✳ Short answer
Citable content makes the customer’s question the heading, answers it in the first 40–60 words, includes concrete numbers and dates, backs claims with sources and presents comparisons in tables. The 2023 GEO paper also showed experimentally that adding sources, quotations and statistics can increase visibility in generative engines[1].
8 rules of citable content
- Make the question the heading: the H2 is the sentence your customer would type: “How long does implant treatment take?”
- Answer first: the first paragraph under the heading answers the question on its own.
- Be concrete: not “quickly” but “3–6 months”; not “affordable” but the three factors that set the price.
- Write definition sentences: “X is a … used for …”. Models love definition sentences.
- Cite sources: the statistic’s source and date are on the page.
- Use tables: comparisons, price factors, process steps — rows get quoted directly.
- Show who wrote it and when it was updated: organization byline and visible date.
- One page, one question owner: don’t let two pages answer the same question.
Before / after example
| Element | Before | After |
|---|---|---|
| Heading | “Our services” | “Who are clear aligners suitable for?” |
| First sentence | “With our expert team…” | “Clear aligners work for mild to moderate crowding, usually within 6–18 months.” |
| Evidence | None | Dentist credentials + case count + update date |
| Comparison | Long paragraph | “Braces or aligners?” table |
6 mistakes when writing for AI
- Writing to repeat the keyword — models reward information, not repetition.
- Publishing bulk, unchecked AI text — hundreds of other sites produced the same sentences; nothing original is left to quote.
- Burying information in images, PDFs, tabs or JavaScript accordions.
- Using unsourced statistics — unverifiable numbers lower trust.
- Opening every page with the same template intro (“In today’s digital world…”).
- Changing the update date without changing the content.
Frequently asked questions
01How do you write content for LLMs?
Make the question the heading, answer in the first paragraph, use concrete numbers and dates, back claims with sources, put comparisons in tables and show who wrote the page and when it was updated.
Sources
- Aggarwal et al. — GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (arXiv, 2023) · accessed 27 September 2026