How should I structure content for GEO?
Direct answer
Structure content for GEO by using question-phrased H2 headings, placing a direct answer in the first 40 to 60 words of each section, and making every section self-contained so AI engines can extract it without surrounding context. Add QAPage schema markup, use bulleted key facts for scannability, and keep paragraphs short. The SEORav AEO Checklist can validate your structure before publishing.
Key facts
- H2 headings should be phrased as the exact questions users ask AI tools
- The first 40 to 60 words of each section must contain a complete, direct answer
- Bulleted lists and key facts improve extraction because AI engines parse list structures reliably
- Each section should be independently meaningful without requiring the reader to scroll up or down
Extractable answer blocks
Generative Engine Optimization is GEO, the discipline of getting your sentences quoted inside AI-generated answers. The unit of optimization is the passage, not the page. Each passage should be 40 to 80 words, contain a single claim, name the entities involved, and stand alone without context from the surrounding text. Perplexity and Google AI Overviews lift these passages verbatim when they score above the citation threshold.
Freshness signals that matter
GEO engines penalize stale content on time-sensitive queries. Update the visible publish date and the schema datePublished + dateModified fields together. Add a "Last reviewed" line near the top. For statistics-heavy pages, cite sources from the past 12 months and link them. Perplexity downranks pages older than 18 months on news and pricing queries, while Google AI Overviews shows a recency boost on health, finance, and product topics.
Practical takeaway
Break long paragraphs into 60-word answer units. Name a date, a number, and a source in every claim block. Refresh stats quarterly and bump the modified date when you do. These three habits raise the share of your content that gets quoted, not just linked, by generative engines.