Glossary of AI and auto­mation terms

Optimising content for citation by generative AI engines (ChatGPT, Perplexity, Google AI Overviews). GEO focuses on data structure, source authority, and clarity of information. Unlike SEO, GEO competes for citations, not rank.

A set of techniques that improve a site's visibility in Google's organic results. Covers technical optimisation, content optimisation, and authority building through backlinks.

Google's framework for assessing content quality: experience, expertise, authority, trustworthiness. Especially relevant in the GEO era, where AI selects sources to cite.

An open standard for semantic markup that lets search engines and AI precisely understand page content. Enables rich snippets and increases the chance of being cited by AI.

A neural network trained on vast text corpora. LLMs (GPT-4, Claude, Gemini, Grok) power most AI solutions in business.

An architecture combining an LLM with a knowledge base. The model first retrieves passages from the base, then generates an answer based on them. Lets chatbots answer precisely about a specific property or company.

The craft of constructing instructions for AI models so they return accurate answers. Covers prompt structure, context, constraints, and examples.

A conversational program built on an LLM that holds a dialogue with the user. Can answer questions, capture data, and route traffic on a site. In accommodation: 24/7 handling of guest questions.

An AI agent that handles phone calls — answers, takes bookings, replies to questions. Works 24/7, with no waiting time.

Repetitive tasks performed by a system instead of a human. Includes workflows, integrations between apps, automated reports, and AI agents for customer support.

An open-source automation workflow tool. Self-hosted (your data stays in), with hundreds of integrations (CRMs, shops, APIs). Tracify's go-to stack for most automations.

A mechanism that notifies one system about an event in another via HTTP POST. A core integration building block — e.g. a new shop order sends a webhook to the CRM.

An online travel agency — Booking.com, Expedia, Hotels.com. Aggregates property listings and takes a commission on bookings.

A reservation system running on the property's own website — the guest picks the dates and pays without going through Booking.com. The difference against an OTA: the booking skips the middleman, so you pay no commission on it and the guest data stays with you. A small property needs one when it wants to close direct bookings on the site; with a handful of rooms a simpler availability calendar with an enquiry form is sometimes enough.

A pricing policy requiring that the OTA price not be higher than the property's own website. Standard on Booking.com — breaching it can lower visibility.

Real-time competitor price monitoring. Lets a property react to competitor promotions and dynamic pricing. Tracify offers this in the Hotel Price Monitor product.