Search has fundamentally changed. The days of writing just for Google and hoping keywords do the heavy lifting are over.
Large Language Models (LLMs) like Co-Pilot, ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Claude act as powerful discovery engines, directly answering user questions and shaping the buyer journey before they even visit your website.
Brands must create content that is not only optimized for traditional search engines but also structured, credible, and context-rich enough for AI systems to trust and surface. If your brand isn’t appearing in AI-generated answers, you’re losing pipeline before it even begins. Buyers are forming their consideration sets during AI-driven research— if you’re not cited, you’re not considered. This can result in fewer opportunities, longer sales cycles, and missed revenue potential.
Writing for Humans and AI
Tone and Readability
Your content needs to serve two audiences: your human reader and the AI models that deliver information to them. Google still evaluates content based on quality, usefulness, and originality, so a human-centric approach remains critical.
Write for Clarity and Accessibility:
Use plain, accessible language; aim for concise sentences that minimize ambiguity for both
readers and AI.
Adopt a Neutral, Authoritative Voice:
Be straightforward, clear, and accurate. Your goal is to be a quotable and credible source,
not a sales pitch
Write for Snippets:
Assume your content will be pulled into AI-generated answers without its surrounding context.
Each section should make sense on its own.
Paragraph and Sentence Structure: Building Blocks for AI
Clear and well-structured sentences are the foundation of content that both humans and AI can easily digest.
DO’s
Use complete, declarative sentences:
Be direct. Instead of writing “Helps grow pipeline,” say “Lead generation campaigns increase qualified opportunities.”
Keep sentences short and punchy:
Aim for sentences under 20 words. This improves readability and helps both users and models grasp key points quickly
Provide inline context:
Include examples, definitions, or comparisons directly within your sentences. For instance, “Content syndication, such as distributing whitepapers through trusted B2B networks, can expand reach to mid-funnel prospects.”
DON’Ts
DON’T use overly creative language:
Stick to factual, clear writing. Instead of a metaphor like “This campaign was a rocket ship,” use direct language like “This campaign produced a 20 percent increase in marketing qualified leads.”
DON’T forget to use transitional words:
Connect ideas with words like because, therefore, or for example to create a logical, easy-to-follow flow.
Optimizing for LLMs vs. Google Search: A Balancing Act
Good news. Many core practices for improving LLM visibility align with established SEO principles. Structured content, strong E-E-A-T signals (Experience, Expertise, Authoritativeness, and Trustworthiness), along with solid technical foundations all remain essential. However, some changes to content meant to improve mentions or citations can inadvertently affect Google’s ‘signals’.
What Can Risk Your Google Ranking?
Neglecting SEO Fundamentals:
- Focusing solely on LLM optimization
- while ignoring site performance,
- crawlability, canonical issues, or thin
- content can hurt your ranking.
Over-Compressing Content:
- Creating overly short answer blocks
- might sacrifice the depth that Google
- values for “comprehensiveness.”
Radical Site Changes:
- Altering your URL structure or removing
- content without proper redirects can
- cause Google to lose track of your pages.
Headings and Hierarchy: Your Content’s Framework
A logical heading structure acts as a roadmap, guiding both search engines and AI to the most relevant information on your page.
Make H1 Titles Complete Questions or Answers:
Your H1 should communicate a full idea so readers immediately understand the focus of the page.
Break Down Content with H2s and H3s:
Use subheadings to organize your content into smaller, digestible sub-topics that answer specific questions.
Avoid Vague Headings:
Generic labels give readers no information about what follows. Descriptive titles help set expectations.
Maintain a Logical Structure:
Headings should move from broad to specific in a predictable order so the page is easy to follow
(H1 → H2 → H3). This helps LLMs understand how your content is organized.
Does Your Content Follow This Heading Logic? Here’s how to find out:
- Use the browser’s “Outline” or“Headings” view by opening the page source and searching for <h1, <h2, or <h3 to quickly see the hierarchy
- Use a headings-only browser extension like HeadingsMap, which automatically extracts all headings and displays them as an outline.
- Export the page’s HTML into an online HTML outline generator to get an instant view of the heading structure.
How it Should Look:
<H1> Call to Action
<H2>What is a CTA? Examples, Key Benefits, and measurement Strategies
<H2>Definition: What is a Call to Action (CTA)?
