforts, according to a prediction by research firm MarkNtel Advisors.

From The Wall Street Journal • Dec. 18, 2025