Write a clear answer to the reader’s question. Identify the subject, state specific claims, and provide evidence where it is needed. This makes content easier to understand and verify. It does not guarantee retrieval or citation.
A clear passage: worked example
A useful passage states its point promptly, identifies the subject, and keeps qualifications close to the claim. Use one sentence per claim when combining claims would obscure their support.
Before: “Our platform offers industry-leading flexibility for your backup needs.” The sentence does not identify a feature or explain a limit.
After, as a fictional wording example: “Acme Backup’s Starter plan includes hourly snapshots. The plan stores snapshots for 30 days.” The product, feature, and retention period are explicit. Publish statements like these only after verifying the actual product facts.
Evidence and attribution
The GEO study tested content edits including statistics, quotations, and cited sources. It reported visibility improvements in its benchmark, with effects varying by subject. The study supports testing evidence-based edits; it does not establish that a particular format guarantees a citation.GEO: Generative Engine Optimization, Aggarwal et al. One benchmark on one generation of engines, so treat the 40% as an existence proof that writing changes visibility, and expect the exact figure to shift as engines change.
Attribute a third-party statistic to the original source. If you publish original findings, explain the sample, method, collection period, and limits. Do not add a number simply to make a paragraph sound authoritative. Evidence and Original Research covers that work.
Choose a useful format
Choose a format that fits the question: a definition, a comparison, numbered instructions, a specification table, or a direct answer. Tables need clear labels and units. Comparisons need stated criteria.
What to stop doing
Remove introductions that delay the answer without adding context. Replace “it depends” with the conditions that change the recommendation. Keep uncertainty when the evidence warrants it, and explain the reason.
Formatting does not substitute for useful information. Add a list, table, or FAQ only when it improves the explanation. Google’s content guidance emphasizes usefulness and reliability rather than a special writing style for AI.Google's AI features guide (mythbusting section) and its people-first content guidance, which defines the E-E-A-T standard: experience, expertise, authoritativeness, trust.
Editing existing content
When editing, check the main claim, its subject, its evidence, and its conditions. Preserve explanations and examples that help the reader. Delete repetition rather than compressing useful detail into vague phrases.
Rewrite a page around facts a buyer needs
Consider this invented service-page sentence: “Our experienced team provides flexible, affordable solutions when you need us.” The sentence does not establish a service area, price, or appointment condition.
A useful replacement, after checking the business facts, is: “Example Cooling serves central Phoenix. Weekend appointments are available by advance booking. The diagnostic visit costs $99. Repairs require a separate approved quote.”
The revised passage gives the reader four facts that can be checked. It keeps the repair-price qualification next to the diagnostic fee. It does not promise that an assistant will select or cite the page.
Use the same review on a software page: supported integration, plan requirement, billing period, and limits belong together. Replace “integrates with your tools” with the actual integrations and the conditions under which they work.
Check the extracted passage
Copy the section into a plain-text view. Confirm that the subject is identifiable and the conditions are still attached. For a comparison table, check that each value retains its row and column meaning. A list of prices without product names does not answer a pricing question.
Ask a reviewer to answer the intended customer question using only the page. Missing facts in that review are specific editing tasks. Do not fill them with estimates presented as business policy.