This is a template, not the workshop
Every workshop I run is tailored to the client: your products, your categories, your markets and the people in the room. The exercises run on your own pages and briefs, not on these generic examples.
Use this deck to see the approach. The live workshop, with your copy on the screen, is a different thing.
● TOMEK SIKORA · WORKSHOP
GEO & SEO
for copywriters
Write for the shopper’s question first. Keywords and AI assistants follow good answers, not the other way round. A hands-on workshop for copywriters and content editors writing product and brand content.
GEOSEOResearchWritingFAQClaims
● THE WORKSHOP
Four parts, two exercises
10min
01 · Start from the shopper
Two kinds of readers, shopper moments and the five questions every page must answer.
15min
02 · Research before you write
Facts vs signals, the fact sheet, AI prompts, reviews and keywords.
20min
03 · How AI reads, how we write
Answer first, specific beats generic, standalone sentences, FAQ that gets quoted.
15min
04 · Claims & checklist
Compliance rules, the workflow per product and the pre-publish checklist.
Bring one product page you write for. Both exercises run on your own copy, not on ours.
PART 01● WHY THIS MATTERS
One page, two new kinds of readers
SEO · being found
The search box (Google, Amazon) matches the words a shopper types to the words on your page. Titles, headings and the phrases people really use still decide whether you show up.
GEO · being chosen and quoted
AI assistants such as Rufus, Google AI Overviews, ChatGPT or Perplexity read the page as a set of facts and use it to answer a shopper’s question in their own words.
Ranks better
Natural language and real questions match more searches.
Gets quoted more
Specific facts are easy for an assistant to lift and repeat.
Converts better
The shopper gets the answer before they have to ask.
The same page serves both. The principles apply to marketplace listings and to brand sites alike.
PART 01● MINDSET
Start from the shopper, not the keyword
Picture one specific shopper in one specific moment — not a demographic like “women 25–45”. Every line should help that person decide.
Sun care
Packing the night before
Will this face sunscreen survive a swim and get through airport security?
Baby & kids
First car seat
Does it fit our car, and how long can the child use it?
Kitchen
New flat, induction hob
Will this frying pan work on it?
Pet food
Sensitive stomach
Switching food and checking the first ingredients.
Electronics
Daily commute
Headphones that last all day and block out train noise.
Spirits
A gift
For a father-in-law who “likes it smooth” — what does peated mean?
Luggage
Cabin bag
Will it fit as cabin luggage on most airlines?
Skincare
Cracked hands
Washing hands 20 times a day at work — what helps?
Write the moment at the top of the brief. If the team can’t describe the moment, the copy will describe the product instead of answering the shopper.
PART 01● THE FIVE QUESTIONS
Shoppers arrive with five questions
| Shopper’s question | What it is really asking | Examples | Where you answer it |
|---|
| Is this for me? | Who it suits, what type, what situation | Does this pan work on induction? · Is this dog food for small breeds? | Title, bullet 1, FAQ |
| Does it actually work? | The mechanism, ingredient or feature behind the claim, and any proof | How long does the battery last? · What makes this mattress cooler? | Bullets 1–2, description, FAQ |
| How do I use it? | Steps, frequency, amount, what to pair it with | How much sunscreen for the face? · How do I descale this coffee machine? | Bullet 4, how-to, FAQ |
| Is it safe and responsible? | Sensitive use, formulation, ethics | Can I use it on sensitive skin? · Is the packaging recyclable? | Bullet 5, FAQ |
| Which one should I pick? | How it differs from other variants in the range | 128 GB or 256 GB? · Which fragrance in the range is lighter? | Bullet 5, comparison chart, FAQ |
Your content wins when it answers these before the shopper has to ask. The “would anyone ask this?” test: if no real shopper would ask the question a sentence answers, cut it.
PART 01● ANSWERS, NOT ADJECTIVES
Specific facts help a decision. Adjectives don’t
| Category | Adjective (weak) | Answer (strong) |
|---|
| Sun care | Amazing summer protection | SPF 50, water-resistant for 40 minutes |
| Headphones | All-day battery | Up to 30 hours of playback; 10 minutes of charging gives 3 hours |
| Cookware | Works on any hob | Gas, electric, ceramic and induction; oven-safe to 260°C |
| Pet food | Premium nutrition | Fresh chicken is the first ingredient; grain-free recipe |
| Luggage | Perfect travel size | 55 × 40 × 20 cm, within the cabin size of most European airlines |
Features turned into answers
- 5 blades → a close, smooth shave on every pass
- 1.8 L water tank → around 12 cups before refilling
- Active noise cancelling → quiet on trains without turning the volume up
- Machine-washable cover → goes in the wash at 40°C
Only where the brand supports the benefit. All figures here are illustrative: in real copy, every figure must come from the brand.
