AI search is our new reality. You can’t and honestly shouldn’t escape from it.

No, it doesn’t mean you need to stop investing in link building.

All you need to do is pay attention to AI visibility and create content that AI will cite.

How do you do that when everything feels so new?

Don’t worry, our article will cover all the important steps you can take to write content for AI citations and show up more in AI-generated answers.

What Are AI Citations?

AI citations are references to specific web pages or sources that AI tools like ChatGPT, Perplexity, and Google AI Overviews include in their answers to show where they got the information.

When you search for an informational keyword on Google, AI Overviews may give you a direct answer and cite the sources it used. For example, here’s what users get when someone searches for the best link building agencies. As you can see, SayNine is one of the sources.

You can find AI citations on ChatGPT too. We searched “what are the best SaaS link building agencies in Yerevan,” and it cited sources it trusts and uses: one of them is SayNine.

Here is the good part: ChatGPT doesn’t just cite SayNine here; it also mentions it. This brings us to an important point. 

Don’t confuse AI citations with AI mentions. A citation is when AI references you as a source. A mention is just your brand name appearing in an answer, with no link back. 

Want the full breakdown? Check out our guide.

Why You Create Content for AI Citations

Here are a few things citation-worthy content gives you.

• Increased brand awareness

High SEO rankings matter a lot, but they don’t replace AI visibility. When your content gets cited by AI, your brand name reaches more people and becomes more recognizable.

• Stronger brand trust

Earning trust is one of the hardest things for any business. AI citations help. When users see AI reference you as a source, it signals that you’re a credible, trustworthy business.

• More leads

AI search visitors tend to convert better. A SEMrush study on AI search found that visitors from AI search are 4.4x more likely to convert than those from traditional search.

4 Ways to Create Content for AI citations

Focus on Listicles

One of the first things you should do is invest in listicle articles. These are blog posts structured as lists, with information shown in bullets or numbers.

One large study of AI citations found that listicles are the single most-cited content format, at roughly 22% of all website citations, ahead of standard articles and product pages. Listicles perform especially well on commercial “best” and “which should I pick” queries, the searches closest to a buying decision. 

Here’s what to focus on:

• “Best,” “Top,” or “Alternatives” articles (examples: “X Best Link Building Agencies,” “Top X Logo Maker Tools,” or “Alternatives to X Project Management Tool”)
• Comparison articles (like “X SEO Tool vs. Y SEO Tool“)

Pro tip: Make your article as specific and targeted to a narrow audience. Create listicles like “Best SaaS SEO Agencies For B2B Startups” or “Top AI Presentation Makers For Students”.

You don’t need a big team to start. SayNine offers a listicle service, so you can get these articles done for you and boost your brand’s AI visibility.

Write Simple and Clean Content

Clarity and simplicity are a must in AI search optimization. Here are three things that help your content get cited:

• Use clear, simple words.
• Keep paragraphs short. Plain words help readers understand new or hard terms.
• Write for people first. For example, if someone is comparing data privacy software before buying, a guide that clearly explains what each tool does, who it helps, and how it compares to other options is more likely to be useful and cited. 

Structure Your Content

Unorganized content has almost no chance of being cited by AI. Here’s how you can structure yours so it does.

Format it for easy scanning:

• Write clear headings that include numbers and dates.
• Add bullet points that make content more digestible.
• Include visuals like screenshots.
• Use tables for features, pricing, and comparisons.

Then, ensure the body of your content covers all these points:

• Main features
• How those features work
• Pricing and packages
• Pros and cons

You can also add an FAQ section at the end. SayNine’s team has an interesting way to find questions users actually care about.

This is where SEMrush and its AI visibility feature help. We find the prompts that make AI tools mention our client, then turn them into FAQ questions.

Share Experience, Show Expertise

AI will value content that’s truly useful to readers, so avoid generic writing as much as possible.

Yes, you need the basic, important facts about each software or solution you present. But what really helps your content get cited is sharing your own experience with those tools.

• Test specific features yourself. 

Create articles in the format of “We Tested X Tools” and walk through the steps you took, what the reader can do, and the results you got.

• Share your unique insights and real examples.
• Back claims with credible and fresh sources, like research findings or statistics.
• Include case studies and user testimonials.
• Give the final verdict.

Share your recommendations with your audience on which tools will best suit their needs, or which agency they should consider working with. 

To Wrap Up

Easy to read, accurate, well-structured, and unique.

That’s the kind of content for AI citations. And it’s exactly what you need to win AI visibility.

Sounds simple, but it isn’t.

If you’re struggling to create content like this, contact us and see how our team can help.

FAQ about content for AI citations