A citable page answers the main question in its first few lines, with concrete, verifiable facts, and organizes the rest into sections that make sense on their own. Tables, lists, last-updated dates, sources and first-hand experience you can't find anywhere else all help. No one can guarantee an assistant will cite you, but this format improves your odds and works better for your visitors too.
- A direct, two- to four-sentence answer at the top of every page.
- Every section should stand on its own, as if it were quoted out of context.
- Concrete facts, sources and dates: vague claims don't get cited.
- Your local experience is the one thing no other site can copy.
- Update and date your content; stale pages lose to fresh ones.
How AI assistants choose their sources
When someone asks ChatGPT, Perplexity, Gemini or Google's AI Overviews something that requires current information, the system runs a search, retrieves several pages, pulls out the passages that answer best and assembles a response with links to some of them. Nobody outside those companies knows the details of each step, but the pattern is clear: the system looks for passages that answer a specific question well.
That changes how you write. A page can rank well on Google thanks to its overall authority and still not have a single paragraph an assistant could lift and cite without rewriting it. Citable pages usually have three things: a clear answer, specific data and a structure that separates ideas. Add to that a system that can actually get in to read you and a business that's easy to identify as a real entity, and you have the full foundation.
A 2023 academic study that coined the term "Generative Engine Optimization" found, in its test environment, that adding source citations, statistics and direct quotes from experts improved visibility in generative answers, while repeating keywords didn't help. It's an experiment, not a rule from any search engine, but it matches what we see in practice.
Lead with the answer, not the backstory
Most business websites in Mexico open like this: "In an increasingly competitive world, our company is committed to…" An assistant has nothing to cite there.
Compare two openings for the same page on a Torreón auto shop's site:
| Hard to cite | Easy to cite |
|---|---|
| "We're experts in caring for your car, with years of experience and the best service in the region." | "A full tune-up on a four-cylinder car takes three to five hours at our Torreón shop. It includes spark plugs, air and fuel filters, an injector check and a computer scan." |
| "We have solutions for every kind of need." | "We service gasoline vehicles from model year 2008 onward. We don't work on automatic transmissions or electric vehicles." |
The second column answers real questions: how long it takes, what's included, what they don't do. That's what people ask AI. It's why every guide on this site opens with a "Short answer" box: it's the passage we want to be quotable as is.
A structure that makes sense in pieces
AI systems work with passages, not whole pages. If a section depends on something you said three paragraphs earlier, it loses its meaning when clipped. Practical rules:
- One H2 per question. Write subheadings the way people ask: "How long does… take?", "What's included in…?", "What's the difference between…?"
- The first sentence of each section is the answer. Then come the details, nuances and examples.
- Name things. Instead of "this service," say "teeth cleaning." Instead of "here," say "in Torreón."
- Lists and tables for comparisons. A table of options and their differences is one of the easiest formats to extract and summarize.
- Self-contained FAQs. Each answer should make sense when read alone, without "as we mentioned above."
- Text in HTML, not in images. Hours inside a JPG or a menu in a scanned PDF don't read well. Put it in as text.
Before publishing, use the Google preview tool to check that your title and description also answer the question directly.
Data, sources and dates: vague claims don't get cited
An assistant choosing between "many customers prefer us" and "we serve Torreón, Gómez Palacio and Lerdo Monday through Saturday, 9 a.m. to 7 p.m." will go with the second. Specifics can be verified; vague claims can't.
- Use your own numbers when you have them: real turnaround times, number of projects, years of experience. Never make up statistics: if a system or a customer catches a false data point, you lose all credibility.
- Cite outside sources when you discuss laws, regulations or market data: the SAT (Mexico's tax authority) for CFDI e-invoicing, the DOF (Mexico's official gazette) for regulations, Google's official documentation for search topics.
- Date your pages. Show "updated on…" and mean it: change the date only when you actually change the content.
- Mark up your data with Schema. Your hours, address and services in JSON-LD reinforce what the text says. You can create it with the Schema generator.
Your edge: experience nobody else has
If your page says the same thing as a hundred others, the assistant has no reason to cite you in particular. What makes you indispensable is the information only you can provide:
- Local experience. "In summer, with temperatures above 40 °C (104 °F) in La Laguna, we recommend having your cooling system checked before May." A generic site out of Madrid or Miami won't write that.
- Real cases. What you did, for whom (even without naming them), what went well and what didn't.
- Informed opinions. "We don't recommend X for businesses with fewer than five employees because…" Clear opinions get cited more than an unexplained "it depends."
- Your own photos of the work, the team and the place, with descriptive alt text.
This ties directly to what Google calls experience in its quality framework. We go deeper in our E-E-A-T guide.
Which format to use for each type of page
Not every page is written the same way. Here's what works best in each case, for both your visitors and AI assistants:
| Page type | Question it answers | Best format |
|---|---|---|
| Service | What's included, who's it for, how long does it take, what drives the cost? | Short answer, list of what's included, options table, FAQs |
| Location or branch | Where is it, when does it open, how do I get there? | Details as text, map, hours, local landmarks and Schema |
| Guide or blog post | How do I do X, what's right for me, what's the difference? | Answer up top, numbered steps, comparison table, real examples |
| Product | What are the dimensions, what's it for, how long does shipping take? | Specs in a table, uses, shipping and warranty as text |
| FAQ | Specific questions before buying | One question per block, a self-contained answer of two to four sentences |
A common mistake is hiding the important stuff in accordions that only open on click and load their text with JavaScript afterward. If the text is in the HTML, even if it's displayed collapsed, systems can read it; if it only loads when someone clicks, they may not. For online stores, also check out the must-have e-commerce features.
Pre-publish checklist
- Is the answer to the main question in the first three lines?
- Is every H2 a clear question or topic someone would search for?
- Is there at least one concrete data point per section (time, quantity, place, requirement)?
- Is there a table or list that compares options?
- Do the FAQs make sense out of context?
- Is it clear who wrote it and why they know the subject?
- Does it have a genuine last-updated date?
- Does it link to your other pages that expand on the topic, and to official sources where relevant?
- Does the text load as HTML, and can AI search bots get in? Check with the robots.txt guide.
For an automated diagnosis of several of these points, use the SEO + GEO audit.
Example: rewriting a service page in Torreón
A language school in Torreón (name withheld) had an "English courses" page with three generic paragraphs and a button. We rewrote it like this:
- A short answer up top: the levels offered, how long each level lasts, in-person and online formats, and schedules for working adults.
- A comparison table of formats: in person, live online and hybrid, with the advantages of each.
- A certifications section covering the exams they prepare students for and what each one is good for.
- Real FAQs, pulled from the WhatsApp messages they received every week.
The page started getting more leads from Google and, later, some visits from AI assistants. We can't say how much each change contributed, but the pattern repeats across other projects: when a page answers what people ask, every channel improves.
If you'd like us to do this with your pages, our SEO for AI service includes the rewrite, and through creative content we produce your own photos and videos.
