By Nicolas Avila · October 9, 2026

Writing for people and artificial intelligence at the same time

Photo: Avila Ops Tecnologia

There is no conflict between writing for people and writing for artificial intelligence. Text AI can cite has the answer in the first paragraph, sentences that make sense on their own, numbers instead of adjectives, and a stated source. It is exactly what a hurried person on a phone appreciates.

Today, many searches pass through a generated answer: Google’s top summary, ChatGPT, WhatsApp assistants. Businesses cited in those answers get the customer; those left out disappear. Citation does not depend on a trick; it depends on a sentence answering the question that can be reproduced without losing meaning. See the overview in how to make my business appear in ChatGPT and AI.

What does AI need to find in the text?

AI answering a question looks through the pages it has read for the passage most like a direct answer. It prefers passages with these characteristics:

1. A definition or answer in up to 60 words, immediately after the heading. “Cleaning a 12,000 BTU split system in Rio Preto costs between R$ X and R$ Y and takes about 40 minutes.” That can be cited. “Our qualified team performs cleaning with excellence” cannot, because it answers nothing.
2. Sentences that stand alone. If a sentence depends on the previous paragraph to make sense (“This is what makes the difference”), it cannot be extracted. Name the subject: “Cleaning the coil is what makes the difference.”
3. Number, unit, and condition. Prices with currency, deadlines in days, quantities. And the condition: “starting at,” “for up to 20 m²,” “in business days.”
4. Subheadings phrased as questions. AI tends to match the user’s question to the subheading and extract what follows.
5. Who is speaking. Business name, city, date last updated. AI prefers an identifiable source to anonymous text.

How do I write a citable paragraph?

A four-step method for each page:

First, write the question customers ask, in their words. It becomes the title or first subheading.

Second, answer in one or two sentences, as though sending a WhatsApp message to someone in a hurry. Include the number. That answer is the first paragraph. Put nothing before it.

Third, explain why and under what conditions in the following paragraphs. Include the example, exception, and what is not included here.

Fourth, reread each sentence and ask: if someone copied only this sentence, would it make sense and be correct? If not, rewrite it.

A before and after. Before: “We offer several plan options to meet your needs, with affordable prices. Contact us.” After: “Laundry X in Rio Preto has three monthly plans: 10 items for R$ A, 25 items for R$ B, and 50 items for R$ C, all including pickup and delivery downtown and in the south zone. Outside these areas, there is a R$ D fee.” The second text can be cited by AI, compared by a reader, and confirmed by phone.

What should you avoid because it gets in both readers’ way?

Introductions that delay the answer. Adjectives instead of data. Unexplained acronyms. Text that promises without specifying (“special terms,” “contact us to learn more”). Loose pronouns (“this,” “it,” “this solution”) that make sense only in context.

And one error specific to the AI era: AI-generated text without editing. It tends to be generic, with no numbers or location, so other AI systems do not cite it; they prefer sources with information unavailable elsewhere. The guide editing AI text: habits that give it away shows what to cut.

What makes AI choose your page over others is covered in what makes artificial intelligence cite your business. The AI website summary, the llms.txt file, is a complement: it helps AI find pages but does not replace a citable paragraph within them.

What to do now

Open your website’s most important page and read only the first paragraph. If it does not answer the title with a number, rewrite it today using the four steps. If you want a website written for people and AI, with AI answering repetitive WhatsApp questions while calling you in for decisions: avilaops.com/automacao-de-atendimento or contact us on WhatsApp: wa.me/5517997811471.

Frequently asked questions

Do I need to write robotically for AI to understand?

No. Write as you would explain something to a hurried customer. AI needs a clear answer and a sentence that stands alone; that is good writing, not robotic writing.

Doesn’t putting prices on the website expose me to competitors?

Competitors already know your prices. Customers do not, and they ask AI. If your page has prices and theirs does not, yours gets cited. If prices vary, give the range and what determines it.

Is adding structured data (schema) worthwhile?

It helps Google understand the page type (FAQ, product, local business) and does no harm. But it does not replace clear text; marking up a vague page does not make it citable.