● EXERCISE 1 ≈ 8 MIN
Your product, five questions
Describe one shopper moment for the product you brought. Then write the five questions that shopper would ask.
Mark where the current page answers each one — title, bullet, description, FAQ — or write “nowhere”. The “nowhere” list is your brief.
PART 02● RESEARCH BEFORE YOU WRITE
Two piles: facts and signals
| Source | What it gives you | What it never gives you |
|---|
| Current page + brand-approved materials | Facts: name, variant, size, ingredients, features, directions, approved claims | — |
| AI prompts on the product page | The questions shoppers most often ask about this exact product | Facts (an assistant’s answer is not a source) |
| Customer reviews | Real hesitations and shopper language | Claims, numbers, ingredients |
| Keyword research tools | Search demand and the exact phrases shoppers type | Facts about the product |
| Competitor pages | Market norms and gaps: structure, depth, missing FAQ | Wording, claims, keywords to copy, names |
Good GEO/SEO copy is mostly research. Only the first pile can put a claim on the page.
PART 02● THE RESEARCH STEPS
Fact sheet first, then questions and language
01
Build a fact sheet
Every fact from the title, bullets, description, image text, attributes, safety info and directions. Write only from this sheet.
02
Read the AI prompts
Question chips on the product page, People Also Ask, and real prompts typed into ChatGPT or Perplexity. Note what the assistant gets wrong.
03
Mine the reviews
Recurring doubts and the words shoppers use: “runs small”, “louder than I expected”, “fits my 14-inch laptop”. Topics and phrasing, never claims.
Contradictions to look for
“30-hour battery” in the title, “24 hours” in the graphic · “100% cotton” in the bullets, “cotton/polyester blend” in the attributes · “pack of 6” in the title, item count 1.
Don’t pick one quietly
Flag every contradiction for the brand. Screenshot AI prompts with a date — they change.
PART 02● KEYWORDS
Keywords in levels, one primary phrase per product
| Level | Headphones | Dog food | Where it goes |
|---|
| Own product name | [brand] [model] | [brand] adult small breed | Title |
| Product line | [brand] noise cancelling headphones | [brand] dry dog food | Bullets, description |
| Brand + category | [brand] wireless headphones | [brand] dog food | Title, one bullet |
| Category | wireless headphones | dry dog food | Description, FAQ |
| Category + attribute | headphones for travel | grain free dog food | Bullets 1–2, FAQ |
- Clean the list: no competitor names, no attributes the product doesn’t have.
- One primary phrase per product. In a range, give a shared phrase to one product so they don’t compete.
- The sentence test: if a phrase can’t sit naturally in a sentence, it goes in the backend, not the visible copy.
Benchmark 15–20 local competitor pages for norms and gaps. A pattern being common doesn’t make it right: the aim is to be better than the category, not to copy it.
PART 03● HOW AI ASSISTANTS READ A PAGE
It reads facts, not rankings
01
Text first, images last
Text inside images is harder to read. Repeat every important claim from a graphic in text.
02
Two layers beat one
A claim in two places, worded differently (a bullet and an FAQ answer), is picked up more often.
03
FAQ is authoritative
Q&A is the closest thing to a ready-made answer — and the most commonly missing piece.
04
Attributes cross-check
If structured fields contradict the copy, the product may be left out of the answer.
05
Names match everywhere
One spelling of the brand and product name, so all facts belong to the same product.
06
Voice reads the first sentence
Voice assistants often read only one or two sentences aloud. The key fact has to be there.
07
Completeness is rewarded
Full bullets, text modules and an FAQ give the assistant more to work with.
08
Change the form, never the facts
Restructure, reorder, reword, complete. Never invent.
The golden rule: if a fact isn’t on the fact sheet, it doesn’t go on the page — however obvious it seems or however many competitors say it.
PART 03● WRITING PRINCIPLES · 1/2
Answer first, detail after
✕ CONTEXT FIRST“Crafted from premium materials for the modern kitchen, the pan…”
✓ ANSWER FIRST“Yes, the pan works on induction, as well as gas and electric hobs.”
Sun care
Designed for active summer days… → Yes. The sunscreen is water-resistant for 40 minutes.
Spirits
Distilled in the Highlands using traditional methods… → No, this single malt is unpeated: fruity and smooth rather than smoky.
Toys
Inspiring creativity and imaginative play… → The set is for ages 3 and up and needs no batteries.
