How do I write content that ChatGPT will cite?
ChatGPT cites content that answers a specific question in 1-3 sentences and comes from a domain it trusts. Four tactics: open every section with the answer (BLUF), use question-shaped H2s, structure data as HTML tables, and republish with fresh dateModified when claims change.
ChatGPT does not cite long prose narratives. It extracts answer-shaped passages that fit cleanly into its response. Five tactics that move the needle.
Tactic 1: BLUF (Bottom Line Up Front)
Every H2 section opens with the answer in 1-3 sentences. Elaboration follows. This mirrors how ChatGPT extracts: the first paragraph of each section is the candidate citation. Bury the answer in paragraph 3 and you lose the snippet.
Tactic 2: Question-shaped H2s
Write headings as questions readers might ask AI. "What is the cost of vendor lock-in?" beats "Cost considerations." Question-shaped H2s match the actual prompt shape ChatGPT users type, increasing extraction probability.
Tactic 3: HTML tables for comparisons
ChatGPT extracts HTML tables nearly verbatim. If you write a comparison as prose ("X is better than Y because..."), ChatGPT rewords. If you write a table with X, Y, and 5 dimensions of comparison, ChatGPT extracts the table structure intact.
Rule of thumb: if your answer has 3+ items that vary across 2+ dimensions, it is a table. Markdown tables convert to HTML in most stacks (MDX, Contentlayer, standard markdown).
Tactic 4: Republish with fresh dateModified
ChatGPT browsing favors fresh sources for evergreen queries. When pricing, product features, or industry data changes, update the relevant content AND update Article.dateModified in the schema. ChatGPT re-prioritizes the updated URL on next crawl.
A note on FAQPage schema
FAQPage JSON-LD is valid markup that mirrors a visible Q&A section, but no major AI engine documents a citation benefit from it, and Google stopped showing FAQ rich results on May 7, 2026. Add it when the page has a real FAQ; do not expect it to move citations. The question-shaped headings and direct answers above are what make a Q&A extractable.
How to test which of your pages ChatGPT cites
Radar Answer Engine Citation Tester queries ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and Gemini against the prompts you specify, then reports which URLs each engine cited. You see in 60 seconds whether your page made the citation list — and which competitor pages beat you.
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