While we have a dedicated section for RAG (Step 5), when creating content we should already consider RAG principles:
- Chunk Content with Logical Sections: RAG systems break content into chunks for indexing (often by paragraph or heading section). Ensure each chunk on your page can stand on its own contextually. Avoid having critical sentences that rely on a previous paragraph to make sense. Include the subject in the sentence rather than just “it” or “they” when a new paragraph starts, so that chunk is self-contained. For example, instead of a new section starting with “This method is useful because…”, say “The widget boiling method is useful because…”. This way, if the AI pulls that section alone, it’s clear what “this method” refers to.
- Unique Titles and Anchor Links: If possible, break very long guides into sub-pages or at least use anchor links for each major section (and list them at top). It’s not about pageviews, but about giving the retrieval algorithm options: maybe it will surface the anchor link to “Section 3: Advanced Tips” directly. Some AI, like Bing, have shown the ability to scroll to relevant parts of a page. Having clear fragment identifiers (and descriptive section titles) helps them and also yields better user experience if a user clicks through.
- Repetition of Query Phrasing: Not exactly keyword stuffing, but ensuring the query’s key terms appear in the relevant section. For instance, if Section 3 is about “Advanced Widget Boiling Tips”, use that exact phrase in the section and maybe repeat part of the question in the answer. E.g., user asks “What are some advanced tips for boiling eggs?” – your section title “Advanced Tips for Boiling Eggs” and within it “Some advanced boiling tips include…” – this alignment improves chances that the retrieval algorithm scores your section as highly relevant.
- Metadata Optimization: Use meta descriptions smartly – while AI might not use them, they signal the gist of the page to search engines. Also fill in image alt tags (as noted) and possibly use newer HTML attributes like <aside> to mark tangential info, etc., so that main content is clearly main. This can help algorithmic extraction of main content.
By designing content with retrieval in mind, you make it easier for the AI to find your content when assembling answers. We’ll talk more on RAG specifically next, but baking it into content creation saves time down the road.