We've been deep in the world of Answer Engine Optimization, running the CiteMET playbook across our best content. The initial results were solid - we saw users engaging with our AI Share Buttons, and we knew we were successfully seeding our content into AI platforms. But with our team's background in AI, we saw this as just the first step.
We understood that for a Large Language Model (LLM), a single, quick interaction is a whisper. A true signal of authority, one that builds lasting memory, comes from a deeper conversation. We saw an opportunity to transform that initial whisper into a meaningful dialogue.
Introduction
We all know the frustration of the "Recipe Blog."
You want to know how long to bake the chicken. But first, you have to scroll through 1,500 words about the author's childhood summers in Tuscany, the smell of rosemary in the autumn breeze, and a philosophy on the concept of "dinner."
For years, Google rewarded this behavior. Long content meant "Time on Page." It meant more ad impressions. It was "Good SEO."
In the age of AI, this style of writing is dead.
When an AI agent like Perplexity or ChatGPT scans your site, it doesn't have "time." It has a token budget. It isn't looking to be entertained; it is looking to extract data. If it has to wade through fluff to find the answer, it will simply skip you and cite your competitor instead.
To win at Answer Engine Optimization (AEO), you need to flip your writing style upside down. You need the Inverted Pyramid.
The Shift: From "Reading" to "Ingesting"
Traditional SEO was about keywords. AEO is about Answer Intent.
- The Human Reader skims headers looking for something interesting.
- The AI Crawler ingests the structure looking for a specific relationship: .
[Question] -> [Definitive Answer]
If your content hides the answer in the 4th paragraph to "build suspense," you are breaking that relationship.
The Strategy: The Inverted Pyramid
Journalists have used this method for a century, but it is now the gold standard for AI visibility.
The Inverted Pyramid Structure:
- The BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front): The "Answer" goes first. Immediately after the header. No fluff.
- The Context: Supporting details, data, and the "Why."
- The Deep Dive: Nuance, history, and related topics (at the bottom).
Here is how to apply this to your site right now.
1. Stop Clearing Your Throat
Most B2B writing starts with "throat clearing"—generic intro sentences that say nothing.
Bad (SEO Fluff): "In today's fast-paced digital landscape, it is more important than ever for businesses to consider how they optimize their websites for various search engines..."
Good (AEO Direct): "Answer Engine Optimization (AEO) is the practice of formatting content to be easily cited by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Perplexity."
The Rule: If you can delete the first sentence and the meaning doesn't change, delete it. AI penalizes low-information density.
2. The "Direct Answer" Block
AI models are trained to recognize
Q&AIf your H2 is a question, the very first sentence of the following paragraph must be the direct answer.
Example:
H2: How much does cite-met cost?
P: cite-met offers a free 1-month trial, with paid plans starting at $30/month for the Pro tier. (Stop there. Then add context about features).
If you bury the price in the middle of the paragraph, the AI might hallucinate or miss it entirely.
3. Feed the Machine with Tables
If you want to be cited, give the AI structured data. AI models love tables. They are essentially databases that live in your HTML.
Instead of writing a paragraph comparing X and Y, build a table.
Don't write this: "The Free plan is good for testing and allows 1 scan per day, whereas the Pro plan gives you unlimited scans and costs $30, and the Authority plan is $99."
Do this:
| Plan | Price | Scans |
|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 1 / day |
| Pro | $30/mo | Unlimited |
| Authority | $99/mo | Unlimited |
When a user asks ChatGPT "Compare cite-met plans," the AI will lift this table directly and present it to the user, citing you as the source.
Hospitality for Robots
My philosophy in product building is "Hospitality by Default." Software should be kind to the user.
In 2025, being "kind" means respecting the user's time by making your content machine-readable. When you write clearly, efficiently, and structurally, you aren't just helping "robots." You are helping the human user who is asking that robot for help.
You are making yourself the easiest source to quote. And in the AI era, the easiest source wins.
Don't want to rewrite your entire blog?
We can build the "Inverted Pyramid" layer for you.
Our AEO-Optimized FAQ Service creates a dedicated, schema-perfect FAQ page that answers the top questions in your niche using this exact methodology. It's the fastest way to turn your site into a source of truth.