Website Copy Standards

Write website copy that converts humans AND gets cited by AI.

Design Philosophy

The Dual Audience Reality

Every piece of web copy has two readers: humans and machines. Write only for humans, and AI Answer Engines will never cite you. Write only for machines, and humans will bounce. The art is writing content that serves both simultaneously.

The Citation Economy

SEO was about ranking. GEO is about citation. When Perplexity or ChatGPT answers a user's question, they cite sources. Your content either contributes facts to that answer or it doesn't exist. There is no "page 2" in AI responses.

Answer First, Story Second

Traditional copywriting builds toward a conclusion. GEO copywriting leads with the conclusion. The first 50 words after a question heading ARE the answer. Everything else is supporting detail for humans who want to go deeper.

Entity Thinking

Keywords are dead. Entities are alive. An entity is a thing in the world with attributes and relationships. "Nike Air Max 2025" is an entity. "Best running shoes" is a keyword. AI understands entities; it matches keywords. Write about things, not phrases.

Ethical Persuasion

This skill could teach manipulation. It doesn't. Dark patterns work short-term and destroy trust long-term. Empowerment marketing builds loyalty. Pain-point agitation is replaced by potential-highlighting.

---

Anti-Patterns: Copy That Fails

The Keyword Stuffer

Symptom: "Our best running shoes are the best running shoes for runners who want the best." Problem: AI detects keyword spam. Humans detect desperation. Solution: Say it once, clearly. Use entity attributes instead of repeating the keyword.

The Wall of Text

Symptom: Dense paragraphs without headers, bullets, or visual breaks. Problem: 73% of users skim. Walls of text trigger immediate bounce. Solution: Short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max), bullets for lists, bold key phrases.

The "Click Here" Linker

Symptom: "To learn more, click here." Problem: Screen readers announce links without context. "Click here" is meaningless. Solution: "Read our guide to Schema Markup" — descriptive link text.

The Feature Fetishist

Symptom: "64GB storage, 120Hz display, A17 Bionic chip..." Problem: Features don't sell. Benefits do. Nobody buys a 120Hz display; they buy smooth scrolling. Solution: Lead with benefit, support with feature: "Buttery-smooth scrolling (120Hz display)."

The Dark Pattern User

Symptom: "No thanks, I don't care about saving money" (confirmshaming) Problem: Short-term conversions, long-term reputation damage, potential legal issues. Solution: Neutral opt-out language: "No thanks" or "Maybe later."

---

Copy Style Selection

Choose your baseline voice before writing:

B2B Enterprise

• Tone: Confident, evidence-based, ROI-focused
• Proof: Case studies, metrics, industry recognition
• CTA: Consultative ("Schedule a demo", "Talk to an expert")
• Reference: See b2b-b2c-methodology.md

B2C Consumer

• Tone: Friendly, benefit-driven, emotionally resonant
• Proof: Reviews, social proof, before/after
• CTA: Action-oriented ("Get started", "Try free")
• Reference: See b2b-b2c-methodology.md

SaaS Product

• Tone: Clear, value-first, low-friction
• Proof: Free trial, feature tours, comparison tables
• CTA: Low commitment ("Start free trial", "See how it works")

Service Business

• Tone: Trustworthy, relationship-focused, expertise-demonstrating
• Proof: Testimonials, credentials, process transparency
• CTA: Engagement-focused ("Get a quote", "Book a call")

---

Quick Start Checklist

Before publishing any web copy, verify:

Category	Check
SEO	Entities mapped (not just keywords)
SEO	Question H2s with concise answers (<40 words)
UX	Scannable: bullets, bold, short paragraphs
UX	Accessible: alt text, descriptive links
Tone	Conversational (read aloud to test)
Value	Benefit-first headlines (not features)
Ethics	Claims provable, pain used responsibly
AI	Hallucinations removed, sentence rhythm varied

---

Writing Workflow

Step 1: Identify Audience

• B2B? → Read b2b-b2c-methodology.md
• B2C? → Read b2b-b2c-methodology.md

Step 2: Map Entities

Define primary entities (not keywords) the content covers.

