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How do you write content that AI cites? — 7 practical techniques

2026-07-09 · Martin Nymann · 8 min reading

7 specific content techniques based on research from Princeton KDD ’24: definition-first, BLUF, fact density, external sources, lists/tables, expert quotes and regular updates. Get your business cited by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.

How do I get cited by AI? Short answer: answer concrete questions directly in the first lines, use structured data (FAQPage and Article schema), make the content readable without JavaScript, and build third-party signals in directories and reviews. This guide shows the writing technique step by step.

AI crawlers don’t index your website because it looks nice — they index it because the content is written in a format they can use. Research behind GEO (Aggarwal et al., KDD ’24) shows that targeted text changes can boost visibility in AI responses by up to 40 per cent. Here are 7 specific techniques you can use today to make your content citable by ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini.

Why does the AI cite your competitor — and not your company?

AI citation (also known as AI citation bait) is the practice of writing content optimised to be cited by generative AI models. In 2026, more and more Danes are actively using AI assistants such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini to search for local services, products and recommendations. AI citation differs from traditional SEO in that it focuses on factual accuracy, definition-based answers and structured data — rather than keyword optimisation and backlinks. At Geoa, we use AI citation as a central part of our GEO optimisation to ensure that smaller businesses are recommended by the AI models.

The KDD ’24 study revealed something important for small businesses: when content is optimised, lower-ranked pages benefit the most. A page ranked 5th gained up to +115% visibility by citing its sources — whilst the same change cost the already top-ranked page visibility. So you don’t need to be number 1 to be cited. A separate study of content structure (Yu et al., 2026 — note: preprint, not peer-reviewed) measured a +17.3 per cent increase in citation rate solely due to better structure, tested on 200 benchmark articles across six AI engines.

Technique 1: Start with a definition — always

AI models love clear definitions. When ChatGPT or Perplexity need to explain a topic, they look for a paragraph that begins with “[Topic] is [short definition]”. This is the easiest way to get cited.

How to do it: Every page on your website should have a 25–50-word definition paragraph at the top of the main text. Write as if you’re answering the question “What is X?” — because that’s exactly what the AI does.

Example (good): “GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) is a method for optimising your business’s visibility in AI-powered search engines such as ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini. GEO differs from traditional SEO in that it optimises for AI responses rather than search results pages.”

We are not aware of any published data on how much of an impact a definition placed at the start of the text has — so we do not claim any specific figure. The reason is technical: an AI model must be able to extract an independent answer from your page without reading the rest. A paragraph beginning with ‘X is …’ can be quoted as it stands. A paragraph beginning with ‘Background’ cannot.

Technique 2: Write fact-rich content — 3 facts per 1,000 words

AI models value quantitative data over qualitative statements. In the KDD ’24 study, adding statistics ranked among the best group of methods, with an improvement in the range of 30–40 per cent on the study’s primary visibility metric.

Every time you make a claim, ask yourself: “Can I put a figure on it?” Instead of “We deliver quickly”, write “We respond to enquiries within 24 hours on weekdays”. One requirement: the figure must be something you have measured yourself and can stand by. A made-up figure with a source attached is worse than no figure at all — both your reader and the AI model can check it.

Minimum requirement: At least 3 facts per 1,000 words. Facts can be percentages, prices, dates, measurements or references to external sources — and the source must be a link that the reader can follow.

Technique 3: Use BLUF — Bottom Line Up Front

AI crawlers do not read the entire article before deciding whether to cite it. They scan the first 60 words. If the answer isn’t there, they move on to the next source.

The BLUF rule: The first 60 words on your page must contain a complete answer to the question: who is this for, what is the problem, and what is the solution? An AI must be able to extract a two-sentence answer from your first 60 words.

Bad example: “In this article, we’ll go through some of the key aspects of GEO optimisation and look at how your business can benefit from the new opportunities...”

Good example: “GEO (Generative Engine Optimisation) optimises your business’s visibility in ChatGPT and Perplexity. It differs from SEO in that it optimises for being quoted in the answer — not for ranking on a results page.”

BLUF is the cheapest of the seven techniques: it takes five minutes and requires no new research — you simply move the answer up. We are not aware of any published impact measurement for this specific change, so we do not put a figure on it.

Technique 4: Link to external sources — greatest effect if you’re not ranked No. 1

The most interesting single finding in KDD ’24 is that the effect of citing your sources depends on where you’re already ranked. For a page ranked No. 5, it resulted in a +115 per cent increase in visibility. For a page ranked 2nd, it yielded just +2.5 per cent — and for the page already at the top, the effect was negative (−30 per cent). Take this as good news if you’re the underdog: source citations are precisely where the challenger has the most to gain.

