Our BOFU content converts great from Google but never gets cited by AI. Different optimization needed?

This is one of the most important questions in AI content right now. Here’s the framework that works:

Why BOFU fails with AI:

AI systems are trained to be helpful and neutral. Content that screams “buy our product!” feels promotional and gets deprioritized. AI wants to cite sources that genuinely help users, not sales pages.

But BOFU absolutely can get cited. The trick is structure.

The Hybrid Framework:

Section 1: Educational Foundation (AI cites this)

• What problem are you solving?
• What should users consider when choosing a solution?
• What are the common approaches?

Section 2: Comparison/Evaluation (AI cites this)

• Objective comparison of options
• Clear criteria for decision-making
• Specific data points

Section 3: Your Solution (Humans convert here)

• How your product addresses the problem
• Specific features and benefits
• Call to action

AI will cite sections 1 and 2. Humans who read those sections flow into section 3 and convert.

Real example:

Instead of “Why [Product] is the Best CRM for Small Business,” write: “How to Choose a CRM for Small Business: Key Features, Pricing, and Top Options”

Lead with education, include comparison, naturally include your product as an option. AI cites the educational parts, humans see your product as a solution.

Here’s a specific BOFU content type that works for both:

The “Decision Guide”

Structure:

1. Decision Framework (AI cites this)

   • What factors matter when choosing X?
   • Questions to ask yourself
   • Red flags to avoid

2. Options Compared (AI cites this)

   • Table comparing 3-5 options including you
   • Honest pros/cons for each
   • “Best for” recommendations

3. Our Recommendation (Humans convert here)

   • How we fit into the framework
   • Why we built what we built
   • Call to action

Why this works:

When someone asks ChatGPT “How do I choose [category]?”, it can cite your decision framework. When they ask for comparisons, it can cite your table. You’re being genuinely helpful, which AI rewards.

The human who reads this is being guided toward you through a logical decision process. They convert because they’ve been educated, not because they’ve been sold.

Our best-performing BOFU page:

• “How to Choose Project Management Software: Decision Framework + Top 5 Compared”
• 47 AI citations last quarter
• 8.2% conversion rate

The internal insights angle is underutilized.

AI loves specific data. Most BOFU content is generic claims. But if you can include:

• “We surveyed 500 users and found X”
• “Our customers see an average Y% improvement”
• “Based on our analysis of Z implementations…”

This original data gets cited because AI can’t find it anywhere else.

How to add internal insights to BOFU:

1. Interview your sales team - what objections do they hear?
2. Survey customers - what results are they seeing?
3. Analyze product data - what patterns emerge?
4. Ask support - what problems do customers solve?

Turn these into content:

• “We asked 100 customers what they wish they knew before buying”
• “What our data shows about [category] adoption”

This is BOFU (it’s about your product/category) but it’s also educational (original insights). Best of both worlds for AI citations.

Let’s talk about the copy itself.

BOFU copy that kills AI citations:

• “The best solution for your business”
• “Why we’re #1”
• “Try free today”
• Superlatives without evidence
• “Innovative,” “cutting-edge,” “industry-leading”

BOFU copy that gets AI citations:

• “[Product] pricing starts at $X/month”
• “Users report Y% improvement in Z”
• “Unlike [competitor], [product] includes [feature]”
• Specific, factual, verifiable claims
• Data-backed statements

AI systems are trained to avoid promotional language. If your BOFU content reads like marketing copy, it gets filtered out.

The fix:

Same information, different framing:

• Instead of “Best-in-class automation” → “Automates 12 task types with average 4-hour weekly time savings”
• Instead of “Affordable pricing” → “Plans range from $29-199/month based on team size”
• Instead of “Trusted by thousands” → “Used by 8,400+ companies including [names]”

Specific beats vague. Data beats claims. Facts get cited.

Consider the buyer’s journey in AI context:

Traditional funnel: TOFU (awareness) → MOFU (consideration) → BOFU (decision)

AI user journey: AI query → Answer with sources → Click to validate → Convert

The AI user isn’t going through YOUR funnel. They’re going through AI’s synthesis process. By the time they reach your site, they might already be at decision stage - but they entered via an educational query.

Implication:

Your BOFU content needs an “entry point” that answers the educational query that brought them there, then quickly transitions to decision-supporting content.

Example structure:

Paragraph 1: Answer the likely AI query (educational) Paragraph 2-3: Quick context/framework Section 1: Comparison/options (still educational) Section 2: Your solution in context (transition) Section 3: Why choose you (BOFU) CTA

The first sections get cited by AI. The user lands on a page that immediately validates what AI told them, then flows into your BOFU content naturally.

Let me add the measurement angle:

How to track BOFU content AI performance:

1. Citation tracking (Am I Cited)

   • Which BOFU pages get cited?
   • What prompts trigger citations?
   • What sections get extracted?

2. AI traffic conversion (GA4)

   • Create segment for AI referral traffic
   • Compare conversion rate to Google traffic
   • Track assisted conversions

3. Content attribution

   • Which BOFU pages are cited AND converting?
   • What’s the citation-to-conversion correlation?

What we found:

Our BOFU pages that get AI citations convert at 1.8x the rate of those that don’t. Not because AI traffic converts better, but because content structured for AI is also more helpful content overall.

Good content for AI = educational, specific, helpful = good for conversion.

The optimization isn’t AI vs conversion. It’s optimization toward genuinely helpful content that serves both.

This thread solved my mental framework problem. Key takeaways:

The False Dichotomy: I was thinking AI vs conversion. The right frame is: genuinely helpful content that includes decision-supporting elements.

My Action Plan:

Restructure existing BOFU pages:

1. Add brief educational intro (200-300 words)
2. Include decision framework/criteria
3. Keep product sections but remove promotional language
4. Add specific data and evidence
5. Create comparison tables (even if we’re winning in them)

New BOFU content template:

• 20% educational foundation (AI cites this)
• 30% comparison/evaluation (AI cites this)
• 30% our solution with specific data
• 20% conversion elements

Copy changes:

• Replace superlatives with specifics
• Replace claims with evidence
• Replace promotional with helpful

Measurement:

• Track AI citations via Am I Cited
• Track conversion by traffic source
• A/B test old vs new structure

Key insight: AI rewards helpful content. BOFU can be helpful if it educates while recommending. The trick is leading with value, not with sales.

Thanks everyone for the frameworks and real examples!