Answer the question directly
AI tools favour content that answers clearly in the first few sentences. Put the answer first, then the detail.
Structure your pages
Clear headings, short paragraphs, lists and schema markup make it easier for machines to extract and quote you accurately.
Build genuine authority
Assistants lean on sources that others trust. Original research, expert authors and mentions on respected sites all help.
Keep content current
Out-of-date pages are less likely to be cited. Review your most important pages at least twice a year.
Putting it into practice
Start with the questions buyers actually ask. Collect them from sales calls, support tickets and search data, then type the most common ones into ChatGPT, Perplexity and Google and note which sources get cited. That shows you where you are missing and what the cited pages do differently.
Next, rework your most important pages one at a time. Open each with a direct answer of two or three sentences, break the rest into headings that match real questions, and add schema markup where it fits. Put a named author with relevant experience on each page, and include something original, such as your own data, examples or process.
Finally, set a review calendar. Check your priority pages twice a year, update anything out of date and show the date of the change on the page. Repeat the citation check each time, so you can see whether the changes are working.
Key takeaways
- Lead with a clear, quotable answer
- Use structure and schema
- Invest in real expertise and fresh content