Content actions: writing pages AI can lift and cite.
In short
A content action is a change that turns a page into something an AI can quote directly: a clear definition, a direct answer to a real question, or a structured fact it can reuse. AI cites sources it can extract cleanly. Make the answer easy to lift and you raise your odds of being cited.
Why it matters for AI
AI assistants summarize and quote. If your key point is buried in a paragraph of marketing language, the model has to interpret it, and may get it wrong or skip you. A direct, self-contained answer is low-risk for the model to reuse, so it's more likely to appear in the response.
The core moves
- Lead with the answer. Put the definition or the direct answer in the first sentence under the heading, then explain.
- Write to real questions. Use the exact question a buyer would ask as a heading, and answer it immediately beneath.
- Make facts self-contained. "We hold ISO 9001 and ship to the EU within 10 business days" beats "quality and speed you can count on."
- One idea per block. Short, extractable units beat long persuasive paragraphs.
Mini example
- Before: "With decades of expertise, we pride ourselves on world-class turnaround."
- After: "Standard lead time is 10 business days for orders up to 5,000 units; 15 for larger volumes."
Common questions
Does this hurt how the page reads to humans?
No. Direct answers help human skimmers too. You keep the persuasive copy; you just lead with the fact.
Is this just keyword stuffing?
No. It's answering real questions clearly. Stuffing repeats terms; content actions add retrievable substance.