Your writing style can influence how easily AI can digest and utilize your content. Key guidelines include:
- Clear and Concise Language: Aim for a reading level that’s accessible (generally somewhere around 8th-10th grade level for broad content). Avoid unnecessarily complex sentences. AI models, while capable of understanding complex text, are more likely to pull a snippet that expresses an idea clearly in one or two sentences. If you bury the answer in a convoluted paragraph, it might get skipped. A study recommended simplifying language and improving fluency to make content more AI-compatible. This doesn’t mean dumbing down technical content, just expressing it cleanly.
- Use Headings and Lists Generously: Break content into logical sections with descriptive headings (which often correspond to likely questions). Use bullet points or numbered lists for steps, tips, benefits, etc. Bulleted information is easy for AI to extract as discrete facts or steps. For example, if you have “5 Tips for X” as a list, an AI might include each tip as part of a comprehensive answer. Headings that include question phrases (How, What, Why) can directly align with user queries. Remember, short paragraphs (2-5 sentences) are ideal – this matches the guideline for human readability and also ensures each paragraph is a focused chunk of information (which is how AI often ingests text).
- Provide Direct Answers, Then Elaborate: A great approach is the inverted pyramid style from journalism. Start with the conclusion or direct answer, then provide details. For instance, in a piece about “Can you recycle widget containers?”, start with “Yes, widget containers are recyclable in most municipal programs.” (assuming you have a source or are the authority) Then go into the nuances. This way, if an AI is looking for a quick yes/no or summary, it finds it immediately (perhaps citing you for that statement), and if it wants more, it has the rest of your text. Google’s own advice for snippet optimization is to put the answer in the first 1-2 sentences of a section, which applies here as well.
- Include Relevant Keywords and Synonyms Naturally: While we focus on semantics, classic keyword presence still matters to signal relevance. If the user asks about “boiling eggs”, the AI will look for content that covers that. So ensure your content uses the common phrasing of the question (e.g., have the sentence “To boil an egg, you…” if that’s what people ask). But avoid keyword stuffing, which can make text read oddly and might cause AI to disregard it as spammy. Use variations and synonyms; generative models understand them well. For example, interchange “boiling” with “cooking” or “hard-boiling” where appropriate. This casts a wider net for retrieval algorithms that might still rely partly on term matching.
- Tone and Trustworthiness: Aim for a tone that is authoritative yet neutral. AI might avoid overly salesy language or personal opinion (unless the query is specifically asking for opinion). Incorporate signals of expertise: mention your experience (“In our 2023 study of 500 widgets, we found…”), use first-person plural (“We recommend…”) sparingly and only when representing expertise, not just opinion. Show balance if discussing pros/cons. If the AI finds that your content is one-sided and another source gives a more balanced view, it might blend both, diluting your voice. By being objective in your own content, you increase the chance of the AI using more of your text wholesale.
Think of writing for AI as somewhat akin to writing for a very busy reader: get to the point, make it easy to skim (via structure), and be crystal clear. Interestingly, following these practices often boosts traditional SEO performance too – clearer content tends to rank and convert better.