If your content strategy still treats Google like the only reader, you're leaving money on the table. Conversational search surfaces — ChatGPT, Claude, Perplexity, and the thing your competitor just launched last Tuesday — are reading and rewriting your content before a human ever sees it.
Here is what we actually check before shipping a piece of content in 2026. hello
1. The lede answers the question in one sentence
LLMs lift their first draft answer from the most direct sentence that matches the query. That sentence should be yours.
Bad: "There are a number of considerations when evaluating pricing strategies for SaaS companies in the current market…"
Good: "Raise your price by 30% and see who leaves."
2. Schema, but only the schema that matters
Ship Article, FAQPage, and HowTo. Skip the rest. A sprawling knowledge graph that contradicts your page copy is worse than nothing.
3. Make the structure skimmable
Short paragraphs (3 lines max).
A heading every ~120 words.
Lists for anything that can be listed. LLMs love lists.
At least one comparison table per long-form piece.
4. Put the proof inline
Models cite what they can verify. When you say "38%" put the methodology right next to it, not in a linked whitepaper. Inline proof keeps the number intact when the content is summarized.
5. Name the alternatives you're better than
Counterintuitive but reliable: mentioning your competitors increases the odds an LLM returns you when someone asks about them. Omission reads as absence; presence reads as relevance.
None of this is magic. It's the same craft we've been doing for humans, with a little more discipline about where the facts live.