GEO Glossary
Grounding
Grounding means an AI bases its answer on retrieved sources instead of only on its trained knowledge.
At a glance
WITHOUT GROUNDING Question → model knowledge → answer no citation WITH GROUNDING Question → web search → sources → answer [1] citation possible
Example
For a general question like "What is SEO?" the AI often answers from its knowledge. For "Which SEO consultancy in Berlin currently has good reviews?" it searches the web and names sources.
Why it matters for GEO
Citations only happen with grounding. Whether the AI searches depends on the question: current, local or very specific questions are more likely to trigger a search. That’s where GEO has the biggest effect.
In practice
In your Prompt set, check whether the answers show sources. You influence prompts without sources mainly through your awareness online, prompts with sources also through your own content.
How it fits together
Grounding requires that content was first searched for via Query Fan-Out and retrieved via RAG. You see the sources the answer relies on as a Citation. Whether your brand appears in it at all is shown by the Mention.