Terminology Reference

Machine Relations Glossary

The definitive glossary of Machine Relations terminology — from Citation Gap to Algorithm Credibility Moat. The language of PR 2.0.

Core Concepts

Machine Relations (MR)

The discipline of earning AI engine citations and recommendations. PR 2.0.

Earned Authority

Third-party credibility signals (media placements, expert citations) that AI engines weight more heavily than brand-owned content. 82–89% of AI answers cite earned media.

Entity Optimization

Structuring a brand's digital identity so AI systems can resolve, verify, and cite it consistently across platforms.

Citation Architecture

Content engineering for AI extraction — answer-first structure, quotable data points, attribution magnets.

Machine Gatekeeper

AI systems that decide which brands get recommended. The successor to human gatekeepers (journalists).

PR 2.0

Shorthand for Machine Relations. The evolution of public relations for the AI era.

Tactics & Optimization

GEO (Generative Engine Optimization)

Optimizing content to appear in generative AI answers (ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini).

AEO (Answer Engine Optimization)

Optimizing for answer engines like Perplexity and Google AI Overviews.

Attribution Magnet

A data point or quote designed to be extracted and cited by AI engines. E.g., "82–89% of AI answers cite earned media."

Metrics & Measurement

Citation Gap

The delta between a brand's traditional search ranking and its AI citation frequency. A brand can rank #1 on Google but appear in 0% of ChatGPT answers.

AI Visibility Score

A brand's measurable presence across AI platforms (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini, AI Overviews). Replaces impressions as the key MR metric.

Recommendation Rate

The frequency at which AI engines recommend a brand when prompted with relevant queries.

Strategy & Frameworks

Algorithm Credibility Moat

The compounding advantage brands build when AI engines consistently cite them. Each citation reinforces the next. Like SEO domain authority, but for AI.

Zero-Click PR

Earned media impact that occurs without users clicking through to the source — AI engines surface the brand directly in answers.

Subscribe to Curated