What is Top-of-Answer (TOA)?

Top-of-Answer (TOA) is a positional concept in AI search optimization that describes placement as the first-named entity or source within an AI-generated response. Top-of-Answer is the AI equivalent of "above the fold" in web design or "position one" in traditional search rankings. When a large language model generates an answer that names multiple brands, products, or sources, the entity cited first carries disproportionate influence on user perception and click-through behavior. Top-of-Answer position is influenced by entity salience, citation frequency across corroborating sources, structured data clarity, and the liftability of content in zero-scroll zones. Content Arc™ by Growth Marshal specifically targets TOA placement by engineering answer-first headers and modular sections that LLMs are more likely to extract and place at the beginning of a response.