Welcome to episode 230 of the Technical Writing Success podcast from Curt Robbins, where we help you get smarter than your competition.
This episode is entitled "GEO: How to Write Documentation That AI Actually Cites." Hosts Daphne Blake and Fred Jones outline strategies for technical writers to ensure that their documentation is cited and quoted by AI assistants like ChatGPT and Gemini.
While previous methods focused on making files machine-readable, this approach emphasizes Generative Engine Optimization (GEO) through specific structural changes. Effective tactics include front-loading direct answers, using self-contained phrasing, and writing headings that mirror actual user queries.
This episode highlights the importance of a verification loop, where writers manually or automatically audit AI responses to identify and correct misinformation or missing citations. Ultimately, the goal is to balance machine-friendly tactics with high-quality content that remains useful for human readers.
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"It will not be AI that takes away the job of a technical writer, but rather another technical writer with deep AI skills." — Curt Robbins
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