AEO scenario
How do you get found by AI assistants like ChatGPT?
Structure content so AI assistants can cite it directly, ranked by return.
- 9 tasks
- First win in 1 week
- Free to read
How do you get found by AI assistants like ChatGPT?: what goes on the list?
Write content that directly and specifically answers real questions, structure pages so a single paragraph could stand alone as a citation, and keep facts current since AI answer engines favour clear, well-sourced, recently updated pages. Sites with a short, self-contained answer near the top of each page get cited by AI assistants noticeably more often than pages that bury the answer under marketing copy.
Last updated 3 August 2026
| Factor | Detail |
|---|---|
| Best first channel | Self-contained answers near the top of each page |
| Typical monthly cost | £0-£50 in tools |
| Time to first result | 1-3 weeks to see citations appear |
| Biggest leak | Answers buried under intros and marketing copy |
AI assistants like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overviews don't rank pages the way traditional search does; they extract specific, citable answers from pages that state facts clearly and directly. A page written for a human to skim isn't automatically written for an AI to quote.
This checklist is for anyone whose site currently ranks reasonably well in traditional search but rarely or never gets cited when someone asks an AI assistant a related question. Every task focuses on structure and clarity rather than traditional keyword tactics.
The checklist
Work down the list, top to bottom.
Ordered by return. Each task names the first step and how you know it's done.
- 01
Add a direct, self-contained answer near the top of key pages
AI assistants extract short passages to quote directly; a clear 40-60 word answer near the top of a page, written to stand alone without context, is far more likely to get pulled into a generated answer.
First step: For your 5 most important pages, write a short, specific answer to the main question the page addresses, placed right after the headline.
- Done when
- 5 pages have a clear, self-contained answer in the first 100 words.
- Effort
- 3 hours
- Cost
- £0
- 02
Use specific numbers instead of vague claims
AI assistants and the humans reading their answers both trust specific figures more than vague language; 'reduces churn by 20%' is more citable than 'significantly reduces churn.'
First step: Go through your top pages and replace vague claims with real numbers, ranges, or data you can stand behind.
- Done when
- At least 3 pages have been updated to include specific figures instead of vague language.
- Effort
- 2 hours
- Cost
- £0
- 03
Structure pages with clear headings that match real questions
AI assistants parse page structure to find relevant sections; headings phrased as actual questions ('How much does X cost?') make it easier for the assistant to match your content to a user's query.
First step: Rewrite section headings on key pages as direct questions matching how people actually ask them.
- Done when
- At least 5 pages have question-phrased headings covering their main topics.
- Effort
- 2 hours
- Cost
- £0
- 04
Add FAQ sections with genuinely useful, specific answers
FAQ-formatted content is one of the most commonly cited formats by AI assistants because each Q&A pair is already a self-contained, quotable unit.
First step: Add 4-5 real questions and specific 40-80 word answers to your most important pages.
- Done when
- FAQs are live on at least 3 key pages with genuinely useful, non-generic answers.
- Effort
- 3 hours
- Cost
- £0
- 05
Add FAQ schema markup to your FAQ sections
Structured data helps both traditional search and AI crawlers understand which text is a question and which is its answer, making the content easier to extract accurately.
First step: Add FAQPage schema markup to pages with FAQ sections using a schema generator or your CMS's structured data plugin.
- Done when
- Schema validates with no errors in Google's Rich Results Test.
- Effort
- 2 hours
- Cost
- £0-£20/mo (schema plugin, if needed)
- 06
Keep factual content on key pages updated at least quarterly
AI assistants tend to favour and cite pages that show recent updates on time-sensitive facts like pricing, statistics, or industry data, since stale information risks giving an inaccurate answer.
First step: Set a quarterly reminder to review and update any numbers, prices, or claims on your most important pages.
- Done when
- Your top 5 pages have all been reviewed and updated within the last 3 months.
- Effort
- 2 hours/quarter
- Cost
- £0
- 07
Remove filler intros before the actual answer
A long preamble before the useful content pushes the citable answer further down the page and makes it less likely to be the passage an AI assistant extracts.
First step: Edit your top pages to cut throat-clearing intro paragraphs and get to the specific answer within the first few sentences.
- Done when
- At least 5 pages have had filler intros removed or shortened to 1-2 sentences.
- Effort
- 2 hours
- Cost
- £0
- 08
Check how AI assistants currently describe your business
Asking ChatGPT and Perplexity directly what they know about your business reveals gaps, outdated info, or complete absence, telling you exactly where to focus your content fixes.
First step: Ask ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google's AI Overview a handful of questions your buyers would realistically ask, and note what they say (or don't) about you.
- Done when
- You've documented current AI answers about your business and identified at least 2 gaps to fix.
- Effort
- 1 hour
- Cost
- £0
- 09
Publish original data or a genuinely unique perspective
AI assistants, like search engines, favour citing original sources over content that just repeats what's already been said elsewhere; a small original survey or dataset gives you something exclusive to be cited for.
First step: Run a small survey, pull data from your own product or customer base, and publish the findings as a standalone page.
- Done when
- Original data page is published and includes at least one statistic not published elsewhere.
- Effort
- 1-2 days
- Cost
- £0-£100 (survey tool, if needed)
Mistakes
What goes wrong most often.
Burying the actual answer under a long marketing intro
If the first three paragraphs are scene-setting before you answer the question, an AI assistant is less likely to extract and cite your content. Put the answer first, context after.
Using vague claims instead of specific numbers
Phrases like 'significantly improves' or 'many customers' aren't citable in the way a specific figure is. Replace vague language with real numbers you can stand behind wherever possible.
Never checking what AI assistants currently say about you
Without asking ChatGPT or Perplexity directly, you're guessing at what needs fixing. A 20-minute check across a few real buyer questions shows exactly where the gaps are.
Questions
The things people ask about this list.
What's the fastest way to get cited by AI assistants?
Add a short, self-contained 40-60 word answer near the top of your most important pages, written so it makes sense pulled out of context. This is usually the highest-return fix and can be done for your top 5 pages in an afternoon.
Does traditional SEO still matter if I'm optimising for AI assistants?
Yes. AI assistants and search engines both crawl and value clear, well-structured, fact-based content, and most of the fixes (specific numbers, clear headings, FAQ sections) improve both traditional rankings and AI citations at the same time.
Does schema markup actually help with AI citations?
It helps AI crawlers and search engines parse your content structure more reliably, particularly for FAQ and how-to content, though the quality and clarity of the underlying writing matters more than the markup itself.
How often should I update content for AI answer engines?
At least quarterly for pages with time-sensitive facts like pricing or statistics. AI assistants tend to favour and cite pages that show evidence of recent, accurate updates over stale pages with outdated numbers.
Keep going
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