Make the first paragraph the answer: short-answer blocks

When a page answers the question in its first paragraph, the reader and any tool summarizing the page both find what they came for at once. This guide shows how to write that paragraph, with examples, and what Google says about it. One warning first: no paragraph guarantees a quote.

What is a short-answer block?

It is the first paragraph under a heading that asks a question, and it answers that question in two or three sentences. Detail, exceptions and examples come after it. The kisa_cevap field at the top of this article is written the same way.

What does Google say?

• You cannot mark a snippet. Google's featured snippets page says Google's systems decide whether a page makes a good featured snippet, and that you cannot mark your site up to get one (last updated 10 December 2025).
• Appearing in generative AI features has no extra requirements. The only condition: the page must be indexed and eligible to be shown in Google Search with a snippet. Indexing and serving are still not guaranteed.
• No special format is needed. Google's AI guide (last updated 10 July 2026) says there is no requirement to break content into tiny pieces, and no special schema.org markup or AI-specific file is needed. It adds that people generally like pages organized in paragraphs and sections, and that headings help navigation.

So a short-answer block is not an "AI trick". It is the natural opening of a well-written page. For the wider picture, see What is GEO, and how does it differ from SEO?

How do you write one?

1. Make the heading a question, or name the topic being answered. For example, "How much is shipping?"
2. Make the first sentence the answer itself. "Shipping is free on orders of 500 TRY and above." Do not open with an introduction.
3. Repeat the subject by name. The paragraph should make sense if lifted out of the page. Avoid starting with "this" or "it".
4. Stop at two or three sentences. Exceptions and conditions go in the next paragraph.
5. Match everything else on the page. Price, date and conditions must not differ between the block and the table. If you use structured data, Google wants it to match the visible text.
6. Do not write what you cannot support. No figure or "best" claim without a source.

Examples

The shop below is invented and only shows the format.

Weak: "A question our customers ask often, and we wanted to address it today. Shipping depends on many factors, so..."

Strong: "Example Shop ships free on orders of 500 TRY and above. Below that, shipping is 49 TRY. Delivery within Turkey takes 1 to 3 business days."

Weak (definition): "This is a very important topic today."

Strong (definition): "A right of return is the right to send a product back within a set period after delivery without giving a reason. At Example Shop, the period is 14 days."

In the strong versions, the first sentence gives the answer, the subject is named, and each figure comes with its condition.

Where does it work?

On pages that answer a question: guides, FAQs, category pages, price and shipping pages. If a page does not answer one question (a home page, for example), do not force a block onto it.

FAQ blocks and structured data

Each FAQ question can carry its own short answer. If you add structured data (JSON-LD), the text must also be visible on the page. Structured data is not required for generative AI search, though Google still recommends it for rich results.

How do you check your own site?

Open your ten most important pages. Is the first paragraph the answer to the question in the heading? If not, rewrite it. Site analysis tools can show structured data, meta tags and the AI bot permissions in robots.txt, but whether your first paragraph actually answers the question is something you have to read yourself. For bot access, see robots.txt for AI bots.

Frequently asked questions