2. Structural Formatting

What It Is

Structural Formatting is the practice of organizing your content using machine-readable formats and semantic markup so that AI systems can efficiently parse, categorize, and extract information.

Why It Matters

AI systems don’t “read” pages like humans do. They process structured data far more reliably than free-form text. Proper structure means your content is more likely to be correctly interpreted and cited, rather than misunderstood or overlooked.

How to Implement

1. Use Semantic HTML and Markdown

Structure content with proper headings (h1-h6), lists, tables, and semantic elements. Avoid using visual formatting (bold, font size) as a substitute for structural hierarchy.

2. Implement JSON-LD Structured Data

Add Schema.org markup to your pages. At minimum, include:

• Organization or Person for your identity
• Article or WebPage for content pages
• FAQPage for Q&A content

3. Provide an llms.txt File

Create a /llms.txt file at your domain root following the llms.txt standard. This gives AI systems a concise, machine-friendly summary of your site.

4. Organize Content Hierarchically

Use a clear information architecture: broad categories → specific topics → detailed content. Mirror this in your URL structure and heading hierarchy.

5. Use Tables for Comparative Data

When presenting comparisons, features, or specifications, use proper HTML/Markdown tables rather than prose descriptions.

Examples

❌ Unstructured:

We offer three plans. The basic plan costs $10 and includes 5 users. The pro plan costs $25 and includes 20 users. The enterprise plan is custom priced with unlimited users.

✅ Structured:

Plan	Price	Users
Basic	$10/mo	5
Pro	$25/mo	20
Enterprise	Custom	Unlimited

Checklist

• Pages use proper heading hierarchy (h1 → h2 → h3)
• JSON-LD structured data is present on key pages
• An llms.txt file exists at the domain root
• Content uses lists and tables where appropriate
• URL structure reflects content hierarchy