The Citation Game: How AI Search Actually Works (And How to Win It)

Summary

Search is moving away from ten blue links toward direct answers. The new goal is to be cited inside the answer and still win the click that leads to a result for your business. This episode applies the new seo for dental clinics with a Singapore clinic example, then shows a clear path from answer to appointment using GEO, AEO, AIO, and SXO.

Download the 5-page mini guide (with code).

Read the full blog article.

Quick takeaways

• The aim is to be selected and cited inside AI answers, not only ranked.

• Use a question H2 with a short, self-contained answer so assistants can quote you.

• Keep the answer to 40–60 words, then expand with details and a mini-FAQ.

• Allow Googlebot for visibility. Decide your policy for AI training crawlers such as Google-Extended, GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot

• Place a mobile-first Answer → Action block directly under the short answer.

• Track snippets, time on page, and CTA clicks for two weeks. If CTA clicks do not lift by 10–20 percent, move proof above the button and retest.

  
  

Why answers and citations now

AI features in Search generate a direct answer by pulling short, well-structured passages and then showing sources. Clear headings, concise answers and valid structured data increase your chance of being cited.

GEO in practice: make content citable

Most clinic pages open with broad paragraphs that are hard for machines to cite. Convert them into Q→A sections.

Before

“Wisdom tooth removal is a common procedure. Costs depend on complexity and whether surgery is needed…”

After

H2: How much does wisdom tooth removal cost in Singapore?

Answer (2–3 lines): Costs vary by case and anaesthesia. A simple extraction is usually lower cost than a surgical extraction. Your dentist will confirm the approach after an X-ray and provide a written estimate at your first visit.

Then add a short expansion that explains price factors, recovery time and when to see a specialist.

AEO in practice: the 40–60 word answer + mini-FAQ

Write a featured-snippet-ready paragraph that stands alone. Keep it to 40–60 words. Follow with a mini-FAQ of three one-sentence answers that match real questions. (AI features prefer clear, answer-first chunks.)

AIO in practice: crawler policy and safety note

State your policy in robots.txt. For many clinics, a smart default is: keep Googlebot allowed for search visibility, and decide whether to Disallow: / for Google-Extended if you do not want your content used for AI training. Repeat the same approach for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot. Robots rules are advisory and followed by reputable crawlers; always test changes on staging first.

Note: recent reports allege that some crawlers may not always respect robots rules; monitor logs and be ready to adjust.

SXO in practice: Answer → Action block

Place this block directly under the short answer, above the fold, mobile-first:

1. Short answer at the top

2. Proof unit: dentist profile or testimonials

3. Primary CTA: “Book a fifteen-minute consult”

4. Friction reducers: price range, appointment availability

5. PDPA consent line and privacy-policy link

6. Secondary path: “Download the first-visit checklist”

Strategic takeaway: one-week decision rule

Run a one-week A/B test on CTA copy and placement. If CTA clicks do not lift by 10–20 percent in one to two weeks, move the proof unit above the button and retest.

Chapters:

• 00:00 – Welcome and the shift to citations

• 00:35 – The four pillars in one minute (GEO, AEO, AIO, SXO)

• 01:10 – GEO demo: dental page “before”

• 02:00 – GEO demo: the “after” and why it works

• 03:05 – AEO: featured snippet and mini-FAQ

• 04:15 – AIO: robots policy, Googlebot vs Google-Extended

• 05:35 – SXO: Answer → Action block (six elements)

• 07:25 – Measure what matters and the decision rule

• 08:15 – Resources and how to get the guide

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Transcript

Chris: Welcome back to Get AI To, the podcast about when to use AI—and when not to. I am Chris.

Sorah: And I am Sorah. Today we are talking about something that is quietly changing how people find answers online.

Chris: The goal is no longer to rank my link at the top of search results. The goal is to have AI cite my answer directly.

Sorah: We will show you how to win that game with four pillars you can act on today: GEO, AEO, AIO, and SXO.

Chris: Search is moving away from ten blue links and toward direct answers. Those answers either cite you or they cite a competitor.

Sorah: Your strategy becomes simple. Structure content so AI assistants can quote it. Shape short, self-contained answers. Decide which AI crawlers may use the content for training. Convert every click with a clean on-page journey.

Chris: Let us make this real with a Singapore dental clinic example.

Sorah: Most clinic pages open with broad paragraphs. That format is hard for machines to cite. Let me show you what that looks like and how to fix it.

Chris: Okay, give me the before version first.

Sorah: Here is how most dental clinics write their content today: "Wisdom tooth removal is a common procedure. Costs depend on complexity and whether surgery is needed. Our experienced dentists can help you understand your options."

Chris: That sounds informative. What is wrong with it?

Sorah: Nothing is fundamentally wrong with it. It provides useful information. But it is not structured in a way that AI systems can easily extract and cite. Now let me show you the GEO-ready version of the same content.

Chris: Alright, let's hear it.

Sorah: First, you start with a question-based heading: "How much does wisdom tooth removal cost in Singapore?" Then you provide a direct answer in two to three lines: "Costs vary by case and anaesthesia. A simple extraction is usually lower cost than a surgical extraction. Your dentist will confirm the approach after an X-ray and provide a written estimate at your first visit." After that, you add a short expansion that explains what affects the price, what the recovery time looks like, and when someone should see a specialist.

