Before You Click Approve: A Plain-English Guide to Norman’s SEO Terms
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been teaching Teri the SEO side of our business. She already knows the admin and customer service inside out, which is exactly why I asked her to join the team. But SEO? Total mystery. Maybe you can relate.
To stop it from feeling overwhelming, I started pulling together this article. It explains the terms you’ll see in Norman’s Optimiser AI Approval Center, what they mean, and why they matter, so you can approve changes with confidence instead of crossing your fingers.
Norman, our AI-powered SEO Strategist, does a lot of the heavy lifting for Optimiser AI clients, but he does not just steam ahead and change your website on a whim.
Every month, Norman follows a proven formula. He breaks it down into weekly actions that require your approval. He’ll place everything in the Approval Center, where you can review, amend, reject, or approve. All along the way, Norman learns from the feedback you give him.
What is the Approval Center?
The Approval Center is your control panel. It’s where Norman shows you the changes he wants to make (or the content he wants to publish) before anything happens. You can review it, leave feedback, reject it, or approve it. If you ask for changes, Norman updates the item and resubmits it for approval.
You can also filter actions by type using the tabs at the top, so you’re not hunting through a long list.
Each item also comes with a target date. That date is not there to rush you. It keeps Norman on track as he works through the month, because what he does this week affects what he does next week.
Need more time? Hit Extend (1 Week). Just try not to break the cycle if you can, because timing matters.
You can also control how much lead time you get. Click Settings to choose your approval window. The default is one week, but you can receive approvals up to three weeks in advance.
Nothing goes live until you approve it, and you can reject anything that does not look right.
Quick definitions (so the jargon does not bite)
What’s a keyword, really?
A keyword is simply the words someone types (or speaks) when they are looking for something, such as “emergency plumber Northampton” or “accountant for small businesses”.
But here’s the important bit for 2026: a keyword is not a magic spell.
Old-school SEO was basically: shove keywords in everywhere and pray. That approach is tired, obvious, and usually makes your website read like it was written by a toaster.
Modern SEO is context-based. Search engines (and AI tools) are trying to understand:
- what the page is actually about
- whether it answers the searcher’s question
- whether your business looks trustworthy
- whether you match the intent behind the search
So when Norman says “keyword-focused”, he’s not talking about stuffing phrases into a page. He’s talking about making sure each page targets a real topic, uses the language customers actually use, and covers the related questions that prove you know what you’re doing.
AEO and GEO (and why they matter)
You might see these two floating around in SEO chats:
AEO (Answer Engine Optimisation)
This means writing and structuring content so it can be picked up as a direct answer. That might be a featured snippet in Google, or a quoted answer inside tools like ChatGPT.
GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation)
This means making your business and content easy for generative AI systems to understand, trust, and reference. Think clearer signals about who you are, what you do, and where you do it, backed by consistent information across your website and profiles.
AI Overviews
These are Google’s AI-generated summaries that appear in some search results. They pull information from multiple sources, so the same fundamentals still apply: clear pages, strong titles and headings, consistent business details, and content that answers real questions.
From here on, I’ll use:
- Traditional search = Google and Bing (including features like AI Overviews)
- AI search tools = ChatGPT, Claude, and similar systems
- AEO/GEO = the optimisation approach for each
So, here’s a plain-English glossary of the most common terms Norman will put in front of you throughout the approval cycle, what they mean, and why they matter for traditional search and AI search tools.
1) Google Business Profile actions (local trust and visibility)
Google Business Profile reviews
What it is
A customer review left on your Google Business Profile (GBP). Norman pulls the review into the Approval Center and drafts a reply for you.
Why it matters for traditional search
Reviews are a trust signal, especially for local visibility. They also contain real language customers use when searching, which helps Google understand what you are known for. Replies matter because they show your profile is active and well managed, which supports confidence and click-through.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
AI tools look for proof and consistency. Reviews are third-party evidence that you deliver what you say you do. A good reply adds helpful context without sounding like sales copy.
Google Business Profile post (GBP post)
What it is
A short update posted on your Google Business Profile. Think “mini update” rather than a social post.
Why it matters for traditional search
GBP posts help keep your profile active, give searchers fresh information, and can support local relevance when the topic is genuinely tied to what you offer.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
It strengthens your business signals. You look current, specific, and real, which is what AI systems tend to prefer when choosing what to reference.
2) Your strategy foundations (everything Norman writes is built on these)
Business profile (not the same as a GBP post)
What it is
Your business details. The information Norman needs to write accurately and consistently, such as services, service areas, opening hours, who you serve, what makes you different, and the language you use to describe it all.
Why it matters for traditional search
Consistency drives trust. If your website says one thing, your GBP says another, and other listings say something else, your visibility can suffer. A solid business profile keeps everything aligned.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
AI systems rely heavily on clarity and consistency. The easier you are to “understand” as a business entity, the more accurately you get described.
Tone of voice guide
What it is
A simple guide to how you speak. The words you use, the phrases you avoid, how formal you are, and how you describe your services and products.
Why it matters for traditional search
If your pages sound like three different companies stitched together, people hesitate. Consistency builds trust, and trust supports conversions.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
AI will summarise your content. If your voice is consistent and your wording is clear, the summary tends to be more accurate and more useful.
Why you’ll see these first
After onboarding, the first thing new clients see is their Business Profile and Tone of Voice Guide.
You’ll review them, amend anything that’s off, then approve them. From that point on, they sit in the corner of Norman’s AI content strategy. Almost everything Norman writes or recommends traces back to those two documents.
