Module 5 · Lesson 5.5 · Updating the content you already have · 2 min

Update the pages you already have so AI engines cite them

Lesson 5.5 of the free AEO and GEO course: how to find and update the pages you already have so ChatGPT and the other AI engines cite them. The three Search Console signals, the rewrite step by step, when to merge pages, and a calendar for updates.

The video for this lesson is coming soon to YouTube. Meanwhile, the full transcript is right here.

Transcript

0:00Introduction

Lesson 5.5: updating the content you already have.

0:05Before you write again

Before you write a new page, look at the ones you have. Often, it pays to rewrite. A page that already exists has an address, some links, a history. Improving it is faster than starting from scratch.

0:19Finding the pages to rewrite

To find them, Search Console gives you three signals. Pages that are losing clicks: compare the last three months with the three before. Pages that get seen but not clicked: lots of impressions, few clicks. And from your audit: questions where you have a page, but someone else wins.

0:39The rewrite

The rewrite follows what you've learned in this module. Answer at the top, clear sections, frequently asked questions. Up-to-date data, prices and sources, with the new date. If you have several similar pages on the same topic, merge them into one, with a 301 redirect from the old ones. And link to it from the important pages on your site: that's the topic of the next module.

1:04A calendar

Then put them on a calendar, in rotation. Pages that bring in customers, like prices, services and comparisons: every three to six months. And right away, when something changes: a price, a law, a product. It's a recommended starting point, not a rule.

1:23Your task for today

Your task for today: find three pages using the three signals. For each, note what to rewrite, and whether to merge it with another. Then schedule them.

1:46Next lesson

Module 5 is done. In Module 6 we work on your site's structure, starting with orphan pages. See you there.

Your task

Find three pages using the three signals. For each, note what to rewrite, and whether to merge it with another. Then schedule them.

Track it in the course worksheet.

Sources

no external numeric data. The method (Search Console signals, the rewrite, merging pages with a 301 redirect, an update calendar) comes from the course; the 3–6 month cadence is advice, and is presented as such. CiteProof: a page-by-page diagnosis crossing Search Console, AI answers and bot visits (Free account: what it includes and when to move to a plan).

End of module 5: the quiz

Five questions on the “Content that gets cited” module. Get four right and you pass.

Take the module 5 quiz