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How-to guide

How to Build a Glossary AI Engines Cite

By Rahil Jain, founder of Chalk LabsUpdated How we research

The short answer

To build a glossary that AI engines cite, choose terms your buyers actually ask about, give each term its own page, and open with a one or two sentence definition. Then add an example, a related-terms list and links to your deeper guides. Structured data is optional. Clear writing and crawlable links matter more.

  • Pick terms from real buyer questions and sales calls, not from a dictionary or a keyword export.
  • Give each term its own page, with a one or two sentence definition as the first thing on it.
  • Add what a dictionary cannot: your example, your numbers, and where the term is misused.
  • Schema is optional. Google says no special markup is needed to appear in its AI features.

What is a glossary for, in SEO and AI search?

A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms in one field, each paired with a definition 7. For a business site, its job is to answer the question 'What does this word mean?' faster and more clearly than anyone else can.

That matters because assistants often lift short question-and-answer blocks. Microsoft says direct questions with clear answers mirror how people search, and that one or two sentence responses are the easiest to reuse 4. A definition is the shortest honest answer there is.

A glossary also builds the vocabulary of your whole site. Every guide can link to one definition instead of explaining the same word again. That keeps long pages shorter and gives readers one place to learn the term.

Do it step by step

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  1. Pull words from sales call notes, support tickets, chat logs, competitor glossaries and the questions you get from AI assistants. Put each in a sheet with a column for who used it.

    Tip: Record the buyer's own spelling and phrasing, not your internal label.

  2. Apply the keep-or-drop table. Rank by how many different buyers used the word, and by whether you have an example to add. Keep the top group, using the three-buyer rule of thumb as a guide.

    Tip: If you cannot name a page the term will link to, cut it for now.

  3. Pick the person who knows the topic best and put their name on the review. Show this reviewer line on each entry with the last-checked date.

    Tip: Use a real person with a real page. See how to write author bios that build trust.

  4. Draft the one or two sentence definition. Read it aloud. Then add how it works, one example, one common mistake and three related terms.

    Tip: If the definition starts with the word itself ('X is a...'), it is probably quotable.

  5. Create an alphabetical hub page in plain HTML with a link and a one-line summary for each term. Create a term page template with the definition in the first paragraph under the H1.

    Tip: Use a stable URL pattern such as /glossary/query-fan-out and never rename it.

  6. Link each term page to its related terms and to one deeper guide. Then edit your five most-visited pages to link to the terms they use, first mention only.

    Tip: Use descriptive anchor text, such as the term itself.

  7. Add DefinedTermSet JSON-LD to the hub page. Make sure every term in the markup is visible on the page. Validate the JSON-LD with the Schema Markup Validator (validator.schema.org). Google's Rich Results Test will not report on DefinedTermSet.

    Tip: The schema generator can build the base markup.

  8. Add the hub to your sitemap, request indexing for new pages in Search Console, and ask three AI assistants to define each term after a few weeks. Log who they cite.

    Tip: Re-test quarterly and update any definition that has changed.

Your ticks are saved in this browser only.

Copy-ready templates

DefinedTermSet JSON-LD for the glossary hub (optional)

json
{
  "@context": "https://schema.org",
  "@type": "DefinedTermSet",
  "@id": "https://www.example.com/glossary#set",
  "name": "Example Co Glossary",
  "url": "https://www.example.com/glossary",
  "hasDefinedTerm": [
    {
      "@type": "DefinedTerm",
      "name": "Gross pay",
      "description": "Gross pay is what an employee earns before tax and other deductions are taken out.",
      "url": "https://www.example.com/glossary/gross-pay",
      "inDefinedTermSet": "https://www.example.com/glossary#set"
    },
    {
      "@type": "DefinedTerm",
      "name": "Net pay",
      "description": "Net pay is the amount an employee receives after tax and deductions.",
      "url": "https://www.example.com/glossary/net-pay",
      "inDefinedTermSet": "https://www.example.com/glossary#set"
    }
  ]
}

Replace the example.com URLs and terms. Every term listed here must appear on the page. The property names come from schema.org's DefinedTermSet type .

