I'm unhappy with our pages because they don't get quoted by LLMs

That’s a real issue now. If you want your pages to get quoted by LLMs, you need to optimize for retrievability, clarity, and extractable answers — not just traditional SEO.

Here’s the practical playbook:

1) Write in “quotable chunks”

LLMs tend to pull short, self-contained passages.

• Put the answer near the top
• Use clear headings
• Keep paragraphs short
• Make each section answer one question
• Prefer direct statements over fluffy marketing copy

Good:

“Our API returns data in JSON format and supports pagination via page and limit parameters.”

Less good:

“We offer a modern, flexible data experience designed to empower teams…”

2) Add explicit Q&A sections

Create pages or sections that mirror likely user questions.

Examples:

• “What does [product] do?”
• “How much does [plan] cost?”
• “How do I cancel?”
• “Is [feature] supported?”

This makes it easier for retrieval systems to locate exact answers.

3) Use precise, factual language

LLMs quote pages that sound authoritative and unambiguous.

• State numbers, limits, dates, and definitions
• Avoid vague claims like “best-in-class”
• Use consistent terminology

Example:

• “Response times are typically under 200 ms for cached requests.”
• “We support SSO with SAML 2.0.”

4) Make the page machine-readable

Structure matters.

• Use proper HTML headings: <h1>, <h2>, <h3>
• Use lists and tables for specs
• Add schema markup where relevant
• Ensure content is not hidden behind JS, tabs, or accordions that bots may miss

5) Include concise summaries

At the top of each key page, add:

• 1–2 sentence summary
• Bullet list of key points
• “In short” section

This gives LLMs an easy-to-quote passage.

6) Cover the exact questions people ask

You need content that maps to prompts.

Examples:

• “How does pricing work?”
• “What integrations are available?”
• “What’s the difference between X and Y?”
• “How do I migrate from competitor Z?”

If your pages don’t answer the exact question, the model will quote someone else.

7) Improve authority signals

LLMs are more likely to quote pages that appear trustworthy.

• Add author names and credentials
• Show dates and update timestamps
• Link to sources, docs, or primary data
• Cite benchmarks, methodology, or policy details

8) Create standalone reference pages

For important concepts, don’t bury them in blog posts.

Make dedicated pages for:

• Feature docs
• Definitions
• Comparison pages
• Pricing
• FAQs
• Implementation guides

These are easier to retrieve and quote than broad marketing pages.

9) Optimize for snippets, not just clicks

Ask: “Could this paragraph be pasted into an answer?”

A good quotable paragraph is:

• 1–3 sentences
• specific
• complete on its own
• easy to lift without context

10) Test it

Try querying major LLMs with the questions you care about:

• “What is [your product]?”
• “How does [feature] work?”
• “What are the limits of [plan]?”

See which competitors get quoted and why. Then rewrite your pages to match that structure.

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A simple template for LLM-friendly pages

Use this structure:

1. One-sentence answer
2. Short summary bullets
3. Detailed explanation
4. FAQ
5. Specs / table / examples
6. Sources / last updated

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If you want, I can also help you with one of these:

1. Audit one of your pages for LLM-quotability
2. Rewrite a page so it gets quoted better
3. Create a template for all your pages
4. Give you a checklist for engineering + content teams