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

The old SEO world got shaken every time Google changed its search algorithm.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 2026

For two decades, companies have relied on search-engine optimization, or SEO, to battle for customer attention online—tuning keywords and backlinks to climb Google’s rankings.

From The Wall Street Journal • Mar. 22, 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

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