• What things, people, places, concepts?
• What are their attributes and relationships?
• See geo-technical.md → Entity-Based SEO

Step 3: Structure for Skimmers

73% of users skim. Format for scannable reading:

• Short paragraphs (3-4 sentences max)
• Bullet points for lists
• Bold key phrases
• Question H2s for voice search
• See cognitive-copywriting.md → Skimming

Step 4: Write Emotion-First

80% of decisions start emotional, then rationalise.

• Headlines: visceral appeal (safety, status, belonging)
• Body: logical support (features, specs, ROI)
• See cognitive-copywriting.md → Neuro-Copywriting

Step 5: Apply Answer-First Structure

For AI citation and voice search:

<h2>How does X work?</h2>     <!-- Question trigger -->
<p>X works by... [40-60 words]</p>  <!-- Direct answer -->
<p>This is because...</p>     <!-- Supporting detail -->

See geo-technical.md → Answer-First

Step 6: Implement Schema

Use scripts/generate_schema.py to create JSON-LD:

python scripts/generate_schema.py --type faqpage --interactive
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type article --input data.json

Or copy templates from assets/schema-templates/

---

Audit Workflow

Step 1: Run Validator

python scripts/validate_content.py --file page.html
python scripts/validate_content.py --url https://example.com --json

Checks: H1 count, heading hierarchy, semantic HTML, Schema presence, readability score, scannability, link text, alt text.

Step 2: Review GEO Technical

Against geo-technical.md:

• Single H1 with primary entity
• Heading hierarchy (no skipped levels)
• Semantic elements (article, section, aside)
• JSON-LD Schema present
• Answer blocks after question H2s

Step 3: Evaluate Cognitive Load

Against cognitive-copywriting.md:

• 8-second headline test (clear value?)
• Grade 8 reading level
• Sentence rhythm (varied lengths)
• Specific > generic claims

Step 4: Verify Accessibility

Against ux-accessibility.md:

• All images have alt text
• No "click here" links
• Proper heading hierarchy
• Dark mode considerations

---

Scripts

generate_schema.py

Generate JSON-LD Schema markup.

# Interactive mode
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type faqpage --interactive
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type article --interactive
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type organization --interactive
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type product --interactive

# From JSON file
python scripts/generate_schema.py --type article --input data.json --output schema.json

validate_content.py

Validate HTML against GEO and copywriting standards.

# Validate local file
python scripts/validate_content.py --file index.html

# Validate URL
python scripts/validate_content.py --url https://example.com

# JSON output for CI/CD
python scripts/validate_content.py --file page.html --json

---

Reference Navigation

Choose based on your task:

Task	Reference
Technical SEO, Schema, Entity mapping	geo-technical.md
Psychology, headlines, AI humanisation	cognitive-copywriting.md
Microcopy, accessibility, voice search	ux-accessibility.md
Landing pages, CTAs, conversion	landing-pages.md
B2B vs B2C tone and strategy	b2b-b2c-methodology.md
About pages, origin stories	brand-storytelling.md
Ethics, inclusivity, dark patterns	ethics-inclusivity.md

---

Key Principles

GEO: Write for AI Citation

• Content must contribute facts AI uses to construct answers
• Goal is citation, not just ranking
• Use Schema markup for explicit machine understanding
• Include original data, stats, quotes (Information Gain)

Psychology: Emotion First

• 80% emotional, then rationalised
• 8-second headline window
• 73% of users skim
• Reduce cognitive load

Structure: Answer First

• Question H2s for voice search
• Direct answer in 40-60 words
• Then supporting detail
• Each block must stand alone (Pinball Pattern)

Ethics: Empower, Don't Manipulate

• Highlight potential, not inadequacy
• No dark patterns
• Inclusive language
• Provable claims only

---

External Resources

• Google GEO Guidance: Search Central on AI Overviews — Official guidance on AI-generated search results
• Schema.org: Schema Types Reference — Authoritative schema type definitions
• W3C WCAG: Web Content Accessibility Guidelines — Accessibility standards
• Nielsen Norman Group: UX Research — Evidence-based usability guidance
• Hemingway App: Readability Checker — Grade-level analysis

---

Your Mission

You are writing for the future of search. Every answer engine that emerges tomorrow will evaluate content created today. Your copy is not just marketing; it is the source material from which AI constructs the world's knowledge.

Write as if your content will be cited a million times. Because it might be.