Snippet Answer
A 2-3 sentence summary near the top of an article, written so an AI engine can quote it verbatim as a direct answer.
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The snippet answer is the lede paragraph engineered for extraction. It restates the article's primary question and gives the concise answer in 40-60 words.
Where should the snippet answer appear?
Immediately after the H1, before any setup, hook, or table of contents. AI engines tend to extract from the first 100-150 words of content; burying the answer below a long introduction reduces citation odds.
What does a good snippet answer look like?
Lead with the term being defined, follow with the one-sentence definition, then add 1-2 sentences of context that an AI could trim or keep. Avoid hedging language (might, could, possibly). AI engines prefer declarative phrasing.
Part of the Cite Hustle GEO glossary: definitions for generative engine optimization and AI search. See how it fits the bigger picture in the GEO methodology.