The inverted pyramid helps the skimming shopper, the voice assistant and the AI answer at once. One new fact per sentence, one new idea per bullet.
PART 03● WRITING PRINCIPLES · 2/2
Every sentence must stand on its own
Name it instead of “it”
| Pronoun | Named |
|---|
| “It has five blades” | “The travel razor has five blades” |
| “It lasts 30 hours” | “The headphones last up to 30 hours on one charge” |
| “It’s grain-free” | “This small-breed dog food is grain-free” |
Write how people talk
✕ KEYWORD LIST“Running shoes men lightweight running trainers jogging shoes”
✓ A SENTENCE“Lightweight running shoes for men, built for daily road runs and jogging.”
Specific beats generic
Hedge strong claims instead of dropping them: “up to 30 hours”, “helps reduce frizz”.
Read it aloud
If it sounds like a keyword list, rewrite it. Stuffing doesn’t help ranking.
Keep the brand’s voice
One signature device per product at most. Open with the need, not the brand name.
PART 03● FAQ
Answers assistants can quote word for word
Every answer
- Opens with the direct answer (“Yes.”, “Apply 20 minutes before…”)
- Names the product or product type
- Adds one fact not worded the same way in a bullet
- Sounds natural read aloud
- 5 questions covering suitability, proof, usage, safety and choice
Is the face sunscreen water-resistant?
Yes. The SPF 50 face sunscreen is water-resistant for 40 minutes. Reapply after swimming, heavy sweating or towelling.
Is this dog food suitable for puppies?
No. This dry food is made for adult small-breed dogs from 10 months. For younger dogs, choose the puppy recipe in the same range.
Can I use the frying pan on an induction hob?
Yes. The 28 cm frying pan works on induction, gas, electric and ceramic hobs, and is oven-safe up to 260°C without the lid.
Start the questions from the AI prompts on the page and the hesitations in reviews. Skip platform noise like returns and delivery.
PART 04● COMPLIANCE AND CLAIMS
Rules that don’t vary by market or category
01
Traceable or out
Every claim traces to the page or brand-approved material. Reviews and AI answers never count.
02
No unsupported superlatives
No “best” or “#1” without citable proof. An award needs its name, year and who gave it.
03
No promotion
No price, discount, delivery or urgency language in the core copy.
04
No competitor names
Not in the copy, not hidden, not as “alternative to X”. Win with descriptors instead.
05
Careful with health and safety
Repeat cautions as worded. No suitability claims the brand doesn’t make.
06
Quote formulation claims exactly
“Vegan”, “organic”, “recyclable” only as worded in the source.
07
No cross-product facts
A fact confirmed for one variant doesn’t carry over to another.
08
Localise, don’t translate
Form of address, spelling, units and category terms checked by a native speaker.
PART 04● WORKFLOW AND CHECKLIST
Per product, in this order
Workflow
- Fact sheet + contradictions logged for the brand
- AI prompts (dated) and review hesitations
- Keywords shortlisted, primary phrase picked
- Local benchmark for norms and gaps
- Fix wrong attributes first
- Write: title, bullets, description, text modules, FAQ
- Read aloud, check every claim, send with open questions
Before publishing
- Every claim is on the fact sheet
- Questions from the page’s AI prompts are answered
- Primary phrase in the title and bullet 1, in natural sentences
- Every image-only fact repeated in text
- Key claims in at least two layers
- FAQ: answer first, product named
- Names identical in every field; attributes match the copy
- No superlatives without proof, no promo, no competitors
AI drafts are a starting point. The copywriter’s job is what AI does badly: judging what matters, rhythm and voice, and checking every fact.
● EXERCISE 2 ≈ 12 MIN
Rewrite one bullet and one FAQ answer
Take the weakest bullet on your page. Rewrite it answer first, with one specific fact from the fact sheet and the product named — no “it”.
Write one FAQ answer for a question from your “nowhere” list. Read both aloud to the person next to you. Would a voice assistant’s first sentence be enough?
● OPEN DISCUSSION
Questions?
Good starting points
- Which products in your range share the same primary phrase?
- What blocks you most: missing facts, approvals, or character limits?
- Which contradictions on your pages need the brand’s answer first?
Further reading
- tomek-sikora.com — product descriptions for AI
- tomek-sikora.com — making a page citable in AI
- Google Search Central — succeeding in AI search
Who this workshop is for
Copywriters, content editors and agencies writing product pages, marketplace listings and brand content. It is hands-on: participants bring one product page and leave with a rewritten bullet, an FAQ answer and a brief built from real shopper questions.
It is one module in my SEO & AI Search training. For whole-page structure and content blocks, see Writing for AI search.
