How to Create Content AI Wants to Quote

What you'll learn:

• What makes content "quotable" to AI platforms
• How to write standalone answer blocks
• The definitive statement technique
• Content structure patterns that increase citation rates
• FAQ format, tables, and lists as citation magnets

What Makes Content Quotable?

Quotability is one of the 7 factors AI uses to decide what to cite, and it's the factor most marketers overlook entirely. Quotable content is content that AI can extract as a clean, self-contained answer without needing additional context. If an AI platform has to stitch together pieces from three different paragraphs to answer a question, it probably won't bother — it'll use a competitor's page that gives a clean answer in one block.

Think of it this way: every page on your site should contain at least one paragraph that could serve as a standalone AI answer to a question your customer might ask.

Standalone Answer Blocks

A standalone answer block is a paragraph — typically 2-4 sentences — that directly and completely answers a specific question. It doesn't require the reader to have read the preceding text. It doesn't use pronouns that refer back to earlier content. It contains the key terms and provides a definitive answer.

Bad example (not standalone)

"It works by analyzing these signals and providing a score based on the factors mentioned above. This helps marketers understand their current position."

Good example (standalone)

"A Visibility Score measures how accurately AI platforms like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI describe your brand. The score ranges from 0 to 100 and is based on four factors: Mention Rate (40%), Accuracy Rate (30%), Sentiment (15%), and Citation Rate (15%). A score above 60 indicates solid AI visibility with room for growth."

The good example can be extracted by any AI platform and used as a direct answer to "What is a Visibility Score?" without any additional context.

The Definitive Statement Technique

AI platforms gravitate toward definitive, specific statements over vague or hedging language. Statements with specific numbers, clear definitions, and authoritative tone get cited more often.

• Weak: "Schema markup can sometimes help with AI visibility."
• Strong: "FAQ schema markup increases AI citation rates by making content machine-readable, and can be implemented on any page in under 20 minutes."
• Weak: "Our tool is competitively priced."
• Strong: "Plans start at $49/month for Starter, $99/month for Growth, and $149/month for Pro — 50-63% less than comparable enterprise GEO tools."

Include statistics, specific numbers, and clear claims. AI cites specifics, not generalities.

Structure Patterns That Get Cited

The Definition Pattern

Start with a clear definition. "X is Y." This is the most commonly cited sentence pattern across AI platforms. Open your pages with a definitive "what is" statement.

The List Pattern

Numbered and bulleted lists are citation magnets. AI can extract individual list items as discrete facts. "The top 5 factors for X are: 1) Factor A, 2) Factor B..." is exactly the kind of content AI platforms love to synthesize into answers.

The Comparison Table Pattern

Tables that compare features, pricing, or capabilities are highly extractable. AI platforms regularly pull table data into comparison answers. If users are likely to ask "How does X compare to Y?" — a table on your site is the best way to provide that answer. Read our blog post on content formats AI loves for more patterns.

The FAQ Pattern

FAQ sections — especially with FAQ schema markup — are the single most effective format for AI citation. Each question-answer pair is a standalone unit that AI can extract directly. Add FAQ sections to every key page on your site: product pages, pricing pages, category pages, and landing pages.

Writing for Multiple Platforms

Different platforms have different preferences:

• Perplexity extracts heavily from structured, well-cited content with clear headers. Write content that reads like a well-organized reference document.
• ChatGPT synthesizes from training data, so your content needs to be widely referenced and authoritative. Consistency across your site matters.
• Google AI Overviews pull from pages that already rank well, so strong SEO fundamentals are a prerequisite.

The good news: content that's well-structured, definitive, and quotable performs well on all platforms. Optimize for quotability, and you cover all bases.

Key Takeaways

• Quotable content contains standalone answer blocks that AI can extract without additional context.
• Use definitive statements with specific numbers, not vague or hedging language.
• Lists, tables, FAQ sections, and clear definitions are the highest-performing formats.
• Every key page should contain at least one paragraph that directly answers a question customers ask.
• Combine quotable writing with schema markup for maximum AI citation rates.

Is your content quotable? Run a free audit with 99Visibility to see which of your target queries AI platforms are answering — and whether they're quoting you.