How do I write a page that AI assistants cite?
Write the page around one real customer question: put the complete answer in the first 35 to 70 words, then facts with numbers and a linked source, sections headed by questions with the answer in their first sentence, common mistakes, a short FAQ and a visible date. Nothing guarantees a citation, but this is the text assistants can lift.
Facts
- In the KDD 2024 GEO study, the best methods (citing sources, adding quotations, adding statistics) raised a source's visibility in generative engine answers by 30 to 40% on the paper's main measure. (Aggarwal et al., GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (KDD 2024))
- In the same study, keyword stuffing gave little to no improvement, and on Perplexity it did 10% worse than the unchanged page. (Aggarwal et al., GEO: Generative Engine Optimization (KDD 2024))
- Google's guidance for AI Overviews and AI Mode is the same as for Search: a page must be indexed and eligible for a snippet, with no extra technical requirement. (Google Search Central: AI features and your website)
- OpenAI's search crawler, OAI-SearchBot, must be allowed for a site to surface in ChatGPT search; robots.txt changes take about 24 hours. (OpenAI: Overview of OpenAI crawlers)
- easyIndex's audit requires a 35 to 70 word direct answer, at least 3 sourced facts, 4 FAQs and 4 to 6 related links on every answer page. (easyIndex)
What order should the page follow?
The order puts the answer where an assistant looks first and the evidence right after it:
- Title with the question or the answer, up to 60 characters
- Direct answer, 35 to 70 words, complete on its own
- Facts: at least 3, each with a number and a linked source
- Sections headed by questions, the answer in the first sentence
- Step by step, when there is a procedure
- Common mistakes, up to 4
- How your product solves it
- 4 frequently asked questions
- 4 to 6 links to related pages, and the date of the last check
How should each sentence be written?
Each passage must make sense alone, because an assistant quotes passages, not pages. Answer in the first sentence, use the word the customer uses, give numbers with unit and date, and avoid "as said above" or a pronoun with nothing to refer to.
What makes an assistant trust the facts?
Consistency and sources: one fact has one version everywhere.
| Do | Avoid |
|---|---|
| A link to the official source for every fact | Figures without a source or a date |
| The same price in the text, JSON-LD, llms.txt and every language | Two prices for one plan on two pages |
| Literal quotes from documentation | Invented customers, numbers or deadlines |
How does easyIndex check that a page has this shape?
easyIndex audits every draft your coding agent submits over MCP against this shape before it goes live, then reads the published page the way an AI crawler does and checks the same text, title, headings and JSON-LD are there.
Step by step
- Pick one real question. Take it from customers, support, Search Console queries or "People also ask", in the customer's own words.
- Write the direct answer first. 35 to 70 words that answer completely; someone who reads only this leaves with the answer.
- Add sourced facts. At least 3, each a short sentence with a number and a link to the official source.
- Write the sections. Each heading a sub-question, its first sentence the answer; a table for differences, a list for sets, code to copy.
- Close the page. Common mistakes, how you solve it, 4 FAQs, 4 to 6 related links and the visible date of the last check.
- Publish it readable. Content in the server HTML, its own title and description, JSON-LD equal to the text, in the sitemap and llms.txt.
Common mistakes
- Opening with a story or a sales pitch, so the answer sits three paragraphs down.
- Repeating the keyword instead of answering: the GEO study found no gain from it.
- Hiding the text behind JavaScript or tabs that crawlers do not open.
- Stating a number without a source or a date, which an assistant cannot check.
How easyIndex solves it
easyIndex gives your coding agent this shape and rules over MCP, audits every page before it goes live, checks it on the live site and measures visitors from AI assistants per page. US$ 30 per website a month, with a 7-day free trial.
Frequently asked questions
How long should the page be?
As long as the question needs. The rule is about the order: the answer in the first 35 to 70 words, then the evidence.
Do I need to write for AI and for people separately?
No. Assistants should read exactly what people read; one page serves both.
Does this guarantee a citation?
No. Nothing does. It makes the page the kind of text assistants can quote and verify.
How often should I update the page?
Every 3 to 6 months for the numbers, sources and dates, and at once when a price or term changes.
Continue reading
- How does easyIndex work, what do I need, and how long until results?
- How much does easyIndex cost?
- Does structured data (schema) help AI cite my site?
- Does llms.txt work?
- What is GEO (generative engine optimization)?
- How do I know if AI assistants cite my company?
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