They are not “set and forget”, either. Update them as your business grows and develops. Your services change, your focus shifts, your best customers evolve.
Your business is not standing still, and neither should your strategy.
3) On-page signals (how pages get understood and clicked)
Headings (on-page headings)
What it is
The labels that break a page into sections, like chapter titles. They make a page easier to scan for humans, and easier to interpret for search engines.
Why it matters for traditional search
Headings help Google and Bing understand what each section is about, and they make your content more readable. Better structure usually means better engagement, and that helps performance.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
If an AI system is summarising your page, clear headings make it far more likely it pulls the right sections and describes them accurately.
Heading tags (H1, H2)
What it is
The behind-the-scenes labels for headings. In most cases:
- H1 is the main heading on the page
- H2s are the main section headings underneath
How to relate it to page titles
A page title is what shows in search results. A H1 is what people see when they land on the page. They can be similar, but they do different jobs.
Why it matters for traditional search
Clean H1 and H2 structure helps search engines understand the hierarchy of a page and what matters most.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
Well-structured sections make it easier for AI to extract accurate answers. H2s that match common questions often help with AEO-style visibility.
Page title
What it is
The title that appears in Google results and browser tabs. It is not usually visible on the page itself, but it strongly influences how search engines understand and display the page.
Why it matters for traditional search
It is one of the biggest on-page signals. A strong page title improves relevance and can improve click-through because it tells the searcher they are in the right place.
How it differs from a blog title
A blog title is written for humans first. A page title is written for search visibility first, while still sounding natural. They can overlap, but they do not have to match.
Meta description
What it is
The short description is often shown under the page title in Google results. Google can rewrite it, but it is still worth doing properly.
In the Approval Center you’ll usually see a Before version on the left and a Revised version on the right. If the “Before” box is empty, it simply means there wasn’t a meta description there in the first place. There's a great example of this above.
Why it matters for traditional search
It is your pitch in the search results. It does not directly boost rankings, but it can increase clicks, which means more of the right people reach your site.
If your meta description is missing, outdated, or off-topic, Google will often pull a random snippet from the page instead. A good meta description gives you more control over what people see.
Chances are good you've seen this before, but didn't know how it was generated. Well, there's your page title and description at work:
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
It forces clarity. If you cannot describe the page clearly in two sentences, the page itself is usually too fuzzy. That lack of clarity also hurts how AI systems interpret the page.
4) Content planning and publishing (how we build momentum)
Blog strategy (title + synopsis for planned blogs)
What it is
A plan of upcoming blog topics, each with a working title and short synopsis. These are keyword-focused, built around real searches your customers make.
How I recommend using it
Norman gives you an initial six-month blog plan, but I recommend approving it one month at a time. That way, you can adjust as your business changes, new services launch, or priorities shift.
Why it matters for traditional search
Blogs widen the net. Service pages target “ready to buy” searches. Blogs target questions people ask before they buy. Over time, that builds topical authority and supports your core service rankings.
Why it matters for AI search tools (AEO/GEO)
Blogs are where you publish clear answers to real questions. That is exactly the sort of content AI systems can quote, summarise, and reference, especially when it is written in plain English.
Blog post (draft)
What it is
A draft version of a blog, based on the title and synopsis you approved in your blog strategy.
How the cycle works
You review it, tweak it, add notes, and keep amending until it feels right. Once it’s ready, Norman will email you a link to a Google Doc so you can do final edits and post it to your live blog when you’re happy.
Why it matters for traditional search and AI search tools
This is where your expertise gets turned into content that can rank, get quoted, and drive enquiries.
How it all ties together
None of these items live in isolation.
Your Business Profile and Tone of Voice Guide keep everything accurate and consistent. That flows into your page titles, meta descriptions, and headings, which shape how traditional search and AI search tools interpret your pages.
Your blog strategy builds coverage across the questions your customers actually ask, and your blog posts put that plan into action month by month.
Meanwhile, your GBP posts and reviews strengthen local trust and keep your business presence active.
In plain terms: one part provides clarity, the next part provides structure, and the rest provides proof.
Behind the scenes (not in the Approval Center, but still important)
Alt image text
What it is
A short description added to images on your website.
Why it matters
It helps accessibility (screen readers) and gives search engines extra context about the page. It is one of those small technical upgrades that adds up over time, especially on service pages and blog posts with multiple images.
A quick way to review any approval
Before you click approve, ask:
- Is it accurate? (services, locations, prices, wording)
- Does it sound like you? (Tone of Voice Guide)
- Is it clear what will change? (and is that change worth making?)
- If you’re unsure, hit Give Feedback. Norman will amend it and send you a new version. He’ll also take that feedback into account next time.
Trust, but verify
Norman is good at what he does, but he’s still working on your website.
SEO cannot fix a design problem. If your site has layout issues, spacing problems, odd fonts, or anything else that makes pages look unfinished, Norman’s content improvements will not magically make that disappear.
So after each content change, do a quick spot check of the page(s) he’s edited. You’re not auditing every pixel. You’re just making sure the page still looks solid on desktop and mobile.
If you spot issues, tell me what you see. I’ll help you get the right fix from your web designer. Most of the time it’s not a rebuild. It’s a simple setting tweak that makes everything click back into place.
Want to know more?
The Optimiser AI Video series walks you through all of this in more detail. You’ll find a link on your KickstartSEO Portal dashboard.
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