AI engines don’t cite entire articles. They extract individual paragraphs — called “answer units” — and quote them in responses. Writing content as a series of self-contained, quotable paragraphs is the most important GEO content skill. For more on this, see our guide to Zero to 50 AI Citations in 90 Days: A Step-by-Step Playbook.
What is an Answer Unit?
An answer unit is a single paragraph that completely answers one specific question. It’s self-contained — an AI engine can extract it from your page and present it as a standalone answer without losing meaning.
Good answer unit (73 words):
Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) is the practice of optimizing website content to appear in AI-generated search results. Unlike SEO which targets Google rankings, GEO targets citations in ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overview responses. GEO requires structured content formatting, AI crawler access, and machine-readable data like schema markup and ai-identity.json.
Bad paragraph (not extractable):
So basically, what we’re seeing in today’s fast-paced digital landscape is that things are really changing a lot when it comes to how people search for information online, and this has huge implications for businesses and marketers everywhere… Our GEO Dashboard: Key Metrics and Setup Guide guide covers this in detail.
The 80-Word Rule
Keep every paragraph under 80 words. This matches how AI engines process and extract content. As we discuss in Question-Style Headings That AI Engines Pull, this is a critical factor.
Why 80 words:
- AI response tokens are limited — shorter quotes are preferred
- Concise paragraphs contain one clear idea
- Extraction algorithms perform better on shorter text blocks
- Users reading AI answers prefer brief, direct information
Front-Load the Answer
The first sentence of every paragraph must contain the key information. AI engines often extract only the opening sentence or two.
Front-loaded (good):
32.5% of all AI citations are comparative listicles. This format dominates because it provides structured comparisons that AI engines can easily parse and present to users.
Buried answer (bad):
When looking at the various types of content that perform well across different AI engines, research has shown that there’s one format that consistently outperforms others, and that format is comparative listicles at 32.5%. If you want to go deeper, GEO for SaaS: How to Get Your Product Recommended by AI breaks this down step by step.
Question-Style Headings
Use H2 and H3 headings that match how users ask AI questions. AI engines map headings to queries when deciding what to extract.
| Traditional heading | GEO-optimized heading |
|---|---|
| Benefits of GEO | What Are the Benefits of GEO? |
| Best Practices | Which Best Practices Improve AI Citations? |
| Pricing | How Much Does GEO Cost? |
| Getting Started | How Do I Start with GEO? |
The Atomic Idea Rule
Each paragraph conveys exactly one concept. If you find two ideas in one paragraph, split them. (We explore this further in GEO for Local Businesses: Getting AI to Recommend You.)
Two ideas (split this):
GEO requires structured data implementation. It also requires allowing AI crawlers in your robots.txt file.
One idea each (correct):
GEO requires structured data like JSON-LD schema markup on every key page. FAQPage and Article schemas have the highest impact on AI citations. This relates closely to what we cover in Each AI Engine Has Different Taste.
AI crawler access is controlled by your robots.txt file. Allow GPTBot, PerplexityBot, and ClaudeBot to ensure visibility across all major AI engines.
Remove Fluff Intros
AI engines skip generic introductions. Every sentence must earn its place. For more on this, see our guide to AI Citations Have Almost No Correlation with Web Traffic.
Remove these patterns:
- “In today’s fast-paced world…”
- “As we all know…”
- “It goes without saying that…”
- “When it comes to…”
- “Let’s dive into…”
Replace with direct statements:
- “GEO increases AI citations by 40% on average.”
- “Three factors determine AI citation likelihood.”
- “ChatGPT prefers institutional authority over personal blogs.”
Data in the First 10 Words
When citing statistics, place the number at the start of the sentence. AI engines prioritize data-rich content.
Data-first (good):
90% of Google searches now include an AI Overview, making GEO essential for visibility.
Data-buried (bad):
Recent research has shown that a surprisingly high percentage of Google searches, specifically around 90%, now include an AI Overview.
Formatting Checklist
For every paragraph you write, verify:
- Under 80 words
- One idea only
- Answer front-loaded in first sentence
- No fluff intro
- Data in first 10 words (when applicable)
- Heading above is question-style
- Self-contained — makes sense extracted alone
FAQ
Do I need to rewrite all my existing content?
No. Start with your highest-traffic pages and most important product pages. Convert them using the answer unit format, then gradually update the rest.
Does this make content feel robotic?
No. Answer units are clear and direct — readers prefer this too. You’re removing fluff, not personality. Your brand voice stays intact.
How do I know if my answer units are working?
Test by asking AI engines questions your content answers. If they quote your paragraphs, your answer units are effective.
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