Make the answer extractable
Work through these steps in order. Each one builds on the last, so resist skipping ahead even if a step feels familiar.
- Use the user's question as a descriptive heading.
- Answer it in a concise paragraph before expanding.
- Support the answer with examples, definitions or primary sources.
- Keep the page focused rather than combining unrelated queries.
- Link to the organisation, author and related service context.
What to avoid
A few moving parts are involved here. The points below cover each of them, so you can see the full scope before deciding where to start.
- Unsupported statistics and invented evidence.
- FAQ blocks that do not add information.
- Duplicate engine-specific pages with no distinct intent.
- Schema claims that are not visible on the page.
- Hiding the main answer below a decorative introduction.
AI result layouts change. Build pages that remain useful if the answer engine display changes tomorrow.
Page structure that gets extracted
This comes down to a handful of concrete details. Work through the list below and flag the ones you have not covered yet.
- A heading that mirrors the question in natural language.
- A two to four sentence answer immediately below it.
- Supporting detail: steps, examples, edge cases and constraints.
- A visible author, organisation and last-updated date.
- Links to primary sources for every non-obvious claim.
Track the right signals
Search Console now includes AI surface impressions for some queries. Watch which pages gain impressions on question-style queries, and test your priority questions in Perplexity monthly. Both are directional signals, not stable league tables.
AI result layouts change. Build pages that remain useful if the answer engine display changes tomorrow.