The AI-First Page Template: HTML, Schema & Copy Patterns That Get Quoted

Most AEO advice describes principles. This is a working template — the exact structure I use for pages designed to be cited by AI engines. Every element is here for a reason; remove any one and citation rate drops in observable testing. Adapt the copy, keep the architecture.

Table of contents

1. The 9 elements of an AI-first page · 2. The HTML skeleton · 3. The schema stack · 4. Copy patterns: the answer block formula · 5. Internal linking pattern · 6. Meta and head section · 7. The validation checklist · 8. FAQ

What are the 9 elements of an AI-first page?

1. Title tag with primary query phrasing. 2. Meta description with the answer in 155 chars. 3. H1 matching the title. 4. 2–3 sentence GEO summary lead (quotable standalone). 5. Mini ToC with anchor links. 6. 4–8 question-led H2s, each followed by a 40–80 word direct answer block. 7. FAQ section with 5 Q/A pairs. 8. Author bio with Person schema. 9. Schema stack: Article + FAQPage + (HowTo if applicable) + BreadcrumbList. Pages missing 3+ of these rarely get cited consistently.

The HTML skeleton

Semantic HTML wins: wrapping main content, per H2, for ToC, for title block, for author + dates. Avoid div soup — AI parsers read semantic structure as hints to importance. Each H2 ID should be slug-safe and match the ToC anchor. Code blocks (where relevant) inside with language class for technical content.

The schema stack

Always: Article (with author Person, datePublished, dateModified, image), FAQPage with all questions matching the on-page H2s where possible, BreadcrumbList. When applicable: HowTo (step-based content), Product (product-related), Organization (brand pages). Use JSON-LD blocks at the end of ; never inline microdata. **Validate every schema block in Google's Rich Results Test before deploying — see the 78%-failure-rate audit linked below.**

Copy patterns: the answer block formula

Each answer block follows: [direct definition or yes/no in sentence 1] + [supporting mechanism or context in sentence 2] + [specific example, stat, or constraint in sentence 3]. 40–80 words total. Avoid hedging ('it depends', 'it's complicated' as openers — they kill quotability). Front-load the answer; provide nuance after, never before. **The answer block is the unit of citation — write it as if it will appear standalone in a synthesized AI answer, because it will.**

Internal linking pattern

Inline contextual links to 3–5 related on-site pages within the body (not just at the end). A 'Continue your research' panel above the FAQ with 5–8 related links grouped by intent (related reading, services, location pages). Outbound citation links to 3–5 authoritative external sources via the Article schema's citation field. Internal anchor text should be descriptive, not 'click here'.

Meta and head section

Title <60 chars including primary keyword. Meta description <160 chars containing the direct answer. Canonical URL self-referencing. Open Graph and Twitter Card with article-specific image (not site default). Robots: index, follow. Language attribute set on . Viewport meta. Preload critical fonts. Structured data in JSON-LD at end of head. **og:image must be unique per page — root-level og:image overrides leaf images and kills share appeal.**

The validation checklist

Before shipping: (1) Title <60 chars; (2) Meta description <160 chars; (3) Single H1; (4) All H2s as questions; (5) Each H2 followed by direct answer block 40–80 words; (6) FAQ with 5 Q/A; (7) Schema validates in Rich Results Test; (8) Open Graph image is page-specific; (9) Internal links to 3+ related pages; (10) Outbound citations to 3+ authoritative sources. 10/10 = ship; <8/10 = revise.

Frequently Asked Questions

How long should an AI-first page be?

1,500–2,500 words for standard pages; 2,500–3,500 for original research or comprehensive guides. Below 1,200 words usually lacks the substance for multiple answer blocks; above 4,000 dilutes the quotable density. Length is a function of content depth, not a target.

Can I retrofit existing pages to this template?

Yes — most existing pages improve dramatically with: rewriting H2s as questions, adding 40–80 word answer blocks, adding FAQPage schema, adding internal link panel. A 60–90 minute retrofit per page on your top 30 URLs is the highest-ROI AEO project most teams haven't done.

Does this template work for product pages?

Adapted version: replace the FAQ with product Q&A, swap Article schema for Product, keep the answer-block pattern for spec/use-case sections. The structural principles transfer cleanly to ecommerce.

What if my CMS makes some of this hard?

Schema can almost always be injected via head custom code; semantic HTML can be enforced via theme overrides; the answer-block pattern is just copy. The most common blocker is FAQ schema — most CMS plugins handle it well in 2026, audit and pick one.

Will this template still work in 12 months?

Likely yes for the architecture (semantic HTML, schema, answer blocks); the specific schema versions and AI engine quirks will evolve. The foundation — clean structure + entity signals + quotable copy — is durable across model updates.