Build the pages and proof behind the answers buyers ask.
Manual AI citation and Google search optimisation for businesses that need clearer answers, stronger evidence and crawlable source pages. We identify the questions worth owning, improve the pages that can answer them, and show exactly what was completed.
No dashboard. No bulk AI blogs. No paid citations. No placement promise.
The Evidence-First Citation Method
The method is repeatable and evidence-led. It controls the work The Dot Dev can control, while platform selection remains outside the guarantee. It does not guarantee citations or rankings.
01 Choose the questions
Select the buyer questions that are worth owning because you can answer them truthfully.
02 Map a precise claim
Write one precise, truthful claim for each question. Do not stretch the claim to chase a query.
03 Collect approved evidence
Gather client-approved first-party proof or a reputable primary source before the page is changed.
04 Improve one public page
Build or improve the single public page that can answer that question.
05 Correct eligibility conditions
Make crawl and index eligibility, the canonical URL, and internal links consistent with that page.
06 Match visible structured data
Add structured data only for facts a person can already read on the page.
07 Deliver the evidence report
Issue a manual Citation Evidence Report that records agreed work, current evidence, gaps, and next scenarios.
This method follows people-first content, crawlable links and canonical pages, and structured data that matches visible facts. It makes a page eligible and clear. It does not guarantee that Google, ChatGPT or any other system will select, cite or rank that page. The working brief for one question is a citation scenario map.
What we optimise for Google and AI search
The same eligibility conditions apply to ordinary Google search and to answer engines. See Answer Engine Optimisation, WordPress AEO eligibility and Show up in ChatGPT.
Question-to-page fit
Each priority question is assigned to one page that can answer it in visible HTML, not a cluster of thin variants.
Proof and source discipline
Claims stay inside client-approved first-party proof or a reputable primary source. Untrue claims are refused.
Crawl and index eligibility
We check a public 200 response, a correct canonical, sitemap listing, and internal links. Eligibility is not an indexing guarantee.
Visible HTML and matching schema
Structured data repeats facts already on the page. We do not invent special AI markup.
Choose the questions that can earn trust
Examples are generic. They do not name competitors or claim client results.
Service and problem
What the business does and which problem it solves. Example: how a consultancy scopes a website rebuild.
Comparison and alternatives
How an approach differs from common alternatives. Example: when a public source page is more useful than a private PDF.
Proof and risk
What evidence exists and what remains uncertain. Example: which delivery checks were completed and which outcomes are still unknown.
Buying decision
What a buyer needs before they commission work. Example: what is included, what is excluded, and how scope is agreed.
What you receive
Citation Action Plan
A written plan of the agreed questions, claims, pages, and order of work before implementation starts.
Approved page improvements
Edits or new source pages limited to the agreed scope. Scope agreed before work starts.
Evidence and source map
A map of each claim to the approved first-party proof or primary source that supports it.
Technical eligibility checks
Public 200, canonical, sitemap and internal-link conditions for the approved pages.
Citation Evidence Report
A manual report of agreed scenarios, work completed, dated observations where available, gaps, and next priorities. It is not a dashboard or a citation count.
Fixed citation programmes
Prices are in USD. Scope agreed before work starts.
A written plan for the questions and pages worth owning first.
Recommended. Strategy plus implementation on five agreed priority pages.
Ongoing source-page and evidence work. 3-month minimum.
100% Citation-Ready Implementation Guarantee
Before work begins, we agree a written Citation Action Plan. If The Dot Dev does not complete every agreed, controllable optimisation for the approved pages—including content, evidence paths, internal links, crawl eligibility, visible-matching structured data, and the final Citation Evidence Report—we refund 100% of the implementation fee.
Exclusions: third-party platform selection; rankings; citations; traffic; leads; revenue; client delays or missing access; requested untrue claims; and third-party publication or link placement unless named in writing. This is a service-scope statement, not legal advice. The public policy path is the Service Delivery & Refund Policy.
Common questions
Start with a Citation Action Plan.
Related reading: AI Search Optimization 2026, headless WordPress release evidence, Trust and portfolio.
Author and reviewer: The Dot Dev. First published 23 August 2026. Review when the cited publisher guidance or agreed service scope changes.
