Citation is the new click
When an assistant answers a question, it names a handful of sources. Being one of them matters in the same way a first-page ranking used to, and it is won on similar ground: clear structure, verifiable claims and content that answers the question directly.
Write passages that can stand alone
Assistants quote passages, not pages. A paragraph that only makes sense after reading the three above it will rarely be selected. Each section should open with a direct answer and then support it.
- Lead each section with the conclusion
- Keep supporting detail in the same paragraph as the claim
- Use specific numbers and name your sources
- Avoid pronouns that depend on earlier context
The unglamorous parts still decide it
Crawlability, rendering, structured data and page speed remain the entry ticket. An assistant cannot cite a page it could not render, and most of the sites that complain about AI visibility have a technical problem underneath.