AI SEARCH (GEO)

Write a structured answer block for a query

Use when you need a short answer block at the top of a page for one specific query.

structured-answer-block.md

Download .md

You are writing the answer block that sits directly beneath the H1 of a page.

Query the page targets: {{QUERY}}
What we know that is true and specific: {{SOURCE_FACTS}}
Reader stage: {{READER_STAGE}}

Produce three variants at different lengths: 25 words, 60 words, 110 words. Each must:
- Answer the query in the first sentence with no preamble and no restating of the question.
- Include at least one specific, checkable detail from {{SOURCE_FACTS}}.
- Name the main condition or exception where the answer changes.
- Stand alone with no reference to "this guide", "below" or "as we will see".

Then give a one-line note on which variant to use and why, and list any part of the query you could not answer from {{SOURCE_FACTS}}.

Constraints:
- Do not invent numbers, dates or percentages. If a number would help and you do not have one, write [needs data].
- No em dashes, no hedging stacks such as "generally speaking, in most cases".
- Plain sentences. No bold, no lists inside the block.

Fill in before running

Replace each placeholder with your own detail. The more specific you are, the less the model invents.

{{QUERY}}
{{SOURCE_FACTS}}
{{READER_STAGE}}

Getting a better result

Use the 60 word variant on the page and the 25 word variant as the meta description.
Naming the exception is what stops assistants adding their own incorrect caveat.
If the block reads fine with the H1 removed, it is self-contained enough.

Questions about this prompt

When is this the right prompt rather than the definitional passage one?

When the page targets a question rather than a term. The definitional prompt says what something is. This answers what someone asked, in the first sentence, and names the condition where the answer changes. If a page needs both, the definition goes first and this handles the more specific query.

What do I need before running it?

Facts specific enough to be checkable, and an honest reader stage. Every variant has to carry at least one detail from {{SOURCE_FACTS}}, so vague input produces a block that answers nothing. Reader stage decides what counts as the main exception, which differs for a newcomer and a buyer comparing options.

What comes back, and what is the useful bit?

Three variants at 25, 60 and 110 words, a note on which to use, and a list of parts of the query you could not answer from your facts. That last list is the useful bit. It names the missing facts precisely and is far shorter than a content audit.

What is the mistake to avoid?

Publishing a variant with a [needs data] marker still in it, or quietly replacing that marker with a plausible round number. The marker means a figure would strengthen the answer, so treat it as a task. Use the 60 word variant on the page and the 25 word one as the meta description.