Getting quoted by the assistants.

Pages that get quoted tend to state the answer plainly before the context. If somebody asks what VAT applies to hot takeaway food in Ireland, the page that says the rate in its first two sentences is far more quotable than one that builds to it over eight paragraphs. This is also simply better writing, which is why the advice rarely conflicts with writing for humans.

If your hours differ between your site, your Google profile and a directory, a system trying to answer confidently will often use a different source instead. Consistency across the web is not glamorous work and it is one of the few things directly in your control. Pick the correct version, propagate it, and check twice a year.

Facts in labelled fields are easier to extract than facts in prose, and far easier than facts inside an image. Marking up your address, hours, menu and FAQs is the difference between a machine being confident about your details and hedging. Hedged sources tend not to get cited.

A page that answers one narrow question thoroughly gets cited more than a long page that covers a topic broadly. Local and regulatory specifics are especially strong, because most content on the internet is written for a different market and is quietly wrong for yours. Being the only accurate source for your jurisdiction is a real advantage.

Nobody outside the companies building these systems knows exactly how sources are selected, and the mechanics change. Treat this as an area to do the durable things well rather than one to optimise tightly. Everything on this list is worth doing even if assistants disappeared tomorrow, which is the test for whether advice in this area is worth following.