Does this page earn a citation from AI?

• A comparison table wherever two options or more are weighed
• Key takeaways near the top
• An FAQ section in the words readers type
• Specific numbers where an adjective would have gone
• A date on every claim that ages
• Facts a reader can check
• Every claim specific enough to check, written to read as fair
• Short paragraphs, three sentences or so
• Customer or reader words quoted directly
• Bullet lists for parallel items
• Screenshots or images the page owns
• A first-hand review by someone who used the thing
• Audio, video or an interactive piece
• Links to the author's and the publication's social profilesAn experience, expertise, authority and trust signal.
• An author profile with a bio and a byline linkAn experience, expertise, authority and trust signal.

• Screenshots of the product in use
• First-party or proprietary data
• Customer testimonials
• Video
• Original research or a survey
• Named expert interviews
• First-hand experience or a case-specific teardown
• A contrarian position, backed by evidence
• An interactive tool or a standalone resource
• A named framework the brand coinedWork the brand name in: "The AI Lately Citation Audit."

• Question-based headers
• Bottom line up frontThe direct answer to the reader's question sits at the top.
• Extractable passagesSentences that fully answer a question, with zero surrounding context needed.
• Content broken into short, focused paragraphs
• Citable facts, each with its source
• Every H2 is a self-contained islandRead on its own, the section still makes sense, with zero reliance on three paragraphs earlier.
• Entity-rich writingName the brands, products, people, places and specific concepts. "Mentions' AI Visibility Report shows how often your brand appears in the pages AI Overviews cite" beats "this tool helps with AI visibility."

• Every sentence is short, simple and easy to understand
• Semantic triples: subject, predicate, object"Landscape design software provides a way to visualize a designer's pool plans" beats "the pros of using landscape design software are many."
• Images and infographics are present
• Free tools and interactive components are present
• An embedded YouTube video is present

• Updated within the last 30 days
• Information refreshed
• Examples refreshed
• Current data in place

A. Core intent

• A direct answer within the first 100 to 150 words
• Obvious who the page is for
• The core topic defined in plain language
• The main qualifier (best, top, recommended) explained in context
• A clear summary, recommendation or conclusion

B. Related topics

• Links to or briefly covers adjacent topics
• Answers "what else do I need to know before deciding?"
• Relevant definitions, examples or context

Example sections What is this? · How does it work? · Who is it for? · When should you use it? · Main types or categories

C. Implicit questions

• Explains cost, pricing or budget
• Explains timeline, setup, onboarding or delivery time
• Explains difficulty, effort or resources required
• Explains risks, limitations or common mistakes
• Explains what happens after someone takes action
• Answers "before I choose this, what should I know?"

Example sections How much does it cost? · How long does it take? · Is it worth it? · What are the risks? · Who is this wrong for? · What should I compare? · What happens next?

D. Comparative queries

• Compares the main option against relevant alternatives
• A comparison table or a clearly structured comparison
• The pros and cons of each option
• Names competitors, substitutes or alternative approaches
• Explains when each option is the better fit
• Says which option is best for whom, since every option has a case

Example sections Option A vs Option B · Best alternatives · Best for use cases · Pros and cons · Pricing comparison · Feature comparison · In-house vs agency vs freelancer vs software

E. Recency and freshness

• A visible "last updated" date
• References the current year where relevant
• Rankings, pricing, features and availability kept current
• Explains what changed since the last update

F. Contextual variation

• Explains who the recommendation is best for
• Use-case sections for different audiences
• Explains how the answer changes by budget, size, location, urgency or goal
• "Best for" labels where relevant
• The answer changes with the reader's situation

Example sections Best for startups · Best for SaaS · Best for local business · Best for enterprise · Best for small budgets · Best for fast turnaround · Best for high-quality work · Best for beginners · Best for advanced users

G. Next steps

• Explains what the reader should do after reading
• A clear next step or decision framework
• Answers the follow-up questions that come after the main query
• FAQs that cover post-decision questions
• Links to deeper resources for readers who need more
• Settles the question in one search

Example sections How do I choose? · What should I ask before buying? · What should I avoid? · How do I get started? · What do I need before booking? · What should I compare next? · Best option for my situation?

H. Evidence and trust

• Cites reputable sources where factual claims are made
• Original experience and examples
• Case studies, screenshots, data or quotes
• Explains how the recommendations were chosen
• Shows author, reviewer or company expertise

Example sections Author / reviewer · Last updated date · Selection criteria · Clear methodology · Supporting evidence · Specific examples · Transparent limitations

• Every icon button and form field carries a name in the accessibility treearia-label="Open menu" on the hamburger; a <label> on every field; alt text that describes the picture.
• Key facts sit in the raw HTML, served without a scriptPricing, proof and specs that load through a <script> tag stay invisible to a crawler.
• The reader's main question is the first H2, in the words they would type
• An "it depends" answer of 100 words or fewer follows itName the case where each option wins.
• Definitions replace slogans: what it is, who it is for, what it does
• Key facts carry "as of" dates"13,231 active subscribers, as of 2026."
• robots.txt allows the AI crawlers the page wantsmeta-webindexer, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, PerplexityBot.
• Semantic HTML throughout, and every link resolves<nav>, <header> and <button> where a <div> stood; broken links lower a site's trust.