What works: Link to HBR articles, university research (such as KDD ’24), industry reports (Bain & Company, BrightLocal), or public datasets. Avoid linking to your competitors’ websites — link to neutral, third-party sources instead.

Practical tip: Whenever you mention a statistic or a study, add a source reference as a link. This signals to the AI model that your content is research-based and credible.

Technique 5: Structure your content using lists, tables and bullet points

KDD ’24 did not test lists and tables — the study focused on text modifications. However, the 2026 study on structure (Yu et al.) measured precisely that: better organisation of content resulted in a +17.3% citation rate across six AI engines. AI models can easily extract and reproduce bulleted lists in their responses.

Here’s how: Make active use of HTML lists (

    and
      ) and tables () in your content. Every list or table is a potential AI citation. Ensure that each bullet point can stand alone as a meaningful response.

      Example of a list format that AI frequently cites:

      • Quotes from named individuals: the study’s best single method — 30–40% on the visibility metric, 15–30% on the subjective assessment (KDD ’24)
      • Statistics: the same top group, 30–40 per cent (KDD ’24)
      • External source references: +115 per cent for a page ranked 5th — but −30 per cent for a page already ranked 1st (KDD ’24)
      • Better content structure: +17.3 per cent citation rate (Yu et al. 2026, preprint)
      • Keyword stuffing: has a negative effect — 10% worse than the baseline in Perplexity (KDD '24)

      Technique 6: Include expert quotes — with name, title and link

      AI models such as Claude (via Brave Search) place enormous weight on E-E-A-T signals. A quote from a named expert with a LinkedIn profile and CVR number can make the difference between being cited or ignored.

      It is the best-documented of all seven techniques. At KDD ’24, adding direct quotes was the strongest single method out of the nine tested — a 30–40 per cent improvement on the study’s primary visibility metric. Use a genuine quote from a named individual, not an anonymous “the company says”.

      Here’s how to do it, SME-style: Write as your founder or owner. Use “Martin Nymann, Founder at Geoa, says:...” instead of “At Geoa, we believe...”. Include the LinkedIn profile and CVR number — these are the signals AI models look for when assessing credibility.

      Technique 7: Update the content regularly — AI loves fresh dates

      Freshness seems to matter — but we haven’t found a metric that’s been documented well enough for us to put a figure on it. So we won’t. Treat it as a reasonable assumption, not as a measured effect.

      Practical workflow: Go through your most important pages every three months. Update statistics, add new sources, and update the date in the JSON-LD schema. It takes 15 minutes per page. One word of warning: only update the date when you’ve actually changed the content — a date that’s moved without any changes is a false signal, and that’s exactly the sort of thing that both readers and models learn to spot.

      How do you measure whether it’s working?

      You can’t improve what you don’t measure. Here are three ways to track your AI citation score:

      • Free GEO-test: Get a baseline score for your current AI visibility in 60 seconds. Take the test here.
      • Weekly GEO measurement: With Geoa, you get automatic measurement across ChatGPT, Perplexity and Gemini — including which searches mention your business.
      • Manual test: Ask ChatGPT “What is [your industry] in [your town]?” and see if you’re mentioned. Do the same in Perplexity and Gemini.

      If you’d like to see these seven techniques applied to a real website, read the Relark.dk case study: starting score 49.9 (F), AI crawlers blocked in robots.txt, content that was only loaded via JavaScript — and exactly what was changed. We do not publish an ‘after’ figure for AI visibility until we have measured it over a period we can stand by. See how Geoa works.

      Get started — your 5-step content plan

      You don’t need to implement all 7 techniques at once. Here’s a prioritised plan:

      1. Week 1: Add a BLUF and definition to your 3 most important pages. Update the dates in the JSON-LD schema. (1 hour)
      2. Week 2: Review your pages for factual density. Add at least 3 facts per 1,000 words. (2 hours)
      3. Week 3: Add external source references — link to HBR, KDD ’24, or industry reports. (1 hour)
      4. Week 4: Structure the content using lists and tables. Add expert quotes, citing the source. (2 hours)
      5. Going forward: Measure your GEO-score every week and repeat the process. Set a calendar reminder to update content every 3 months. (30 mins/week)

      View Geoa’s pricing plans — from 299 kr/month for automatic GEO measurement and prioritised recommendations.

      Get your free GEO Score — 60 seconds, no credit card required.

      Get started for free

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