<H2>CTA examples: Different types of Calls to action (CTA)
<H3>Different types of CTA formats and designs
<H4>Buttons
<H4>Contextual links
<H4>Banner and video ads
<H4>Pop-ups
<H4>Slide-ins or Carousel ads
<H2>Popular types of CTA copy
<H2>What are the best practices for writing a call to action
<H3>1. Be brief, specific, and actionable
<H3>2. Create a sense of urgency
<H3>3. Focus on the target audience’s goals
<H3>4. Make sure the CTA button meets the campaign’s objectives
<H3>5. Consider the CTA’s surrounding marketing copy
<H2> Key CTA benefits
<H3>Increased leads and conversions
<H3>Improved customer engagement
<H2> How to measure and test CTA success
<H2> CTAs help to boost online marketing successAnswer-Block Formatting: Don’t Bury the Lead
To boost visibility in AI-generated responses, write your content in a way that clearly answers the questions users are likely to type into a GPT chat.
Begin with a Concise Answer Block
Start major sections with a 30–80 word “answer block” that directly addresses the main topics outlined in the page’s H1 or H2 headings.
Provide Deeper Context Afterward:
Follow the answer block with more detailed explanations, examples, and sources. This balances the
need for concise answers with SEO’s demand for comprehensive content.
Use Optional Labels:
Consider adding labels like “Quick Answer:” before your summary block to signal to AI that this is a direct answer.
Internal Linking
Internal linking helps both users and AI systems understand how your content fits together. A clear structure makes it easier for people to explore related ideas and gives search and LLMs stronger signals about what each page covers.
Here’s how to approach it:
- Use descriptive, keyword-rich anchors that tell people exactly what they’ll get when they click. Clear labels like “See our LLM Visibility Measurement Framework” work far better than vague prompts like “learn more.”
- Link related entity clusters so connected topics reinforce each other. For example, move between AI search content and AI PR measurement pages to show depth within a theme.
- Maintain a hub-and-spoke structure where your main pillar page links out to supporting subtopics and those pages link back. This keeps the content organized and easy to navigate.
- Limit link density. Too many links can feel overwhelming and dilute value. Three to five meaningful internal links per 1,000 words.
- Keep crawl depth shallow for your important hubs. Key pillar pages should be no more than two clicks from the homepage so users and crawlers can reach them quickly.
Enhancements for AI Extraction: Making Your Content Stand Out
Beyond basic formatting, certain enhancements can encourage conversation and discovery making your content more attractive to LLMs.
Define Key Concepts Explicitly:
Clearly define important terms. For example, “AI Search Visibility refers to how often brand content appears in LLM-generated answers.”
Use Structured Lists:
Organize information into bullet points, tables, or numbered lists. LLMs prefer this structure for easy extraction.
Include an FAQ Section:
Add a dedicated FAQ section with real, prompt-style questions. This directly mirrors how users interact with AI.
Use Numbered Steps for “How-To” Content:
For instructional content, format steps in a numbered list (e.g., “Step 1, Step 2…”).
If user prompts dictate what and how LLMs pull into the conversation, then content writers need to think about what people are asking in these conversations. We often see people asking the GPTs for ‘the most recent’ research which should help inform your content’s revisions.
The Technical Side of AI Search
Schema and Structured Data: Speaking the Language of AI
Schema markup is a powerful tactic that helps search engines and LLMs understand the context of your content.
Implement FAQPage or QAPage Schema:
This is currently the highest-impact markup for increasing LLM discoverability in our internal testing.
Pair with Article Schema:
Include author, dateModified, headline, and “about” tags to signal credibility and freshness.
Add Organization or Product Schema:
Use sameAs links to trusted sources (e.g., your company’s LinkedIn page or Wikipedia entry) to reinforce entity trust.
Ensure Schema Matches On-Page Content:
AI crawlers are getting smarter at checking for consistency between your markup and the visible content.
Pricing Schema:
Use where relevant to give AI systems a clear understanding of cost ranges, plans, or tiers. This can
help models present accurate information and reduce ambiguity when summarizing your offerings
Conclusion
AI search is reshaping how people discover information, and it’s pushing all of us to create content that’s clearer, more structured, and genuinely useful. Teams that make these adjustments now will be better positioned as this new model becomes standard.
Content Optimization Checklist
- Meta Data – Answer the primary question in your meta description.
- URLs – Use a natural, prompt-style slug.
- Headings – Write H1/H2s as clear questions or declarative answers.
- Introduction – Begin each section with a 30–80 word answer block.
- Schema – Use FAQPage or QAPage plus Article schema.
- Content – Write short, direct, factual paragraphs.
- Lists – Add bullets, numbered steps, or tables for easier extraction.
- Internal Links – Use descriptive anchors between related topical pages.
- Visuals – Write descriptive alt text that answers a sub-question.
- Embedded Content – Embed relevant YouTube videos or diagrams to reinforce the topic.
- Video Metadata – Optimize titles, tags, and descriptions for relevance.
- Transcripts – Add transcripts and VideoObject schema for video clarity.
- Recency Content – Display and maintain “last updated” dates.