Term page outline in HTML

html
<article>
  <h1>What is gross pay?</h1>
  <p><strong>Gross pay</strong> is what an employee earns before tax and other deductions are taken out.</p>
  <h2>How it works</h2>
  <p>Hours worked times the hourly rate, plus bonuses and overtime.</p>
  <h2>Example</h2>
  <p>40 hours at $20 an hour is $800 gross pay for the week.</p>
  <h2>Common mistake</h2>
  <p>Treating gross pay as the amount paid into the bank account. That is <a href="/glossary/net-pay">net pay</a>.</p>
  <h2>Related terms</h2>
  <ul>
    <li><a href="/glossary/net-pay">Net pay</a></li>
    <li><a href="/glossary/deductions">Deductions</a></li>
  </ul>
  <p>Reviewed by Jane Doe, Payroll Lead. Last checked 2026-10-20.</p>
</article>

Plain HTML, visible text, real anchor tags. No tabs or accordions around the definition.

Term scoring sheet (copy into a spreadsheet)

text
Term | Times buyers used it | Confused with | Our example? (Y/N) | Page it links to | Keep?
---- | -------------------- | ------------- | ------------------ | ---------------- | -----
     |                      |               |                    |                  |

Rule of thumb, not a standard: aim for three or more buyers using the term and one example you can add. Adjust to your volume of calls.

What does a glossary project take?

You need a list of your buyers' questions, a subject expert to approve each definition, and a page template. A first set of 15 to 25 terms usually takes about a week for a small team (our estimate). After that, add terms whenever a customer asks a new question.

Skip the temptation to publish hundreds of one-line stubs. Google's content guidance warns against pages that only summarise what others say without adding value, and asks whether the content gives original information or analysis 2. A definition that matches every other site adds nothing.

How do you choose which terms to include?

Choose terms that your buyers say out loud or type, and that you can explain better than a generic source. Good sources are sales call notes, support tickets, chat logs and the questions people ask an AI assistant about your field. Our guide on turning customer calls into answer pages shows how to mine them.

Then filter. Keep a term if buyers confuse it, if two meanings compete, or if your product depends on it. Drop it if it is obvious, rarely asked, or only an internal label. Use the checklist below for each candidate.

Keep or drop a candidate term
TestKeep ifDrop if
Who asks it?Real buyers, in calls or ticketsOnly your team uses it
Can you add value?You have an example, number or rule of thumbYou can only repeat a dictionary line
Is it confused?People mix it up with a similar termEveryone already knows it
Does it connect?It links to a guide, a product page or a comparisonIt would be a dead end
Is it stable?The meaning will hold for a yearIt is a passing buzzword (review it first)

How should you write each definition?

Write the definition as a full sentence that names the term and says what it is, in plain words. The first sentence should work if an assistant quotes it alone. Microsoft advises headings that act like chapter titles, and gives the example of a specific question in place of a vague heading such as 'Learn More' 4.

After the definition, add three short parts: how it works, an example, and a common mistake. The example is what makes your entry yours. Google asks for non-commodity content with unique expertise or first-hand experience, not common knowledge 5.

Keep the whole entry short. There is no ideal length, and Google says there is no requirement to break content into tiny pieces for AI 5. Write as long as the question needs and then stop.

Before and after (invented term entry for a fictional payroll product)
  • WEAK: 'Gross pay is the total.'
  • STRONG: 'Gross pay is what an employee earns before tax and other deductions are taken out.'
  • HOW IT WORKS: Hours worked times the hourly rate, plus bonuses and overtime.
  • EXAMPLE: 40 hours at $20 an hour is $800 gross pay for the week (invented figure).
  • COMMON MISTAKE: Treating gross pay as the amount that lands in the bank account. That is net pay.
  • RELATED: Net pay, Deductions, Pay stub. See our guide: How to read a pay stub.

Should the glossary be one page or many?

Use one hub page and one page per important term. The hub lists every term alphabetically with a one-line summary and a link. Each term page holds the full entry. This gives every definition its own address that can be cited and linked.

A single long page works for fewer than about a dozen simple terms. Past that, separate pages are easier to link to and to keep up to date. Keep the hub as plain HTML text, not a search box that loads entries by script.

Do not hide definitions in tabs or expandable menus. Microsoft warns against hiding important answers in them, because the content may not be rendered for AI systems 4.

How do you link the glossary to the rest of your site?

Link in both directions. Each term page links to the guides and products that use the term, and your guides link to the term the first time it appears. Google says every page you care about should be linked from at least one other page, and that links should use an HTML anchor with descriptive text 3.

Write anchor text that names the destination, such as 'query fan-out', not 'click here'. Google calls good anchor text descriptive, concise and relevant 3. Do not link every occurrence of a term. One link per page is enough.

