How to create content that ChatGPT actually quotes?

People no longer just ask Google. ChatGPT is fast becoming their go-to source for answers. In the second half of 2024 alone, the number of domains receiving referral traffic from ChatGPT tripled, according to Semrush.

And if it responds with your content, you know you’re doing something right.

So, what are the content creators who get quoted by ChatGPT doing right that you should be doing too?

TL;DR: To get quoted by ChatGPT, structure your content for easy extraction: use clear definitions, step-by-step formats, FAQs, and schema markup. Focus on original, specific, and practical content, especially how-tos, comparisons, and real examples. Write for both humans and AI: keep it readable, jargon-free, and sectioned in a way that answers common questions directly. Finally, build trust with expert bylines, reputable sources, and clean formatting.

How to structure your content for extraction

To maximise your chances of being quoted, structure your content for easy extraction with clear formats and markup.

If you want ChatGPT to quote you, you need to give it something valuable it can extract.

• Start with a concise definition or summary

• Label steps clearly (i.e., “step 1”, “step 2”...)

• Include an FAQ section containing clear questions and even clearer answers

• Use a schema markup, like HowTo, FAQPage, and metadata like meta descriptions

Offer new and fresh content, not bland and generic

Original and specific content stands out — ChatGPT favours fresh data and clear how-tos over generic writing.

Google might tolerate generic content if you play its SEO game correctly. Not ChatGPT, though. It favours original data, clear how-tos, and defined frameworks.

This means you have to offer:

1. Practical content: Not just blog posts, but how-tos, checklists, FAQs, guides, comparisons, etc. Because readers want to know how and why, not just what.

2. Content specific to your audience: If your audience is in the UK, think, for instance, of topics like “ How to register a limited company in the UK” or “How to comply with UK GDPR”.

3. Real examples and case studies: Show, don’t tell. People want to see how others have overcome problems like theirs, not just read generic advice.

Analyzing 80 million lines of clickstream data, Semrush found that 70% of ChatGPT queries show “unknown intent”, while only 30% fit informational, navigational, commercial, or transactional intent. This elevates clear and original content that helps users solve problems or brainstorm.

Write for humans and AI (at the same time)

Writing that is both readable and easy for AI to extract is your best bet for future-proof content.

Writing for ChatGPT is not that different from writing for SEO, with one key difference:

ChatGPT isn’t indexing keywords. It’s summarising meaning.

So, what does writing for humans and AI actually mean?

Writing for humans means:

• Make content easy to scan and understand quickly

• Avoid or explain jargon

• Let sentences flow naturally and use plain UK English

• Create content that is enjoyable and easy to read

Writing for ChatGPT means:

• Have clearly labelled sections that match typical user queries

• Keep paragraphs short, ChatGPT is more likely to pull a self-contained segment

• Write definitions and processes that can stand on their own without full context

• Make sure your content is easy to extract

Say you’re writing a guide on “How to register a UK company”. Do you start with:

1. A long explanation of why you need to register a company

2. A short paragraph clearly stating how to register a company in the UK

3. A list of benefits of registering a UK company

If you answered “B”, you’re thinking like ChatGPT.

Show expertise and trust

ChatGPT doesn’t believe that “all content is created equal”. Semrush found that educational institutions, academic publishers, and technical documentation sites receive more traffic from ChatGPT than from Bing.

Does your content come from or include:

• An author bio and bylines showing a real person, with expertise, wrote it?

• References and citations from reliable sources recognised in the industry?

• A strong domain reputation built through consistent, high-quality content and, yes, SEO best practices?

• Clear, well-structured content free of spammy elements, misleading headlines, and the like?

Then you are already on the right path to creating content that ChatGPT likes to quote.

Don’t wait for the shift - it’s here already

ChatGPT still gets a fraction of the search traffic that Google does (373X less, according to SparkToro research from 2025). But that’s not a signal for content creators to ignore it. It’s a signal to jump in and seize the initiative over those who wait. 

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