Chris: I see the difference. That question-answer structure is much easier for an AI system to spot and cite.

Sorah: Exactly. The AI is looking for clear question-answer pairs. When you format your content that way, you are speaking the AI's language.

Chris: What about the technical implementation?

Sorah: In the downloadable guide we mention at the end of this episode, we include a small F-A-Q block and the schema markup you can paste directly into your website. We will not read code out loud on air, but it will be ready for you to use.

Chris: Give me a snippet I can lift and use as a featured answer.

Sorah: Keep it to one short paragraph that stands alone. It should be between forty and sixty words. Here is a featured-snippet-ready example: "Clear aligners are suitable for many adults in Singapore when mild to moderate alignment issues are present. A dentist assesses tooth movement, gum health, and lifestyle factors before planning trays. Clear aligners are removable, which helps with oral hygiene, but consistent wear is needed to achieve the planned result."

Chris: That is clean. It answers the question completely without needing any extra context.

Sorah: Right. And you can multiply this effect by adding a mini-FAQ with three real questions and one-sentence answers. That approach captures long-tail search intent.

Chris: Can you give me an example of what those FAQ questions might look like?

Sorah: Sure. For a dental clinic, you might have questions like "Are clear aligners painful?", "How long does clear aligner treatment take?", or "Can I eat normally with clear aligners?" Each of those gets a direct, self-contained answer.

Chris: And those are the kinds of specific questions people are typing into Google or asking ChatGPT.

Sorah: Exactly. Those long-tail queries are gold in the AI search era.

Chris: What about training and crawler access? How do we control that?

Sorah: You use a file called robots.txt to state your policy. One smart option for many clinics is to allow Googlebot for visibility, and disallow Google-Extended if you do not want your content used for AI model training. You can also set rules for GPTBot, ClaudeBot, and PerplexityBot.

Chris: Wait, back up. What is the difference between Googlebot and Google-Extended?

Sorah: Great question. Googlebot is Google's standard crawler. It indexes your site for traditional search results and for AI Overviews. If you block Googlebot, you disappear from Google entirely. Google-Extended is a separate crawler that only collects data to train future AI models like Gemini. Blocking Google-Extended protects your content from AI training while keeping you fully visible in Google Search.

Chris: So I can have my cake and eat it too. I stay visible in search but I protect my intellectual property from being used to train AI models.

Sorah: Exactly. That is the strategic play.

Chris: Are robots.txt rules actually enforced though?

Sorah: They are advisory and they are respected by reputable crawlers. They are not technically enforceable, but major companies like Google, OpenAI, and Anthropic honor them. You should test any changes in a staging environment first. We provide a template in the guide that you can use.

Chris: Once someone clicks through to our page, how do we convert them?

Sorah: You place a mobile-first Answer → Action block directly under the answer. Let me walk you through the six elements.

Chris: Okay, break it down for me.

Sorah: First, you have the short answer at the very top. This validates the user's click immediately. They see the answer they were looking for.

Sorah: Second, you add a proof unit. For a dental clinic, this might be the dentist's profile and qualifications, or patient testimonials.

Sorah: Third, you include a primary call to action. For example, "Book a fifteen-minute consult" with a clear button.

Sorah: Fourth, you add friction reducers. These are lines like "First visit costs between one hundred and two hundred dollars" or "Appointments available within three days."

Sorah: Fifth, you include a consent line for PDPA compliance. Something like "By submitting this form, I agree to the privacy policy."

Sorah: Sixth, you provide a secondary path for people who are not ready to book yet. For example, "Download the first-visit checklist" or "Learn more about our clinic."

Chris: So you are giving people options at different stages of readiness.

Sorah: Exactly. Some people are ready to book. Others need more information first. You cater to both.

Chris: And then you test this?

Sorah: Yes. You run a simple A/B test for one week on button copy and placement. Try "Book Now" versus "Schedule Consultation." Try placing the button on the left versus the right. See what performs better.

Chris: Alright, let us make this actionable. What should someone do today if they want to implement this?

Sorah: Pick one high-traffic page on your website. Add a question-based H2 heading. Write a two to three line answer directly below it. Add the Answer → Action block we just described. And review your robots.txt policy to decide which AI crawlers you want to allow or block.

Chris: And then how do we measure if it is working?

Sorah: Track three numbers for two weeks. First, are you earning more snippets or answer features in search results? Second, what is your average time on page? Third, how many people are clicking your call to action?

Chris: What is the decision rule?

Sorah: If your call to action clicks do not lift by ten to twenty percent in one to two weeks, move the proof unit above the button and retest. Sometimes small layout changes make a big difference.

Chris: I love that. A clear decision rule with a specific threshold.

Sorah: Are you listening on Spotify? You can get the full resources and guide at our site.

Chris: Go to synthminds (dot) com (dot) sg. You will find the summary, takeaways, chapters, full transcript, and a one-click download of the five-page guide with the exact code and templates we discussed today. All the links are in the description.

Sorah: Everything you need to start implementing this on your own site is waiting for you there.

Chris: Thanks for listening to Get AI To. I am Chris.

Sorah: And I am Sorah. See you next time.