See how to do internal linking for AI search for patterns, and how to build topical authority to decide which guides each term should feed.

Do you need schema markup for a glossary?

No. Google says there is no special schema.org markup to add for its generative AI features 5, and its supported structured data list has no glossary or defined-term feature 6.

Schema.org does define the types, though. A DefinedTermSet is a set of defined terms, such as a glossary or dictionary 1. Adding it is harmless and helps other machines read your structure, but treat it as a tidy-up, not a ranking tactic. The template below shows a minimal version.

Whatever you add must match the visible page. Do not mark up a definition that readers cannot see.

What makes a glossary fail?

The common failures are stubs, copied definitions, orphan pages and stale entries. A stub is a page with one line and no example. A copied definition says what every other site says. An orphan page has no links pointing to it.

Another mistake is writing for the engine instead of the reader. Google says people-first content is created primarily for people, not to manipulate rankings 2. If a term would not help a customer, leave it out.

Also avoid claims you cannot source. Cite a standard, a regulator or a vendor's own documentation when you define something technical, and show the date you checked it.

How do you check that the glossary is working?

Check three things each month: whether the pages are indexed, whether they get impressions for the question form of the term, and whether assistants quote you when you ask them. Search Console shows the first two. Ask ChatGPT, Gemini and Perplexity 'what is [term]?' and record who gets cited.

Use the answer block checker on each opening definition. If a page is indexed but never cited, rewrite the first sentence and add a clearer example before adding more terms.

Frequently asked questions

How many terms should a glossary have?

Start with 15 to 25 terms that buyers really ask about, then grow slowly. Quality matters more than count. Google asks whether content adds original information or analysis rather than only summarising others 2. A short glossary with real examples beats a long one of stubs.

Should each glossary term have its own page?

Yes, for any term important enough to be asked about on its own. A separate page gives each definition its own address, title and links. Keep small, obvious terms on the hub page with a one-line summary, and link only the terms that matter.

Do I need DefinedTerm schema to be cited by AI?

No. Google says there is no special schema markup needed for its generative AI features 5. Microsoft says schema helps systems understand content, but it does not quantify any citation gain 4. Write clear visible definitions first. Add DefinedTermSet only as an optional extra.

How often should I update glossary entries?

Review each entry at least once a year, and sooner when the meaning, a law or a product changes. Show a last-checked date on the page. Stale definitions are worse than missing ones, because assistants may repeat them.

Can I use AI to write the definitions?

You can draft with AI, but a named expert must check each entry against a real source and add the example. Google encourages saying how content was produced and focusing on people-first value 2. Unreviewed AI definitions tend to match everyone else's.

About the author

Rahil Jain

Rahil Jain is an AI SEO (answer engine and generative engine optimisation) consultant and co-founder of Chalk Labs.

LinkedIn · Method and credentials

Sources

  1. DefinedTermSet · Schema.orgOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: DefinedTermSet is a set of defined terms such as a glossary or dictionary; properties hasDefinedTerm, inDefinedTermSet, name, description.
  2. Creating helpful, reliable, people-first content · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: People-first content definition; originality question; warning against summarising others without adding value; Who, How, Why including disclosing automation. Page showed last updated 2026-10-05.
  3. Link best practices for Google · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Google crawls links that are HTML anchors; descriptive anchor text; every page you care about should be linked from another page.
  4. Optimizing Your Content for Inclusion in AI Search Answers · Microsoft Advertising (Bing)Opened October 20, 2026. Supports: Direct question-and-answer blocks mirror how people search; one or two sentence answers; headings as chapter titles; do not hide answers in tabs or expandable menus.
  5. Optimizing your website for generative AI features on Google Search · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: Structured data not required for generative AI search; no need to chunk content; no ideal length; non-commodity content with unique expertise; page showed last updated 2026-07-10.
  6. Search Gallery: structured data features Google supports · Google Search CentralOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: The gallery lists supported features and does not include DefinedTerm or glossary markup; page showed last updated 2026-10-16.
  7. Glossary · WikipediaOpened October 20, 2026. Supports: A glossary is an alphabetical list of terms in a domain of knowledge with their definitions.
How this page was made. Built on Rahil Jain's AI SEO method and drafted with AI research assistance. Every statistic links to the page we read it on (opened October 20, 2026 or nearby). Published October 20, 2026; last updated October 20, 2026. Chalk Labs sells AI SEO services, so we have a commercial interest in this topic. Spotted an error? Tell us and we will fix it.