The four formats engines love
FAQs, comparisons, how-tos, and 'best of' roundups — the page shapes that get pulled into AI answers most often.
FAQ pages
Five to ten real customer questions, each as a heading, each with a 2–3 sentence plain-English answer. Add FAQPage schema. This is the single highest-leverage format for local and service businesses — every Q maps directly to a query an engine might receive.
Comparison pages
'You vs. [the obvious alternative].' Honest pros and cons in a table. Engines love comparisons because users ask comparison questions constantly ('X vs Y', 'alternatives to X'). If you don't write the comparison, a competitor or aggregator will — and they'll frame you.
How-tos and 'best of' roundups
How-tos win by being step-numbered, scannable, and specific. 'Best of' roundups (yes, even ones that include you honestly alongside others) build authority and get cited heavily — engines treat them as ready-made shortlists.
Hands-on