Content is the fuel for generative AI. The quality, structure, and relevance of your content will directly influence whether and how it’s used in AI-driven answers. In this section, we detail how to create and optimize content so that generative engines love to consume and present it. Think of it as making your content AI-friendly without sacrificing human readability – in fact, much of this will improve user experience too. We’ll cover content formats to focus on, writing techniques for AI visibility, use of supporting elements (like images, data, and code snippets), and tools that can aid in content optimization for GEO.
Focus on User Questions and Intent #
Generative AI shines at answering questions, so shape your content around the questions users ask:
- Do Keyword Research with an AI Twist: Use SEO tools (Ahrefs, SEMrush, Google’s Keyword Planner) to find questions and long-tail queries in your niche. But go further: use AI itself to generate likely questions. For example, ask ChatGPT, “What questions do people have about [topic]?” – it will list out queries that you can then create content for. Validate these against search volume or forums to ensure they’re real. The idea is to build a content calendar centered on answering those questions comprehensively.
- FAQ Pages and Q&A Format: Consider building out a robust FAQ section on your site covering not just basic questions about your product, but broader topic questions. Mark these up with FAQPage Schema so Google can easily pull a Q&A. Google’s SGE often includes an “Ask a follow-up” with questions – if your FAQ answers those, you might get cited. Also, if users ask an AI the same question that’s on your FAQ, the AI might directly use your phrasing (especially if it knows that content is from you and you’re an authority on it).
- Intent Matched Content Types: For different user intents, create appropriate content:
- Informational intent: blog posts, how-to guides, tutorials.
- Comparative intent: comparison pages (e.g., “X vs Y” with objective analysis) – AI love to answer “Which is better, X or Y?” and if you have a well-structured comparison, your points could feed that answer.
- Procedural intent: step-by-step guides or checklists (e.g., “How to implement X”). Use ordered lists for steps; there’s evidence that structured lists often get picked up by AI and featured snippet algorithms alike.
- Definition intent: glossary or definition pages for key terms. A user might ask “What is [term]?” and an AI like Bard or Bing will often quote a concise definition. Ensure your definition is clear and ideally sourced (e.g., “According to [Your Company], [Term] is defined as …”).
- Informational intent: blog posts, how-to guides, tutorials.
- Content Depth: While answering questions directly is key, also provide depth and nuance. Generative models will combine information from multiple sources if one alone isn’t sufficient. If your content provides not only the basic answer but also additional useful context, the AI may draw on both. For instance, your article might start with a quick answer (for snippet potential) and then go into detailed explanation with examples. The AI might use your quick answer in one sentence, and also paraphrase a bit of your example later in the response. This increases your share of voice in the generated text.
By aligning content with user questions and intent, you make it immediately relevant to the kinds of inputs generative engines process. Next, we ensure this content is written and formatted in an optimal way.