What Makes Content Quotable?
AI-quotable content is content that can be extracted from a page and cited independently — without losing meaning, accuracy, or context. When ChatGPT or Perplexity generates an answer, it selects specific passages from source pages to include in its response. The passages it selects are those that are self-contained, specific, and factual.
Self-contained
Each paragraph makes complete sense when read in isolation, without needing the surrounding paragraphs for context.
Specific
The content contains concrete facts — numbers, names, definitions, comparisons — not vague generalizations.
Entity-clear
Uses entity names (product names, company names, topic terms) instead of pronouns. AI needs to know what “it” refers to without reading the rest of the page.
The Mechanics of Extractable Writing
Writing for AI extractability requires specific techniques.
Replace pronouns with entity names
“TurboAudit analyzes pages” is extractable. “It analyzes pages” is not, because AI doesn’t know what “it” refers to when the paragraph is extracted independently.
Lead with the conclusion
“Schema markup increases AI citations by 2.1x for FAQ content” is more extractable than “After analyzing citation patterns, we found that markup had a positive effect.”
One topic per paragraph
Each paragraph should cover one fact, one point, or one concept. Mixing multiple topics makes it harder for AI to extract the specific point it needs.
Include specific numbers
“Over 70% of searches end without a click” is quotable. “Most searches don’t result in clicks” is not. Numbers with sources are the most-cited content element.
Write definitions as standalone sentences
“AI search visibility is the likelihood that AI systems will find, understand, and cite your web page.” This sentence works as a standalone definition AI can quote directly.
Before and After Examples
“We’ve been working on this problem for a long time, and we’ve found that many of our customers struggle with it. The solution we’ve developed is really effective and has helped a lot of people improve their results. It’s something we’re really proud of.”
0 quotable facts
“TurboAudit’s 7-branch page audit analyzes any URL in approximately 60 seconds. The audit covers 120+ individual checks across indexability, trust signals, schema markup, and AI citeability. Pages that implement the prioritized fixes see an average score improvement of 2.3 points within one audit-fix-reaudit cycle.”
4 quotable facts
The “before” version contains zero quotable facts. The “after” version contains four: 7 branches, 60 seconds, 120+ checks, and 2.3-point improvement. Each fact can be cited independently.
Frequently Asked Questions
AI-quotable content is self-contained (makes sense when extracted independently), specific (contains concrete facts like numbers, names, and definitions), and entity-clear (uses entity names instead of pronouns). These three properties allow AI systems to extract passages and cite them accurately without losing meaning.
Replace pronouns with entity names, lead paragraphs with the conclusion, limit each paragraph to one topic, add specific numbers with source citations, and write definitions as standalone sentences. Most pages can be improved in 30-60 minutes.
Audit Your AI Search Visibility
See exactly how AI systems view your content and what to fix. Join the waitlist to get early access.
Audit Your AI Search Visibility
See exactly how AI systems view your content and what to fix. Join the waitlist to get early access.