How to get cited in ChatGPT and Perplexity

Overview

AI answers are reshaping how users find brands. When someone asks ChatGPT or Perplexity for recommendations in your space, you want your brand to be cited accurately and often. This guide walks through the steps to get there.

Why citations matter

Citations in AI answers drive trust and traffic. Users increasingly treat AI summaries as the first answer; if you are not mentioned, you are effectively invisible for that query.

What we'll cover

We will cover content structure, entity signals, and how to measure and improve your visibility in AI engines.

Content structure for AI

Structured content helps both traditional search and AI. Use clear headings, short answer paragraphs, and lists so crawlers and language models can extract key facts.

Use direct answer paragraphs

Open key sections with a 40–60 word paragraph that directly answers the question. AI systems often surface these verbatim.

Add lists and tables

Lists and comparison tables make it easy for models to cite specific points. For example:

| Factor | Impact on citation | |--------|---------------------| | Clear entity definition | High | | FAQ schema | High | | Short, scannable paragraphs | Medium |

Technical setup

Ensure your site exposes the right signals. Here is a minimal checklist you can run in the console:

1// Check for FAQ schema
2const faqSchema = document.querySelector('script[type="application/ld+json"]');
3if (faqSchema) {
4  const data = JSON.parse(faqSchema.textContent);
5  console.log('Schema type:', data['@type']);
6}
7 

Entity and organization markup

Add Organization and LocalBusiness schema so AI engines can resolve your brand name, URL, and core facts. This improves accuracy when they cite you.

Measuring visibility

Use Agent3Opt or similar tools to track how often you appear in AI answers for your target prompts. Run visibility probes regularly and compare share of voice over time.

Next steps

1. Audit your top pages for direct-answer paragraphs.
2. Add or refine FAQ and Organization schema.
3. Run a visibility baseline and set a monthly check-in.